Episode 8

Seeing Aozora's gaze, Daren immediately followed where the woman was looking. Daren's face turned pale with panic, knowing that the woman he knew was his friend's wife was suspiciously staring at the leftover food box of Arsenio.

"Doctor Daren, why is there a food box there? Who ate earlier?" Daren's feared question finally came out. Not only Daren panicked, but the pretending-to-be-comatose Arsenio also panicked.

"Oh, that... that was my friend's leftovers. Looks like he was very hungry," Daren smiled thinly, glancing slightly at Arsenio.

"Damn you, Daren! How could he answer honestly about that," Arsenio cursed in his heart.

"Leftovers of your friend?" Aozora frowned while Daren nodded, affirming.

“So, where is your friend now?” Aozora asked again.

"Sleeping," Daren answered briefly. But even though it was brief, it made the resting heart want to jump.

"Sleeping? Where?" Aozora scanned her gaze in all directions, looking for the presence of the friend mentioned by the handsome man in front of her.

"Well, sleeping in this house. Wherever he is, as long as he's in this house," Daren replied ambiguously.

"Oh, like that? But isn't it unhealthy to sleep right after eating? You're a doctor, why didn't you advise your friend?" Aozora knitted her brow.

"Oh, this friend of mine is just stupid. Imagine, his girlfriend left him just like that, but foolishly he's still waiting. Truly stupid and foolish, right?" Daren tried to hold back his laughter when he saw the annoyed expression shown by his friend Arsenio.

"You bastard! How dare he gossip right in front of him," Arsenio cursed in his mind.

"But maybe there are reasons that his girlfriend can't tell, that's why she left. We shouldn't jump to conclusions first," Aozora replied wisely.

"But..."

"We shouldn't jump to conclusions before we find the truth, Doctor Daren," before Daren could finish his sentence, Aozora interrupted first.

"Haish, I actually wanted to make you aware of your own husband, Zora," Daren said, which he could only say in his mind.

"Oh yeah, why are we discussing something else? Let's just talk about Mr. Arsen. What do you think I should do to make him wake up from his coma quickly?" Aozora returned to the first topic.

"Um, you have to keep talking to him, Zora. If you keep talking to him, gradually he will wake up on his own," Daren explained.

"Oh, alright, Doctor Daren. Thank you!"

"Please, don't call me with titles. Just call me Daren!" Daren felt really annoyed when Aozora called him with titles.

"Oh yeah, Daren, can I go out for a moment? I will leave Arsen in your care. I'm thirsty," Aozora asked politely.

"Oh, please!" Aozora smiled first, then she left.

After hearing the door close perfectly, Arsenio opened his eyes again and sighed in relief.

"You're such a bastard, Ren! Why did you indirectly mock me earlier?" Arsenio looked at Daren with a sharp gaze.

"Just for fun, bro! When else can I propose a match for an Arsenio? If there's a chance, why waste it, right?" Daren laughed.

"You bastard! Go away!" Arsenio threw a pillow at Daren, which was swiftly caught by the man.

"But seriously, bro. Your wife is so beautiful!" Daren said while putting the pillow back in his hands.

"I know," Arsenio replied shortly.

"Are you sure you really saw her? Earlier you only saw her sleeping face, right? Just imagine, she's beautiful even when she's sleeping, but when she opens her eyes, wow, she's even more beautiful, bro! I think she's more beautiful than Hanum,"

Arsenio stared at Daren with a deadly gaze. He really didn't like Hanum being compared to other women.

Amber walked into the room and closed the door behind her. The middle-aged woman took a step closer to the bed where her son lay.

"Arsen, it's mama! Wake up!" Amber's voice sounded firm.

After hearing his mother's voice, Arsenio, who had briefly closed his eyes, opened them again.

"Why did you ask mama to come here? Are you protesting because mama married you to Aozora?" Amber retorted.

"Yes, why did Mama marry me to her without discussing it with me first? Mama knows perfectly well that I..."

"Are hoping for Hanum to come and see you, right?" Amber quickly interrupted. "Until when, huh? You've been lying in bed like this for a month, but she hasn't come, has she? A week ago, you woke up from your coma and said you wanted to pretend to still be in a coma, hoping that Hanum would come to see you. You can see for yourself, she never came, my dear," Amber spoke with a fiery tone.

Arsenio remained still, not answering at all, because what his mother said was true.

"Sen, Mama doesn't want Hanum to come back. Mama will never accept a daughter-in-law like Hanum," Amber continued.

"But, Ma... However, Mama can't just do as she pleases like this. Mama should still inform me, because this is about marriage," Arsenio said.

"For that, Mama apologizes. But Mama did it because Mama was sure that Zora is the best for you," stated Amber firmly.

"Besides, why didn't you wake up immediately when you signed the marriage certificate and reject it? Mama would consider that you accepted it. Enough already, it's all done now. However, you have to accept Aozora as your wife," she added.

Arsenio finally chose not to respond to his mother anymore because he believed it would be useless. He would lose against his mother. Moreover, in his opinion, what his mother said was true. He should have woken up immediately when signing the marriage certificate so he could reject it.

"When will you stop pretending to still be in a coma, Arsen? Mama thinks it's time for you to stop!" Amber spoke again after she and her son fell silent for a while.

"Patience, Ma. I'm not ready yet," Arsenio replied.

"Not ready for what? Don't tell me you still hope that Hanum will feel guilty and come. Don't be foolish, Sen! If she truly felt guilty, she would have come right away when she knew you were in a coma. Besides, with your paralyzed condition like this, are you sure she still wants to be with you? Wake up, Son, wake up from your dream!" Amber said angrily.

"Enough, I've been patient enough for a week. Mama doesn't care, you have to stop pretending so that you can continue your foot treatment!" Amber concluded firmly.

"Please understand me, Ma. I will wake up when I am truly convinced," Arsenio said firmly.

"Ma, did Mom know that Aozora is Dimas' future wife," Arsenio changed the topic.

"Mom already knew," Amber replied.

"Mom already knew? So why..."

"Mom just found out too, because she accidentally overheard Aozora's family argue," Amber quickly interrupted.

"At first, Mom didn't think that the Dimas they were talking about was your cousin. But, after Mom heard that he was getting married next Sunday, Mom was convinced that it was your cousin Dimas. That's why Mom feels even more certain to marry you to Aozora. Mom feels sorry for her life. Starting from her mother's death due to depression caused by her father's infidelity, now her sister is stealing her prospective husband. On top of that, the late mother's company was taken by her stepmother and sister. I don't know why Mom just wants to help her win back her rights," explained Amber at length without a pause.

Arsenio stayed silent for a moment as if deep in thought. "Ma, in that case, starting tomorrow, let Aozora take over me in leading the company, while I wait to recover. I want Dimas to experience being under the leadership of a woman he wasted. Mom, don't worry, I will think about the security issue later," concluded Arsenio.

To be continued...

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