Scarlett's POV:
My phone rang the moment I stepped into my apartment. It was Charles.
"Why aren't you replying to my messages?" he complained.
"For one, I was chatting with Rita, your woman, and I just got home," I answered straightforwardly.
"Rita is not mine," Charles corrected, a hint of annoyance in his voice. He then sighed heavily and changed the subject. "Anyway, I've been told in the meeting that there's something wrong with the project I'm working on. I'm leaving for Besceinga for a business trip."
"Oh. Okay," I replied flatly, not knowing what to say. But I must admit, hearing his voice made me want to see him.
"I won't be back until the birthday party. Don't worry. I'll send an assistant to help you with the preparations in the following days," Charles patiently explained.
It somehow upset me that he was leaving, but I did not show it. "When are you leaving?"
Charles paused for a moment and answered, "I'm already at the airport."
"I see. I'll... I'll hang up now." I thought I would be able to see him again before he left. I did not expect that he would leave all of a sudden.
"Wait." Charles stopped me from hanging up the call and added, "I miss you, Scarlett."
For a moment, the sound of his voice was the only thing I could hear. The house had never felt so empty, that was until now. When Charles lived here with me, despite the endless bickering, it was not lonely.
"I heard that there's a big white rose garden in Besceinga. I'll take you there sometime," Charles said, probably to make up for his absence, An inexplicable feeling surged into my heart. All I wanted right now was to be wrapped in his tight embrace.
"Charles..." I took a deep breath and continued, "Have a safe flight."
With that, I hung up the call without waiting for his response. I gazed at his number on my screen and fell into deep thought. My heart and soul left with him when he said he missed me.
I had been restless since Charles had gone on a business trip. I could not focus on my work, nor could I eat or sleep well.
Time quickly passed by. Before I knew it, it was already Christmas Eve. The company was on a holiday today. So even though I had nothing to do, I had no choice but to stay at home. I did everything to occupy myself. But I could not run away from the desolate feeling whenever I had a minute to spare.
I held my phone and debated whether I should call Charles or not. It had been a week since we last talked. He had not called nor messaged me since he left.
'It's Christmas Eve today. Should I message him first?' I bit my lips and hesitated.
Just then, a notification popped up. Charles had sent me a voice message. I clicked on it, and his pleasant voice rang into my ears.
"Honey, happy Christmas Eve. I love you."
My heart pounded wildly in my chest. I could not help but giggle and roll on the bed as I listened to his deep and sonorous voice over and over again. It was only at this moment that I felt at ease. I pondered hard on how I would reply to his sweet message. In the end, I decided to just send him a smiley emoji. I waited for his response, but none came.
In the evening, Abner and Nina came over to celebrate Christmas Eve with me. They even brought a bottle of red wine for us to drink.
That bottle did not last long, though. We drank it all up in just an hour. Meanwhile, Nina did not seem satisfied with it. She slumped on the sofa and kept asking us to go to the bar.
However, it was already deep into the night. It was already too late for us to book an appointment in the bar. All of a sudden, it occurred to me that Charles had taken home a bottle of wine. With that, I staggered to my feet and made my way towards the wine cabinet.
"Let me help you." Abner also stood up and stretched out his hand, so I would not stumble on the way.
I ignored his outstretched hand and staggered to the wine cabinet. Charles liked putting his stuff here. As a result, my home was now filled with his belongings.
There were all kinds of expensive liquors in the wine cabinet. I must have drunk too much that the world seemed to be spinning around. I shook my head to see clearly, but I still could not find the bottle of wine Charles had brought recently. "Which one do you want? Let me get it for you," a familiar voice behind me said.
"I don't need your help, Charles," I replied crossly. As I did not see what I was looking for, I just randomly selected a bottle and returned to the living room.
"You're drunk. Let me help you," the man offered. Since when did Charles become a gentleman? I tried my best to open my eyes and then turned to look at him. It was only then that I realized it was Abner. Although I was moved by his kindness, I refused it. If Charles found out about this, he would be jealous again.
The thought of him made my heart ache.
I missed him so much. I could not stop thinking of him.
The alcohol was making me more emotional. Right now, Charles was all I could think about.
Dizzy, I stumbled a few steps back. For a moment, I could not even remember where I was or what I was doing. Suddenly, I lost my balance. Fortunately, just as I was about to fall, someone caught me.
"Charles, you didn't have to do that. Your arm hasn't recovered yet," I complained.
"What are you talking about? Charles isn't here. That's Abner!" Nina shouted while laughing at me.
Charles's POV:
I finished two days' worth of work in a day so that I would be able to get home earlier and surprise Scarlett. I must admit, I was a little tired. But I could no longer bear being away from the woman I loved.
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