Chapter 298 Hopelessly in Love
Eugene, who had been keeping his lips sealed, finally blurted out the truth under Alex’s inducement. So, the lesson learnt was, when one bottle of wine wasn’t enough to settle an issue, just try again with a bottle of hard liquor or two.
However, Alex didn’t quite comprehend what he said because he had been vague. What boyfriend?
Hence, he decided to ask him tentatively, “Has Olivia agreed to go out with you?”
Eugene responded, “Yes.”
With a frown, Alex pressed on, “What about the guy you saw her with? Has she been unfaithful to you?”
Eugene put down the wine glass and leaned on the sofa before he answered, “He’s her senior who’s been having a crush on her!”
The crease on Alex’s forehead deepened. “What does that mean? Is she having an affair with her senior?”
At first, Alex found the matter intriguing as gossip but the more he learnt about it, the more of a mess he found it to be.
He thought Eugene, a man who had been single for 28 years, only didn’t know how to date a woman. He did not expect that he would even be dating someone who was having an affair!
Glaring at him with annoyance, Eugene snapped, “What nonsense are you spouting? She isn’t having an affair!”
Alex snorted in response, “If that’s the case, why are you so sulky? Tell me now, who’s that senior and how long have they known each other? That guy must be quite outstanding to be able to snatch your girl!”
After taking a sharp intake of breath, Eugene responded, “Seven years!”
Alex appeared to relax when he heard that. “Do you mean Olivia has known her senior for seven years?”
“Yes.”
Pursing his lips, Alex analyzed, “Nothing happened between them despite knowing each other for seven years and she is now yours. So, what is there to be worried about? If she was ever interested in her senior, they would have dated each other a long time before this and you wouldn’t even be in the picture.”
Removing his arm which was covering his eyes, Eugene sat upright with enlightenment. “If that’s the case, why does she want to keep her senior in the dark about my existence? Since her senior isn’t her parents, he has no right to stop her from dating. Or, does she just refuse to recognize me as her boyfriend at all?”
Looking exasperated, he was adamant to believe that Olivia didn’t care about him, or that he just didn’t matter to her as much as George did.
After some contemplation, Alex advised, “You are free to share such thoughts with me but you’d better keep your mouth shut when you’re with Olivia.”
“I’ve already told her.”
Taken aback by what he said, Alex gasped, “Really? Didn’t she get angry with you?”
A feeling of resignation swept over Eugene at the mention of the matter. He slurred, “She yelled at me and told me she wanted to two-time me and then break up with me so that she could start dating her senior. Regardless, she just didn’t feel like recognizing me as her boyfriend.”
He paused to catch his breath before carrying on, “I know she only said all that out of spite to anger me but I…” Without speaking another word, he clutched his chest with one hand to soothe his heartache.
Having taken a deep breath, Alex patted his shoulder and sighed, “I think you’re hopelessly in love with her!”
Eugene picked up a glass of hard liquor and downed its content at one go without answering him.
No longer in the mood to tease him, Alex grabbed his arm when he was trying to refill his glass with more booze.
“Well, I understand why you’re feeling upset now. Isn’t it because you don’t get to see Olivia openly? You’re thinking that she’s keeping your existence a secret because she’s fallen in love with her senior, aren’t you?”
Looking embarrassed, Eugene quickly denied, “I didn’t say that!”
Alex chuckled, “There’s no point in denying it because you know that it’s true subconsciously. You already felt insecure about your relationship with her right from the beginning and what she said only worsened your anxiety. However, I think you should try to put yourself in her shoes. How do you expect her to introduce you as her boyfriend to a senior whom she rejected despite him having a crush on her for seven years?”
Eugene snorted, begging to differ, “I don’t see why she can’t introduce me as her boyfriend. If she’s taking our relationship seriously, what difference does it make? He’ll know about it sooner or later, won’t he?”
