The little bell above the flower shop door jingled brightly, breaking the awkward pause that had formed between Alea and her guest. Ishara stood tall with an intimidatingly elegant aura, bringing with her the scent of expensive perfume that immediately overpowered the shop's usual fragrance of fresh roses and eucalyptus leaves.
"Hello," Ishara greeted her with a faint smile that never reached her eyes. She walked toward the checkout counter and placed a small paper bag wrapped with a gold satin ribbon directly in front of Alea. "You're Drew's wife, right? Nice to meet you. I'm Ishara."
Alea clasped her fingers on top of the counter. Her heart was beating faster than she wanted—not because she was afraid, but because she realized exactly who the woman in front of her was. Drew's first love. His childhood best friend, who had caused a scene at a nightclub just last night.
"Yes, I'm Alea," Alea replied as calmly as she could, maintaining her professionalism as the shop's owner. "How can I help you, Ishara?"
They sat facing each other beside the window.
Ishara smiled broadly and held out a fairly large velvet box. "I just got back from overseas. Last night was a little chaotic, but today I realized I should properly meet the woman who stole—or, I mean... who married my childhood best friend." Ishara deliberately let the sentence trail off, creating tension between them. "This is a small wedding gift for you two. Just consider it a token of friendship."
Alea opened the box for a moment, then closed it and pushed it back toward Ishara. She offered a polite smile. "Thank you so much for the thought, Ishara. But I can't accept this. It's too much for two people meeting for the first time."
Instead of taking offense, Ishara let out a small laugh, elegant yet irritating. "Don't be like that. Drew and I have been friends since we were kids. We're practically siblings. So his wife is my friend too. Take it." Without waiting for Alea's approval, Ishara simply left the box on the table, then turned and walked out of the shop, her high heels striking sharply against the floor and leaving Alea behind with her pent-up emotions pounding in her chest.
That afternoon, the sun had not completely set when the front door opened. Alea, who was arranging several flower vases in the bedroom, was startled to find Drew standing there, loosening his tie. He had come home much earlier than usual.
Alea blinked in surprise. "You... you're home early."
Drew set his work bag on the sofa. His eyes settled on Alea. Memories from a few nights ago suddenly flashed through his mind—how he had come home almost at midnight and found Alea asleep in the living room, waiting for him.
Drew shook his head slightly and smiled. "There wasn't too much work today."
Drew stopped in his tracks. His gaze shifted to a small box bearing the logo of a luxury jewelry brand on the nightstand. He stared at it for a moment, then turned toward his wife.
"This is from Ishara?" Drew asked flatly.
Alea looked at her husband with one eyebrow raised, unable to hide the flicker of exhaustion and cynicism in her expression. "You knew who it was from before I even told you."
Drew let out a short sigh, his voice remaining calm. "Ishara collects ruby jewelry. That box is distinctive to her boutique."
Drew cursed silently in his heart. This woman really had some nerve. She'd even gone to see my wife just to get attention.
Alea smiled faintly. "You know her very well."
Drew looked straight into Alea's eyes, catching the jealousy and doubt in them. He stepped closer and gently put an arm around his wife's shoulders. "I used to know her well, Lea," Drew said earnestly. "But now, I have absolutely no interest in knowing anything about her. My life is here, with you."
Without waiting for an answer, Drew picked up the small towel draped nearby and led Alea to sit on the edge of their bed. Patiently, he helped dry his wife's hair, which was still slightly damp after her shower. The touch of his hands felt warm and soothing.
Amid the hum of the hair dryer as it began to fade, Drew whispered softly near Alea's ear.
"If you want to know something about my past, just ask me directly," Drew said as he switched off the dryer and gazed intently at Alea. "Don't ever look for answers from someone else when you don't even know whether they're true."
Alea looked at her husband, softened by the clarity in his eyes. She nodded slowly. "Yeah, I understand."
The corners of Drew's lips lifted into a faint smile. He tucked a strand of his wife's hair behind her ear. "So... if we're done dealing with this, can we pick up where we left off?"
Alea blinked in confusion. "Pick up what?"
Drew leaned closer, smiling meaningfully. "Following Grandma and my mom's wishes. Remember what Grandma said that time... 'Drew, you two need to have kids soon.'"
Alea's face turned bright red, and her laughter filled the warm room, as if wiping away the clouds Ishara's appearance that morning had brought with her.
The next morning, the atmosphere in the headquarters office felt far more dynamic. Drew's two close friends, Kevin and Julian, suddenly entered without being invited, carrying three cups of coffee and wearing absurdly enthusiastic expressions.
"Bro!" Kevin greeted him as he dropped onto the sofa in Drew's office. Julian followed close behind with a wide grin. "Tonight, we're having a little dinner with Ishara. Poor thing just got back from overseas. We can't suddenly lose touch with her just because we're old friends."
At the mention of that name, Drew's hand, which had been holding a pen, stopped moving. He remembered what had happened yesterday, when Alea had said in a trembling voice, You know her very well.
Drew fell silent for a moment. He didn't want to leave even the smallest opening for his wife to misunderstand, or let wild speculation grow in Alea's mind because of his past.
If I reject it outright, these guys will only keep talking about it. But if I face it openly, right in front of my friends...
Rather than let Alea sit at home speculating about things that aren't true, I'd better settle this myself once and for all in front of them, Drew thought.
Drew looked up and fixed his two friends with a sharp, unwavering gaze. "Okay. I'm in."
The answer immediately made Kevin and Julian exchange wide-eyed looks. They had never expected Drew to agree so easily, considering how coldly he had always responded whenever Ishara's name came up.
Yet behind Drew's calm expression as he accepted the invitation, his two friends had no idea what was really turning over in his mind—or what he truly intended to do at dinner with Ishara that night.