"Here, let me help you with the dishes." Leo offered. "By the way, the foods were all delicious." he added before taking her spot to wash the dishes.
Stunned, Charmaine stood aside and watched Leo do the chore. It was the first time she saw him do a menial work and he wasn't really bad at it.
"Leo... I want to ask you something. What did you hate about me?" she suddenly asked out of the blue.
Leo froze. Seconds later, he put down the plate he was holding but didn't turn to look at Charmaine. "Well... You're a great girl. Sweet and bubbly... you're actually perfect. I was just too stupid that I didn't notice it before." he replied. "Actually... I think I've always liked you... right from the very start."
Charmaine furrowed her brows. How could that be? For as long as she can remember, has always despised her. When was the time that he actually liked her?
Leo glanced at Charmaine and saw her baffled expression. She didn't believe him, right? He can't blame her. "When I was eight, my parents decided to get a divorce and my mom took me to France with her. When I was fourteen, I finally came back to the Ji household and that was the first time I remember seeing you. You were a cute little girl visiting our house and from a distance I watched you playing and laughing..... but later that day I caught you fighting with your sister Jienna. You said something I disliked." he recounted.
Charmaine went silent. She thought for a long while but she can't remember anything related to what he was telling her. She must be at the age of ten when that happened and sadly, she has no recollection of her childhood before she was eleven.
"I'm sorry. I don't remember those times anymore." she said. "Did I say something terrible?"
Leo was done with the dish washing that time but he didn't stop to look at her. He reached for a dish cloth and began wiping the plates dry. "I'm Xiaomin Song. I'm the only heiress there will be in the Song family. I will be the future Mrs. Ji, too. Everything will be mine." he quoted and then turned to her. "That was what you said to Jienna."
Charmaine raised her hands and covered her mouth. She said such horrible words to Jienna? No wonder she started hating her before. So, it was her fault? But she really can't remember such an instance!
Leo sighed and went on with his chore. "That said, I made a mental note to stay away from you... Mind you, I hated opportunists the most."
Charmaine was completely silenced. So it was like that... The chaotic life she witnessed in her dreams originated from this? But why? Why would she say such abominable words? It's so not like her to behave that way!
Looking at the dazed woman, Leo removed his apron and stood beside Charmaine. He held one of her hand but didn't look at her. "I didn't know what happened between the two of you but it was very wrong of me to condemn you without hearing you out. You were just a kid and she might have provoked you somehow... I'm sorry for judging you."
Charmaine lowered her head. No. Leo wasn't wrong. What she did was awful. She has no way of defending herself in front of him. What she did was pure wickedness.
"Hey!" he said, nudging her shoulder. "I didn't tell you that to taunt you. I was just trying to explain why I avoided you before. It was that stupid rules of inheritance's fault." he tried to comfort her. "If they didn't make it so that only the engaged individuals from the two families can become successors then those misunderstandings won't happen! I was made to believe you were only after the title of the future Mrs. Ji." he stated and then squeezed her hand.
Charmaine slowly turned to Leo with brows knitted together. "You said I was a child when I said those words. I doubt I knew what being Mrs. Ji meant. And there's no such rule in my family. I'm an only child, you know."
"Well, I only learned about that after you left. And that rule existed in my family so I thought you have it in yours, too. Anyway it's all in the past now.... Shouldn't we just forget about it?" he said before putting an arm around her shoulder. "Let's go! We're all done here so let's go upstairs to check on Luke. Although I'm sure he's still busy playing video game right now."
Charmaine turned to look at Leo. Somehow, she felt like crying. The Leo beside her was just too gentle. Was he the same Leo who pushed her to her death? No. She felt like he wasn't. If he wasn't then... can the Leo beside her finally be hers?
***
"I think you've played enough." Leo told Luke when he visited his room. "How about you answer my questions now."
Luke glanced at his dad from the sofa, sighed and put down his video game console. "You don't care about me. You only care about my mommy!" he complained with a cold expression.
Leo chuckled. "How about you? Your about to lose your daddy but you only care about your games." he joked.
Luke tilted his head. "Why would I lose you? Are you marrying that woman my mommy was telling about?" he asked.
Although a little stunned, Leo sat beside the boy and put an arm around his little body. "No. But your mom doesn't like me anymore. My heart aches when she avoids me." Not because he gets discouraged but because he was reminded of how he treated her before. For six years, he has given her the cold shoulder, but she didn't back down until one day, she just had enough. He knew she has only been back for ten days and it's not easy to win her back but she still felt unsettled. He's not used to this feeling of uncertainty.
"Who said she doesn't like you?" Luke replied. "She likes you a lot. She just doesn't trust you."
Leo stared at the little boy. Right. Charmaine told him some strange things when she was drunk. Something about cheating on her? Maybe she thought so because of what happened between him and Jienna before. But how can he regain her trust?
Suddenly, the notification ringtone of Leo's phone chimed. He checked and was surprised to see it was a text from Charmaine. But isn't she resting just next door?
Min: "Are you busy?" she asked.
Leo stood up, went to Luke's bed and climbed on it. She lay on his stomach and began typing a reply. Luke watched as his father left his side. He said he was ignoring him? But look at him go when he received a message on his phone. Annoyed, he just picked his video game up again and continued playing.
Leo: No. You need help with anything?
Min: No. I'm just bored. Can't we chat?
Leo: Alright. You sure you just want to do it on the phone? I can come to your room right now!
Min: !!!!!!
Leo laughed. Teasing Charmaine this way wasn't bad at all.