Filed to story: A Second Chance with My Billionaire Love
Half a year ago, when she decided to leave with Jovan, she knew that they were destined to part ways forever.
Coincidentally, he was madly in love with Seraphina.
Coincidentally… He had long forgotten about her too.
“Sorry for making you wait. How does this taste?” Flossie handed Jovan the freshly made coffee.
“I don’t have to even taste it to even know it’s my favorite!” Jovan took the mug and took a sip.
“Super sweet!”
“You’re like a child.” Flossie couldn’t help but make fun of him.
The cousins had very different tastes. Halston loved pure bitter lattes, and yet Jovan loved caramel macchiatos with extra milk and sugar.
Under the sunlight, Flossie and Jovan continued sitting in the garden quietly, enjoying the rare silence between them.
Jovan touched the brim of the coffee mug, the warmth creeping up his fingers. After that, he asked in a nonchalant tone, “I heard that he’s coming to Banrea with Seraphina for their honeymoon soon…”
Flossie was stunned. It took her a few moments before nodding. “Mhm.”
“You should go see him if you’d like. I know it must’ve been hard taking care of a useless man like me. If seeing him could make you happier, I support it.” Jovan looked rather guilty,
He had willingly allowed them to perform the ‘Bloodletting and Bone Fumigation Therapy’ after all, but he knew that he wasn’t the only one getting punished during this process.
His pain was physical, and he could at least find medication for relief.
Flossie’s pain, however, was emotional. Being depressed for an extended amount of time could cause irreparable damage to the heart and mind.
“No need.” Flossie quickly refused. “And what if I do see him? We’re not fated to be together. I’m just going to bring myself more pain.”
“What… What if I’m willing to let you go?” Jovan said as his chest tightened from the heartache.
He was never one to be generous. Some might even say he’s a phony and selfish person. Yet, after meeting Flossie, his ‘curse,’ he was more than willing to risk his life for her,
“You might be willing to let me go, but I’m not.” Flossie hugged him from behind, comforting him as if he were a child. “I went to a fortune teller earlier, and they said that we’re soulmates, and we’ll spend the rest of our lives together. So stop acting like you’re trying to push me away. You might just bawl your eyes out if I actually leave.”
Jovan’s eyes started reddening as he choked on his tears. “I know you’re just saying that to make me feel better, but that was really good!”
Before, he had never even dreamed that Flossie would care for him this much. This was once again indefinite proof that his sacrifice was absolutely worth it.
“Actually, I feel like I’ve got everything I wanted and more after receiving such love and care from you. If you really want to leave, I won’t resent you. You don’t have to feel pressured to stay,” Jovan said truthfully.
“I don’t, I…” Flossie’s eyes were blank, her heart as calm as still water. “Six months ago, I handed Halston to Murphy and Francine after the surgery. I had them tell him a white lie, saying that I went on a world round trip with you. I never intended to go back to him.”
“Maybe I am just an insignificant stranger to him now or a liar who broke her promise. He forgot about me anyway, and he found a woman he truly loves. So what can a short visit even change at this point?”
Jovan clenched his fists silently, filled with guilt towards Flossie. He could never bring himself to tell her that he was the reason Halston even forgot about her. He didn’t choose to forget her at all.
‘If Flossie found out about this one day, she probably won’t ever forgive me…’
A few days later, the refrigerator was about to run out of food.
“I’ll go buy some groceries downtown. Our neighbor will accompany you for now, okay?”
After giving Jovan a few reminders, Flossie grabbed a tote bag and went out, cycling through the morning.
The small town of Banrea was relatively desolate, so the farmer’s market was small as well. However, its residents were still rather successful at keeping it clean and tidy. Many creative stalls were set up around the area as well.
After buying some fruits and vegetables, Flossie ordered a cup of hot tea and intended to walk around the market for a while.
The market was quite small, spanning only a few hundred meters. A variety of products were on display, ranging from fresh produce to clothing and handmade accessories.
Flossie approached a pottery stall that featured mugs and plates in all shapes and sizes. The earthenware seemed to be made of ceramic, and on each were detailed and beautiful vintage patterns.
She instantly had eyes on a white mug. There wasn’t any complicated design on it, save for a faint black ombre design that covered the bottom half. When looked at on the whole, the mug looked like the Yin and Yang symbol.
“Mister, this mug looks interesting!” Flossie pointed towards it and exclaimed.
“You have great taste, young lady!” Although the vendor was a foreign man, he was a heritage enthusiast. Seeing how Flossie had a good eye on his products, he started explaining away.
“This cup’s design is actually quite intricate. There’s this thing called Taichi in the great Aeos far, far away from us… a rather mystical concept. It explains everything that exists in our world. Seeing how there’s both white and black on this mug, it looks as if the colors are separated, but in reality, they are mixed together. They contrast greatly but attract each other regardless.”
“Neither color can overpower the other, nor can they leave each other.”
“Taichi…” Flossie fell into deep thought as she stared at the mug.
She somehow thought of her past relationship with Halston. Despite being complete opposites, they still couldn’t suppress the mutual attraction they felt.
Just as she was about to have the vendor hand her the mug, a cold voice came from above her head. “I’m buying this mug.”
Flossie narrowed her eyes, turning around with a scowl. “What gives? I had eyes on it first!”
With a swift turn, her eyes were met with the man’s intimidating gaze. It was then that she felt her soul leave her body, and she froze up on the spot. Her mind drew blanks, her body stiffened, and she was simply unable to utter a single word.
Halston was a whole foot taller than Flossie. Like a large mountain, he radiated a suffocating aura. Behind him was the warm sunlight, complementing his brilliance and ethereal looks.
“But I was the one who paid first.” Halston placed a stack of cash on the counter as he stared at Flossie with his usual arrogant eyes.
Flossie was still in disbelief. She rubbed her eyes, thinking she must be hallucinating.
The man before her was, in fact, Halston, the one who she hadn’t seen in six months. The man… who reincarnated.
He seemed much more dashing from when they parted. Moreover, it was likely because he had received a cornea transplant from Jovan; his eyes looked cold yet nonchalant at the same time.
Although Banrea wasn’t a large town, she had never expected that they’d bump into each other in such a quiet marketplace.
Halston, on the other hand, had long forgotten Flossie’s appearance. He had even forced himself to forget how her voice sounded. Hence, in his perspective, the petite woman in front of him was merely a stranger of the same race.
Since Flossie wasn’t reacting much, he didn’t want to pay any more attention to her either. He turned to the vendor and said, “Please hand me the cup now. My fiance is still waiting for me.”
‘Seraphina is a woman of great taste, I’m sure she’ll love this mug as a gift.’
“I’m sorry, this lady had her eyes on it first. I can’t sell it to you.” The vendor returned Halston his thick stack of cash and brought the mug to Flossie with a smile. “I hope this mug can brighten your day, young lady.”
“I… I don’t need it! You can just give it to him!” Flossie backed away like a coward and quickly rushed out of the marketplace.
She had never expected to see Halston again. Thinking back to their past and the deal she made with the skies, she viewed herself as a monster. She would only be safe as long as she stayed away from him.
‘Just look at his current life now that I’ve left. It’s amazing. Not only has he brought H Group to new heights, but he also got his happy ending as well. I could never give him the bliss that his expression so clearly shows…’
Halston pondered deeply as he watched the slender woman run off. ‘Why does this stranger… feel so familiar to me?’
“Do you know each other?” The vendor wrapped the mug up nicely and handed it to Halston, seemingly curious.