She added, "Uncle, you know, you and that pretty auntie look good together. You pay so much attention to her. You guys should just get married. You look perfect! Like a very great couple. You will make a very good couple."
Simeon, hearing what the little girl said, turned and stared at Irene. She was talking to a female teacher.
Simeon realized he hadn't known that the pretty auntie the little girl was talking about was Irene. When he turned and saw the pretty auntie, he was very happy. A smile of pride spread across his face. "Yes, me and Irene will make a very happy couple."
He looked at the little girl. "Do you know what? Should I tell you a secret?" A smirk extended across his handsome face.
The little girl, very curious, nodded eagerly. "Yes! I want to know the secret!"
Simeon whispered in her ear, "That beautiful auntie is my wife."
The little girl's eyes widened, and her mouth left agape. Simeon hadn't expected her to react this way.
"So, uncle, how long have you guys been married? Two years?"
"Two years," Simeon answered as the little girl asked.
...
Irene spoke to the teacher with a smile on her face as the teacher thanked her.
"So, Irene," the teacher smiled. "We really are grateful for you coming. You really helped us. It means a lot to us. You don't know how much the kids were really happy to see the writer of that great poem present in our school."
Irene smiled politely at the teacher. "There's no problem. It was just a little bit of my time that I took to come and meet you."
In the middle of their conversation, the teacher tapped Irene's arm. "I wish you'd said earlier... that handsome guy over there seems to have been looking for you for a while. Do you know him in any way?"
Irene turned around to see who the teacher was talking about.
She was shocked when she saw Simeon. She hadn't expected him to be here. What was he doing here? Her brows furrowed.
She had finally escaped from that house, and now, didn't she deserve a moment of peace? But now, here he was—like a blinking light reminding her that she was married, reminding her of the bond that had taken her freedom.
The teacher smiled as Irene nodded. "Yes, he's my husband. I know him."
Irene smiled faintly, her face turning red with embarrassment, although it was all an act. She would have made a great actress with the way she could fake her feelings for Simeon.
The teacher, excited to hear that the handsome guy was Irene's husband, exclaimed, "Wow! You guys look good together. You make a perfect couple! I hope you guys have many healthy children."
Irene felt awkward hearing what the teacher said. She didn't wish for those prayers to come true. Yes, she wished for Simeon to have healthy children, but not with her. For her to have children would only lock her into a life she didn't want.
"I'll be going now," she said, smiling at the teacher. "Take care. See you tomorrow."
The teacher waved as she walked away. "Till next time! I hope you come again. I'll miss you!" Irene walked toward Simeon and the little girl.
Irene's voice immediately turned cold as she looked at Simeon, her eyes not shifting. Anyone who wasn't a grown man would have been scared by the look in her eyes.
Simeon saw the look in Irene's eyes for a moment. He felt sad and wished she could smile at him just the way she had smiled at that female teacher a moment ago.
"Why aren't you picking up my calls?" he asked, getting straight to the point
A big load had been taken off his heart when he asked the question because Irene was used to ignoring him.
The silent atmosphere between them was heavy.
"What did you want to say again?" she asked, taking a step into the car. Simeon followed her lead, getting into the driver's seat.
"She's a loving girl, isn't she?" He said, his attention not on Irene but lost in his thoughts. After a moment, his eyes focused on her as if ready to read any word or expression that crossed her face.
"Then go well, dear," he said, rubbing her hair and smiling at her. Simeon sent the little girl away, and as she left, his gaze lingered for a moment.
"Uncle, I'm leaving. See you soon," the little girl said, tugging on Simeon's pants and bringing his attention back to her.
The little girl saw her uncle talking to the beautiful aunt and, feeling ignored, tried to get his attention. Her mother called out to her, pulling her back.
"Let's get in the car. Then we may talk," Simeon said, glaring, his voice forcing the words out of his throat. His hand made an attempt to open the car door, but halfway, he raised his brow towards his wife, suggesting she should get in.
Since when did her husband care about her business? He had never cared before, and she had been fine with that. So where was all this concern coming from, and what was it that he wanted to ask her?
As time stretched, Irene cleared her throat, her eyes darting away from him.
"It was unintentional. I was driving; I didn't see you calling," she said, clenching her fist and holding her purse tightly.
"Very understandable. Safety comes first. I wouldn't like the feeling of losing you," Simeon paused, observing her body language before continuing.
After his words, Irene couldn't control the rate of her heartbeat.
Her husband… She couldn't understand him today. He was acting so strangely. The cold and indifferent man she knew seemed to have disappeared.
No, this was a trick! With condemnation, Irene shook her head and came back to her senses. Staring at her husband with forced determination, she said, "Don't say things that will confuse me. This isn't the time for all this. Come, we should get into the car. What did you say you were going to tell me, by the way?"
Her actions were swift as she got into the car, staring at Simeon with a beautiful smile that appeared fake.like a snowflake that looks like a flower but melts with time.
Simeon nodded, his eyes trailing off to how she sat, her shoulders straight and legs crossed.
He noted how Irene always did this when she was tense or nervous.
Was she uncomfortable around him? Or was he making her nervous?
He didn't dwell further and finally sat in the car. Irene took a deep breath as his gaze shifted away from her. She couldn't predict how she would bear it if he kept staring any longer. His extra attention was making her uncomfortable.
...
As the car drove forward, Simeon's gaze lingered on Irene's face through the mirror. His eyes traced her features. her eyes, nose, lips, and long lashes as she focused on her phone.
She seemed entirely absorbed in her own world, ignoring him as if he wasn't in the car with her.
Would it be so hard for her attention to be on him, even for a second? He was certain her ignorance was intentional.
"Can you stop looking at me?!" Irene snapped, dropping her phone and finally staring at Simeon.
She could feel his gaze on her. Though her eyes were on her phone, which she intentionally used to ignore him, the weight of his stare was impossible to ignore.
She thought her phone might make her more comfortable and distracted, but she was wrong. He had won this silent battle.
"What did you want to talk about?" Irene asked, thinking twice before speaking. Her face threatened to scowl, but she maintained her composure as she stared directly into Simeon's eyes. Neither of them could suffocate in the silence any longer.
Simeon glanced at her coldly through the side window. Slowly, with hesitation, he decided to speak.
Clearing his voice, which sounded formal and focused, he said, "The activities that you and that strange man shared have been exposed to the media."
No one knew better than Simeon how deeply those words might affect Irene, especially considering how the matter complicated things for both of them.