His Unveiled Passion

When Tessa Yates arrived to pick up Zachary Gomez from the party, she paused at the doorway, her steps faltering as she overheard the conversation inside.

"Zachary, Wendy's back in town. What are you going to do about Tessa?"

Zachary's voice was calm, almost detached. "What about her?"

"You've been with Tessa for three years now, haven't you? Now that Wendy's back, who's it going to be?" Through the gap in the door, Tessa saw Zachary light a cigarette.

Amid the thick haze of smoke, he fell quiet for a moment, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm not sure what to do. I don't want to hurt Tessa, but I can't walk away from Wendy."

One of his friends let out a weary sigh. "Wendy was your first love. You two shared that intense, unforgettable connection. It's only natural that you'd still be holding on."

Another chimed in, "But seriously, Tessa's been with you for three years. She's beautiful too. Why can't you let go of Wendy?"

Zachary rubbed his temples, his voice tinged with exhaustion. "Tessa is beautiful, no doubt. I pursued her because she reminded me of Wendy. All these years, I've been chasing Wendy's shadow through her."

"So, Tessa's just a stand-in?" his friend sighed. "Honestly, I'm starting to feel bad for her."

Another friend asked, "When do you plan on breaking up with her, then?"

Zachary casually tapped the ash from his cigarette. "I'm not sure yet. Tessa's compliant and

understanding. Honestly, I'm kind of reluctant to end things."

His friend gave him a firm pat on the shoulder. "Zachary, you can't keep playing both sides like this. You need to make a decision."

"What's the big deal? Just juggle both of them," another friend added nonchalantly. "If you feel bad about Tessa, buy her some gifts to make it up to her. Women are pretty easy to win over, you know."

Zachary let out a mocking laugh. "Not everyone is like you, juggling three or four women at once. I'm not that reckless."

Outside the door, Tessa gave a bitter smile before turning away and walking off.

Once she was outside the restaurant, she strolled along the riverside, her mind swirling with memories of the past three years with Zachary.

For three years, she had thought their relationship was built on love, but now, she realized she had simply been a replacement for Zachary's first love.

Standing by the water, Tessa felt torn between two worlds. To her left, the city's busy streets pulsed with life; to her right, the river stretched out, merging with the dark horizon.

A tear quietly slid down her cheek as the strong wind from the water tousled her hair.

In that instant, she made a decision.

Taking out her phone, she dialed a number.

"Hello, Dad. I've made up my mind. I'll come home and go through with the arranged marriage."

The darkness of the night made the faint glow of the streetlights seem even more insignificant, their light drawing swarms of tiny insects that danced around.

Standing beneath the dim light, Tessa stared at the endless night sky, her voice calm, almost detached. "It's nothing. I've had my share of fun. I'm ready to settle down and get married.

"It was my fault back then. I was reckless and immature. I shouldn't have fought with you or run away from home. I realize that now.

"I'll come back to Rivertown as soon as I take care of things here."

...

Tessa wandered alone outside for hours, and by the time she returned to Evergreen Villa, it was well past 10:00 pm.

As soon as she stepped inside, the housekeeper, Emma Grant, greeted her with a bowl of chicken noodle

soup.

"Ms. Yates, you're back! This is the soup you made for Mr. Gomez, right? I noticed it had cooled, so I warmed it up again. I was just about to take it upstairs, but since you're here, would you like to bring it to him yourself?"

Without a word, Tessa took the bowl and headed upstairs.

She pushed the door open and found the desk area empty. The computer screen glowed faintly, but Zachary was nowhere in sight.

The sound of running water came from the bathroom, where the light still burned brightly.

Why was he showering so early?

Tessa placed the bowl of soup down on the desk.

Her attention was drawn to the constant pinging of WhatsApp notifications on the computer.

She moved the mouse and clicked to open the app.

It was a message from Wendy Cox.

"Hey Zachary, I'm back. My flight lands at Haverford Airport at 11:30 p.m. Can you come pick me up?" The message had only been sent ten minutes ago.

That's why Zachary was showering-he was getting ready to pick up his first love.

"Zachary, I've missed you so much these years apart. I could never forget you, and I regret so deeply breaking up with you to focus on my career overseas.

