Simple Happiness

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Davis greeted the two secretaries outside his friend's office and walked towards the office door.

"How is the Big Boss doing?" he asked cheerily when he walked in.

Oscar smiled and got to his feet. He walked towards him and embraced him. "You and your jokes," he said, patting him on the back. "I'm doing great. And you?"

Davis smiled. "I'm cool," he said and sat on the couch.

"Would you like something to drink?"

He waved his hand in the air. "No. I'm okay."

"Fine," Oscar said and sat beside him. "How is your business doing?"

"Business is good," Davis said. "By the way, I made some progress on Liz's case."

"Really?" A smile curled up on his lips. "I'm glad I chose you. You are the best PI this country could have."

"Are you going to let me tell you what I have or are you going to continue with your flattery?"

Oscar smiled. "Fine, go on. I'm listening."

"Okay. I will break it to you as hard as it is. So brace yourself."

"Don't worry. I'm strong. I can handle anything."

"She has a boyfriend," he said and observed him carefully.

Oscar hesitated for a moment. "He is just a boyfriend," he said. "That means I still have a chance."

"Your love rival is not as weak as you may think," Davis said. "He is the CEO of Lithan Technologies."

Oscar wanted to say something, but Davis jumped in before he could say a word. "Before you say anything, look at the name 'Lithan.' It looks like a combination of Liz and Ethan. They must be very much in love."

Oscar stood up shoved his hands into his trouser pockets then paced around. "I must make her fall in love with me again," he said with determination. "I can't live without her."

"But it was you who broke up with her in the first place," Davis said. "You hurt her very much. Do you think the love she had for you in the past endured through the pain up to now? Just give up, man. Move on. She already moved on a long time ago. They have been dating for almost three years now. If she was still in love with you, their relationship couldn't have lasted this long."

"What am I going to do with these feelings?"

"They will go away if you let go of her and learn to love Bea."

Oscar poured himself water in a glass.

"Are you going to support my parent's plans to force me into marriage with someone I do not love?" he asked after downing the glass of water.

"No. I don't think it is realistic to go after something you willingly threw away thinking that it will still be there waiting for you to pick it up. Bro, you hurt her. Just let her be happy. Don't complicate her life just because you realized that you made the wrong choice."

"Seeing you intercede for her makes me wonder if you had feelings for her and want me to give her up just like you did."

"Of course, not," Davis said. "How could you say that when you know very well that the only woman I have been in love with since college is my wife, Ava?"

"Don't take it to heart," Oscar said. "I was just joking."

"Well, since it is hard to reason with you on matters of the heart, why don't we change the topic?"

"Fine," Oscar said. "Let's talk about other things. I will take care of issues to do with my heart."

Davis forced a smile and shook his head. He felt sorry for his friend, but there was nothing he could do to help him other than support him.

---

Liz was pushing the trolley along the aisle as she looked at the products in the stationery section when her trolley hit another customer's.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said, then her brow wrinkled when she saw the customer. "Harry."

"Hehe... Liz, it's you," he said. "Even God is helping us meet."

"What did you say?"

His hands fluttered before him. "Nothing. How are you, Liz?"

"I'm good, and you?"

"I'm good too," he said. "Are you here with everybody?"

Liz pursed her lips and nodded as she observed him carefully. You can't-fool me, she thought. This isn't a mere coincidence.

"Yes Harry, I'm here with my family," she said. "Are you also here to shop? This is very far from where you live. Did you know beforehand that we're coming here to shop?"

"Of course, not. We just met by chance," he said. "See, Liz, this meeting was arranged by fate."

She smacked. "Huh, fate, you say."

He smiled. "Yes, fate," he said. "Liz, please give me a chance to be with you. I promise that you won't regret it."

Liz looked him in the eye. "Harry, I'm going to tell you something, and please listen carefully."

"Go ahead. I'm listening."

"Harry, there will never be Liz plus Harry equals one," she said. "The sooner you wake up from your dream, the better it will be for you. It's impossible between us. There is someone I love and I can't leave him for you."

Harry's eyes went red with anger. "Why can't you choose me?" he asked. "I have been in love with you for all these years. Why is it so hard for you to look back and see me? Am I just air to you? Can't you see me? I love you so much. I'm capable of working even harder to give you the life you want. I will use the rest of my lifetime to make you happy if you give me a chance. I'm asking for just one chance, Liz. Is that too much to ask?"

"But love can't be forced," Liz said. "If I were to fall in love with you, I could have fallen for you long ago when I was still green in matters of the heart. The probability of me falling for you now is just zero. Please don't waste more time on me. Find someone who loves you and be happy."

"Harry, you're here," Liz's father said.

"Yes, Sir," Harry said, shaking hands with him.

Liz's father smiled. "Don't call me sir, you'll soon become a member of our family," he said. "Just call me dad."

"I will put that in mind, dad."

Liz's father nodded and gave him a pat on the back. "That's more like it."

Seeing that, Liz pushed the trolley past them and continued to look around. Her eyes burned with anger. "Damn you, Harry, I won't let you win," she said under her breath.

When they were through with shopping, Harry helped then load what they had bought in the boot.

When Harry bid them goodbye and left, Liz's dad smiled and said, "This kid is very nice. He would make a very good son-in-law."

Hearing that, Liz glared at her dad and got into the car.

***