Filed to story: Returning to Her Not-So-Poor Family
He had several cups on his tray, all different flavors he’d ordered for Mirabella to try.
“That’s for your fiancée. I’ll get my own, you guys enjoy,” Timothy replied, quickly excusing himself from the situation.
Perhaps he couldn’t bear the idea that the girl he’d liked for so long was his buddy’s bride-to-be. His heart was shattered, and the brutal reality hit him like a slap in the face.Mirabella’s questioning gaze fell on Romeo, as if to ask: What’s up with your friend? Is he upset?
“Don’t worry about him.”
Romeo placed the remaining cups of coffee in front of Mirabella, “These are the café’s latest blends. Try them and see which one you like best?”
He also laid out an assortment of delicate pastries in front of her, all for her to choose.
“They say these sweets are their bestsellers,” Romeo offered her a small spoonful, “How’s the taste?”
“A bit sweet.”
“Then try this one.” Romeo scooped up another cake, delicately feeding it to her.
Timothy, who had just ordered his coffee and was witnessing this scene, felt an overwhelming urge to cry.
Already devastated, reality continued its merciless assault, aiming to give him a final blow.
He was heartbroken!
The girl full of compassion, who rescued children trapped in cages, and who has the impressive agility and superior driving skills, was not just his best friend’s fiancée, but she and his friend were also “sickeningly sweet” together.
He hadn’t even wooed her yet, and he’d already lost her for good.
In his twenty-two years of life, he’d finally met someone special.
And he had thought, even if she had a boyfriend, that guy couldn’t possibly be as great as him; he was confident he could win her over.After ordering his coffee, he didn’t know how he managed to carry his heavy heart towards them, sit opposite, and watch their affectionate interactions.
He took a few sips of the coffee, finding it tasteless, then stood up again, “I’m gonna check if Derrick has arrived.”
Mirabella gave Romeo another look. This time, Romeo said, “I’ll go check on him.”
He got up and approached Timothy, who was still consumed by his mixed emotions.
“What’s up?”
As Romeo closed the distance, he could see the emotions Timothy struggled to hide in his eyes—a storm of unshed sorrow and disillusionment.
Suddenly, what Timothy confessed to him earlier flooded Romeo.
Timothy had said before, that the girl had the voice of an angel, a name as melodious as her voice, strikingly beauty, and can handle a car like she was born to race.
Could he be talking about his fiancée?
Except for his fiancée, in his twenty-something years of life, he couldn’t recall meeting another girl who was so stunning. Every single trait Timothy mentioned matched his fiancée to the letter.
So, he’s got the hots for Bella?
Was it the surprise and unconcealed disappointment in Timothy’s face that gave it away? Because he knew that Bella was his fiancée?
No wonder Timothy had downed half a cup of iced coffee earlier to calm his nerves after finding out who Bella was.
“How long have you been eyeing my fiancée?” Romeo suddenly narrowed his eyes and asked, “Trying to make a move on my girl, huh?”
“What are you talking about?” Timothy was caught off-guard by his sharp observation and forced a laugh, “I mean, sure, she is stunning, one of a kind, and drives like a pro.”
“How do you know about her driving skills?” Romeo zeroed in on that detail with a dangerous glint in his eye, “You’ve seen her drive?”
“I, uh, I just chanced upon a car race that day. Some poor loser couldn’t beat her and started accusing her car of being rigged. I just spoke up for her, that’s all.”
“So, you fell for her right then and there?” Romeo asked, a realization dawning on him.He didn’t even know his little firecracker was racing.
She kept it a secret from him.
It must have been too dangerous; otherwise, she would have told him.
With these thoughts, his gaze drifted past the floor-to-ceiling window, fixing on the girl inside.
Mirabella was still unaware of the significance of that gaze.
A thought crossed Romeo’s mind: “Making moves while I’m away on business, she’s definitely in for a bit of ‘punishment.’ ”
“What kind of race was it?” he asked again.
