Bitter & Sweet
The Part 78
"You just surprised me!" chloe said, ketus, while wiping his chest, when he realized that Harold had been standing nearby.
"We're done cleaning everything up" Harold said, looking down at the open fridge. "What else can I do to help you?"
"Hmmm...." Chloe muttered, standing up straight and closing the fridge door, then looking around.
Standing in a separate place, Matteo and David looked at Chloe who was standing next to Harold.
"The season is still partly unprepared" said Chloe, staring at the spices and other complementary condiments, which were still lying on the table. "Maybe you can help me with that!"
"Okay!" harold said, still looking excited, and hurriedly approached the kitchen table.
Moments later, as if no one else was there, Chloe continued her work with all the preparations for lunch, alone with Harold.
To and fro, whatever and wherever Chloe stood and moved, only Harold followed Chloe's movements and helped with all her work.
Meanwhile, Matteo and David were sitting there, not much to say and looked only at the activities of Chloe and Harold.
In fact, if Chloe is not mistaken, it's as if Matteo and David would rather observe what Chloe and Harold are doing, not a single conversation took place between the two men.
However, Chloe did not pay much attention to it, let alone to the point of thinking about it lingering, and just concentrated on preparing for their lunch alone.
Until finally, the food menu is ripe, and the four of them then have lunch together.
Chloe sat next to Harold, and faced Matteo and David who were sitting next to each other.
Both Matteo and David looked like curious people, when they saw Harold pick up some shrimp, and put it in Chloe's plate.
And apparently, Harold noticed Matteo and David's gazes being directed at him, so looking back at the two men, Harold then said, saying,
"You don't mind, do you?! ... Chloe just likes shrimp. And just think of it as a reward for his hard work, which has already cooked for us."
"Harald...! Don't say it like that...!" chloe said, hastily chiming in. "It's too much too. Not necessarily I spent it, even though I liked it."
"Don't leave it!" While raising his eyes to see Chloe beside him, Harold looked pushy. "You seem to have lost a lot of weight."
Meanwhile, Matteo seemed to maintain a flat expression on his face, without showing any reaction, and David smiled as he said to Harold.
"Can I be envious? ... You know a lot about Chloe. I want to, too, so I can be like you."
Harold did not immediately respond to David's words, and instead enjoyed his lunch with the others, for some time.
To the extent that, what David said, was almost forgotten by all of them there.
"Hm ... It's not fun if you know him too well. Chloe has a lot of bad habits, which will only upset you" Harold said, then turned to Chloe.
"One of them is his habit of drinking coffee. Moreover, when he had already concentrated on his task or activities, he must have forgotten to eat....
... Until in the end, he fell ill several times because of it, then only troubled his comrades." Harold looked at Chloe from top to bottom. "And I think that habit still continues today."
"Chelle! ... Work is a must, but regular eating for your health is a duty!" harold continued, reminding.
"So do you think Chloe's job is too much?" The question pitched cynically, then thrown by Matteo, after a while ago he just fell silent.
"Hm ... I might!" Harold responded to Matteo's question, then continued saying,
"Matthew may be giving Chloe too much responsibility. While she doesn't know, if Chloe has a habit of focusing on her responsibilities, she can forget the need for herself."
"Your words are not wrong." David chimed in on Harold's words, until all eyes looked at him.
"Not so long ago, Chloe fell unconscious until I took her to the hospital. And guess the reason!" david said, then looked at Chloe for a moment. "Chloe's exhausted...."
"Sir...! Don't blame Mister Matthew...!" chloe recalled what happened to Matthew at the time.
"It's not Mister Matthew's fault, if I'm exhausted ... I'm the one who should be able to manage time, between work and taking care of myself."
"What are you still defending him for?" david asked Chloe, furrowing his brows deeply.
"I—" Chloe did not have time to finish her sentence, because Harold interrupted by saying,
"Even though he's older than me, but I think Matthew still needs to learn more to be a leader....
...In a way, Matthew should know and pay attention to the needs of his employees. And not just thinking about himself....
... Because even though only as a subordinate, the employee is still a human being. Robots can still be damaged if they work excessively."
"Harld! ... I—" Again, Chloe can't finish her sentence. Because this time, Matteo interrupted him by asking questions that seemed directed to Harold.
"What do you think of Matthew?"
"He's so stupid." Harold sounded confident while answering Matteo's question, then hurriedly continued saying,
"Do you guys know? Chloe really likes someone who is competent in doing his job, regardless of what type or field of work is experienced by that person....
...In addition to having Chloe as one of his employees with integrity, Matthew may also be able to make Chloe fall in love with him....
... Less what else? Wouldn't it be foolishness, if he couldn't treat Chloe well to keep her? In fact, what I heard was Chloe was going to move to another company—"
Without being able to hold herself back again, Chloe immediately interjected to stop Harold's words, saying,
"Harld! ... Why are you saying that? Didn't I tell you? I want to try a new experience."
"Chelle! ... I just answered Matteo's question, " said Harold looking not to lose.
"Even though Matthew was his brother, he wanted to hear my opinion of Matthew. Is there something wrong with my words?" harold continued, firmly.
Chloe fell silent at once, and so did David and Matteo who seemed to lock their mouths tightly, for a while.
However, maybe because Chloe scolded him earlier, so Harold now actually looks upset, and does not seem satisfied to argue.
