The days passed, and Chloe returned to Beverly Hills with all her activities. That morning felt different because the beautiful woman felt tired and achy all over her body.
"So exhausted," Chloe whispered.
Despite complaining, she continued with her work. "But... even though I'm tired, it feels like a dream. What happened yesterday felt unreal. A beautiful dream or a sweet dream?" Chloe smiled happily as she recalled some enjoyable moments she had in Bali with Darren.
Inhaling the cool morning air in Beverly Hills, which felt refreshing and chilly, felt so different from the air she had breathed yesterday afternoon. Chloe chuckled to herself. "Darren was so patient yesterday, like caring for a little child. From the beginning, he was eager to go to Nusa Dua Beach." The woman blushed. "I'm so lucky to be his wife. As long as he never changes, his kindness has always been sincere from his heart."
As she continued talking, Chloe was taken aback by Adrianna's sudden arrival. It was still early, and the employees at her cafe were still cleaning; the restaurant had not yet opened. However, Adrianna came without notice and entered with a sullen face. Shortly afterward, whining and complaining could be heard from her friend.
"I don't know what he wants anymore. Why does he keep bothering me, disturbing my life? Aren't there any other people he can bother? Why does he always pick on me?"
Chloe furrowed her brow, not understanding her friend's complaints. She slowly digested each word from Adrianna's sweet lips, then began to guess. "Who is this person? The principal at the school where you teach?" Chloe teased.
"Yes, who else would like to disturb my life? It's only that annoying person, so irritating." Adrianna still wore a pouting face, continuously complaining about everything that happened at the school where she taught.
Instead of responding to her friend's complaints kindly, Chloe continued to tease her. "Usually, when someone keeps bothering you like that, they want something. There's usually an ulterior motive. Maybe your principal likes you. That's why he acts that way towards you, Adrianna." The beautiful single woman looked excited. With her heart blooming, she calmly responded to her friend's story and even tried to convince her that the principal's actions might be as she suspected.
"You're crazy! No, no! It's impossible for him to like me. I wouldn't want to be close to him even if it were true. Ugh, guys always go looking for trouble with girls." Adrianna vehemently disagreed, even being surprised by Chloe's earlier statement. She never thought the person disturbing her life lately had unique feelings for her.
Now, Adrianna wondered if the man who was her superior at work had feelings for her.
"Think about it. Are the problems Darren's causing important? Probably not. It's just his ploy to get closer to you, see you up close, and talk to you." Chloe still believed that Adrianna's school principal liked her friend.
Adrianna remained silent for a moment, then shook her head vigorously. "No! It's impossible! He's just an annoying person with nothing better to do. His only job is to bother people! How dare he do that to a girl!" Adrianna continued to refute her friend's opinion.
Chloe took a deep breath before speaking softly. "He only bothers you, right? He only looks for faults in you, right? Please, Adrianna, don't be so naive. Consider the possibility I mentioned. Maybe he likes you but doesn't know how to express it. Or maybe your attitude towards him has been tough, creating excessive distance between you. That's why he's doing everything to get close to you."
The beautiful single woman spoke at length, making sense to Adrianna, who remained sulky. However, Adrianna still didn't want to admit Chloe's speculation, which could also be wrong. She didn't want to fall for uncertain hopes, especially since the school principal, who was attractive and met her criteria, had been the one causing disturbances. Instead of hoping for something illogical, she preferred to believe her assumption. According to her, the principal only wanted to disrupt her peaceful life.
"No way! If he likes me, he shouldn't make me angry every day. I'm getting tired of going to that school to avoid meeting him. What should I do to make him stop bothering me?" Adrianna stared at Chloe, catching her breath as if she had just finished running. She felt annoyed, recalling everything her school principal had done to her.
Chloe smiled lightly, displaying her beautiful face that seemed calming. "Don't be like that. If my guess is right, he likes you. What do you want? Watch out; after this, you two might start dating," the beautiful single woman teased.
Adrianna grinned in frustration. "Ugh, impossible! It can't be! Tahu? He can't possibly like me, and I don't even want to imagine it!" Adrianna continued to refute Chloe's speculation.
Chloe burst into laughter, joyfully seeing Adrianna's face turn red after being teased like that. "You know, your face is as red as a boiled shrimp. Don't tell me you're the one who likes that principal."
