Patience Heart

About Adam

As I stood in the bridal suite, my heart pounded in a way that wasn't just about the excitement of the day. Memories from the past flooded my mind, overwhelming me. I took a deep breath, glancing at the reflection in the mirror. There I was, draped in a stunning Vera Wang gown—chosen by none other than Adam Adrian. The man waiting for me at the altar. The man I never imagined I'd end up marrying.

It's funny how life works, isn't it? Back in university, Adam was... well, to put it bluntly, he was a joke. I chuckled to myself, a bittersweet smile forming on my lips. Back then, Adam was the guy everyone underestimated, the one who never seemed to take anything seriously. Even the lecturers couldn't be bothered with him. He was just... there, blending into the background with his average looks—short-cut hair, dark skin, and a height that was neither here nor there.

And the way he talked? Don't even get me started. It was like trying to decipher a code, and most of the time, I just tuned him out. My friends would always shake their heads when they saw him around me, muttering things like, "Viola, you're too good for him," or "Why would you ever hang out with someone like that?" And honestly, I didn't disagree.

I never took Adam seriously. Why would I? He was the guy who barely showed up to class, and when he did, he was more of a nuisance than anything else. There were a few times he tried to confess his feelings, telling me he liked me, wanted me to be his girlfriend, but I always brushed him off. I mean, who wouldn't? I was Viola, and he was Adam—the campus troublemaker. It just didn't make sense.

He'd call me at home sometimes, and when I answered, he'd go silent, like he'd lost his voice. It was annoying, honestly. I spent so much energy avoiding him during our last semesters, and it worked. I managed to push him out of my life, or so I thought.

But then, out of nowhere, he showed up again—one year after graduation. I remember how it all started, thanks to Friendster and my friend Jonah. Jonah was desperate for a job, and as a good friend, I tried to help him. One of the people I contacted was Adam. Somehow, in a twist of fate, Adam was the one who could help Jonah, but he insisted we meet in person. It was strange, seeing him again after all that time, but I went to give Jonah's CV to Adam.

What followed was relentless—calls, messages, more calls. Adam didn't give up, just like before. Eventually, Jonah got the job, and to celebrate, Adam invited me out. I didn't have the heart to say no, especially after all that had happened. But of course, it was a setup. It ended up just being the two of us at dinner. That night, Adam confessed again—told me he loved me, wanted to be with me. He even gave me a necklace as proof of his sincerity.

I told him I needed time to think, but deep down, I knew the answer. A week later, I let him down gently, telling him we were better off as friends. I didn't love him, but if we were meant to be together, it would happen eventually, right? Who knows what the future holds? It seemed like a kind way to let him go.

But Adam didn't take it well. He disappeared for a while, only to come back, repeating the same pattern over and over. Three times he asked, three times I said no. And yet, he never left my side. No matter what I did, Adam stayed. Persistent, annoying, but always there.

And now, here I was, about to marry him. Adam, the man who I never thought would be standing at the end of the aisle, waiting for me. Adam, who had somehow managed to turn his life around and become a successful entrepreneur. Everything he had, he earned through hard work. He wasn't the same guy from university anymore.

I glanced down at the necklace he gave me years ago, still resting against my skin. I never thought much of his gifts back then—I just needed the money, and honestly, I didn't have the heart to refuse. But now, as I stood here, ready to walk down the aisle, I couldn't help but feel something deeper. Guilt? Pity? Maybe a bit of both.

Adam had always been a bug in my life, one I tried to squash countless times with metaphorical insecticide. But here he was, alive and well, and I was the one standing by his side. I had reached a point where I was so tired of the men who had come and gone in my life. Tired of being single, tired of hoping and praying for something that wasn't meant to be. Tired of waiting for Brian.

Brian... the man I used to dream of marrying. But life had other plans. And now, I was Mrs. Adam Soestrawijaya. Not the wife of Brian Elmer, as I had once hoped. Funny how things turn out, isn't it?

I guess you never really know where life will take you. Sometimes, you end up with the person you least expect—the one you underestimated, ignored, and avoided. And yet, here I was, about to become Adam's wife. Life has a strange way of unfolding, doesn't it?

As the door to the bridal suite opened, and my father stepped in, I took a deep breath. It was time. Time to walk down that aisle, time to face the future I never imagined. With my arm linked in my father's, we made our way to the door, and I couldn't help but smile—a bittersweet smile that held both the past and the future.

Who would have thought that Viola, the girl who once scoffed at Adam, would now be the woman marrying him? Life, with all its twists and turns, had led me here. And maybe, just maybe, this was exactly where I was meant to be.