She Bet on Love, I Married Another

Chapter 7: Weird feeling

Julie

For the umpteenth time this morning, I glanced back in search of Alex.

I knew he was obsessed with me, but letting him come with me on this trip would have been an even bigger mistake.

Yet, I couldn’t help feeling like I might have been too harsh.

John was right, after all, when he said Alex simply loved me too much. 

But I still couldn’t believe he could be so jealous, and after the tantrums he threw yesterday and again this morning, I knew I had made the right decision.

Alex is just too jealous and it can be frustrating most times. He always wanted to compete with John even after explaining to him on several occasions that John wasn’t like that to me.

“Julie,” John called suddenly, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I looked up at him as he glanced at his wristwatch before looking at me again.

By now, several people were already moving toward the boarding gate.

“Is it time?”

John nodded once, though his expression was quite readable. He looked annoyed.

“It’s boarding time, all right, but the staff announced a delay to allow the first-class and business-class guests to board first,” he explained.

I sank back into my seat with a sigh. “They don’t care about those of us who have been here for a while.”

“Honestly!” John agreed quickly. “I even heard the VIP lounge was fully booked by one of them. They get to enjoy all the amenities while the only thing we get to do is sit here and wait.”

He muttered the last part angrily.

I reached out and grabbed his hand, using it to help myself to my feet again.

My gaze wandered toward the people gathered around the boarding area just as a figure walked toward the priority lane.

From the clothing, I could tell it was a woman.

And judging by the way she was being ushered through, she was definitely a VIP passenger.

I turned to John. “Maybe we’ll be able to afford business-class tickets in the future too.”

John looked at me, a little flushed.

“Of course!” he agreed. “I merely wanted us to remain humble. But all these first-class passengers are just so good at flaunting their money!”

I nodded slightly, agreeing with him.

John had planned this entire trip, and it was supposed to last a month. If he wanted to, he could have booked us first class.

So it wasn’t that he didn’t have the money, this was just one of those experiences.

I turned toward the boarding gate again but I froze instantly.

A man in a black leather jacket had just walked past. The jacket looked exactly like the one Alex had been wearing earlier.

But it wasn’t just the clothes, his back had the same shape too.

That slightly curved posture that came from years of working out at the gym.

My heart skipped. Was that Alex?

I quickly tapped John on the arm.

“I think I just saw Alex.”

“Where?” He looked around. “I’m not seeing him.”

I turned toward the boarding gate again but the man was gone. It was as though he had never been there.

At that exact moment, the general passengers were being allowed through.

Could he have walked faster and somehow gotten into the priority lane?

I hesitated.

“I saw him,” I insisted. “The man was wearing the exact same clothes he had on earlier.”

John suddenly burst into laughter.

It was as though I had just told him the funniest joke in the world.

“How is that even possible?” he asked between laughs. “Alex? A first-class or business-class guest?”

I fell silent immediately. He had a point.

It was impossible.

I had known Alex for years.

And even though he was a hardworking man, there was no way he could afford a first-class or even a business-class ticket.

Alex had always tried to take me to restaurants or other places around the city, but never anywhere outside it.

The only person who had ever taken me on trips outside the country was John.

So, if I had to compare the two of them, I could confidently say John was wealthier.

“But I did see someone who looked exactly like him,” I protested softly, trying to decide whether I had imagined it or genuinely seen someone who resembled Alex.

Oh, why would I even hallucinate?

Maybe it was possible. I had been feeling a little guilty earlier for sending him away like that.

But the Alex I knew would have gone straight home and waited for me because he loves me too much to go against my orders.

That was what he had always done even after I intentionally kept him waiting for hours at the city mall.

Even after I deliberately postponed our wedding registration.

He always waited.

I knew how much marrying me meant to him.

He loved me so much that he couldn’t live without me. 

“The rich man probably just happened to be wearing the same clothes,” John said dismissively. “Well, more expensive versions, unlike the knockoffs Alex buys.”

My brows immediately furrowed. 

“Stop that!” I turned sharply toward him. “He’s my fiancé. You will not talk about him like that.”

John’s expression changed immediately, regret replacing his amusement.

“I’m sorry, Julie,” he said quickly. “I just think he should know better now that he wants to marry you.”

I said nothing.

Seeing how remorseful he looked, I let it go.

John was always understanding. He understood my position.

Unlike Alex, who was always inconsiderate and only seemed to know how to be jealous.

But even at that, the image couldn’t leave my mind. Besides, everything has been quiet unlike before. 

Alex would have sent me a goodbye text if it was before. But the sudden quietness is eating me out.

Maybe I was really too harsh on him earlier. Well, to make it up to him, I’d better register our marriage the moment I get back.

“Besides,” John added after a moment, “I heard the guest who rented the VIP lounge is a celebrity.”

I nodded slowly.

I remembered the woman I had seen earlier, the one who had walked down the priority lane.

That must have been the celebrity.

So, my eyes must have played a trick on me.

There was no way that had been Alex.

But then, I couldn’t help feeling uneasy like something important was leaving me. The feeling makes me sick to my stomach.