THE FORGOTTEN HEIRESS-Chapter 234: We Are Practically On The Same Boat.
Lauren brooded upon Kathleen’s question. Was she being selfish?
"Whether you are being selfish or not, that answer lies with you," she finally said when she couldn’t arrive at an answer.
Kathleen ran a hand through her voluminous hair. "But I can’t get back with Shawn just because the children want us to. Each time I see him, I am reminded of how cruel he was to me then. It is not something I can just wipe away."
"No one is asking you to forget about it," Lauren said in an understanding tone.
"But the truth is that you are also suffering. The more you hold on to the past, the more you suffer and the harder it will be to find liberation."
"All these years, you’ve shut yourself off from any form of relationships. You are afraid you will get hurt like before."
"Thank goodness, there is someone that finally understands me," Kathleen said.
"I am your friend and understand you more than I understand myself. But my question is, for how long are you going to remain in the shadow of the past? Don’t you think it is time to move on?"
Kathleen threw Lauren a disbelieving look. "Is getting back with Shawn your idea of moving on?"
"You know Shawn is a good man, one of the best one can find and we both know you are still very much in love with him and that is why you have not been able to commit to any relationship all this while."
"I think you have misunderstood something my dear friend," Kathleen refuted. "The only reason I am still single is because I have not seen anyone who I can trust with my heart."
"How do you intend to trust anyone when you have refused to move on or didn’t even try."
Kathleen "How do you know I have not been trying?"
"You have been trying indeed," Lauren smirked. "Oh, you think I don’t know that so many handsome and talented guys have been pursuing you but you refused to give any of them a chance?"
Kathleen was rendered speechless. "Who has been feeding you with all this nonsense and when did you suddenly turn into a marriage counselor? How come you have not applied the same principle to get yourself a husband? As a matter of fact, your parents are getting impatient," Kathleen teased.
Lauren pointed a warning finger at Kathleen. "Don’t you dare change the topic, Kathleen. You are the one we are talking about here, not me," Lauren warned.
"Why would I change the topic? I was only pointing it out to you that we are practically on the same boat."
"Tsk! Speak for yourself young lady. I am not on the same boat with you," Lauren quickly corrected.
"As for me, once I find a handsome gentleman with a bright future that will sweep me off my feet, I will fall in love, unlike you that is tied up in the past," Lauren stayed with an air of superiority.
"As far as you are concerned, you’ve been comparing every man you meet with Shawn Hudson."
"No matter how you deceive yourself, he still remains the perfect man in your heart. It is just that you can’t get past his mistake in the past."
Kathleen wanted to deny Lauren’s claim, but before she could speak, Lauren raised her palms up, gesturing for Kathleen to keep quiet.
"We both know how he spoiled you silly and doted on you as if you had cast a spell on him then. Not even his parents were able to get him to leave you, even at the risk of losing Hudson Corporations, he still did not let you go." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞
"So you see, he had consciously or unconsciously set a high standard that no man has been able to surpass," Lauren analyzed and couldn’t help but pour another cup of coffee for herself which she drowned in one go.
"Hmmm," she released a deep breath. This seemed to be the longest speech she had ever given in her entire life, all because of her stubborn friend.
Her action was vaguely noticed by Kathleen who was lost in thought as soon as Lauren finished speaking.
Was what Lauren said really the way things are? Is it because she had been comparing every man to the way Shawn had treated her like a rare treasure that she found it hard to love again?
Now that she thought about it, it seems that that was exactly what she has been doing all these years.
"Of a truth, Shawn had been extremely good and kind to me from the first day we met, he had always stood by me through thick and thin, except for that one time."
She couldn’t help but remember their first meeting over seven years ago.
She had always loved her simple life working as an intern after grad school in the Beazell Group.
Her days were relatively peaceful and quiet when Linda was not around, of course, with little drama here and there but not enough to rock her life the way it did after her chance encounter with Shawn David Hudson.
Then she had no idea that he was the CEO and president of Hudson’s Corporations, the largest and fastest growing hospitality and real estate company in Baltimore.
Like every other day at work she had gone to her supervisor’s office to submit the weekly report on the health supplements she’s been researching.
She had just finished her report and was waiting for his comment when a distinct knock sounded on the door.
After a curt "come in" from her supervisor, Dr Carl Graham, the door opened and in, strode a tall, suave, breathtakingly handsome man. He was like a Greek god that just stepped out of a painting.
The room seemed to have been compressed into a cubicle by his intimidating yet dignified aura. His overall appearance simply yelled wealth and nobility, and she couldn’t take her eyes off him.
