Chapter 7: Wednesday Night

That night, Neal was waiting for the much anticipated business offer. He was so sure he'd get it. He's imagining he'd then tell Candy how much he loved her, request to be her date, hug her, and of course kiss her! He was planning the sequence of the ceremony excitedly. He memorized his lines, got them practiced dozens of times until he got completely fluent. He was so ready to show his love to her, a bit nervous perhaps but, boy, was he excited!

And so he waited... 5 o'clock, 6 o'clock, 7 o'clock... The clock kept ticking, but the man carrying the business offer didn't show up. The night grew later, but yet, the man still didn't show up. He got so restless which gradually changed to a disappointment. He was so confident that he'd get the business deal, he had put all his entire existence in it. It's such an unthinkable horror that he missed it. He became so down and distressed.

In the middle of his misery, Candy came.

"Terry will propose to me tomorrow night. What do you think?" asked Candy. She showed him the mind bulging diamond ring in her finger without realizing the impact on the restless young man's heart.

The disappointment from not getting the business opportunity and seeing such a big sparkling diamond ring crushed his heart into pieces.

What am I thinking to date her? Forget about buying her any ring, I don't think I caneven provide food decent enough for Sir William's daughter.

He was disappointed that his talk didn't produce a result. Without any business improvement, even if he worked for two hundred years, there's no way he could afford to buy that diamond ring. It slapped him that he wasn't as good as what he believed he was. The potential remained a potential, it didn't crystallize to success. Neal got so discouraged, became awfully pessimistic and down. Suddenly he remembered what happened to his mother Martha that night when his father Aaron told her in tears that "love couldn't pay rent" *. What if that happened to Candy?, thought Neal in fear.

He felt he would be too selfish to let Candy stay and to drag her to live the hard way like him. The longer they're together, the more painful it'd be to be apart. He decided to end it all now.

With a fake happy smile he responded, "I should say, I am happy for you."

"Are you really happy that I am getting engaged?" confirmed Candy hoping that she misheard it. She was hoping that he'd oppose her engagement to Terry, or at least showed some disappointment. On the contrary, his face looked fine and happy as though nothing happened. Her heart stopped beating for a few seconds terribly disappointed with him.

Neal did the hardest thing he ever did in his life. He looked her in the eyes and lied to her. He said, "Yes. I'm very happy that you are engaged." He even stressed the word "very".

Candy was blown away with sadness. Awkward silence fell between the two, neither knew what to say next.

Finally Candy said, "Well, have a good night. I'll see you next week."

"We shouldn't," said Neal. "You will be an upper class wife soon, Candy. You should busy yourself with a more appropriate activity and circle of friends."

Candy was beaten with his answer and attitude. His answer seemed so heartless and merciless to her, she didn't know that actually deep inside his heart was crushed to a million pieces.

"But Neal, I enjoy your company...," she said.

"I have the best time in my life with you too. But, you are Sir William's daughter. You will be Duchess Grandchester soon," said Neal trying to sound as normal as possible.

Then, he added to himself, On the contrary, my future is uncertain. I am good for nothing. I can't even win the woman I love. He cried in his heart.

Candy was about to tell him how much she loved him and wanted to be with him. But seeing his casualness changed her mood from disappointment to anger. She suddenly remembered his many neighbors' daughters friends. She remembered his hesitation to kiss her this afternoon when they were dancing +. She was so sure it's because of those girls. He must have been in love with one of them and was actually glad that she'd leave him. She was so furious. Her pride stopped her from telling him the truth about her love. Coldly, she wished him a good bye. She left abruptly without even turning back.

Neal bowed politely. He avoided his eyes from looking into hers, fearing his would betray him and showed what he actually felt inside. He didn't want to hug her either because he knew once he had her in his arms, he wouldn't want to let her go. His heart broke into pieces seeing her leave. He regretted so much he didn't took the advantage he had in his own world to be good to her. He's not as smart as his cousins who saw her much quicker than him. All the times he spent fighting with her was just so absurd.

