Married with the Broken Hearted CEO novel Chapter 31

Geoffrey came to the amusement park, not to play but to work. A friend of his asked him a favor to fill his absence in his part-time job. And the work is being a mascot. 
“So, you can choose which character do you like?” the manager told Geoffrey while pointing to the different mascot costume on the table. 
He stared each of them, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Super Mario. There was a glisten in his eyes as he saw the costume with blue jumper, red inner long sleeves shirt, white gloves, red Beret hat with letter ‘M’ in the center and a mustache. 
Geoffrey did not need to hesitate which he would choose and quickly grabbed the Super Mario head. 
“This is the character that you love before, right?” Geoffrey murmured while thinking about Adira. 
When they were in college, he once saw Adira wearing a blue jumper and red long sleeves shirt underneath. He heard her friends call her Super Mario and Adira replied that she dressed like that because she loves Mario. She also has Super Mario keychain hanging on the zipper of her bag.
What Adira likes and what she hates, Geoffrey memorized them all. He was so in love with her that he doubted if he would come to college to study his lesson or to study Adira’s life.
‘But until the end, I am just a boy with nerd glass following the woman he loves,’ he said with a sigh. 
“How unfortunate that you had to cover that handsome face of yours,” the manager said while staring at Geoffrey.
The manager noticed that Geoffrey has been staring at the Mario head from the start, and thought he felt bad for doing the job. 
“You should whack Vernon once he came back,” manager teased, thinking it might boost Geoffrey’s morale. 
However, the grimace on Geoffrey’s face wasn’t because he hates the work, but because he’s damn happy and sad as the mascot reminded him of his first love. Thence, instead of agreeing, Geoffrey answered him with a smile. 
“No. If I’ll be Super Mario for one day, I’ll be happy.” 
‘Because Adira loves Mario,’ he continued these words silently inside his head. 
From morning, the amusement park is very lively. Guests visit multiple rides from being completely soaked in the water to flying through the air at the same speed cars travel at on the highway. 
The atmosphere has laughing and shouting out of fear or joy. There are some vomiting sounds coming here and there, but no one will feel pleasant watching one, so they better ignore the infectious sounds. 
Music from different rides attracts everyone. There are savory smells in the air; salty or sweet scent of the popcorn and the mouthwatering overly priced sausages.
Among the guests who are having fun in the place, all staff and sellers in the park do their best to give joy to everyone. One of them is Geoffrey who’s wearing a Super Mario costume under the scorching sun. 
“Look! It’s Mario!” a kid gasped while pointing. 
Not allowed to talk, Geoffrey waved his hand towards the kid. 
As the kid goes, the smile on Geoffrey’s lips subsided. He gritted his teeth and mumbled, “You’re really dead, Vernon.” 
He only came here to fill the absence of his friend, but he did not expect that the job will be as hard as this. If only he knew he had to stand under the scorching sun while wearing a thick costume, he would not offer help to his friend. 
On second thought, today is Vernon’s little sister wedding and he cannot lose attending that. So, Geoffrey calmed himself down and stayed positive. 
“Calm down. After this, everything will be okay.” 
Morning work finished and Geoffrey was called by the manager to take a rest. When he took off his mascot’s head, he was seen filled with sweat. But although he’s showered with sweats, he still looks sexy. In fact, his wet hair made him look even way seductive. The head is seductive, but his body, which was still wearing the body costume of Mario, did not give justice to his face. 
It was fun playing Super Mario at first. But now, it’s not funny anymore. 
Geoffrey ate his lunch, which he prepared this early morning. When he rested enough, he set off to work again. Wearing his full costume under the hot afternoon weather, he was on his way to his original spot. However, Geoffrey stopped walking when he senses a familiar people from a great distance. 
It was his peripheral vision who caught them, but he’s so sure they are someone he knows. 
In slow-mo, Geoffrey tended his head towards his right side. There in front of the headband stall, he saw Adira. She’s together with a man; a man he did not fail to recognize. 
“Adira and… Chadwick?” he whispered. 
Adira and Chadwick are wearing animals headbands while staring at each other. The headbands did not matter to Geoffrey, but the fact that they are together. 
‘Why? Why are they together?’ 
He was rooted in his spot. His mind went blank for a moment, that he failed to process the information inside his head. 
