Simple Happiness

Chapter Thirty-Six

"Dad!"

"You heard me," his father said, sitting on the couch. "Stay away from her or I'll find a way to make her disappear from our lives forever."

"You can't do that to me," Oscar said. "You know how much I love her."

His father looked him in the eye. "Try me. That love you're talking about will destroy her. Do you want to give her tears instead of happiness?"

"Why are you doing this to me? I already accepted to marry someone I don't love for our family's sake. Why are you treating me this way? Am I even your son?"

"Your wedding has been pushed forward," his father said. "You're getting married this Saturday."

Oscar furrowed his brow. "What? Why did you do that?"

"It's for your own good, son," his mother said.

"Ha-ha-ha! For my good? I'm sacrificing my happiness for the family's sake. How is that good for me?"

"Son, you're now confused," his mother said. "You will understand one day that Bea is the perfect match for you."

"If you insist on firing Liz, I won't come to the wedding," Oscar said.

His mother snapped at him. "How dare you!" Oscar's father held her hand to stop her from charging at her son.

"It's a deal," his father said. "The girl can keep her job but there should only be a professional relationship between the two of you."

"Okay," he said then left his parents' house and drove off.

---

Liz stayed up the whole night waiting for Ethan, but he didn't show up. She called his company the next day and was told that he was on a business trip.

"A business trip? How come I know nothing about it?"

"Where did he go and when is he coming back?"

"I'm sorry I can't give you any more information about our CEO," the secretary said. "If he wanted you to know he would have told you."

Liz's heart was shredded into pieces. Why did he not tell me anything about his business trip? She pondered. Is it because he is mad at me? Does he not want anything to do with me anymore?

---

"Were you able to talk to Ethan about the scandal?" Tamara asked when they met in the evening.

Liz's eyes started welling up with tears. Seeing that, Tamara rushed to her side. "What's wrong, dear?" She leaned forward and took a few paper napkins from the table.

"His phone is always switched off," she said as tears ran down her cheeks. "Maybe he is avoiding me. Tamara, he is hiding from me because he doesn't know how to face me."

"Cry it out. You will feel better," she said, rubbing her back with one hand. She used the other hand to dry Liz's tears.

Liz looked at her with desperation. "Do you think he will come back to me?"

"He will come back to you if he loves you as much as he says."

She sniffed. "What if he doesn't come back?"

"He will. You will see."

Liz took more napkins and dried her eyes then smiled. "Maybe the best thing for me to do is to give up," she said. "Maybe that will make things easier for him."

"Stop joking, Liz. You can't give up just like that." Tamara took her phone and dialed Ty's number. "Where is your brother?" she asked the moment he answered the call.

"I don't know," he said. "I haven't talked to him since Monday. Did something happen?"

"Didn't he tell you that he was going on a business trip?"

"Ethan is on a business trip? I didn't know about that."

"Fine," she said then hung up.

"He also didn't tell Ethan about the business trip?" Liz asked. "Maybe he thought that I would make him give me information about his whereabouts. That is why he didn't tell him anything."

Tamara poured her a glass of water. "Stop filling your head with crazy ideas," she said as she handed her the glass of water. "Drink some water."

Liz took a few sips.

"Drink some more. It will help you calm down," Tamara said.

Liz took the glass and drank all its contents then put it down. "Happy now?"

Tamara nodded. "Good girl," she said with a smile as she lightly poked Liz's arm with her finger.

A smile curled on Liz's lips then disappeared. "How I wish that water could wash away the pain in my heart," she said.

"Liz, why don't you wait until he calms down and decides to show himself to you? You never know, maybe you are just overreacting. Maybe he isn't intentionally shutting you off. Maybe his phone was stolen. Maybe..."

"Maybe he hates me," Liz said.

Tamara furrowed her brows, clenched her fists and pursed her lips then sighed. "Liz."

"What?"

"Why are you only thinking of the worst?" Tamara asked. "Will being optimistic hurt you? Don't you know that we attract what we think?"

"What is the point of being positive? He is already telling me that it is over between us without saying a word."

"Fine. What are you going to do?"

"I don't know. Maybe wait for him to come back if he doesn't switch his phone on."

"Okay. Just be patient."

Liz smiled and nodded.

***