Vivian bit her lips and slowly looked up, by then, the old man had started dabbing his eyes with the white hankie in his hand.
She sighed inside and looked down again. How can she let go of Carl, she had waited so many years just to be with him. She loves him so much, how can she live without him. If it wasn't for that bitch, then all these wouldn't have happened and they might probably be married now.
She blinked rapidly, trying to stop the tears that were attempting to fall from her eyes, then looked up again and noticed the old man bringing something out of his pocket.
"She's beautiful, isn't it? They're both beautiful." The old man chuckled while looking down at the small frame in his hand. After burning away all her pictures due to those hurtful memories, this was the only one he had kept because it also had his late wife inside. "I really had a wonderful family." He muttered with another sigh then slowly extended the small frame to the girl.
Vivian took the photo from his hand as she sniffed back her tears. Staring down at it, she noticed two teenagers, with an older woman who was her late grandmother. one of the girls who seemed slightly older was her Aunty, then the next one__ 'the next one.'
Her eyes narrowed on it and in the next second, it widened tremendously.
"G... Grandpa? Is she my second Aunty?" Vivian stammered and watched in shock as the old man slowly nodded with a sigh.
She dazedly stared into space while many thoughts ran through her head. 'Is this some kind of joke?'... She slowly turned back to the photo after a while and her grip slowly tightened on it while staring at it with an indescribable emotion.
After some seconds, she gave the photo back to the old man while retaining her calm expression then heard him say,
"Go and change out of these clothes dear... Your mother will bring you food later, and make sure you eat it all. Okay?" The old man gazed at her slim figure and sighed again.
"Okay, grandpa." Vivian slowly nodded then stood up.
"Wait, do you know where your father is?" The old man suddenly stopped her with a frown and she paused in her footsteps then slowly shook her head. Her father had never mentioned where he goes and she sighed inside then walked out of the room.
After watching the door close, the old man turned back to the frame and stared at it for a long time then heaved a deep sigh. "I'm so sorry Sophia, I'm very sorry."
********
__ A Few Days Later __
The sun had long set and it was already dark outside the brightly lit apartment.
Sitting on the couch was a girl in her pajamas, who was busily engrossed in her works for a few hours now as her attention was fixed on the laptop in front of her.
The slight tapping on the keyboard as her hands danced on it now and then and the running water from the kitchen were the only sounds that could be heard in the living room.
After some seconds, a girl walked out of the kitchen with freshly cut fruits on a plate and her eyes landed on the couch then she sighed inside.
Walking toward the couch, she placed the fruit plates on the table then turned to her sister and glanced at what she was working on. "Big Sis, they're really beautiful."
"Hehehe." Clara glanced sideways at her with a chuckle then turned back to the screen as she carefully arranged the comics. "I know right? And I'm making a lot of money from it."
Lily smiled softly then picked a sliced fruit and gave it to her sister. "Big Sis, your skills have really elevated, didn't expect you to be so perfect at drawing the comics."
"Oh." Clara paused for a second, then slowly nodded and continued working on the laptop while chewing on the fruit.
Lily sighed again and smiled softly then said, "I bet the person that taught you is really a professional."
She watched her sister who was pretending like she didn't hear her then picked up another fruit and gave it to her.
Clara chewed the fruit slowly then heard her sister sighed before the girl continued.
"Big Sis, you know... You don't have to quit working there... If you just give it a few days, I know everything would subside," Lily muttered softly and by then, her expression had turned gloomy. She just hopes it was not because of brother-in-law that her sister had stopped working in the company.
"No, Lily." Clara sighed after turning her attention from the computer. "I don't want to be in the public's eyes, I just want a quiet life, Lily..." She muttered slowly while her thoughts drifted to the next day she had tried to go to work but was instantly blocked by many reporters and the same thing repeated the next day and the days after it. She was very thankful for the security men at the gate who were constantly chasing them away and she wondered how they knew where she lives.
Lily sighed again then held her hands. "Big Sis, you should at least answer his calls. I'm sure it was all a misunderstanding."
"No." Clara slowly shook her head with a sad expression. "I'm not blaming him, Lily, I understand how much he likes me... However, I don't want to be entangled in that kind of life." She sighed inside, remembering the news that had spread after that night about the 'Golden Pearl Couple.'
She glanced at the flower vase beside the window then sighed inside. She was not over her dream guy yet. And also that lady that had lashed out at her in the washroom__ she sighed again and turned back to the screen.
The anonymous company she had signed a contract with is really paying a lot, so even if she didn't get any job soon, it won't be a problem.