4. Complex Situation

If only Elise wasn't there, Diaz somehow calmed her pounding heart when she heard those words. Diaz's disbelieving look after receiving Elise's sad expression was returned by the woman bitterly which means "please understand". It was as if this sentence wasn't the first time Elise had heard it. Even with all the responses he received, Diaz still didn't understand how such a sentence could come out of their mouths. Even though it was clear that their nephew was not in good condition, how could they utter such horrible words?

Diaz had been missing from Claire's life for more than ten years and didn't know what happened to his middle school friend. But even for ordinary people, hearing such a curse would not make them understand, what happened and what bad things made Claire worthy of such a curse.

Elise gestured to Diaz who was still stunned in his place, asking the man to follow her to stay away from those who were still discussing things not much different there. The woman in an office suit that was still neat for the size of someone who sounded panicked on the phone earlier stopped her steps after she felt that she was a bit far from Claire's room. She stood slightly aside, not wanting to hinder the passers-by with their own needs

"As dr. Gorge explained earlier. Ms. Claire's mental state is not in good condition. It's not only happened recently but Ms. Claire has been hospitalized for the past few years."

Yes, that's Diaz already heard it. What Diaz wants to know is more than that. "But what? What made Claire like this?” After holding it in for quite a while—even when dr. Gorge explained Claire's condition in his room, Diaz was silent and listened—finally the man regained his voice. It feels like he's had enough of being a listener today, more than enough even because even though he doesn't want to--Diaz still has to hear the words he didn't want some time ago. The words made him angry at the husband and wife who were there, even though he wasn't sure what basis he was so angry about.

Elise once again flashed her smile, not the kind of pleasant smile that Diaz had expected to see since he arrived at the hospital a few dozen minutes ago, “For that one, Mr. Diaz seems to have to ask Ms. Claire directly. I have no right to talk about the problem.”

Diaz exhaled in a huff, brushed his hair back, and was at a loss for words. He never expected the problem to be not as simple as he had previously thought. Diaz thought that Claire had just fainted, then of the many people who could be contacted, only he might be able to be reached. Diaz thought that his business was only to be responsible for Claire's admission to the hospital, then when he was done he could go home and say goodbye to Claire, exchange gratitude and usual pleasantries, and then forget about it for a while as if nothing had happened. Just like when Claire contacted him last week. But the more you dig, the less visible the root of the problem becomes, and that makes him even more confused.

“I apologize for involving you in a matter that may still confuse you. But when I received a call that Ms. Claire was in the hospital again, and saw her in the treatment room earlier, I felt that Ms. Claire needed someone else to take care of her. And Mr. Diaz's name is the only thing I remember because Ms. Claire mentioned it a few days ago, so without thinking I took Ms. Claire's cell phone and—”

"And why does that person have to be me?" cut Diaz before Elise finished her sentence.

"Because you were the last outsider that Ms. Claire contacted...?" This statement is a question, which means that even Elise is not one hundred percent sure of her choice to contact Diaz.

And of course, that reason didn't sound reasonable to Diaz. “No way, Claire contacted me last week! How can I be the last person she contacted?!"

But as Elise said earlier. When she got the news that Claire had passed out and made her have to finish the meeting twice as fast as the time she usually spent, the woman's feelings were even more awkward when she found that her boss was unconscious with a bandage wrapped around his wrist and lying on a hospital bed, Elise was made to wake up. weak, it felt like screaming and crying aloud why the woman whom he respected so much with all her kindness and humility must always suffer and end up the same as now.

Amid his confusion and her scattered thoughts, she searched for the words "possibility" and "if" that could make her superiors free from this condition, and the name Diaz came up. Her memory then replayed her conversation with Claire a few days ago, after lunch, with a bitter tone and a modest smile, Claire said, "Maybe I really won't be able to get married, Elise."

It was clear that Elise's forehead was wrinkled by the sudden remark—she had just entered her superior's room, placed the file Claire had asked for and was intending to return to her shirt when she heard that sentence, but her movements were stopped because of that sentence. He looked at Claire who was still looking at the cellphone screen, before looking up at Elise with a small smile.

"Sorry, Ma'am if I'm wrong. But Ma'am are discussing—?"

"I was rejected by the person I asked to marry," the brief explanation did not make Elise understand, it made the wrinkles on her forehead double, and the reaction made Claire laugh. "Tell me I'm crazy. I asked my middle school friend to marry me, and he rejected me indirectly. His name is Diaz."

"Miss..."

"It's understandable, I just suddenly asked him. After a dozen years of no contact, suddenly I sent the marriage invitation," Claire still smiled, this time more cheerful than before. The woman whom Elise respects took the file that Elise had put down, then began to read each row of letters there.

"You may return to your desk. Next time I will tell you the details," said Claire when she realized that her assistant was still standing in front of her desk.

Elise could only nod, although half still didn't understand at the time. But today, and with all the situations she faces, out of the many incidents she has experienced with Claire, it is this fragment of memory that dominates the most, so without thinking, Elise immediately took Claire's cell phone from the nightstand and called Diaz several tens of minutes ago.

"Elise...!"

In Elise's mind, replaying the memory might be short, but for Diaz, who was waiting for her answer, Elise's silence was too long. And because of that insistence, Elise finally without thinking said, "Because Mr. Diaz was the only person Ms. Claire asked to marry her consciously!" Elise unconsciously raised her voice, although after that the woman felt guilty and quickly muttered sorry.

Diaz was about to deny it when the voice of a man older than him could be heard from behind him. "Who did Claire ask to marry?"

The two people who were talking were silenced, finding Claire's uncle and aunt who were now not far from them.