C64 Would She Become The Third Wheel

"But Dad, I have work tomorrow," Chris said helplessly as he looked at the bottle of wine his father had just placed on the dining table. David waved his hand dismissively. "You've worked hard and earned this promotion. You deserve to enjoy today's success. Tomorrow's worries belong to tomorrow." Chris couldn't help but smile.

His father's words carried a strange sense of comfort. Live to enjoy today's happiness. Tomorrow's worries are for tomorrow. Soon, Valeria emerged from the kitchen carrying several steaming dishes. "I made your favorites!" she announced proudly. The aroma immediately filled the dining room.

Chris laughed. "Mom... you really didn't have to." "Nonsense! My son became a Team Manager. Of course I had to." The family sat down together. They ate, laughed, and occasionally toasted with small glasses of wine. The atmosphere was warm, peaceful, and filled with pride.

For the first time in a long while, Chris wasn't thinking about work. Instead, his father's words echoed repeatedly in his mind. "Enjoy today's happiness." Maybe... Maybe he had been worrying far too much lately.

After dinner, Chris returned to his bedroom. The wine had left him slightly dizzy, but he wasn't drunk enough to forget the promise he had made earlier. He unlocked his phone and opened Sarah's chat. After thinking for a few moments, he typed, "My angel, the details are settled. Tomorrow at 5 p.m. we'll go to Mike's house. The evidence is stored on his computer. Don't worry our sister Alicia will be there too." He smiled unconsciously before pressing send.

At the Wood Mansion... Sarah had just finished dinner. She was preparing to sleep when her phone vibrated. Curious, she opened Chris's message. As she read it, she instinctively frowned. So... Chris, Mike, and Alicia had already known everything.

Yet she, the person who had suffered through that unforgettable night, had remained completely in the dark. The thought made her feel strangely left out. But before she could continue thinking... Her eyes stopped on two simple words. My angel. Her heartbeat skipped. "He... called me his angel?" Her cheeks gradually turned pink. Then crimson. She reread those two words several times.

She had originally wanted to ask Chris whether Mike and Alicia knew what had happened inside that hotel room. But somehow... Every question disappeared the moment she saw those two words. Unable to stop smiling, she finally replied. " Okay. No problem." She placed her phone beside her pillow.

Just as she was about to close her eyes, another notification appeared. She opened it immediately. "I'm sorry to say this... but I enjoyed that night. Even now, I still think about it." Sarah froze. Her face instantly became as red as a ripe tomato. Her fingers tightened around the phone. "H-He enjoyed it...?" She didn't know what to say.

How could he possibly enjoy something that neither of them had planned? Too embarrassed to respond, she simply turned off the screen and buried her burning face beneath the blanket.

Meanwhile... Back at the Smith residence... I arrived home much later than usual. The moment I entered the house, I noticed something strange. No one had started dinner. Mom and Dad were both sitting quietly in the living room. The worry on their faces disappeared the instant they saw me.

Mary quickly stood up. "Son! Where have you been?" "They kept you this late?" "What was so important that it couldn't wait until tomorrow?" I smiled apologetically. "Mom... Dad... you worry too much." "I wasn't working." "I went out for dinner with my friends." "We were celebrating."

Quinton looked confused. "Celebrating?" "What happened?" Without another word, I removed my new employee badge and placed it carefully on the center of the table. Both of them leaned forward. The moment they read it, their eyes widened. Cybersecurity Strategic Engineer

Silence filled the room. Then.. "Our son got promoted?" Mary covered her mouth in disbelief. "Mike!" "When did this happen?" I smiled. "Today." "Dad... Mom... I'm no longer an intern." Quinton burst into laughter before proudly patting my shoulder. "What a huge step!" "Honey, bring the wine!" "Tonight, we're celebrating!" The atmosphere instantly became lively.

We ate together, shared stories, laughed, and raised our glasses several times. Looking at my parents' smiling faces... I realized this promotion hadn't made only me happy. It had made my family proud as well.

Later that night, after returning to my room, I noticed several unread messages in our group chat. The latest one was from Alicia. "Mike, how was dinner with your girlfriend?" Unable to stop smiling, I replied honestly. "Dinner went really well." Almost immediately, Chris responded. "Congratulations, Brother! But don't forget tomorrow. I already told Sarah we're going to your house."

I chuckled before typing another message. "So... what brilliant plan did our smart sister come up with?" Alicia began typing. "Still working on it. Don't worry. Everything will go smoothly." Looking at the time, I realized it was already getting late. Yet Alicia was still thinking about tomorrow's plan.

I hesitated briefly before opening our private chat. "Don't overwork yourself. Get some rest. Those books will still be waiting for you tomorrow." Alicia stared at her phone. She read Mike's message again. And again. Then once more. "He... cares about me?"

A warm feeling spread through her chest. For a brief moment, everything around her seemed to disappear. She smiled unconsciously. But the smile slowly faded. Mike had gone out with Laura tonight. What if the confession had succeeded?What if they were already dating?

If that was true... Then where did that leave her? Would she simply become the third wheel? Would Chris notice? Would everyone notice? Suppressing the ache in her heart, she finally replied. "Thank you, Brother. Good night."

Deep into the night... The peaceful silence of the Wood Mansion was suddenly shattered. "Waaah!" Baby Monica had started crying again. Her loud cries echoed throughout the mansion. Even Ben, who had only recently fallen asleep, was awakened.

Inside the room, Samantha desperately tried comforting her daughter. But no matter what she did... Monica continued crying. One after another, bedroom lights switched on. Sarah hurried out. Kelvin and Tracy also rushed toward Ben's room.

After knocking, Ben opened the door with an exhausted expression. "What happened?" Kelvin asked worriedly. "Is she crying again?" Ben rubbed his tired eyes. "Everything's fine." "Tomorrow I'll hire a professional nanny." "I'm exhausted."

Without saying anything else, Kelvin gently took Monica into his arms. He slowly walked around the room while softly humming. To everyone's surprise... Within less than a minute... Monica stopped crying. Moments later, she had already fallen asleep peacefully.

Everyone exchanged puzzled looks. After returning to their bedroom, Tracy smiled knowingly. "I told you before." "You'd eventually see it yourself." Kelvin nodded thoughtfully. "Something feels strange." "Why does she cry so much with everyone else..." "...yet whenever I carry her, she immediately calms down?"

Tracy smiled again. "The same thing happens with Sarah." "Whenever Sarah holds Monica..." "...she becomes quiet almost immediately." Neither of them could explain it. Eventually, they simply went back to sleep.

Sarah also returned to her room. Before sleeping, she picked up her phone one last time. There was still one unread message. Curious, she opened it. It was Chris's good night message. "Since you have not responded, I will take it as if you are alrwady asleep. Good night." The moment she finished reading... Her face burned once again. Even the tips of her ears turned bright pink.

She hugged her pillow tightly. "He... still thinks about that night?" Unable to stop herself, fragments of that unforgettable evening replayed inside her mind. The accidental touches. The warmth. The kisses. The confusion. She tried desperately to remember one thing. Who had kissed whom first? No matter how hard she thought... She simply couldn't remember. And with that unanswered question lingering in her heart... Sleep slowly claimed her.