Loving You Too Long

Mrs. Monica looked at her youngest son with a stunned expression, as did Haisley. She didn’t want to believe Gilbert’s ‘assumptions’ and avoid building her hopes on uncertain grounds.

It was just Gilbert’s ‘speculation.’ In reality, Nathan had decided to marry Loretta, which meant he didn’t want her. Because if Nathan did want her, he wouldn’t rashly choose to marry a woman he didn’t desire. If he truly loved her, he would choose Haisley over his business.

Shouldn’t love work that way?

Or perhaps Nathan relied more on his rationality than his emotions? Yes, of course, marrying Haisley would offer Nathan no benefits compared to marrying Loretta, who could provide him with everything.

Haisley sank back into despair.

What she heard from Gilbert did momentarily lift her spirits, but the harsh reality swiftly brought her crashing down, not just back to earth, but into a seemingly bottomless pit.

For Nathan, she indeed seemed unimportant, not worth fighting for. And that certainty further solidified Haisley’s resolve not to hope anymore. Yet, she felt a twinge of gratitude, however brief, knowing that Nathan had at least some feelings for her beyond mere hatred.

Mrs. Monica looked at Haisley with compassion. “Haisley.”

“I’ve decided to stop loving Nathan, Auntie,” the girl said softly. Tears began to well up in her eyes from the piercing pain in her chest. “I’m tired too,” she replied, her lips curled upward in a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I can’t force Nathan to love me, and Gilbert is right. Being loved is better than loving.”

“H…” Gilbert felt guilty. He was wrong for unloading all the burden he had been carrying in front of Haisley.

For him, Nathan’s happiness and Haisley’s happiness were his happiness too. But Nathan had gone too far to earn Haisley’s forgiveness, and he didn’t want his mother to keep supporting this relationship that would never lead anywhere.

He wanted to open his mother’s eyes so she would stop giving false hope to Haisley about her brother’s realization without demeaning the girl. But Haisley also needed to realize that Nathan was not the right man for her. Despite that tiny bit of affection Nathan held for Haisley, he would only bring her more pain than joy.

Gilbert wasn’t someone who believed that someone could change in a short time. That’s what he believed about Nathan too.

“I have to go to work, G. Can you drop me off?” Haisley looked up and stared at Gilbert, attempting to put on a cheerful face. Gilbert scratched his neck. That expression, it was clear he was the one who had hurt the girl’s feelings and made her suffer.

“Forgive me, H,” he said softly.

Haisley smiled again and shook her head. “There’s nothing to forgive, G. Let it go,” she said, waving her hand. “You’ll take me, won’t you?” she asked, her eyes pleading.

Gilbert nodded.

Then, Haisley turned to the woman who was now looking at her with sorrowful eyes. “Aunt, forgive me,” she said earnestly. “It’s not that I don’t like staying here. This house is comfortable, very comfortable. Especially since Aunt Jody is an amazing cook. But I also need to learn to be independent. Aunt understands, right?” she asked, answered by a nod from the woman. Haisley could see her wiping her face quickly to hide her tears. “I love you, Aunt,” she said, hugging the woman gently. “I promise, if you come here again, I will visit you. Besides, in a while, G and I will be going back to America for a vacation. Right, G?” Haisley turned to Gilbert, who answered with a nod.

“Forgive me, H,” the woman said, touched.

Haisley simply nodded. She then stood up and approached Gilbert. “I’m going home now,” she said at the doorway. Mrs. Monica just nodded without looking at her daughter’s friend. “I’ll bring my bag upstairs first,” she said to Gilbert, who nodded back at her silently.

Gilbert walked back to the kitchen, grabbed a cold water bottle from the fridge, and chugged it down greedily.

“What were you talking about in there? Why did it take so long?” his father inquired. Gilbert slammed the bottle onto the bar table roughly.

“Not much, just why Haisley moved out and our plans to go back to America for Haisley’s engagement party with Dean later,” Gilbert answered flatly, trying to keep his emotions in check. He could see Nathan straightening up, his gaze sharp. But Gilbert only glanced at him briefly; he chose to focus on his father instead.

“Dean? Haisley has decided to get engaged to Dean?” Mr. Samuel asked, unsure.

Gilbert nodded. “In the end, being loved is more beautiful than loving. Isn’t that right, Nath?” he taunted his brother.

Haisley came with a small shoulder bag and a garment bag in her right hand. She looked at Gilbert in confusion, but he answered the unspoken question with a shrug. She walked toward Mr. Samuel and said, “Uncle, I’m leaving.” She spoke with a smile more genuine than before.

“Where to?” Samuel asked, puzzled.

“She has to go back to her flat and also has to go to work,” Gilbert helped answer. He then walked away from the kitchen, putting his arm around Haisley’s shoulders and guiding her away from the house.

Nathan had to restrain himself from turning around and watching Haisley leave with Gilbert, given Loretta’s presence. Shortly after the door closed and the roar of Gilbert’s car faded away, Nathan saw his mother coming out of her room with reddened eyes. Was she crying? Nathan wondered. The woman then walked toward the dining table, and for some inexplicable reason, she lifted the teapot filled with cold water and deliberately poured it directly over Nathan’s head.

“Mom!” Nathan was instantly shocked, staring at his mother with wide, unbelieving eyes.

“Sweetheart!” Mrs. Monica’s husband was equally surprised by his wife’s completely irrational act.

The startled exclamations from the two of them were undoubtedly accompanied by Loretta, who also rose from her seat in shock. From the kitchen, Aunt Jody, who was cleaning up after the meal, looked at the family with both hands reflexively covering her mouth.

Nathan looked at his mother in bewilderment, as did Mr. Samuel. The man gazed at his wife, who was now breathing heavily, clearly trying to control her anger.

“You scoundrel! Bastard! I don’t know who taught you to be such a coward!” his mother cursed. “You should be ashamed of yourself. You should be ashamed in front of Haisley for all the things you’ve done to her. Hypocrite!”

“You deny the fact that you like her, yet you treat her like a cheap woman. And you mock me for giving her advice? At least I advised her to do something she would do in her right mind. Not like you, taking advantage of a good girl when she’s defenseless!” she said, her tone fiery, further confusing the father and son along with the two other women in the room.