What Ky, Joy and Richard Wanky did not know was that Charles had already heard the news himself prior to rolling in that evening. I mean, why wouldn't he? It was all over every person and social media platform as soon as the words 'My husband' left Thalia Mirabel's lips on the show. It was not their fault, though, for the older Wankys were so old school and had refused to change their old ways of thinking, especially in relation to technology advancement.
Before arriving home that evening, Charles was startled in his car when he heard it himself. He had just chanced across that info on his SNS page. Scrolling through his online feed, he saw the picture of the girl who had once held his heart… well, he still did, but she had hurt him so badly, both emotionally and physically, over a bastard! She had betrayed him in ways unimaginable!
He leaned back in the back seat and closed his eyes as her sweet smile flashed before him, as if she was physically right in front of him at that time.
"Gush, I loved her!" he whispered to himself as tears leaked out of his eyelids. He regretted that one spontaneous decision that had changed everything! 'Could their past be different if he had not made that decision?' he thought to himself as he pictured the nineteen-year-old girl he had met about eight years prior. Charles knew in his gut that, even if he had made a different decision that fateful day six years ago, he would have never forgiven her for that betrayal!
***
Eight years ago …
Charles had relentlessly pursued Thalia Mirabel for almost two years before she finally agreed to date him. He remembered their first meeting vividly, and Charles doubted that there would come a day when he would ever forget the angel that had changed his life. The angel that sent him on life's rollercoaster. She had guided him up to the extreme of euphoria as if he had been high on drugs so much that when she had dropped him like a merely discarded baggage, he had still held on, refusing to let go, and this is what had been his own undoing.
It was the kind of day that was as ordinary as possible, like any other. But the mind has a way of keeping such memorable things so much that the ordinary can become extraordinary to someone. On his family's arrangement, Charles had reluctantly visited his father's alma mater, Milas University, on tour.
He had applied for their famous Management program as his elder brother and father had done before him. His family had placed high expectations on him even though he was the youngest son. His older brother could then care less about the daily management of the family's company. He was more interested in spending than making money, so Mr Ky Wanky had placed his hopes on this one younger and responsible son.
Charles had always been a great student, so he had no qualms about getting admission into Milas University. He just had not wanted to visit the university because he felt there was no reason to do so. But he thanked his lucky stars that day as he set eyes on her.
Charles stood in front of the school's administration as he had parted from his friends who were with him. He had already completed his 'tour' by himself and taken a few selfies at vantage points to be his evidence of having completed the tour with diligence. Just as he made up his mind to leave, two girls walked towards him hand-in-hand, with a slight skip in their steps.
The girls were as different as the day was from the night. One was a smallish dark blond and blue-eyed girl dressed in a pretty floral-print dress. The other girl instead had caught his eye; she had shoulder-length black hair as the midnight. A dimple graced her cheeks as she laughed at something that her friend had said.
Charles's breath caught in his throat as the sun glistened on the girl's hazel eyes, giving her a slightly amorous look with long lashes that flattered her eyes. She had on, a modest faded jeans and an oversized white t-shirt which had been tied in a bun to her right side. This further showed a little flesh on her slim waist, adding to the allure of the simple clothing. The lone letters on the top read: DIVA!
Despite her simple outlook, Charles couldn't help but start believing that, that lone word did describe her so accurately. He could not figure out why he thought so. It could have been the way she held herself, or the way she walked or anything else, but he did not know. The only thing that Charles knew for a fact at that moment was that he was in love!
"That is a ravenous beauty!" he breathlessly said as they passed by him. Charles froze when the girls paused in their steps and looked at him weirdly.
"Did I say that out loud?" he asked himself.
The girls giggled at the boy who was making a fool of himself.
"Yes, you did!" the black-haired girl replied cheekily. It was as if the girls knew that they had that effect on him. That is when he noticed that he had spoken out loud in both cases. He blushed deeply to almost the colour of his hair and tried to avert his eyes by lowering his head, but by the time he realised, the two girls had entered the administration block, leaving him behind.
Charles started panicking as he felt that he could not afford to lose the girl. It was a little silly and wishful thinking on his part. But Charles felt that nature granted specific opportunities in life that should never be passed over.
He seemed to have lost his window momentarily, but Charles had felt at that moment that he and the unknown girl were both on the same pedestal of life and on the same university campus. The most minor favour he could do himself was to find her!
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