Married with the Broken Hearted CEO novel Chapter 50

He was distant when we first met. 
The next days, he avoided me. 
Suddenly one night, he approached me first with a worried face and offered band-aid for my wound. 
After that, he talked to me as if we were close. 
And now, he pretended as if he didn’t know my identity. 
Maybe these are the reasons why I didn’t hesitate to tell him my secret.; a secret that will happen in five months. 
However, I did not expect to see him get shocked, or even break a glass. 
[“You… You will divorce your husband?”]
His co-worker came before I could answer his question. He pulled Geoffrey, who might hear an earful nag from his boss, and cleaned the broken glass by himself. Then, I did not see Geoffrey again. 
‘Did he go home?’ 
 I shrugged my shoulder and drank the last drop of tequila. I paid for my drink from the other bartender who used to serve my order before. 
“Thank you, ma’am,” the bartender named Vernon said. He has brown eyes, pale skin, sharp jaws and thick brows. He’s pretty handsome too. 
‘I mean, all the bartenders who works here are good looking. Is that the reason why this bar became my favorite?’ 
I hopped from my seat and grabbed my purse bag. 
“Ah, ma’am!” 
The bartender called me.
Did I forget something? But I am not drunk yet. 
I looked back at him and asked, “Yes?” 
“Can I ask a few question?” 
“You are already asking.” 
“Ahhhh,” he chuckled awkwardly the scratched his nape. “I just wanted to know if you and Geoffrey know each other.” 
My eyes narrowed at his question. 
‘To be honest, it was the same question I had before. That Geoffrey acted as if he knows me, and a part of me felt a sense of familiarity.’ 
However, this isn’t the first time something like this happened to me. 
I can easily memorize math formulas or the Uranium Catalysts for the reduction of chemical coupling of carbon in Chemistry. 
But I have one weakness. 
I can’t memorize faces of people who didn’t become a huge part of my life. 
For me, it is not necessary to remember people whom I don’t need to interact with. That’s why there are cases when people approached me saying they know me and we talked before, but I don’t remember them. 
‘What if it is also the case with Geoffrey?’ 
“For now, I don’t know the answer,” I answered the bartender named Vernon. “But I will.”
When I winked at him before I stepped away, his face flushed in red. 
I walked of the bar with steady steps while wondering where did I see Geoffrey. But no matter how much I tried to dig into the memories of my past, I couldn’t remember anything. 
I noticed that I’ve been daydreaming for too long that I already stopped walking. Looking around, I arrived at the parking lot. 
‘Parking lot?’ 
A laugh almost slipped from my mouth. Somehow seeing a parking lot reminded me of the scene I saw during the night of the event. 
‘When my husband and that girl kissed each other.’ 
I think I am not drunk and need second round. 
I lifted and looked at the sky. 
The stars look low in the sky but twinkling high. There are sounds of ruffling leaves, and faint night people sounds doing their activities. I am blending in the dark with black skirt and black suit. My red hair moving with the wind. Slowly walking forward into the open space, I rested my mind thinking nothing. 
“I can’t drive because I had a drink,” I murmured.
That means I can drink more. 
Wow.
This is refreshing. 
“How many times should I tell you to stop messing with them?!” 
Amidst the peace, I heard loud shout. 
“I am not messing with them. And you don’t have the rights to say that to me when you are dating a lot of woman. Besides, you only saw me as your little sister, so don’t butt into my business with that guy.” 
There on my right, I saw familiar back of a man. The woman is much smaller than him so I didn't see her face.
“Why can’t I butt when you are being a b*tch?” he replied. 
“W-What? You called me… what?” 
“A b*tch. Yes. That’s you.” 
“You…!”
'Pak!' 
The girl slapped his face real  hard. 
Ooooooh~ That must be painful.
"Jerk," the woman murmured before she walked out.
Whether I'll stay or not, they don't care. This road was built for everyone so I stayed on my place. 
Slowly, the man turned around and that's how our gaze met. It's him... the bartender I’ve been thinking off.
“Y…You,” he stuttered with widened eyes. 
Seeing that he’s not wearing his uniform means he’s out of work.
"Hey," I called then waved my hand to him. He might be shy that I saw him in that situation so I added. “I did not see who the woman is. Don’t worry.” 
When I said that, he sighed in relief. 
‘Is he that worried?’
“Do you want to drink together?” I offered. “But not here.” 
Since I wanted to know where did I see him, I asked him to have a drink with me. This will be my payment for the band-aid too. And I also think that he might be looking for alcohol at this moment. 
The two of us went to a pub which was built somewhere in the middle of the street. Unlike before, the talkative and friendly bartender is furrowing his brows with pursed lips. 
“Why are you not asking anything?” he suddenly spoke. At last, his voice has returned. “About the thing you saw and heard before.” 
Hanging his head low, he keeps his eyes onto the table, as he doesn’t want to look at me. 
“I don’t ask things like that. I only wait and listen,” I answered. 
Suddenly, he chuckled. “Ma’am, you are so cool.” He lifted his head and looked at my eyes. “So cool.” 