“Not any official event, just some underground racing. She was racing for Light Fleet.”
So, his fiancée was a professional race car driver?
“Light Fleet had her on board for a while?” Romeo pressed further.
“No, it seems she’s new. I heard that their team captain, Ophelia Almond, had injured her foot.”
“Ophelia?”
Romeo remembered. That night when he called Bella, she mentioned visiting a friend who had hurt her foot. Later, when they video called, her friend Ophelia also made an appearance.
So, her friend was the captain of Light Fleet?
. HisBella stepped in for her injured friend?
The rest of the Light Fleet didn’t step up, they let his Bella take the wheel; that alone speaks volumes about her capabilities.
“Was the race dangerous?” Romeo continued to ask.
“It wouldn’t be quite right to call the race dangerous. After all, there was a huge gap in their skills; but your fiancée was nothing short of remarkable. She appeared out of nowhere and won two races back-
to-back. If only you had seen her commanding performance.”
Upon finishing his words, Timothy realized he was revealing too much and sealed his lips.
Romeo’s watched him with a veiled threat in his eyes, “So that’s the moment you fell for her?”
That night, before the video call with Bella, Timothy did indeed call him to say he fancied a girl who was amazing behind the wheel, and shared his own passion.
Could it have been his fiancée all along?
“You fancy Bella? She agreed to meet you for coffee today?”
Confronted with the skepticism in Romeo’s increasingly wary gaze, Timothy scrambled for an explanation, “No, no. The girl I’m into is a racer with the Light Fleet! I told you ages ago, I fell for that girl who’s a professional racer. Your fiancée isn’t a pro, right?”
Though not entirely truthful, as the girl he liked was even more impressive than any professional racer.
“Besides, I went to the race for the girl I like, never expecting her to be a no-show. It was your fiancée who ended up competing, and by sheer chance, I found myself speaking up for her.”
Romeo’s eyes was a blend of doubt and insight, looking as though he was trying to sift truth from lies.
“It wasn’t really just happenstance,” Timothy admitted, “Defending your fiancée was also my attempt to impress the girl I adore, to maybe get her take a shine to me.”
“You mentioned that girl is very compassionate,” Romeo suddenly said.
“Yeah, yeah, that’s right. She’s a regular in taking care of stray cats and dogs.” Timothy invented.
At that moment, he felt a relief. It was good that he had never told Romeo about the girl’s compassionate act of saving a kid from a cage. Otherwise, explaining it would be a nightmare.
“You said that girl is slim, tall, beautiful, and has class, and crucially, looks younger than you,” Romeo observed him closely.
“Right, there are a few on the Light Fleet who look younger than I do. You can’t assume I’m interested just because your fiancée fits that description, can you?” Timothy, though feeling a twinge of guilt, refused to admit anything.
Romeo’s doubts alleviated, but he still inquired further, “You also said she agreed to have coffee with you. ‘No time like present’?””Yeah, that’s true, but she had something come up last minute. I can’t be too pushy, or I’d risk scaring her off, right?” Timothy spun his tale with pretend honesty. “Your fiancée offered me coffee because I helped her out twice. The contexts are totally different.”
“You surely don’t have any inappropriate thoughts about my fiancée?”
“Me? How could I have any thoughts about her. Really, does everyone in love became this paranoid?
Worrying that someone’s going to claim their precious? Let me be clear, I’ve absolutely had no designs on your fiancée.”
Even if he did, they were history.
From this moment on, he, Timothy, was heartbroken!
He had fallen for someone impossible.
Sunk by the reckless aim of an indifferent Cupid.
“Hey! Derrick’s just arrived! See! You can still spot his toned muscles under the coat. It’s been a while”
Timothy finally spied a diversion and pounced on it, slapping Derrick on the arm, “Man, you’ve been working out a lot, haven’t you?”
Derrick just smiled.
