Married with the Broken Hearted CEO novel Chapter 74

Chadwick chose divorce as his way to start over and he thought that five months would be enough to fix his relationship with his wife. However, things messed up and now, Aira wanted to get a divorce as soon as possible. 
Where did it go wrong?
He knows that it is because of him. 
Walking aimlessly, Chadwick stared at nothingness, quite couldn’t figure out what to do. This is the first time he learned to love someone else again, but he’s always been clashing against the situations. He did not mean to choose Isa over Adira. The situation only allowed him to save Isa first! 
But should he treat the unavoidable situations as his enemy? Or the one who created those incidents, rather?
“Haaaa,” Chadwick sighed. 
He walked into the dim. 
Droplets of water dripping down from his dark brown hair, the hemline of his shorts and his wrinkled shirt. Soaked with water, his skin was bitten by the cold wind. Hair stood up on each end and her lips quivered in the raw cold breeze of the beach. Yet, he cannot dare to go back to the villa and exchange. 
He’s not ready to see his wife; the one who told him she hates seeing his face right now. And the one who looked at him lifelessly after getting ignored in the water. What’s more, the person who saved Adira is someone whom he thought would never be good with his wife. 
“Chadwick.” 
The name rang in his ears. It took him seconds to realize that it was his name, and the voice who called him was no other than an old friend from the past. 
Just at that moment when Chadwick turned around, Geoffrey reared back his arm and struck Chadwick in the face with a punch. 
Then the pain hits him and, in a flash, he’s sitting on the ground, bewildered. Geoffrey stood in front of him, panting and his hand still curled in a fist.
Chadwick felt a cleansing anger seizing him as he stood up. If there’s one person who has the right to hit him, he believes it cannot be Geoffrey.
“What are you doing?!” Chadwick said. His hand swung out and connected to Geoffrey’s jaw. 
The pain rocked Geoffrey and he stood a step back, steadying himself. He blinked his eyes and stared at me with same ferocious glare he had from the beginning. 
“I should ask that to you!” Geoffrey said, grabbing Chadwick’s collar and shaking him. “What the hell are you doing? You saved Isa but failed to save your wife!” 
Resentment blossomed within Chadwick, as well as regrets. His chest felt like it was in fire, as if someone resided inside, throwing gas and then lit it up. He felt suffocated. 
Chadwick grabbed Geoffrey’s collar too, pulling him closer. His bloodshot eyes stared at his old friend’s as he opened his mouth. 
“Don’t act as if you know everything,” he warned. 
“I’ve seen a lot, Chad,” Geoffrey replied, followed a mingled grin and glare on his countenance. “You left her alone on the stage in the party. You kissed another woman in front of her. You let Isa walk in and out of your house in her presence. And now, you stared at the water like an idiot without knowing that she’s drowning. Why? Is Isa the only woman important you?! And now you’re telling me that I don’t know anything? You b*stard!” 
Chadwick gave him a long, contemplating look before his face cracked into a smirk. His hands tightened around Geoffrey’s collar. 
“I told you that things just went out of hand,” Chadwick said. “You only talked based on your point of view, what you see and what you think. You are only a bystander, who shouldn’t butt into my business with Adira. Why do I need to explain my side to you?” 
“Because I can’t endure seeing you being so dumb.” 
“What did you say?” 
Geoffrey inhaled sharp breath and responded, “Isa is playing with you. Do you really think she was drowning?” 
“...” 
“When she kissed you that night, her eyes met Adira’s.”
“...” 
“You’ve been with her for years but until now, you really don’t know who Isa is.”
Chadwick slowly shook his head. He could not understand what Geoffrey was saying right now. For years, yes, Isa has been his friend. She is the kind lady who cared for the kid and who always had this innocent smile on her face. The only weakness she has is for being alone and for loving a man who will never love her back. The reason why Isa cannot leave Chadwick’s side is because she’s used of having him. That’s all. 
But he’s hearing a new discovery from a friend who kept his mouth shut for a long time.
“Not only is she trying to use you for me, but he’s binding you all because of her insecurities,” Geoffrey added. “Can’t you see it? You dumb*ss.” 
“I think,” Chadwick murmured. “You are just misunderstanding this. Isa was drowning before and…”
“Isa can swim!” Geoffrey shouted that made Chadwick stop. “She can swim, but she pretended she was drowning just to get your attention. You f*cking idiot!” 
********************* ****
Inside her room in the villa, Hansel walked around while biting her nails. She wanted to go right now and pull Isa’s hair. 
All she did was to warn Isa to stop messing with Adira and Chadwick. But she was framed as someone who pushed Isa into the water. She does not care if people create rumors about this, but Hansel has only one person she’s worried for. 
‘Is ma’am, okay?’ 
She stopped walking and put her hand down. Hansel let out a long sigh. 
This was the first time she saw Adira with those lifeless eyes, as if she was betrayed by everyone. Surely, Hansel does not Adira misunderstand her. 
Adira is just starting to learn how to break the wall she built from the other people. But if Adira thinks that Hansel crossed the line and did push Isa for her, she feared that Adira will shut herself down again. 
“What should I do?” Hansel said, shutting her eyes. 
