Married with the Broken Hearted CEO novel Chapter 59

“Give me one ice Americano please. The regular one.”
“That would be $5 sir.” 
Neil gave his card. The employee swiped the card and gave it back to him. “Please sit first, sir. We will serve your coffee once it ready.” 
“Alright~” He put his card back to his wallet and took a seat. 
It’s already 11pm in the evening. Inside a coffee shop that opens 24 hours, there are few customers around. Neil looked around and sighed.
Today is another tiring day. 
He stared at the space and then remembered what just happened before he came here. 
[When he sent his home back to his house, Chadwick hopped down from the car with grimace. Neil did not know why he’s boss is feeling so down. But he’s sure it has something to do with Adira. 
Then while Neil was watching Chadwick walked sluggishly like a sloth, he saw the taxi parked in front of the gate. Next, Adira hopped down from the taxi. 
As fast as lightning, Neil watched how his boss threw himself near the garbage bags and cans just to hide from Adira. 
“Oh? What is he doing?” Neil murmured while asking Chadwick’s action. 
Ever since he worked under his boss, he learned that Chadwick is a clean freak who does not even want to have a small stain on his shirt. But right now, that strict boss is enduring himself along with the garbage.
“Why is he hiding from his wife?” 
Neil stayed inside the car while watching the two. He stared at Adira who are counting coins and his boss who was about to throw up. Until Chadwick went out of his hideout and helped Adira paying the bill. 
When the taxi went away, Chadwick and Adira looked at each other to talk. Neil can’t hear them so he opened the window of the car. 
The neighborhood is quiet so it is easy for him to hear what they are talking about. 
“Since there is a moon, I will pretend I did not know you’re hiding from me,” Adira said before she walked away. But Chadwick suddenly grabbed her wrist. 
“Oh my, oh my,” Neil gasped. “What is happening? Are they fighting again?” 
“Where are you from? Did you drink?” 
“Why are you so surprise? It’s not like this is the first time I drink.” 
“But you told me that you will never come back to that bar.”
“What made you think that I went to that bar?” 
“So, my guess is right. You came there to meet him again.” 
When Chadwick told ‘him’, Neil wondered who is that ‘him’ he’s boss is talking about. 
“Is madam have another man?” he wondered, then watched again and listened in secret. 
“Then? Is there a reason why I cannot do what I want?” 
“Adira. You’re married. That guy, it is clear that he has something to you! I warned you already that he’s a bastard.” 
“I don’t think you have the rights to tell me that.
“W-What?”
“I’ve been quiet for too long because I have no interest to be bothered. But if you will butt into my business, then I can’t help it but to make you realize that you don’t have the rights to stop me from seeing another man.”
Neil wanted to agree with Adira. He knew how Chadwick treated his wife for the long months they have been together. However, when he saw Chadwick’s reaction, he had doubts. He saw the painful expression of Chadwick that he never seen before. 
“Unfortunately, I have no plans of dating another guy. I came there to finish my business with him. So, this is the last day I met Geoffrey.”
Geoffrey.
Neil thinks he already heard that name before. But he couldn’t remember when. 
“Actually, I don’t see any reason why you have to be this mad. Is it because of your pride?” 
“No. Because this is important to me.” 
“Why?” 
“Because I…I…to you, I…” 
“I?” 
“I….”
Neil saw the dog coming towards Adira and Chadwick. He gasped and held his breath. He wanted to shout at the two but that means he’ll confess that he’s been listening in secret. If he presses the horn, the dog might get surprised and attack the two. 
“The dog,” Neil, who couldn’t go out of the car because he’s also scared, just murmured while pointing the dog. 
Fortunately, the two escaped from the dog and Neil can breathe at ease.] 
“My heart almost dropped because of that,” Neil uttered. “However, Sir Chadwick will say something before.” 
[“Because I…I…to you, I…”] 
Neil repeated the words again and again until he deciphered the meaning. His eyes sparkled and his mouth formed a big ‘O’.  
Exactly at that moment, the employee came to give his order. “Here is your ord…” 
“Aha!” Neil slammed the table. 
The female employee had her shoulder stiffened in shock. 
Neil stared at her with a smile and said, “He likes her!” 
“Yes?” the employee uttered. 
“My boss likes her! I knew it! That’s why he’s being so weird! Aha!” He clapped his hands in juvenile and slammed the table three times as he laughed so loud. 
If there is someone who is being weird right now, the employee thinks that it is Neil. The employee left him after placing the coffee on the table.
“I knew it. He must be so devastated because he couldn’t accept his feelings. Tsk,” Neil mocked Chadwick behind his back. He grabbed the coffee and drink with a smile. 
Smiling ear to ear, he’s wondering how he will help his boss to get closer to his wife. He looks like the one who’s in love. 
“Ahhh, ahhh, brain freeze,” Neil winced because he drank a lot of ice Americano.
Holding his head, he saw a familiar woman who took a seat near his table. He squinted his eyes to that woman and tried to recognize her. Then, he recognized that it is Adira’s secretary, Hansel. 
Neil raised his hand and about to call her. But he quickly put his hand down and shut his mouth when he saw a man sat beside her. 
The man who sat beside has cast on his right hand, bandage around his forehead, black eyes, and bruises on his face. He looks like someone who came out of the hospital after getting serious injuries. 
“Who is that man?” Neil murmured. He leaned a little closer to hear the two. 
“How much did ma’am Adira paid you?” asked Hansel. 
