It's graduation day, and everyone around is happy, especially my mother. I also received an award during the ceremony.
Congratulations, Ellie' my mom said while tears welled up in her eyes. 'I'm so proud of you,' she added."
Mrs. Cruz our Dean approached me as well and extended her congratulations on my graduation. 'Hmm, Miss Marquez,' she began, 'one of the major construction firms in the country invited you to apply to their company. If you have the opportunity, consider visiting their office.' She handed me a calling card.
"Thank you Mrs. Cruz"
After exchanging greetings with each other, Prof Gray approached me and extended his congratulations.
"Congratulations Ellie," he said with a smile.
I smiled back at him, knowing that we still need to keep our feelings for each other a secret since we are still inside the campus.
"Ellie," a female voice shouted from behind me.
It was Madison, also wearing a graduation gown and smiling as she approached me.
"Congrats!" She hugged me.
"Congrats to you too."
Madison let go of the hug and glanced at Ethan.
"Hi Prof. Gray," Madison said with a smile and looked at me knowingly. I knew she had many questions in her mind when she saw Ethan.
"Hello, Madison Smith. Congratulation," Ethan said and shook hands with Madison.
"Let's call each other, Ellie, for the upcoming architect exam," Madison said and bid us goodbye as they were going to celebrate with their family.
Ethan brought us to an upscale restaurant, still following us closely, and offered to celebrate my graduation. Despite feeling a bit embarrassed, as I didn't know the status of our relationship, and we had never been to such an expensive restaurant before.
I could see my mom was also feeling shy because the patrons there were quite sophisticated, while we were used to simple and affordable clothes.
After Ethan spoke to the receptionist, a polite waiter escorted us to our table.
"What would you like to order?" Ethan asked with a smile.
I glanced at the menu, and the dishes were not very familiar to me.
"Hmmm, you can decide," I said, and like my mom, we left it to Ethan to choose our food.
After our celebration, Ethan drove us back to our home. As we sat in his car, I couldn't help but ponder about him. Besides being a professor who had graduated from Harvard, I knew very little about his personal life. He rarely talked about himself, so all I knew was that he lived a wealthy lifestyle, evident from his demeanor and the luxurious car he drove.
"Thank you so much for everything, Ethan," I said, my heart filled with gratitude and a hint of confusion as my mom disappeared into the house, leaving us standing outside.
Ethan's response surprised me and tugged at my heartstrings. "You're welcome. Besides, You are my girlfriend, and I'm committed to making you happy," he said with a warm smile
"Girlfriend?" I asked, my eyes wide with astonishment.
A soft laugh escaped from him. "Aren't you already my girlfriend?"
His words brought a mixture of laughter and surprise. Not only had I not given him a clear answer yet, but it also felt too early for us to be in a relationship. I couldn't help but remember how long it took for my Noah to win my heart. He had courted me for a year, visiting our house countless times and bringing me numerous bouquets of flowers during that time.
"Hmm, okay then, I'll be your girlfriend," I said with a smile.
Ethan embraced me tightly and planted a kiss on my lips. I was surprised by his actions, but I eventually responded with his kiss as our newfound relationship began to blossom.
Ethan promised, "I'll always be with you and support your dreams."
I nodded with a smile, feeling grateful.
We shared one more sweet kiss before he drove away, leaving me filled with love and excitement for what's to come.
The next morning, Ethan came to our house early. We were going to the PRC to register. Madison was with us, and we were getting ready for the architect licensing exam.
Ethan was incredibly eager to accompany me on my errands, always sticking close to me no matter where I went. I also noticed that his phone would ring frequently, but he chose not to answer those calls.
I couldn't help but inquire as we sat inside his car while he drove. "I noticed you're not answering those calls. Is there a reason for that?"
"He's my dad, we're not on good terms, that's why he often calls to meet up," he said.
"Why aren't you on good terms?"
Ethan didn't answer and kept his eyes focused on driving.
I felt a bit embarrassed, so I didn't ask him again.
As we drove in silence, I couldn't help but wonder about Ethan's relationship with his father. It seemed like a sensitive topic for him, and I didn't want to push him further. Instead, I decided to let him lead the conversation or share more when he felt comfortable.
"It seems like Sir Ethan is really head over heels in love with you, girl, right?"Madison teases him about it after we finish registering for the exam.
"Noah behaves the same way with me, but he also cheated on me and left me, leaving me heartbroken".
"Who knows, maybe Sir Ethan is different. Sir, please don't generalize," Madison scolded me.
I remained silent in response to Madison's remark.
Ethan spends almost the entire day waiting for them, and he even runs errands and buys food for Madison.
From my perspective, it seems like I'm no longer drawn to a sweet and gentle guy like Ethan. I do love Ethan, but the doubts and uncertainties in my heart and mind complicate my feelings for him.
I cursed under my breath, feeling like I had developed a trauma from what Noah did to me, which inadvertently affected my relationship with Ethan.