Candy went home with heart bleeding by loneliness and desertion. She never liked being lonely and now she felt so alone that Neal was gone. Mixed of rage and disappointment started to fume in her blood. Neal didn't seem to bother that she'd marry another man, what a sharp contrast to Terry who's begging for her love. The image of caring and loving Terry gradually appeared to her brain. She got disgusted by Neal. The image of Neal and his neighbors' daughters reappeared, a wave of suspicion started to crawl into her mind. An explosion of anger exploded in her torn heart, it flowed trough all her senses fueling strong hatred trough all her veins.

He must be rejoicing now that I am gone, she thought with bitterness. She's imagining him having fun with his many girls that night. The more she thought about it the more furious she became.

Then came the thought of Terry who proposed to her. It calmed her like cool breeze in the hot summer day. Unlike Neal, this man was willing to marry her. Without wasting anymore time, she decided to accept Terry's proposal. She'd show Neal that she could live just fine without him. She'd show him how happy her life would be with the man who loved her, Terry. She didn't need a Neal to be happy, she's much too precious to beg for his love. She's so mad at Neal and determined not to even think or meet him anymore in her life. Almost exploded with anger, Candy went to Sir William and told him she'd accept Terry's proposal. Everything was set for the tomorrow's formal proposal ceremony between the two families.

Candy was excited. She couldn't wait to show Neal that he belonged to the past and the future was for her and beloved Terry. Hurriedly, she told her closest girlfriends about her engagement ceremony. That night, together they helped her preparing for the gown and other accessories for tomorrow night. They were laughing, giggling, and did other girls fun stuff for the rest of the night. She was really happy.

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On the contrary to what Candy thought, that night Neal was not celebrating at all. He felt so miserable and unlucky both in business and love. In the past, he didn't care much about success or achievement, but ever since actively working, he wanted to succeed and grab a piece of sky too. The blow was exceptionally excruciating now that he felt he's too incompetent to marry Candy. He tried all his strength to look normal to his parents so not to worry them. After dinner, he couldn't hold his pretension any longer. He excused himself from them and went back to the store trying to get busy to forget Candy.

Neal cleaned the storage to sort out old books to keep him busy when accidentally he stumbled on a book about time travel.

Time travel? What a surprise!

He perused the time travel book eagerly until finished at dawn.

There's a way to go back to the future! How exciting!

However, the excitement lasted merely a few seconds before he sunk again into depression thinking about Candy. Candy would get engaged. Nothing mattered anymore whenever he lived. Disinterestedly, he tossed the book and went to work. He felt lucky that he had his work to distract him from thinking about Candy. Dully, he started his daily routine.

As the evening drew closer, nothing could distract him from thinking about Candy. His heart hurt thinking she was in the engagement ceremony, being kissed by another man and be in that man's arms. It drove him crazy that he probably wouldn't be able to meet her anymore either. Finally, he just broke down. His work which he had begun to love and became the source of his life finally failed him to forget his sadness of losing Candy. He was about to cry when he heard someone knocking at the door.

"Mr. Leagan?"

"It's me," said Neal.

"I am delivering our master's agreement to use your business services in his mansion. I wanted to come yesterday but our carriage broke. Sorry that I came late."

Yes! Shouted Neal to himself.

Neal was very happy. They signed the contract and the work time scheduling. For the first time in his life, his self confidence soared. He believed that the sky was the limit to his future success. He was confident of the future and trusted he could do much bigger than what he had achieved. He understood the strategy to success and was ready to join bigger games in the business world.

He should be happy and celebrating but instead he broke down and cried. Candy had left. He regretted that he was over pessimistic yesterday to stop her from getting engaged to Terry. He remembered that night when his mother Martha told his father Aaron tearfully that what important was their love regardless of anything else. Even at the worst hour, her mother Martha felt blessed to have Aaron as her husband *. Even if he hadn't gotten this business opportunity he could have tried something else but the last thing he should do was to let Candy go. But it's too late, the ship had sailed, the opportunity was gone and she's gone.

-TO BE CONTINUED-

Thank you for reading.

NOTE:

* See chapter 2.

+ See chapter 6.