Lisa's Point of view
It's been three days since that evening.
Three long, exhausting days of Edward barely even looking at me. Three days of silence, where every moment feels heavier than the last. It's not like I expected him to forgive me instantly, but this… this cold distance between us is suffocating.
I hate it.
I want to talk to him, but every time I get close, my pride holds me back. What should I even say? Sorry I was wrong? My ego refuses to let me admit it so easily. But the guilt? It lingers like a shadow, reminding me of my mistake.
Suddenly, my phone starts ringing, breaking me from my thoughts.
Ring… Ring… Ring…
I sighed before picking up. "Hey, Mom."
"Hey, baby!" Mom's voice is as cheerful as always, but I can sense a certain mischief behind it.
How are you? Why are you calling so early in the morning? I asked her, rubbing my temple.
Nothing serious. "Just wanted to invite you and your little husband to our family function," she says, emphasizing the last words teasingly.
I frowned. "What function?"
It's a business party. "We're inviting all our partners and associates," she explains.
"Oh… okay," I reply absentmindedly, still stuck on the 'little husband' part.
It's Friday night this week. "You need to inform Ed as well," she adds.
I hesitated before responding, "About that… it'd be better if you informed him yourself. I can't speak to him right now."
There's a pause. Then, in a sharp tone, she asks, "What happened? Did you fight with my son?"
I blinked. "Your son?"
Yeah, he's my son. "You got a problem with that?" She challenges.
I scoff. "No, I was just asking."
Her voice softens, but there's a hint of scolding behind it. "Lisa, what did you do?"
I groan, rubbing my forehead. "It's… complicated. We had a fight that night, and since then, he's been avoiding me."
"Lisa," Mom sighs, "You really messed up, didn't you?"
"I know," I mutter, feeling even worse now.
She chuckles lightly. "That boy is a gem. You know he comes here often to check on me? Even though my own daughter rarely does?"
I bite my lip. "Is that so?"
Yes. He's a good kid, Lisa. You should fix this before it's too late, she advises, before ending the call.
Her words weigh on me. I know she's right. I just don't know how to fix it.
Sighing, I changed into fresh clothes and headed to the kitchen.
---
In the kitchen
The moment I step inside, the scent of warm pancakes fills the air.
Edward is at the stove, flipping the golden-brown pancakes effortlessly. He looks calm, focused, as if nothing has changed. But I know better. He hasn't spoken to me properly in days, and yet, here he is, making breakfast like always.
I moved beside him, pretending to be busy as I started making coffee.
I want to ask him if he wants one. I want to say something—anything—but my pride stops me.
Edward doesn't look at me, but after a moment, he places a plate of pancakes beside me. Then, without a word, he takes his own plate and walks to the sofa, eating in silence.
I stare at the plate. My heart feels heavy. He made breakfast for me. Even after everything, he still cares… doesn't he?
I want to taste his cooking, but my ego is screaming at me not to give in so easily.
Just then, his phone rings.
"Mom," he answers, and I instantly know it's my mother on the other end.
I listen as he speaks.
"Yeah, I'll be there… No, I'll come with Lisa."
Something flickers inside me. He said we'd go together. That small detail alone gives me a tiny bit of hope.
After finishing his food, he washes his plate and leaves for college without a single glance at me.
I let out a frustrated sigh. "God, how do I fix this? I really messed up."
---
Feeling restless, I decided to call my best friends, Mia and Luna.
As expected, they're already aware of the party since their families are business partners with mine.
But when I tell them about my situation with Edward, they don't react the way I expected.
"Lisa, you really messed up," Luna says in an annoyed tone.
I know that! I called you both for help, not to criticize me. I groaned.
Mia's voice is sharp. "Then tell me, what has Edward done to deserve this treatment from you?"
I hesitate.
He realized his mistake and took responsibility for the marriage function. "He stood by you, protected you," she reminds me.
"You should be grateful he had your back," Luna adds.
I sigh. "I know… I just don't know how to make things right."
Just apologize. "Genuinely," they both say in unison.
I scoff. "It's not that simple."
"It is that simple," Mia says. "Edward is a good guy." If you apologize sincerely, he'll understand.
And Carl? "He's really mad at you," Luna warns.
"How do you know?" I ask, narrowing my eyes.
"He called me, duh," Mia replies casually.
I smirk. "Oh? So you and Carl are talking now? That's new."
Mia sighs. "It's not like that." I don't think he's interested in me. "There's probably someone else in his heart… but I'm not giving up."
"Good luck," Luna and I say together.
"Now, about Edward—fix this before the party," Luna warns.
"And Lisa?" Mia's voice lowers. "Just tell him you love him already."
"What?!" I exclaim, taken aback.
Girl, we know. You love him. Just admit it before you lose your chance, Luna teases.
I stay silent for a moment before a small smile forms on my lips.
"I will," I whisper.
---
Edward's Point of view
At college
"Looks like it's our turn," I tell Hannah. She's nervous.
"Y-Yeah," she stammers.
Relax. "We got this," I assured her, squeezing her hand lightly.
We step onto the stage.
Hello, our names are Edward and Hannah. Our project is about the challenges business people face when starting a company…
We finished our presentation, and soon, it was Carl's turn. He's confident—annoyingly so.
Later, in the cafeteria, Hannah sulks. "I can't believe we lost this idiot."
Carl grins. "Yeah, this idiot who just got first place."
Hannah glares. "Only because your partner was the class topper."
"Hey, we worked hard," Carl defends. "You can ask Samantha."
Samantha nods. "Carl did most of the work. And his girlfriend helped too."
"Wait, girlfriend?" Hannah and I ask in unison.
"It's Mia," Carl corrects.
I smirk. "Oh, really?"
Carl rolled his eyes. "Shut up."
I chuckled. Anyway, I told them about the party. They're coming.
Hannah grins. "You want help like last time?"
I nod. "Of course."
As we leave for class, one thought lingers in my mind.
"Lisa… what are you thinking right now?"