Bittersweet Obsession

Aaron cleared his throat and took a deep breath, his expression becoming more serious. He glanced around the cafe briefly before returning his attention to Tamara, as if ensuring their conversation remained private. "I don't know if Henry ever mentioned this, but there's something important you should know about him," Aaron began with a calm but slightly sad voice. He leaned in and lowered his voice as he shared the secret with her. "I hate to tell you this, but Henry... he was actually engaged to someone else."

Her eyes widened in shock. "Engaged? But he never mentioned that to me."

Aaron nodded sympathetically. "That's because his father, Judson, arranged it. You see, Judson insisted Henry marry the daughter of a wealthy family in the city. He never approved of Henry's relationship with you because of the gap in social class."

Tamara listened in stunned silence as he revealed this secret about Henry. Her mind raced as she processed the information. It was a lot to take in. She had never known about the arranged engagement, and it explained so much about why Henry had kept their relationship hidden.

She felt a wave of emotions wash over her, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of betrayal. Tears welled up in her eyes as she absorbed his words. She blinked them back and whispered, "Henry... he never told me. I wish he had, though. I wish I had known everything about him. I had no idea... How could he keep something like this from me?"

Aaron sighed, understanding the complexity of the situation. "I think he wanted to protect you from all the complications and conflicts it would bring. But he loved you deeply, Tamara. That much was clear."

Tamara looked down at her hands, her voice trembling slightly. "No, I don't think so. It's hard for me to believe that he loved me that much when he kept something so significant from me. Maybe he thought he was protecting me, but not knowing the truth hurts just as much."

"You know, sometimes love can be complicated, and people make choices they believe are for the best, even if they hurt in the end."

"Complicated is an understatement. I thought we had something real, something genuine. But now, it feels like our entire relationship was built on lies and secrets," she replied bitterly. "Now it all makes sense why he never wanted to introduce me to his parents and kept our relationship hidden."

Aaron nodded solemnly, understanding her feelings. "I can only imagine how hard this must be for you, Tamara. Henry may have made mistakes, but he was a good person at heart. Let's remember the good times and the love you shared. May his soul rest in peace."

She nodded in agreement with his words. "Yeah, we did share some beautiful moments, and I'll cherish those memories."

After a brief pause, Aaron fixed his gaze on her and broached another topic. He cleared his throat and said, "Tamara, there's something else I wanted to share with you."

"What is it? You've already surprised me with the information about Henry, so go ahead, I'm listening. You know, I can handle another secret."

Aaron took a deep breath, his gaze distant as he recalled the moment. "Before the accident, Henry had been planning something special. He wanted to propose to you, Tamara. He had bought the ring and everything. He was going to do it on your eighteenth birthday," he revealed with a somber tone.Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.

She furrowed her brows. "What do you mean? I don't understand. You said he was engaged to someone else?"

Aaron nodded with sympathy. "Yes, that's true. It's a complicated situation. Henry was under a lot of pressure from his family, especially since his father, Judson, had set up the marriage without asking him first. He didn't want to go through with it, but he felt trapped. That's why he wanted to propose to you, to make a stand for your love. But fate had other plans."

After a brief pause, he continued, "The moment before the accident was very intense. There was a huge fight. Henry confronted his father about the engagement and refused to go through with it. They argued for hours, and it got really intense. Henry was determined to choose you, but his father threatened to disown him if he didn't follow the family's wishes. It was a heartbreaking situation."

"I had no idea... Why didn't Henry tell me any of this? Why did he keep it all to himself?"

"Henry was having a hard time with his father's expectations and the engagement, but he just couldn't stand the thought of losing you. He was going to pick you up on your birthday, right after their big fight. He was driving like a crazy man, set on making things right between you two and revealing everything."

He added, "He had a gift for you and a heartfelt apology. He was ready to face the consequences and tell his father about his relationship with you. But fate had other plans, and that accident... it happened before he could reach you." Her curiosity got the better of her, and she asked, "When did Henry tell you all of this?"

"It was right before the accident that he called me. He was determined to tell you everything, to make things right between you and his father."

Her eyes welled up with tears as she listened to his words. She whispered, "He was willing to fight for us... even against his own family." "Yes, Tamara. He loved you that much, but fate had other plans."

"I had no idea he was carrying such a burden for our relationship. Thank you for sharing this with me, Aaron. It means a lot to me."

"Yeah. It's important for you to know the truth. Now, what are your plans for the future, considering everything you've learned today?"

Tamara took a deep breath before replying, "I need some time to process all of this. Henry's memory will always hold a special place in my heart, but I also have to focus on taking care of my mother and moving forward with my life. I'll figure out my next steps."

Aaron nodded in understanding. "Take all the time you need. Henry valued your happiness above all else, and I'm sure he'd want to see you live a fulfilling life."

He paused for a moment, looking sad. "There's something else, Tamara. Long before the accident, Henry left a message. He told me to make sure you received it if anything ever happened to him."

Her eyes widened in surprise as she asked, "What do you mean?"

"It was like a premonition. He left me a message, asking me to take care of you if something ever happened to him in the future."

Tamara remained silent, her thoughts swirling like a storm.

The revelation about Henry's message weighed heavy on her heart. She couldn't help but wonder what Henry had foreseen that led him to leave such a message with Aaron. It was a revelation that added another layer of complexity to her feelings about their relationship.

"I... I had no idea. Henry never mentioned anything like this to me. It's both heartbreaking and comforting to know that he cared so deeply about us."

"He was a complicated person, and he had his reasons for keeping certain things hidden. But I wanted you to know the truth. He loved you very much."

With those words, he reached into his bag and pulled out a small, elegant red velvet box. He extended it towards her. "Tamara, this is something that Henry might want you to have."

Tamara rolled her eyes and asked in curiosity, "Alright, what's inside the box, Aaron? Don't tell me it's a ring."

"You guessed it right. It is a ring. I think Henry wanted you to have it."

Tamara furrowed her brows, puzzled. "I'm a bit confused. If Henry had the ring with him at the time of the accident, how did you end up with it on your hand?"

"You're right, he had the ring with him at the time of the accident. After everything happened, I went to the hospital to see him, but unfortunately, it was already too late. However, as his father instructed me, I was able to collect his personal belongings from the scene."

Her eyes welled up with tears again as she received the box from Aaron. She carefully opened it, revealing the diamond ring inside. It was a beautiful piece of expensive jewelry, and the sight of it brought a mix of emotions rushing over her. She whispered softly, "Thanks again, Aaron. It means a lot to me that you kept this for me. It's a precious memory of Henry, and I'll cherish it always."

"My pleasure. Henry cared about you deeply, and I'm sure he'd want you to be happy."

With that, Aaron bid her farewell and left the cafe, leaving Tamara with the precious ring and a heart full of memories and emotions.

Little did she know, but a stranger was watching their talk from a distance.