She regretted confronting Isa and making things complicated. Not only she was framed, but Adira was put in another embarrassing situation where her husband saved another woman, leaving her behind. 
Hansel does feel angry with Chadwick but she knew Chadwick was only used by Isa’s tactic. The person to blame is neither Adira nor Chadwick, but the person who created the mess. 
Anger boiled her blood, exceeding 100 degrees Celsius. If she’s not only Adira’s secretary, but she would also go and beat the hell out of Isa. But she cannot do that. She was framed already and doing that will stain Adira’s reputation. 
The irritation, though, did not leave her as she was burning in fire, thinking of ways on how to revenge on that small wimp. 
Knock knock. 
Hansel looked at the door, wondering who was knocking at this hour. She went to the door and opened it. When she saw the person behind the door, her mouth parted a little, finding it hard to close it again. 
“This is the first time asking someone this question,” Adira said. “But, can I sleepover in Hansel’s room? I think we have lot of things to talk about.” 
Hansel bit her lower lip before he let Adira in without hesitation. Then, when she noticed the red mark on Adira’s leg, she offered to aide it with ice. 
Adira did not decline and let her secretary mend her aching leg. 
“This is swollen,” Hansel said while patting Adira’s leg with an ice bag.
Instead of talking about the swollen mark, Adira looked at Hansel’s side profile and asked her the question she’s been curious of. 
“Hansel.” 
“Yes?” 
“Why did you think of fooling me about the cave?” 
Hansel’s eyes widened. Slowly, she avoided Adira’s gaze and forged a cough. “Ahem.” 
“Care to explain?” 
“W-Well,” Hansel started, fidgeting her fingers on the ice bag. “T-That secretary of Sir Chadwick begged me to do that. Ahmmm, there is a villager on the beach. She said that the cave is popular with couples and that it has power to strengthen relationships. S-So, when that N-Neil heard about that, he begged me to come up with the plan of bringing you and Sir Chadwick in the place.” 
Hansel went on her knees above the bed, and she bowed her head to her boss. 
“I am so sorry, ma’am. I know I made a huge mistake.” 
A cave that has the ability to strengthen relationships. Adira thinks that it is probably true. Being with Chadwick for a long time, she saw him in a new light. But as soon as they got out, things got messier than before. If she knew it would be like this, she wished they had stayed at that place longer. 
“The two of you really did something outrageous,” Adira said, chuckling. “But I will accept the apology. I enjoyed the adventure.” 
Slowly, Hansel lifted her head and stared at Adira’s swollen leg. “B-But because of us, you got injured.” 
Adira looked at her leg and Hansel’s apologetic face. She straightened her sitting posture and let out a sigh. 
“No,” Adira rebuked. “I did not get this injury from the cave.” 
‘But rather, I got this from that b*tch,’ Adira continued inwardly. 
Recalling how Isa kicked her leg when she’s trying to save her made Adira’s blood boils. But she tried to suppress her irritation and smiled at Hansel instead. 
Then, silence. 
It settled between them, and the room became awkwardly quiet. 
The serene is not lack of sound, but the misinterpretation, the misconception of what Hansel is thinking in between her messy and chaotic mind. Fortunately, a small voice broke the deafening silence.
“Ma’am,” Hansel called. 
Adira looked at her, waiting. 
“Why aren’t you asking me?” She lifted her head and stared at Adira’s curious brown eyes. 
“About what?” 
Hansel clenched her hands above her lap and continued in lower voice, “About the incident before.” 
“...” 
“Aren’t you going to ask me if I really push Isa and why did it?” 
Leaning closer, Adira placed her hand on Hansel chin. She lifted her chin and let her gaze settle back to her eyes, as if to say that there’s no reason to feel intimidated. 
“Why would I ask that?” Adira murmured. “Miss Hansel is not an idiot person who will push her in the water. If you’ll tell me that Isa jumped on the water by herself, I will believe that more.” 
Hansel felt the unsettling emotion. A sob rose in her throat and her eyes prickled with tears. Hearing that from Adira, it felt like the thorn in her heart was poured down with honey, and it fell on their own. 
She was relieved. To have someone believe her no matter what happened, Hansel is so happy that she cried. 
“I did not push her,” Hansel said while sobbing. “She threw herself in the water and…”
Adira nodded her head before Hansel finished her words, as if to say that she knew everything and Hansel does not need to worry. 
“I did not know that you are such a crying baby,” Adira chuckled while wiping the tears on Hansel’s cheeks. 
Embarrassed, Hansel moved backward and wiped her own eyes. “I’m sorry. I am just so happy.” 
“Happy that?” 
“Ma’am believed me. That made me so happy.” 
As Adira observed Hansel, she felt the heaviness in her heart. Is this what it feels like to have a friend? Adira fell into such deep thoughts before agreeing it must be. 
“However, everyone thinks that I did it,” Hansel added. She exhaled and her shoulders shook as she was suppressing her emotions. 
“Right,” Adira answered. “But don’t worry.” 
Adira put her hand on her shoulder, and that’s when Hansel’s shoulder stopped shaking. 
She lifted her eyes to meet Adira’s gaze and saw the grin in it. 
“We will take revenge on that girl,” Adira said before she smirked. 
When Hansel saw the grin on her boss’ lips, she knew Adira was thinking of doing something crazy.