"Welcome back, dear!" a little girl greeted with a sweet wide smile, running to the boy side while holding her doll in her arms tenderly.
"Pfft!"
"Hey," the little girl pouted as she turns away in annoyance. "You're supposed to play along with me." She crossed her arms on her chest.
"And what am I supposed to be?" Her tears threaten to fall at his nonchalant words. She sucked up her courage and glare at him while blinking out her eyes from crying. She was unable to see the boy's face. It was all hazy and blurry. "Your husband?"
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"Good morning, Camellia!" Wan Chu sudden appearance surprised Camellia. "So, how was your weekend? Anything good?" Camellia ignored Wan Chu. Wan Chu narrowed eyes stares at her suspiciously. 'Something is not right'. Wan Chu walks into her office and sat on her desk expecting some story. "Alright, spit it out, girlfriend. What this handsome husband of yours had done this time?"
"I don't want to talk about it." Camellia brushed off firmly.
"Well, I am caring," Wan Chu makes it with a hint of music rhyme to it. "And, I'm waitinggg."
Camellia heaved a sigh with defeat while looking at her boss with uncertainty. She put down her file-task away headed for the consultations couple couch. That was what she called every time she brings in her new clients in. Wan Chu still waiting for her story, eyeing her like a beeline.
"I don't know what to say. Or how to say it." Camellia hesitated to tell her boss.
"It's alright. Either I will be helpful in your situation or not, you must at least release your worries to your closes friends.
"Alright. Here goes," Camellia heaved another heavy sigh. "The elders and my in-laws scolded me when they found out that I still working."
"What did your husband say to them?"
"Well, he supports my job which is I very much appreciate it. But," Camellia hesitate to say it out loud. "the next thing they did was nagging about wants a child from us." She can feel her face flustered at the thought of it. "Can't you believe it?"
"Then, just do that and give them what they want. That'll shut them up." Wan Chu burst out suggesting only getting a glare from Camellia. Wan Chu smiled sheepishly.
"You're not helping at all!" Camellia stood up in irritations. She becomes more restless every minute with hand on her head and waist. "Urgh!"
"How is your 'bonding' going on so far?"
"Thank you for 'asking'!" Camellia burst out. "You know we slept in our own room every night."
"Oh, I see," Wan Chu continued to watch the married maiden. She can't help but smirk at her antics.
"Oh, so you see this is funny?"
Wan Chu shook her head helplessly looking away.
"When I was a child, I always thought that being married to someone you love is something that important and makes him happy and bore a few children for him," Wan Chu didn't respond to her complaints but the reactions were obvious that Camellia looks away feeling discouraged. "Well, the point is I never thought that being married is tough."
"Nobody said it easy, dear." Wan Chu crossed her arms steadily watching her. "Sex doesn't need love. Only satisfaction of carnal desires counts."
"Are you suggesting that I need to forgo the love intuition & just make love with some stranger?"
"I never been married before and let's keep it that way. I might not be the right person to say this to you but open your eyes, Cam. Those married people don't even last forever and ever like fairy tales. Even those married couple will eventually divorce or cheating on their partners or something."
Wan Chu stood up walking up to her and gave her a bear hug. "Hold on there. I trust you are able to handle it."
"No," Camellia pushed Wan Chu away. "I refused to believe that. I.. I will be different than the other woman out there. I will make sure my husband will only love me for the rest of our life." Camellia closed her eyes and her hands covering her ears were trembling.
Then, suddenly there was a knock on the door. Camellia's assistant appeared with a hand signal for a phone call for her.
'Saved by the phone.' Camellia mumbled to herself wearily.
"Don't think too much into this, Cam. You know you are special. To us. Surely others will think so too." Wan Chu excused herself. "Oh, right. Sakura and I planned to have dinner with only the three of us. How does a seven o'clock sound?"
"Sorry, but I can't join you two tonight." Camellia looks away from her boss. She felt hurt with Wan Chu's perspective in love. She waited for the door to close and wiped her tears dry. She heaved a steady breath and answered the phone.
Later that evening, Camellia meet up with Emily and the other girls that she plans on introducing to her. Camellia arrived at the lobby of the hotel directly from work. She always makes sure to prepare an extra evening dress in her office. Although Emily didn't mention anything about the dress code but just looking at her sophisticated behaviour, ones never should ask. The venue itself looks grand and the crowd was already in line at the lobby through the elevator to the rooftop. Huge bodybuild men were standing there on guards at the front of the elevator looking fierce.
Camellia walked past the long line while aware being glared at by those many couples in beautiful dresses.
"Hey, don't cut lines!"
Camellia bowed apologetically at them as she passed by the long line until she stopped at the entrance of the elevator.
"Pass?"
Camellia nervously showed the ID on her phone that Emily gave to her during the lunch hour and they scanned it through with a small device. "Alright. You're in. Get into the elevator." She was relieved but the loud noises of unsatisfied crowds echo at the back.
"Without any passes, nobody can get into the rooftop unless the VIP made a cancellation." The huge guard with a cute red bowtie blocks the entrance to the elevator as soon as Camellia gets into it and the crowd groan in disappointment. 'What a place.'
What awaits her at the rooftop beyond her imagination. It took her ten minutes to compose herself after she steps out of the elevator. She never has guess there are places like this wonderful. Her brain rakes into ideas for a new wedding theme.
"Oh, there you are," Emily's voice reached her as she still in awe. Emily giggled at her antics. "You never failed to amuse me, don't you." They exchanged hugs. Emily pulled away from her and sizing her head to toe. "I love your dress. I never saw this dress before." Emily frown at her evening dress. "I am being jealous of you now but I will forgive you if you tell me who is the designer of this dress."
Camellia smiled shyly at Emily's praise and proud at the same time. "Thank you. But, this dress was made possible by our wedding dress designer, Sakura."
"I need to see her later then," Emily satisfied with the answer and starts to take her to their table where the rest of the ladies were waiting. Camellia felt anxious about being with unknown friends. "You going to love them just like me."
When Camellia received Emily late afternoon today, Emily convinces her to join a small social gathering- more like a Friday night girls hang out. She never would imagine hanging out with Emily's friends. She didn't call home to inform Shuusei. With the mood that she's having now, she doesn't want to care for others. Maybe tonight, she might be able to consult Emily for comfort regarding that matters. Camellia was having fun being with them although their conversation was all random and general one until gossips topic was up.