12. Second Meeting

"Jerk!" Elina clenched her fists as she saw Andy, the guy who had hurt her friend's heart, sitting in a café not far from where she was. The sight of him instantly fueled her anger, and she felt a deep frustration. Especially since he wasn't alone; he was sitting with his new girlfriend, looking so happy.

Elina couldn't fathom how he could be so happy while Ivana was still struggling with the pain of their breakup. Seeing them together only intensified Elina's irritation. She couldn't stay silent. With determined steps, she decided to approach the café where Andy was with his new girlfriend. In her heart, Elina was determined to teach him a lesson for hurting Ivana. She knew this was the right time to give Andy a piece of her mind.

Andy seemed oblivious to Elina's presence, engrossed in conversation with his new girlfriend while enjoying their coffee. Before Elina could reach their table, his girlfriend excused herself to go to the restroom, leaving Andy alone. Seeing this gave Elina a sense of freedom to confront him. She approached the table where Andy was sitting. However, her steps were immediately halted when she overheard him suddenly standing up and talking on the phone. From what Elina could hear, Andy was talking intimately with another woman, addressing her with affectionate terms that only fueled Elina's anger even more.

The woman approached and swiftly grabbed Andy's phone, causing it to fall to the floor. Andy, startled, turned to look at Elina. He was on the verge of getting angry, but his voice was abruptly caught in his throat as he found Elina staring at him with a sharp gaze.

"Andy," Elina called, her voice filled with frustration.

"Elina? How are you?" he responded with a slightly surprised tone. Andy looked at Elina in astonishment, his face suddenly doing a complete 180-degree turn.

"Listen, Andy, I know everything you've done to Ivana," Elina said without hesitation. Andy tried to smile.

"Elina, it's a personal matter between Ivana and me. Let us handle it."

"I won't let you off the hook so easily. What were you thinking, jumping into a new relationship so quickly after hurting Ivana? And who was I calling? Is that another one of your affairs too?"

"Life goes on, Elina. I'm just seeking happiness," Andy replied casually. He picked up his fallen phone and cleaned it. Elina sighed deeply, her face showing frustration.

"How can you be so indifferent? Ivana is my friend, and seeing you with your new lover makes me furious. I think you need to be taught a lesson," Elina said firmly. Instead of listening, Andy chuckled at her recent statement.

"What are you going to do, then?"

Slap!

Andy's words were abruptly cut off as Elina's hand landed smoothly on his cheek. Andy flinched in surprise. For a moment, he fell silent, trying to process what had just happened. "I warn you! If you dare hurt my friend again, I'll make sure you get a fitting payback!"

Andy glared at Elina with an angry expression. His fists clenched tightly, ready to retaliate, and his eyes filled with frustration.

"What are you doing?" Andy exclaimed with a high-pitched tone, trying to contain his anger. Emotionally charged, Elina didn't give Andy a chance to defend himself. With determination, she scolded him with full force. The café became a silent witness to their unexpected confrontation. Café visitors were startled to hear her words, and they instantly became the center of attention.

"You don't deserve happiness if you continue to hurt other people's feelings. I hope Ivana finds someone far better than you." Andy fell silent, looking bewildered as those words escaped Elina's mouth, while Elina continued to stare at him intensely.

"What's going on here?" Andy's new girlfriend asked in surprise. She had just returned from the restroom, her face filled with confusion upon seeing the unfolding situation.

"Nothing happened here. It's just a small misunderstanding," Andy said, trying to cover everything up. The woman then shifted her attention to Elina, scrutinizing her.

"Who is this woman?"

"Listen, miss! I'm telling you, it's better for you to leave this jerk because I just overheard him talking to another woman while you were away!" Elina asserted with a serious expression. Andy, hearing this, tried to remain calm.

"Who do you think you are? Why are you suddenly saying that?" Andy questioned.