When Chadwick and Adira removed their headbands and started to walk, Adira noticed an intense gaze coming from Geoffrey. Before Chadwick could catch the person who’s intently watching them, Geoffrey hid behind a corner wall. 
Thinking that it was just an illusion, Chadwick tilted his head and followed Adira on the way to the horror house. 
Geoffrey peeked at the place where he saw them. Chadwick and Adira aren’t there anymore. Nevertheless, Geoffrey is so sure that he did not see it wrong. 
He removed the head of his mascot. 
Catching his breath, he looked at the space between the air. 
Geoffrey heard before that Chadwick got married. But he doesn’t know to whom Chadwick wedded because he’s not interested to his personal life. However, Geoffrey couldn’t help but to get worried at his stepsister. 
Isa keeps on using Chadwick, a married man, just to make Geoffrey jealous. He knew that someday, Isa would get in trouble. 
What about Chadwick’s wife? 
Geoffrey feels a little empathy towards the woman he doesn’t know. 
However, the situation has changed. 
‘The woman he married is no other than Adira.’ 
Yes. 
Since the wife who Isa is messing with is Adira, the situation for Geoffrey has changed. 
When he realized the truth, he felt a roller coaster inside his chest. Just like riding in roller coaster, his heart looped, twisted, turned and reversed. 
People who try extreme rides love the excitement and anxiety they got before hopping in and then the adrenaline rush they received when the ride is over. The thrill made it fun. 
‘But it’s not fun for me,’ Geoffrey said to himself. ‘This roller coaster emotions, it’s not fun.’ 
Adira said before that her husband brings woman inside their house. If her husband is Chadwick, then Geoffrey has an idea who is the woman that her husband brings in their house. 
His temper sparked and anger poured through him as he clenched his fists. Fury sprang to life, nearly consumed him as raw madness became visible from his red eyes. 
Right now, he wanted to follow Chadwick and punched his face. He wanted to let him know how dumb he was for doing all of that foolishness to Adira. 
What made him angrier is that he knew that he could not expose himself and do what he wanted. 
Who is he anyway? 
He is just a jealous man who felt bad for his first love.
‘Adira does not deserve that kind of treatment. Adira shouldn’t marry that bastard. Adira should…’
No matter how angry he is with her, Geoffrey knew more than anyone that he cannot dwell about this anymore. 
Trying to forget whatever he saw and found out, Geoffrey continued working as Mario mascot. He thought that focusing on this job would help him recover. However...
[“I am pathetic and I’m nothing special.”] 
Geoffrey stopped and looked at the speaker hanging around the light post. Just right, a song which suits perfectly for him is playing. And he couldn’t ignore every lyric. He stared at the speaker with a throbbing heart as the song continues. 
[“It’s sad, but who am I to say anything? 
Liking someone who shines
If there is a standard
I don’t understand, but I have nothing to say.
Because I am a quiet person with glasses”] 
The person with glasses, isn’t it really Geoffrey? The shy boy with glasses, who cannot approach the woman he likes. And Adira is the amazing lady who shines everywhere she goes. 
[“ I love you this much,
I want you this much
But I can’t do anything
I can only look
But do I make you that uncomfortable? 
Am I the bad one?
But tomorrow, she will just show her back to me again”] 
Geoffrey loves her so much.
‘But isn’t that really wrong to like someone this much?’ he asked himself. 
[“Now I know what I need to do
I need to give it all up and hold it in
I wanted to be like your hotshot boyfriend
But it is impossible
Liking someone who shines
I have nothing to say because I am just a quiet person with glasses
Why am I like this? Why do I look like this? 
Why am I in this kind of love?
But I can’t do anything, 
I can only look at you in secret
Know what my problem is too”] 
The song ended. 
As he listened until the end, Geoffrey knew what his problem is. 
‘It is loving a married woman.’ 
 No matter how hurt he was for her, he had to stay away and live with his own life. Because just like the title of the song, his position in Adira’s life is really clear. 
“A stalker,” Geoffrey murmured. 
A stalker who only knows how to look in secret.
A stalker who loves her unconditionally, 
There is no happy ending for someone like him.
But is he just a stalker who follows her? Didn’t fate always make their paths crossed? 
