The Counselor » gxg [UNEDITED]

19.

Author's Note:

This chapter is quite different. It focused on Maurice's best friend and the mighty wingwoman, Aspen Zuleta. This character contributed a lot for Maurice's awakening, so I thought that she deserved some spotlight for everything that she has done.

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Back in the venue...

3rd Person's POV (Narrator)

"You completely knew what Maurice was up to! You probably even knew about when she was just starting to lose her way. But then, you tolerated her. I thought that we can trust you, Aspen!" Lorenzo bawled at Aspen as soon as he reached her. His wife was trying to calm him down but he kept pointing a finger at his daughter's best friend. On the other hand, the latter was unfazed by this. She saw this coming.

She practiced breathing exercises to keep her cool before facing the older man.

"She wasn't losing her way. That is what she is! She isn't straight! It is just that you cannot accept it. When it comes to your daughter's well-being, you can really trust me. See, I did what was best for her. I already experienced what it is like in an arranged marriage, and you are pretty much aware of that, tito. I did not want Maurice to suffer the same fate as mine. I did not want her to live a life which is filled with what ifs and regrets!" Aspen rebutted which enraged the older man even more. 

"Who are you to know what's best for my daughter?!" He snarled and raised his hand. He was about to slap Aspen. Then, Aspen jeered. She stepped closer to the older man, then angled her cheek towards him for him to hit.

"Like what I have said... I have been there. And oh, what are you going to do, tito? Hit me? Really? In front of my parents and everybody else?" That is when Lorenzo snapped back to reality, seeing the guests looking at him either derisively or disappointedly.

"Tito, wake up." Aspen taunted. "We are living in the 21st century. Nowadays, a lot of people are not that close-minded about the other sexuality aside from heterosexuality. Have you seen the guests' reaction with Maurice and Alexa earlier? They were happy for them. I don't know why you are still seeing homosexuality as something too scandalous that would lead to an eternal downfall of someone. Besides, you can see a lot of successful people who are members of the LGBTQ+ community."

"It is not your daughters' sexualities that would lead to the downfall of your family and businesses. Tito, you know how much I do not want to disrespect you right now. However, you need to be woken up. You lost your assets because of you being homophobic. They weren't simply your heiresses. Maureen and Maurice are extremely skilled in their respective fields. They are more than capable of keeping your companies on the top. It is you leading the downfall of your family and businesses." Aspen huffed. This left Lorenzo speechless, making the former smile slightly out of triumph.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have one more matter to address." Aspen uttered, moving away from Lorenzo who seemed to be rooted to the ground after that exchange. Aspen's parents approached him to comfort him initially. A bit later, they reprimanded him as well. 

Aspen discarded her eye mask and walked towards Karina. Karina was startled by this. She expected to see the shorter woman, but she did not expect that she would be interacting with her.

Aspen looked at her apologetically for some while. She took a deep breath before holding the taller girl's hand and asking her.

"Could I have a word with you?" 

Karina was ambivalent at first. But still, she nodded in response at the end. She knows to herself that she cannot really evade Aspen forever. It's about time to finally have the closure that they needed since they ended badly.