"No way! How could that be? You, huh? Instead of comforting me while I'm venting, you're teasing me the whole time."
Chloe continued to laugh, her happiness from yesterday still lingering. Her joy was even visible to Adrianna, her friend. "You're happy, aren't you? Why? Did something happen with Darren?" Adrianna asked, unaware of Chloe and Darren's recent journey. Chloe hadn't shared anything yet, and she hadn't posted any pictures of herself with Darren on her social media because she didn't want to flaunt a relationship, she was still uncertain about.
Chloe pouted playfully, then blushed and smiled shyly. She turned on her phone's screen, opened the gallery folder, and showed Adrianna pictures of herself in Yogyakarta with Darren.
Adrianna was amazed; her eyes widened as she grabbed Chloe's phone to look closer. "Wow, you went to Yogyakarta? With Darren? When?" Adrianna asked enthusiastically. She was genuinely happy for her friend. She knew how much Chloe had suffered when Ester entered her life some time ago. The wounds Ester had inflicted on Chloe were deep, and Adrianna felt angry about it too.
"Yesterday."
"Oh, I see. Now you're keeping secrets from me."
"It's not like that, Adrianna. It was a spontaneous trip, no plans for a vacation."
Adrianna looked at Chloe intently. "That's good, Sa. You deserve to be happy, and you can be happy without Leonel. I'm happy for you if you're happy. Whatever decision you make, I'll support you." Adrianna said with a sincere smile.
The atmosphere suddenly changed, making Chloe touch and even bringing tears to her eyes. "What's with you? You're so unpredictable." The woman blinked her eyes several times after turning her face away from Adrianna.
"No wonder you've been teasing me all this time. Oh, someone's in a blooming romance, happy. Look at you, just back from a honeymoon." This time, Adrianna teased Chloe, no longer sulking like when she first entered the cafe.
Chloe grinned. "Honeymoon? What are you talking about? We just went on a trip together, unlike what you're thinking. Your mind is so dirty it needs to be cleaned."
"You're being shy but willing." Adrianna poked Chloe's chin.
"Don't call me that. It would help if you focused on your beloved school principal. I'm sure he likes you; it's just that you're not aware of it." Chloe mentioned the principal again, making Adrianna sulk again.
"Ugh, why are you talking about that person again? I'm already happy to see progress in your relationship with Darren. But you're ruining the atmosphere by talking about that person. I don't care whether he likes or dislikes me. What he's doing now is just not right, so annoying!" In her style, Adrianna continued to disagree with Chloe's opinion, which she found illogical.
Considering the possibility mentioned by Chloe made Adrianna feel awkward. She started to entertain the same option and paid attention to her appearance. If it were true that the school principal was doing all those disruptions to get close to her, she would start to think about what she would do. She also questioned her feelings for the man. "Does he like me? And... if he does, what should I do? Would I reject his feelings? Or maybe I also like him?" Adrianna wondered in her heart. She daydreamed and contemplated the possibilities Chloe mentioned, although her lips contradicted them.
"Watch out. He might suddenly bring a rose and kneel before you if he likes you. You might faint if that happens." Chloe continued to tease her friend.
Adrianna shook her head vigorously. "Enough! Stop! No, I don't want to get carried away!" She exclaimed while continuing to shake her head. Then she stopped shaking her head and covered her ears with both hands.
Once again, Adrianna found herself daydreaming. She imagined the school principal kneeling while holding flowers, just as Chloe had described. Suddenly, she smiled, but a few moments later, she shook her head. "Stop it, Sa. I regret telling you. You're just making me more stressed!"
Seeing her friend looking restless, Chloe felt grateful. She considered herself lucky because Darren openly admitted his feelings for her. She couldn't imagine if Darren was a shy type of guy who expressed his affection in strange ways. Just the thought of it made her laugh.
"Okay, let's not talk about the school principal anymore. Now, let me ask about your relationship with Darren. Can we interpret your vacation together as a sign that you will marry him?" Adrianna's question left Chloe frozen. The beautiful woman didn't know how to answer. Her cheerful expression turned into confusion as if she had lost her direction and didn't know where to go.
On the one hand, Chloe acknowledged that Darren was a good person and prospective husband. However, on the other hand, she still had doubts about getting married again. She was still traumatized by the lingering pain in her heart.