Chapter 588 - Who Will Give You More Pain?
Tristan had stopped laughing when he saw the serious expression of his brother, Andrew. He cleared his throat and sat up straight.
"Apology for that, bro. Now let's talk about this seriously."
Tristan had finally calmed down. He knew that his brother needed someone to talk to now. He could tell from his expression alone. Andrew was troubled by his feelings for both women.
"Tell me. What happened? I thought you and Hannah were doing well? In fact, I am really shocked by your revelation. I know you, brother. I know how much you love Hannah."
Andrew nodded his head. He exhaled sharply once more before answering Tristan.
"Since the night when I saw Hannah confessing to you, we were in conflict. When she visited me in the hospital, I asked for a cool-off. We hid this from everyone. We have not contacted each other for a month. That's when I met Alveena."
Tristan had never imagined this. They thought the couple was doing good.
'No wonder Hannah did that to me when we were abroad.'
"Hannah and I just saw each other again during the Centennial Year Celebration. That was also the time Alveena confessed to me," Andrew added, informing Tristan.
"Huh?! So… you were the guy whom my wife was referring to?!!"
Andrew nodded his head.
"Brother, I didn't plan any of this to happen. I became a total jerk. I tried to avoid Alveena. I tried to fight my feelings because I know I am still committed to Hannah."
"But I had to admit that those moments I spent with Alveena had changed everything. I got closer to her. I got to know her more every day."
"I don't know how and when I started to like her. I just woke up one day and I already became more attached to her. I became used to her presence. Despite her loudness and our bickering every day, I felt comfortable and happy whenever I was with her."
"She could lighten my day. It felt like she brought color to my dull and silent world." Andrew smiled as he reminisced his moments with Alveena.
Tristan couldn't help but smile as well. He could relate to Andrew since he also felt that way when he realized that he had already fallen deeply to Zhen-Zhen.
"Honestly, I am so confused with my feelings right now." Andrew took a pause and sighed deeply before continuing.
"I tried to end things with Alveena since Hannah came back to me, asking me to fix our broken relationship. I feel like it is right to do it because I already felt responsible for Hannah."
"She already gave me her first. Aside from that, she is my fiancee, the woman I loved for so many years. The only woman with whom I devoted my life."
Tristan nodded his head. He could understand Andrew's point of view.
"However, when I met Alveena in the City of Cyrus and saw her with another guy, I couldn't help but feel jealous. I told myself that I should stay away from her so that I would not hurt her feelings anymore."
"So what happened there?" Tristan asked, feeling intrigued.
"I realized I couldn't do it. The more I tried to avoid her, the more I wanted to be with her. I couldn't stay away from her, brother. I couldn't. It's so hard. Seeing her with another guy, it hurts like hell. I know I can't be with her but I don't want to see her with another guy either."
"Brother, because of that… I made a grave sin to Hannah and Alveena. I asked Alveena to be with me while we were in the City of Cyrus. I told her to forget about my relationship with Hannah and enjoyed our time together."
"I didn't make any promises to her. I just wanted to be with her and make memorable moments with her."
"In other words, I cheated on Hannah just to be with Alveena. But I hurt Alveena more because of my greediness. Hannah came to the City of Cyrus to surprise me."
"Hannah saw us but just like a cowardly cheater man, I was not able to tell Hannah the truth. I neglected Alveena. I made her feel like she was just another woman."
"Then Hannah asked me to marry her and registered our Marriage soon. I didn't say yes since I'm still confused. Because of that, I made Hannah cry. She thought I never loved her and I got tired of her."
"I'm so terrible, right? I don't deserve any of their love. I made them both cry. I am a jerk! I messed things up, making things more complicated for the three of us. Now, I don't know what to do."
Tristan sighed deeply. It looked like his brother got entangled in a love triangle.
"Now, I know you are having difficulty about whom you will choose between the two women, am I right?" Tristan asked his problematic brother.
Andrew heaved another deep sigh before nodding his head.
"I don't know if you can understand me, brother. Is it really possible that I can love someone else even though I have loved Hannah for a long time?" Andrew asked Tristan. The helplessness could be heard in his voice.
Tristan patted Andrew's shoulder. "Of course, it is not impossible to happen. Look at me and my wife. Since then I only loved one girl and that girl was Hannah. But everything changed when Lillie came into my life."
"I've never thought that I would love another woman aside from Hannah. Now, look at me. I am madly in love with my wife, to the extent that I can die without her by my side."
Tristan also shared his experience, hoping that his story would enlighten his brother about his true feelings towards the two women.
Tristan knew that Andrew must weigh in who between the two women he loved the most.
"There is something I wanna share with you brother. Promise me that you will not tell others." Tristan looked at Andrew intently.
Andrew just nodded his head, reassuring Tristan.
"Honestly, I just married Lillie on impulse. I did it because of our grandpa. He threatened me that he would take my CEO position if I did not find a wife."
Andrew was taken aback when he heard that.
"Grandpa did that?"
"Yes." Tristan chuckled. "And I'm so grateful for that. Because he pressured me, I proposed to Lillie the first time I met her in the mountains. I was a jerk, just thinking about myself."
"I didn't give her a proper marriage proposal nor a wedding ceremony. I tricked her into marrying me and I registered our marriage right away."
"I even thought of continuing playing around with other women even after I married her. But, don't get me wrong. I didn't get involved with other women since the day I brought Lillie here in the City of Empire."
"I committed one fatal mistake! I hid the truth about my true feelings with Hannah. Lillie found out everything but she never confronted me. The night Hannah confessed with me, you and Lillie had witnessed everything."
"Andrew, I almost lost my wife because of that incident. She thought I would divorce her and throw her away since the woman I loved already confessed to me."
Andrew could still remember that night. Zhen-Zhen was hurt, just like him.
"My wife decided to leave me. That was the moment I realized that I already loved her and I couldn't live without her. I couldn't let go of her. I was so afraid… so afraid of losing her. I thought I was going nuts when I learned that I would not be able to see her again. She was leaving me for good."
"It happened because of me. I hurt her feelings. It was all my fault. I neglected her too, thinking that I was still in love with Hannah. But that moment when I was about to lose her… it was my wake-up call. I found out that I already loved her… that she was the woman I wanted to spend my whole life with."
"See, I also messed things up between us but Lillie still accepted me and gave me a second chance to start all over again."
Tristan held Andrew's shoulder and looked into his eyes.
"I was so bad. I am more terrible than you. Hahaha. I know you don't want to hurt them but you have to choose now, Andrew. The more you delay things, the more they will be hurt. And the worst case is... you will lose the one you truly love."
"Now ask yourself… feel what truly is in your heart… Between Hannah and Alveena... Who among them will give you too much pain, an unimaginable pain… if you ever lose her?" Tristan asked Andrew with so much seriousness in his voice.
This was one way Andrew could assess his feelings between the two women.
'Who will give me more pain if I ever lose her?'