"We were both too stubborn to admit our true feelings. But deep down, I believe you still care about me, don't you?

"Over the years, I've had a few relationships, but none of them ever lasted. Every time I was with someone, something always felt wrong. Now I realize the one I've always loved is you.

"I've been too afraid to return to Haverford because I feared you still hated me, and I couldn't stand the thought of seeing you with someone else. I was scared you no longer loved me.

"I made a mistake back then. Zachary, can you ever forgive me?"

Tessa stared at the messages in silence, the weight in her chest almost suffocating.

Just as she was about to close the chat and leave, a new reply from Zachary appeared.

"Wendy, there's just one thing I need to ask-do you still love me?"

Even in the shower, he was replying to her messages.

Tessa's heart sank.

Zachary's days were packed with work, leaving him little time to respond to her texts.

She had grown used to it, rarely messaging him anymore to avoid interrupting his busy schedule. However, Wendy's messages were a different story-Zachary always found time to reply, even while in the shower.

The stark contrast between love and indifference could not have been clearer.

Wendy's reply came almost instantly. "Yes, I still love you. Only you."

"Alright. I'll come pick you up."

In that instant, Tessa felt as if the past three years with Zachary had been nothing more than a cruel joke. She quietly closed the chat window and set the mouse back in place, pretending nothing had changed. She then went to the kitchen and served herself a bowl of the soup she had made for Zachary. She ate it slowly, savoring each spoonful.

Zachary had a sensitive stomach, so Tessa had perfected the chicken noodle soup just for him.

She would soak the noodles and vegetables in warm water first, then add them to a pot of boiling chicken broth, letting it simmer over low heat. Near the end, she'd gently stir in tender chunks of chicken.

It was a dish that required effort, but because he had once mentioned liking it, she'd been making it for him for two years.

Once Tessa had finished her soup, Zachary made his way downstairs.

He had finished his shower, dried his hair, and changed into a clean, sharp outfit.

"Where did you go? I didn't see you earlier," he asked.

"I went for a walk," Tessa replied evenly.

"I have something I need to take care of. If you're tired, you can go ahead and sleep. You don't need to wait for me," Zachary mentioned as he headed toward the door.

Tessa lowered her gaze and softly replied, "Okay."

"Will you be coming back tonight?" she asked.

Zachary paused for a moment as he put on his shoes. After a few seconds of silence, he finally answered, "There's an urgent matter at the company. If it takes too long, I probably won't be back tonight."

"Okay, I understand," Tessa replied, not arguing or making a scene.

She had always been considerate.

Zachary didn't give it a second thought. After putting on his shoes, he walked out without so much as a glance back.

Tessa went upstairs and opened the door to Zachary's bedroom. As she expected, the bowl of soup by the computer remained untouched.

All of a sudden, a message from Stephen Jacobson appeared on her phone. He was her fiancé, the one chosen for her in their arranged marriage.

Stephen asked, "Tess, when are you planning to return to Rivertown?"

To Tessa, Stephen felt more like a caring older brother than a fiancé. When he called her "Tess", it didn't feel like a term of endearment between an engaged couple, but rather a familiar, almost sibling-like address.

"Once I finish taking care of things here."

"Let me know if you need any help."

"Thanks, Stephen."

"Rest well. Goodnight."

That night, Zachary didn't come back.

The next morning, Tessa woke to the sound of her phone ringing.

"Hello?"

"Tessa, it's my birthday the day after tomorrow. Don't forget to come to my party!"

Still groggy, Tessa glanced at the caller ID.

It was Jodie Sullivan, a friend from Zachary's social circle with whom she had gotten along well. "Sure, send me the details," she replied.

After hanging up, Tessa got ready and headed to the mall to find a gift for Jodie. She picked out a necklace from a popular brand that she knew would perfectly suit Jodie's style.

...

On the day of Jodie's birthday, Tessa arrived early at the venue.

"Happy birthday, Jodie," she wished, handing over the gift.

Jodie offered a polite smile and thanked her.

As they chatted, Zachary arrived fashionably late, his arm linked with a woman Tessa didn't recognize.

When their eyes met, he froze, clearly taken aback. "Tessa, what are you doing here?"