"I came here just to warn you before it's too late. If you continue to be with him, you'll regret it in the end!" When Andy's new girlfriend returned from the restroom, Elina decided to end their conversation and left. She couldn't stand being stuck in this place any longer, watching Andy with that woman. Elina left the café with determined steps. After freeing herself from the unpleasant encounter, Elina reflected. A mix of anger and disappointment churned within her.

She felt relieved to have given Andy the lesson he deserved but also sympathized with Ivana, who was hurt in this unfair romantic drama. Elina was determined to provide more support to Ivana and promised not to let a guy like Andy hurt her friend's heart again. The café incident became a turning point that made her more certain that destiny could change and that she had the power to shape it according to her desires.

*

Elina continued walking, contemplating the recent events. She still couldn't imagine how devastated Ivana would be if she witnessed what happened. I did the right thing. This way, at least I can feel relieved for standing up to Andy. Although, it's not enough, why did I only slap him once earlier? If I had slapped him two or three times, I would have truly felt satisfied.

A gentle breeze brushed against her, but her thoughts remained fixated on something disturbing her peace. Her forehead furrowed, and her eyes seemed to lose focus, causing her steps to become more erratic. Elina walked on, unaware that she was already at the roadside, ready to cross. Distracted, she didn't glance left and right as she attempted to cross. Elina almost had an accident due to being too engrossed in her thoughts. A speeding car nearly collided with her. However, luck was on Elina's side. Someone pulled her just in time to prevent her from getting into an accident.

Elina jolted in surprise as someone suddenly grabbed her hand. Due to her swift movement, her body collided with the man who had just helped her, causing Elina to fall right into his arms. She snapped out of her reverie and looked up at the man who had just assisted her. Her body froze instantly as she saw the handsome figure with a warm smile standing there, holding her as if he were a hero, emerging from the corner of the street.

Elina's eyes widened as she realized who had helped her. The man was Dariel, the same person who had assisted her when she fainted at the hospital last night.

"Elina?" Dariel brought her back to awareness. Elina quickly adjusted her position, standing upright. Dariel looked at Elina with surprise. He truly didn't expect to meet her again. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Thank you, I was really not paying attention earlier." Elina looked at Dariel with gratitude.

"It's okay. You should pay more attention, especially on the road; you could have had an accident." Dariel smiled gently. Somehow, his words made Elina blush.

"This won't happen again. I'll be more focused and careful next time."

"Of course, if not, you might get hurt because of your own actions."

"Haha, you're right." Elina chuckled, finding it amusing to think she could get hurt due to her own actions. Dariel just smiled in response to her statement. Shortly after, Elina suddenly fell silent, observing Dariel, the man who had just saved her, now standing in a polished police uniform. Her gaze was intense, leaving Dariel astonished. Elina had just noticed his attire.

"Is everything okay? Why are you looking at me like that?" Dariel asked, puzzled by Elina's gaze. Dariel's appearance in the police uniform had truly captivated Elina. He looked incredibly handsome in his uniform.

"I-I'm just surprised to see you in a police uniform. I had no idea you were a police officer."

"Oh! That's why you were staring at me like that. Yes, I am a police officer." Dariel chuckled softly.

"No wonder you were so quick to help. You've even helped me twice."

"Haha, it's just a coincidence, and maybe I helped you because of my instincts."

"No wonder, you're a police officer. You must have a sharp instinct to assist people in need around you, right?"

"Yeah, that's right. By the way, what made you so distracted that you didn't notice your surroundings?"

"It's nothing, just personal issues."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"If you have personal issues, you should talk to someone close to you. Share your problems with others, don't hesitate to talk. That way, you won't bear the burden of your problems alone. Trust me, if you open up, you'll feel better." Dariel smiled warmly.

Elina nodded, agreeing with Dariel's words. A slow smile returned to her face. For some reason, Elina felt that this evening would be one of the most memorable of her life. Once again, Elina fell silent while looking at Dariel. As she gazed at him, Elina pondered, "For some reason, I feel a different kind of comfort when I meet Dariel since our first encounter... What kind of feeling is this, and why do I feel this way towards Dariel?"

***