Agreement Behind Her Marriage

Several days had passed. Orion had a family matter to attend to, and Lily convinced him that he could leave her. If she continued to be terrified of Kenneth, nothing positive would happen in her life. She had to overcome her anxiety about being independent and alone.

Orion was Drew’s confidant, and she didn’t want to settle into a life she knew wasn’t meant for her.

Lauren visited Lily’s house just a few days later, accompanied by Felix, her son, and Kael. She embraced Lily tightly.

“You’ve obviously been crying for days,” Lauren said, noticing how puffy her eyes were.

Lily smiled sadly and invited the visitors inside. Fortunately, she and Orion had gone grocery shopping the other day, so even though Lauren brought her food, she already had something on hand.

After taking a seat in the dining area, Lauren elbowed her brother.

“I came here to offer my sincere apologies. Finding out that you are Drew’s wife made me overreact,” Kael said.

That was one of Lily’s questions. Why did Kael and Drew dislike each other so much? “May I know why you have such strong feelings against my husband?”

Lauren scowled at her brother, giving him the ‘go ahead and tell her’ look.

“Everyone dislikes Drew, so that’s not surprising. They played with my sister’s feelings years ago, and that’s what really upset me. Not to mention that your husband was excessively arrogant.”

“Played?” Lily asked in confusion.

“Well, your husband took Finn to the club where he was a member during the first few months of our marriage. He hired a prostitute for my husband,” explained Lauren with a bitter smile.

“The three musketeers, led by Drew, conspired to manipulate my sister’s emotions. They wanted to take revenge on Brett because they all believed he loved my sister,” Kael pointed out, referring to Drew, Finn, Kori, and the latter’s husband, Brett.

“That year was chaotic. Drew was the one who informed me of all the details of their betrayal, including my husband’s infidelity with a prostitute. I left for New York in utter despair and with a broken heart. I almost believed that Finn and I were ending our marriage, but we worked through it. Look at us now; we’re happy.”

‘I suppose Lauren’s marriage was equally messy as mine.’

Lauren let out a sigh. “But that’s all in the past. Drew has already apologized to me. That’s why Felix received such a generous gift from him as his godfather,” she said with a smile.

Kael argued, “Anyway, to cut the story short, your husband was a scheming jerk!” Seeing her unhappiness, he added, “I’m sorry.”

None of these applied to Lily. Drew may have been a manipulative person, but to her, he was the most devoted husband. He was the man who had won her heart and the first person who had truly valued her. She took a deep breath to calm herself, or else she’d cry.

“Anyway, I came here because I want to offer you a job, Lily,” Kael muttered.

“A job?”

“You need a distraction right now,” Lauren countered.

Kael continued, “And you’re in luck because the project I’m working on is nearing completion. I needed a reliable interior designer for this resort project, and I must admit that your portfolio impressed me.”

This is precisely what Lily needs. Even though her future life may not be with Drew, she needs a career where she will be the one in charge.

“Job accepted!”Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

***

Lily made the hasty decision to accept Kael’s offer along with Danica. She sent her a message, asking her to meet at Boracay Island for a job, even though she wasn’t sure if she would see her friend at the airport. She added that when they had the time, she would reveal everything about her history with Brian. Danica was the first friend Lily had ever considered keeping.

She trusted the young woman, believing that she would do the same for her.

When she stepped outside, Kael’s car was already parked in front of her house.

“Thank you for picking me up. I still can’t believe we’re going to work together.”

He simply smiled and said, “You are perfect for this project.”

Kael began to explain the specifics of the hotel and resort that his group was nearly finished building. They were approaching completion, and her ability to meet the resort owner’s demands would determine whether she retained her job. The estimated completion date was two months away, so she could avoid thinking about Drew during that time.

The annulment procedure wouldn’t be simple, but she wanted Drew to feel happy once it was over, even though she hadn’t received the annulment papers or received any calls from Drew to inquire about how things were progressing.

When they arrived at the airport, she saw Danica, dressed in bright and colorful attire, waiting in the boarding area. She could see the sadness in the young woman’s eyes as they made eye contact.

“Are you sure she’s your friend?” Kael asked, noting the differences in their personalities. Lily is more reserved and introverted, while her friend is bright and outgoing. Lily is dressed in loose-fitting jeans, while Danica epitomizes the image of a perfect young lady.

“Of course!” Lily rushed forward to get closer to the young woman and give her friend a hug.

“Ohhh… I miss you, Lily!”

“I almost thought I wouldn’t see you. By the way, this is Kael Escarrer. The resort we are going to in Boracay is his client.”

Danica’s eyes widened as she exclaimed, “What?!” before asking, “H-he’s Kael Escarrer from the Escarrer and Montana Builders?” and swallowing.

Kael’s eyebrows raised. “Yeah, that’s me.”

Danica winced and scratched her neck. “I-I’m Danica Arvesso.”

“Don’t tell me you are related to my client-Mr. Arvesso?”

Lily was perplexed. “What’s going on? Are you two acquainted?”

Danica muttered, “He is my father. Yay…” even though her voice said otherwise.

Kael turned his gaze to Lily. “You mean the partner in your design team is Mr. Arvesso’s daughter? The one you told me you’d include in this project? Are you kidding me?”

Lily was still trying to understand. “Can you guys elaborate? Do you know each other?”

“Let’s say we’re going to your friend’s resort.”

“What?” Lily’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked at Danica. “We’re going to work at your family’s resort?” She had no idea that her friend was that wealthy. She knew Danica’s family was well-off, but she had no idea they ran a luxury resort.

Kael had previously provided details and mentioned that the project was substantial. Lily reasoned that perhaps this was one of the reasons Brian was fond of her friend.