C80 Hidden Feelings And Misunderstandings

The moment Alicia stepped out of her office, she was surprised to see me waiting outside the Information Systems Department. The moment our eyes met, she smiled naturally and walked toward me. "You've been waiting long?" she asked. "Only a minute," I replied with a smile. "I thought we could head to lunch together."

Before we could continue, several female employees from her department, the same women who had questioned her the previous day walked out of the office. The moment they noticed us standing together, mischievous smiles immediately appeared on their faces. "Good afternoon, Mr. Smith," one of them greeted politely. Another covered her mouth before teasing, "What a beautiful couple!"

Both Alicia and I stopped in our tracks. I felt completely frozen, unsure of how to respond. Alicia's cheeks flushed pink for a brief moment before she quickly regained her composure. She turned to me and smiled awkwardly. "They're just my noisy colleagues," she explained. "They've convinced themselves that you're my boyfriend."

I couldn't help laughing. "It seems we're both suffering from the same problem." She blinked. "What do you mean?" I shook my head helplessly. "Bright and Alex have been questioning me all morning. Since you haven't been coming to my office to pick me up these past few days, they thought we had an argument."

Alicia covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. "They even asked if I had cheated on you," I continued, "and whether you had found out." The image was so ridiculous that both of us burst into laughter. "I can't believe people have such wild imaginations," Alicia said while wiping the corner of her eye.

"I know," I replied. "Apparently, we're already in a relationship without either of us knowing." Their laughter echoed through the hallway as they continued walking toward the elevators. Neither of them noticed the person approaching from the opposite direction until they were only a few meters apart. Ben. Normally, every encounter with him ended with sarcastic remarks or deliberate provocation. Today... Nothing.

His shoulders were slightly lowered, and his expression looked unusually tired. He simply walked past us without saying a single word. He didn't glare at me. He didn't provoke me. He didn't even acknowledge our presence. Both Alicia and I instinctively turned to watch him disappear down the corridor.

She looked at me with a thoughtful smile. "Looks like something serious happened." I slowly nodded. "I was thinking the same thing." There was no way someone like Ben would suddenly become quiet unless something had shaken him deeply. Neither of us spoke further. Whatever had happened clearly wasn't a small matter.

Soon we reached our usual meeting place where Chris was already waiting impatiently. The moment he saw us, he hurried over. "Alicia!" he exclaimed excitedly. "Please tell me you've figured something out." She smiled confidently. "I think I know why Sarah suddenly left." Chris's eyes widened. "I knew it!" he said happily. "You're a genius. Tell me, what did you find?"

Alicia folded her arms and began analyzing the situation calmly. "You're forgetting something important." Chris frowned. "What?" "Yesterday," she said, "we went to Mike's house because Sarah wanted the truth." Chris nodded. "She got that truth." Another nod. "So," Alicia continued, "what do you think happened after she went home?"Chris became silent.

"The beloved daughter of the Wood Family suddenly discovered that the reason she lost something precious... her first time... wasn't an accident." Her voice became softer. "It happened because of her own brother's selfish and cruel actions." Both Chris and I quietly listened. "Imagine finding out that someone you trusted all your life betrayed you in the worst possible way."

Chris's smile slowly disappeared. "Judging from how suddenly she left," Alicia continued, "I think there are only two possibilities." She raised one finger. "First, she's devastated because the brother she admired turned out to be the reason behind one of the biggest regrets in her life."

She raised another finger. "Second..." Alicia glanced at Chris. "She's beginning to realize that her relationship with you is progressing much faster than she expected." Chris blinked several times. "What do you mean?"

"Think about it," Alicia explained patiently. "You two became intimate. Started Chatting frequently. She discovered the truth about everything. Anyone would need time to process all of those emotions." She smiled gently. "Running away doesn't necessarily mean she's rejecting you." Chris listened carefully. "It could simply mean she needs space."

I nodded in agreement. "That actually makes sense." Then I looked in the direction Ben had disappeared. "And seeing that cunning devil walking around with his tail tucked between his legs without provoking me..." I smiled. "...proves something huge must have happened inside the Wood Family."

Chris immediately relaxed. He let out a long breath before laughing. "I've been worrying since yesterday." He rubbed the back of his head. "I honestly thought she had rejected me before I even had the chance to confess properly." Alicia chuckled. "I don't think that's the case." Chris looked far more relieved than before. "Thank goodness."

Suddenly Alicia's eyes widened as if she had remembered something. "Wait!" Both Chris and I looked at her. She pointed at Chris. "So... when you asked Mike the other day if he had seen a devil..." "You asked Which one, the big fat one or the cunning one." Chris immediately started grinning. "...you were talking about Vice Director Ben?" He nodded.

"And when you mentioned the big fat one..." She paused before her eyes widened even more. "...you meant Samantha because she was pregnant?" For a second, There was complete silence. Then all three of us burst into uncontrollable laughter. Chris laughed so hard he nearly bent over.

Finally he wiped the tears from his eyes. "You keep telling everyone you're the smartest person here." He pointed at Alicia while laughing. "But it still took you this long to figure it out." Alicia pouted and crossed her arms. "Excuse me." She tried to defend herself. "Your code names were ridiculous." "They were obvious!" Chris argued while laughing again. "Obvious?" Alicia replied dramatically. "Who calls a vice director a cunning devil and a pregnant woman a big fat devil?" "I do." We laughed even harder.

People passing by couldn't help looking in our direction, wondering what was so funny. For a brief moment, all the worries surrounding Sarah, Chris, and their complicated situation faded away. None of us realized that while we were laughing together, the invisible bond between the three of us was growing even stronger.

Sometimes, even during life's most complicated moments, a little laughter was enough to remind everyone that brighter days were still ahead.