Unpredictable Betrayal : A Sweet of Revenge

Alex massaged his throbbing temples. His head felt like it was about to explode thinking about how to pay off the debt Aurora had demanded from him.

For Alex, 10 million wasn’t a small amount. Even after calculating the assets distribution, he could only back up half of it.

“Mom… let’s just sell this house. For God’s sake, Alex doesn’t know where to find a large amount of money in just a few days.”

In the living room, Alex tried to discuss with his mother. Persuading and pleading with Savana to consider the suggestion he was offering.

After all, selling their only house was Alex’s only hope of quickly paying off the debt. Then they could move to a smaller house and start anew.

“No way!”

Savana shook her head firmly. She immediately rejected her beloved son’s request.

“You can ask for anything from Mama. But not to sell the house. This is the only inheritance from your late father. If we sell it, what else will we have to remember him by?”

Alex sighed heavily. He was torn. In his heart, he couldn’t bear to sell his childhood home. There were so many memories Alex had from the house he currently lived in.

But, on the other hand, he had no choice but to sell assets. Alex’s savings were not much to speak of. It was his fault for being too extravagant when he was living with Aurora. And then, after meeting Nicole, Alex spent all his money on that cursed woman.

“So, how will Alex pay Lumire’s debt?”

“Just forget about paying it,” Savana replied casually. Whether Savana was considering the consequences of her words or not was unclear.

“And does that mean Alex is just giving up if this issue is taken to the legal route? 10 million is a lot. How can it just be let go like that?”

Savana still responded casually to her son’s words.

“Oh, that’s probably just a bluff. There’s no way Aurora would sue you for such a trivial matter.”

Alex was at a loss for words. His situation was truly hanging by a thread. Why did his mother still consider the problem at hand as nothing more than an empty threat?

“If Aurora handles this matter, maybe we can ask for leniency. Alex knows well that Aurora is kind and forgiving. The problem is, it’s Asher who’s handling everything. If Alex doesn’t pay the debt, he’ll likely be sued for embezzlement. And if he gets imprisoned, the sentence will definitely be more than five years.”

Savana then sighed in frustration. Her head suddenly began to ache after hearing her son’s explanation. And upon reflection, it was indeed serious and couldn’t be ignored. Savana couldn’t bear the thought of her beloved son having to deal with the authorities, let alone being imprisoned.

“That’s why we should just sell this house,” Alex pleaded again. Still trying to persuade his mother to soften her heart and give her blessing. “Alex promises, once he gets a new job and starts saving, he’ll buy a new house.”

Savana remained unmoved. She didn’t give an inch in her response. She was adamant about keeping her late husband’s legacy.

“Mama doesn’t want to.”

“Come on, Ma. Is there any other way to pay off the debt besides selling this house? If there is, Alex will try to do it.”

This time Savana fell silent. She was also puzzled about what to do to help her son pay off his debts.

“This is all because of Aurora!”

“No,” Alex defended. “This is purely Alex’s fault. None of this would have happened if Alex hadn’t been involved with Nicole.”

“But it’s still Aurora’s fault.”

Savana didn’t care. Instead of repenting and lamenting her fate for her evil deeds towards Aurora, she seemed to harbor intense resentment and anger towards her former daughter-in-law.

“Anyway, if anything happens to our family, Mama will settle the score with her.”

Feeling helpless, Alex ended the conversation with his mother. Rising, he prepared to leave. There was something important he needed to attend to.

“Where are you going?” Savana asked when she noticed her son dressed neatly and ready to leave.

“Meeting a friend. Today, there’s an appointment to discuss job matters.”

Savana looked at him with a probing gaze. She didn’t expect her son to start looking for a new job.

“Where are you planning to work, Alex?”

“I’m planning to work with Doddy. You know, Alex’s old friend who now owns a medical equipment factory and is a major supplier. Luckily, there’s an opening at his office.”

“What position will you be in?”

“For now, it’s in sales marketing.”

Savana’s eyes widened. Alex’s answer just now made her unhappy.

“What? A sales job? No! You’re a graduate, Alex. I worked hard to put you through college, even up to your Master’s. Why would you become a salesperson at a drugstore?”

Alex knew this rejection was inevitable. And he was well aware that his mother had high pride. If given the choice, Alex also wanted to work directly in a high-ranking position like before.

“This is just temporary.”

“Sure, but why do you have to work in sales marketing? Your education is good. You have a lot of experience. If you apply to reputable companies, Mom is sure you’ll be accepted.”