“Of course,” I agreed. “I am a cool person because it is my treat tonight.” 
I pointed the snacks on our table that he ordered. I told him before to order anything he likes and these tons of meat came into our table. 
“You ordered a looooooooot,” I teased. 
“Geez,” he said, clicking his tongue. “Then I will pay these instead,” he murmured, pouting his lips. 
So he knows how to act like a kid too? This is very surprising. 
I thought he is just a sexy and flirty man who only knows how to seduce a woman. But he has a cute side too. 
“No need. I have a loooooot of money,” I said with chuckled. “And I wanted to be a cool woman until the end. So eat a lot.” 
He shook his head, giggling as he sips on his beer. 
I also took a sip on my beer. 
‘That’s refreshing.’ 
“That woman…” he uttered after he placed his glass on the table. He looked at the blanks space as if he’s reminiscing his old time, then continued, “…she likes me a lot.” 
“Hmmmm,” I mumbled then drank again. 
“But I only saw him as my little sister.” 
Not saying anything, I drink my beer. 
“Because she was my stepsister.” 
Alright. 
That’s a huge plot twist that I almost spit out the drink inside my mouth.
I wiped my lips and looked at this pitiful guy. ‘What a drama,’ I murmured inside my head. 
I thought things like this only happened in books or movie. But looking at my life, I think my story is a bit unique too. 
“Our parents already died and I pulled my name out of the family registry, which made us unrelated anymore. Then, she asked me to date her.” 
A stepsister who asked her step-brother to date her after their parents died. She’s a bit selfish. I know someone who is as selfish as her. 
“I still remember that one phrase she told me before our parents died,” he said with a sigh. As if he cannot continue this while being sober, Geoffrey grabbed his glass and drank his beer in one shot. “She said: ‘I hope our parents disappeared so we can be together.’” 
My hands clutched around my glass. 
How did she… 
How did she wish such thing? No matter how much she loves her brother, didn’t she realize the weight of those words?
Now I wanted to meet that woman and slapped her face. 
‘Wait a minute. Why am I got so work up with things which aren’t my business?’ 
“She did regret wishing that,” he uttered. “But those words stick painfully to my heart. I cannot love her as a woman or a sister anymore.” 
“Is that the reason why you are dating a lot of woman?” I asked. 
He pointed me and smiled painfully, “Exactly.” 
“But playing the bad boy role won’t end this,” I commented. "Your ex-stepsister knows that you're doing that in purpose. So she won't stop."
I heard him sigh before he set his eyes on me again. "Then, what should I do? What should I do to stop her craziness?"
It's funny. Really. 
Because the only answer that came into my head is something that opposes my long time belief. 
“Love.” 
"Huh?"
"Fall in love,” I suggested. 
He did not reply. His mouth opened but closed again. 
“How old are you?” I asked again. 
“33,” he answered in slow pace. 
He’s older than me. 
“Then the only way is to fall in love with the right person and date her for real.” 
“Dating at this age?” he uttered. “Isn’t it too late?” 
“It is not too late for everything. A 27 year-old man became a CEO then died at 50. A 50 year-old man became a CEO and died at 90. Do you know that saying?” 
“I think I saw that in a meme somewhere.” 
“Anyway, what I mean is… everyone has different timeline.” 
“I also read that phrase in internet.” 
“So to make it short, there is no late in falling in love.” 
I always said that falling in this age is too late. But here I am, saying the opposite things to others. How hypocrite.
“Well, Actually, there’s a girl I am so interested with,” he whispered in shy tone. 
If he already likes someone, why did he bother dating different women? He’s quite dumb, isn’t he? 
“If there is a woman you like, then go for it.” 
“Really? Should I really do that?” he asked, staring at me with sincerity in his eagle-like sharp eyes which might have melted a lot of women before. 
“Yes. Go for it if situation allows. Grab her and make her yours. That’s simple.”
"Okay!" He tapped the table and smiled with confidence. "Later, I will go for her."
"Huh? Later? Why not now? Don't waste your time and go for it now."
"No no no," he chuckled. He grabbed his beer. "That's too immoral."
"What do you mean immoral?"
"I have to wait before I’ll go and pursue her.” 
“How long do you need to wait?” 
“Just a couple of months.” 
“How many?” 
He took a sip on his beer then placed his glass on the table. Looking straight at me, he spoke in husky tone, “Five months.” 
His victorious and seductive gaze, in which floated indomitable faith, challenged me, and I felt the chills on my skin as I received those. 
They mean something. 
I deciphered what that something is. 
“She will divorce her husband after five months. So I have to wait,” he whispered, placing his elbows on the top of the table. He rested his chin at the back of his hands then gawked at me. 
Without avoiding my gaze, he smiled with a blush on his cheeks. 
In a flash,  why looking at his gentle and shy expression, I suddenly remembered the guy with nerd glass during my college days. He is… that guy. 
‘Sh*t. I shouldn’t have a drink with him. But now it’s too late to regret.’