The man snorted as he licked the corner of his mouth. “Do you think that the money she sent is enough? She almost killed me!” 
Neil gasped. He did not know that Adira has the skill to beat someone like that. ‘I need to warn my boss about his wife’s skill,’ she thought. 
“You should be thankful that she did not kill you,” Hansel answered in apathetic tone. 
“What? How can you say that to your husband?” 
The curious secretary nodded his head. ‘So, he is her husband.’ 
“Huh,” Hansel snorted. “How can you call yourself my husband after what you did?” 
Hansel’s husband looked at her with apologetic face. Even if he cheated on Hansel, he did love her before. Isn’t that why he’s desperately trying to talk to her and even went to the company? But when he arrived there, Adira met him. She brought him inside the emergency exit, locked the door and beat him from head to toe. 
It was Hansel who stopped Adira from killing him, that’s why he’s still alive. 
Hansel placed a brown envelope on the table. Then she said, “I will pay for all the money that madam gave to you. Then, give the car back.” 
“The car? The wedding car we received from her? Why should I give it?” 
Hansel glared at him. “Will you give it back? Or I will kill you instead.” 
His husband moved away and gulped. “I w-will give it. If that’s the only way for you to forgive me, then I will.” 
“Forgive you? Are you crazy? Why should I do that?” Hansel tapped the envelope. “Here is the divorce paper. Sign it.” 
“Divorce paper?!” 
The loud voice echoed inside the cafe shop. 
Neil who heard that gasped and covered his mouth. ‘She’s getting a divorce?!’ 
“H-Honey. Wait, this is too sudden. You know that I love you right? H-How can we end it right away just because I cheated once?” 
“Once? You called cheating once a ‘just’? Hey, we made a vow in front of the God and our families. But you broke my trust, Daniel.” 
Her husband, Daniel, rebuked, “That’s why I apologized. I won’t do it again. Promise.” 
“Cheating is a choice,” Hansel said. “If you really love me, you won’t ever think of doing it from the first place.” 
“I will change. Please, Hansel, please.” 
“That’s funny. All cheaters say the same thing. A rotten pineapple will never fresh again.” Hansel stood up but her husband held her again. 
“It is…!” 
Hansel looked at him again. 
“Well,” he sighed. “It just that you have no time for me. You were so busy in work, you hardly come home. Then, when you’re home, you always tired and just sleep. Honey, I am… I mean, I am a man.” 
Fury came like a lightning on Neil. It feels like biting a bullet while watching Hansel and her assh*le husband who explained the reason why he cheated. If he is so angry just because of this, then what about Hansel. 
Neil looked at Hansel hands. Even if her face looks calm, her hands are clenching like cannonballs. 
“It’s pathetic,” Hansel said before she pulled her hand from him. Gritting her teeth, she added, “How men defended their lusts by using gender as excuse.” Then she walked away, 
When Hansel passed by, Neil used the ice Americano to hide his face. Then he watched her exited the coffee shop. 
The back of her, he thought it is so pitiful. 
Neil thought there are many dramas going today. First is his boss and madam. Second, the madam’s secretary. 
“This is the reason why I am still single,” Neil said while walking back to the parking lot. 
He threw his empty cup to the trash can. Tilting his head, he accidentally saw Hansel inside her car. She’s sitting on the driver’s seat and crying so hard. 
Neil convinced himself that he should not butt into her business. However, looking at her, he could not help but feel empathy. 
Just like Adira, Hansel is a woman who tried her best to look strong. She did not cry even a bit when her husband said that he cheated on her because of his desire for s*x. How painful is it for Hansel? 
Although Neil hasn’t been in relationship, he can understand her emotion. 
Sighing, Neil looked up. Then, he saw the billboard from above. 
“Oh? That billboard is…” he murmured. 
An idea popped into his mind. 
He dashed away, running into the crowds, and crossing the streets. Catching his breath, he went inside the building that Chadwick’s family owns. 
“Excuse me!” he shouted as he entered the light controls. 
The employee looked back at the exhausted man who’s catching his breath at the door entrance. They recognized him right away. 
“S-Sir Niel,” they called. 
“That billboard,” Neil said while gasping. “That billboard on the right side of the building, can you light it up?” 
“Yes? But we always light that up every 12am.” 
“I will take the blame. Go and light it up,” Neil said. 
The employees looked at each other. They shrugged their shoulders then opened the billboard. 
As the billboard lightened up the street, a bright smile also appeared on Neil’s lips. 
Inside the car, Hansel is still crying.
She could not believe that the man she loves devotedly will cheated on her for that reason. She gave everything to him, but what did do? Just because of sexual needs, he broke her trust. 
While she’s crying, a light suddenly brightened the space. 
Slowly, she looked up with her blurry sight. 
As her eyes turned clear, she read the words written on the bright billboard. 
[“YOU DESERVE TO BE HAPPY. YOU DESERVE TO LIVE A LIFE YOU ARE EXCITED ABOUT. DON’T LET OTHERS MAKE YOU FORGET THAT.”] 
It is just a simple message. But it is enough to mend her broken heart at this moment. 
Hansel wiped her eyes. Then she grabbed her phone and texted her boss. 
[“Ma’am. I feel okay now. I will work tomorrow.”]
Even if she’s in the lowest moment of her life, she knew that she still has to walk forward as long as she alive. 
Hansel stared at the billboard for a long time and smiled bitterly.