“Alex knows,” the man interjected. It’s tough to argue with his mother. “Like Alex said before, this is just temporary. While waiting for other job applications to be approved. Mom doesn’t need to worry. Alex doesn’t mind any job as long as he can still provide for Mom’s needs.”

Savana’s heart softened. It pained her deeply to see her son struggling like this. And she silently vowed to do something to help.

***

Aurora had just finished her rounds and checked on several patients. As she entered her office and sat down, she was already greeted by a visitor. When she looked up, Aurora found Alden standing there, holding something.

“Are you done with your tasks for today?”

Aurora nodded, gesturing for Alden to sit.

“Yes. I just finished checking on the patient who underwent surgery with you yesterday.”

“The one whose father is from Malaysia?”

“Yes. Thankfully, the child’s condition is starting to improve.”

Then Alex placed a brown paper bag he brought onto Aurora’s desk. It immediately caught the room owner’s attention.

“What’s this? What did you bring me now?”

Alden just smiled. Did he even realize that sometimes his smile made Aurora’s heart flutter?

“It’s lunch for you.”

Aurora laughed. She peeked into the paper bag containing the lunchbox Alden handed her.

“Oh my, did you bring me beef black pepper?”

“Yes. You still like it, right?”

Aurora smiled again. Out of all the food, Alden still remembered what she liked.

“Of course I do.”

“Coincidentally, I had lunch with Asher earlier. So, I packed it for you.”

This time Aurora chuckled teasingly. Somehow she always got tickled by the word ‘coincidentally’ that Alden often used.

“Always ‘coincidentally’. Just admit that you intentionally wanted to buy and bring me lunch, right?”

Alden burst into laughter.

“How did you know?”

“I could read your mind.”

They both laughed. Luckily Velia wasn’t in the room. If that woman saw what was happening between Aurora and Alden right now, they would definitely be teased mercilessly.

“What time do you finish work today?”

After providing lunch, now Alden was asking about her work schedule. Aurora wondered what else this man was planning.

“As usual, at five. I drove myself. So, you don’t need to offer me a ride.”

“Hahaha why so confident? Besides, who would want to give you a ride?” Alden chattered with a smirk. “I’m just asking. Besides, I know you’re driving. I saw our cars parked side by side.”

Aurora immediately blushed and was met with Alden’s laughter.

“I was just kidding, Aurora. Actually, I was going to ask if you wanted to go watch a movie. There’s a good one playing in the theater.”

“Not today.” Aurora politely declined. Besides, there was something important she had to do. “I have dinner plans with Mom and Dad tonight. If you want, maybe next time. And you can invite Velia and others too.”

“Okay,” Alden agreed. After all, he understood that Aurora wasn’t ready to go out with him alone yet. Maybe she needed time to adjust to her new status. “How about this weekend? I’ll invite Dr. Andrew and Ferdy too.”

“Sure,” Aurora nodded. Besides, since she was alone, she could go anywhere freely. “I’ll let Velia know to join us too.”

Then Alden glanced at the watch on his wrist. Confirming that his break time was almost up, he decided to bid farewell. It wouldn’t be nice to intrude on Aurora’s activities for too long.

“Well then, I’ll go back to my room. Don’t forget to have your lunch. You can eat it right away while it’s still hot.”

“Yes, I will. Thanks again.”

“You’re welcome.” Then Alden got up from his seat. Before leaving, he spoke again. “By the way, just let me know about the movie schedule. You still have my phone number, right?”

Aurora laughed. She knew Alden was just making small talk. Or perhaps he was giving a hint, asking Aurora to contact him via text or call. “Yes, I still have it. Didn’t you ever message me to ask about a patient’s diagnosis?”

“Oh, right. I forgot. In that case, I’m really looking forward to your next message.”

Alden stepped out. Just at the door, he called out again.

“Aurora…”

Aurora immediately looked up.

“Yes?”

“Don’t forget to eat.”

“Yes, I’ll have it in a moment.”

Alden laughed. He knew Aurora must be annoyed by being reminded multiple times.

“In that case, see you later.”

Aurora just nodded. Only a few seconds later, as she was about to eat her food, she heard another knock on the door.

“Oh my, Alden, relax. I’ll eat the food you brought in a moment.”

But as she lifted her gaze, Aurora was left speechless to find someone else knocking on the door. It wasn’t Alden, but a very familiar figure in her eyes.

“Mom Savana?”