"I didn't lie, or just wanted to vilify Matthew. Because as I know very well how you are, I'm just talking as you are....
...You think I can't tell your lies? You reason that you want to try a new experience, but I'm sure that's not the real reason....
... Because I know that you're 'allergic' with someone with a much higher social status than you. Especially now that she has a lover, so you want to avoid her."
Harold who spoke at length and as if he was mocking, while staring at Chloe fixedly, only made Chloe feel disturbed.
So that the inflamed Chloe, immediately denied Harold by saying,
"You don't be so pretentious! ... What makes you so sure of your statement? Do you think because we're old friends, then you know everything about me?"
As if there was no one else there, Harold looked inflamed as well. And apparently, she won't hesitate to argue with Chloe.
"Well?! ... The length of our friendship, has given me more than enough time, to know how you are" said Harold in a cynical tone of voice.
"Even if you actually like what you learn, and the values you get are also good, but if not for the support of your friends, you almost quit college....
... Just because one of the unsympathetic lecturers scolds you often, and often underestimates your family's financial ability."
Harold seemed to want to remind, what happened when they were at university.
"That time, you fell in love with Bernard, and had a secret date with him, right?" harold continued, staring fixedly at Chloe.
"I'm not—" Before Chloe could finish her sentence, Harold interrupted by saying,
"You better not dodge ... I know, even if you try to hide it closely....
... I also know that that bastard's man betrayed you, and can proudly show off Louisa who is his fiancee."
At this moment, Chloe was feeling very upset and wanted to argue with Harold as much as she could.
However, because the words of Chloe's male friend are true, so Chloe can only be silent, and try to regulate her breath, in order to calm herself.
"You should have run him over, but you blame his social status. You idiot!" harold said, ketus.
"You!—" Chloe who spoke in a defiant tone of voice, was immediately interrupted by Harold who spoke in a scornful tone of voice.
"You haughtily make the presumption that all people with successful and precious family backgrounds are people who behave badly....
...Just to make friends, not necessarily you want, if you get to know my family status. Is it a mistake to be born into a conglomerate? How now?...
...You already know that I am also from the upper class. Are you also 'allergic' to me? Don't you think about how I would feel if I wasn't your friend?...
...What if someone who is upper class, who may not even know each other, but has gotten a bad guess from you?...
... Aren't you the one who's the asshole? You are the dumbest person, to the point of not being able to realize that!"
Harold's long words and questions, made Chloe feel as if her face had just been slapped so hard.
Chloe did not know what to say to defend herself, so she could only be silent, until Harold continued to say,
"If Matteo or David were to say love to you, even though they may mean it, and you feel the same way, but would you take it for granted?
...I'm sure your answer is no. You will definitely make your own opinion as you like, that they just want to play with your feelings....
... You will not try to consider all possibilities. Impossible, if you want to fight for that love. That's right, isn't it?"
Harold's next words, it seems quite surprising to Matteo and David, who had just been silent listening to the debate between Harold and Chloe.
Because from the end of her eyes, Chloe could see that the look on the faces of Matteo and David seemed to change drastically.
Both Matteo and David both looked wide-eyed, and immediately furrowed their brows deeply, while staring fixedly at Harold.
Meanwhile, Harold looked like he still wanted to challenge Chloe, saying, Harold,
"That's just a small part of the example! ... Are you still going to dodge, as if I don't know enough about your nature?"
Something flashed through Chloe's mind, but she did not immediately reveal it, and instead swallowed a few sips of water, to calm herself down.
"You don't know my nature. You just make the assumption as if it were true," said Chloe, in a cynical tone of voice.
"What do you mean?" harold asked, with his brows furrowing deeply.
"You only hear from Mister David or Mister Matteo, if I refuse their request to date me....
... Then you make a presumption, as if you know what's on my mind. Are you satisfied trying to make me look stupid? Basic b*jerk!" chloe, ketus.
Harold. "Well?!"
For a while later, Harold's pair of eyeballs seemed to be moving wildly, and it was as if he was about to laugh mockingly at Chloe, while shaking his head.
"Basic fool! ... Haha! ... You are the dumbest person I have ever met! ... Ahaha!" Finally while talking, Harold laughed out loud at Chloe.
So Chloe looked at Harold closely, with a feeling of resentment and wonder, because she did not understand what Harold was thinking.
"You hear?" harold asked, after he had looked satisfied laughing, while looking at David and Matteo alternately. "Do I not know him enough? ... Do you think I don't know his nature?"
After a while David and Matteo were silent, David said,
"Chelle! ... Ii'm sorry. It's not that I don't want to defend you, but I think this time you have to admit, that Harold really knows you well....
... Because even though I talked to him about you, but I never told Harold that I wanted you to be my girlfriend...."
This time, Chloe's wide-eyed.
Although feeling guilty for making a no-no guess to Harold, Chloe was embarrassed to apologize to her boyfriend immediately, and just lowered her head.
"Now! ... Well then, I think you can be trusted, indeed" chirped Matteo, who appeared to be addressed to Harold.
"Then, if only, he had actually fallen in love with one of us, how could we have known?" matteo continued, looking curious.
And as if Chloe wasn't there, Matteo continued to ask Harold. "What can you do to make her jealous?"
"No ... If you pretend to be close to another woman, she will increasingly refuse to consider your whereabouts" replied Harold, sounding convinced.