Just like right now. 
Standing in the middle of the crowd in the lively amusement park, where lights flash all over the place, Geoffrey saw Adira from afar. 
She is standing alone while caressing her arms. 
‘Damn fate,’ Geoffrey cursed inwardly. 
He told himself that enough is enough. But she keeps on appearing before him whenever he goes. And now, he can’t help but to get worried while staring at her alone in that place. 
And so, he bought a red rose. He asked a kid to deliver it to her, saying that it came from Mario. Well, he’s wearing Super Mario costume so he thought there won’t be any problem. 
“Hello.” 
Adira looked down and saw a cute little boy with flower in his hand. 
“This is for you,” the boy said. 
“For me?”
He gave the red rose to Adira and she accepted it. 
Geoffrey felt delighted while watching her accepted the  flower. 
“Mario asked me to give it to you,” the boy informed before he suddenly ran away, since he finished his job. 
“Mario?” Adira murmured. “Who is Mario?” 
When Adira lifted her gaze, Geoffrey wanted to run away. But it’s too late. She saw him before he could escape again. 
“Oh? It’s really Mario,” Adira said with a laugh. 
Rooted on his spot, Geoffrey watched her walk closer to him. His heart started beating so fast, he’s taking deep breaths inside the huge costume. 
“He Mario,” Adira greeted, while standing before Geoffrey. “I heard you are the one who gave me this.” 
Geoffrey nodded his head while keeping his lips pursed. 
“Thank you so much,” she said. “It feels good to receive a flower from the character that I love.” 
Someone Adira loves. 
Someone she loves. 
Those words rang inside his ears repeatedly. 
Before he accepted the job, Geoffrey said to himself that he would gladly do the character who played a big role in Adira’s life. 
Now, he doesn’t regret taking a Super Mario costume anymore. 
‘Even if that love is for the costume I am wearing, I feel happy,’ Geoffrey thought internally. 
Maybe, the person in the song he heard before was made really for him. 
“Anyway, did you give this to me because you fell in love with my beauty?” Adira teased. 
Geoffrey, who is not supposed to talk, uttered a low, “Huh?” 
Adira is really beautiful. That’s the fact. But does she need to boast about it just like this?
‘As expected, she’s really cool,’ Geoffrey laughed without sounds. 
“It’s okay. I love you too,” Adira added that stole Geoffrey’s breath. 
He was shocked to receive such direct direction, even if he knew that it isn’t really for him. The world stopped its axis and he forgot to breathe for a moment. 
“I mean, the super Mario character,” Adira explained. 
He knew it. 
It’s the super Mario that she likes. So, as super Mario, can he also tell her that he loves her? 
“I…” Geoffrey spoke but…
“What are you doing?” 
Geoffrey and Adira both looked at the man who approached them with an accusatory frown between his brows. It is her husband, Chadwick. 
After taking a call from his secretary, Chadwick quickly came back because he didn’t want Adira to wait for him. But as soon as he came back, he saw her talking to a large mascot while holding a flower in her hand. 
Chadwick does not know what happened, but he felt so damn annoyed. 
“You came at the right time,” Adira said. She grabbed her phone, opened the camera application, and gave it to her husband. 
“What am I supposed to do with this?” Chadwick asked, staring alternately at Adira, at her phone and at the huge mascot behind her.  
“Take a picture with me and this mascot.” 
“Huh? Seriously?”
“Super Mario is my favorite character.” 
Chadwick will say that she’s being childish right now. But then again, he realized that this was the first time he found out a thing that Adira likes. If he can know more of her favorites, he will do anything for her. 
“Okay, okay. I will take a picture.” 
Chuckling, Adira stood closer to the Super Mario mascot. She smiled at the camera and made a V sign. 
Geoffrey stared at the woman beside her and at Chadwick in their North. 
“I will take the picture,” Chadwick informed. “One… two…” 
Before Chadwick pressed the shot, Geoffrey placed his hand above Adira’s shoulder and pulled her closer to him. 
“Oh,” Adira gasped. She lifted her head and looked at the mascot. 
Chadwick narrowed his eyes at the picture he took and at the weird mascot before them. For the first time ever, he felt jealous.
He did not know that the person inside the mascot was also the person who made him jealous for the past few years.