Gilbert spent the whole night thinking about this. He just wanted to remove Rita from his life. He went into the garden and saw Rita in the kitchen with the new chef. He observed her, wondering whether he should go ahead with his plan or not. She noticed him staring at her.
"What are you looking at?" she asked.
He picked up a cup of coffee. "I came here to see you."
She found his behaviour weird.
He didn't want to look obvious. "At least now I can have better food," he said.
She didn't want to set the table, but out of habit she did. "Stop looking at me," she said.
Gilbert sat in his chair. "It's my eyes. I can see whatever I want."
Rita said furiously, "But not me."
Gilbert realized he was starting another fight again, but he forgot something else as well—he had not locked Robin. Rita felt something near her leg and screamed.
Robin started barking. Gilbert stood between them and signalled Robin to sit down.
"Great, now you can sit," he said, pointing towards the chair.
Rita, who had no plan to eat with him, took her plate and went upstairs to her room.
Gilbert immediately stopped her. "Where are you going?"
She turned to look at him. "What do you want now?"
"Nothing, I want to discuss something," he said.
Rita sat back down reluctantly, looking at him annoyingly. Gilbert, who hated this attitude, hid his anger. After thinking for a few minutes and not knowing what to say, he finally spoke while Rita waited curiously.
"I am thinking about Robin. Since you don't like him, I will return him," Gilbert said.
Rita looked at him suspiciously. "It's okay, Laura is still in the hospital. It will not be good if we return Robin like this."
While Rita was thinking,' He must be plotting something behind my back'.
Gilbert was shocked. "How do you know it's Laura's dog?"
Rita replied, "She told me last night. Your friends are much better than you. At least she apologizes and thanks me for taking care of Robin."
Gilbert said, "You only think they are good because you don't know them. And what did you do that she thanked you for?" After saying this, he realized he was again arguing with Rita.
Rita furiously got up. "You know, it's my fault for even trying to listen to you."
Gilbert sat there alone, thinking, The moment I saw her, I don't know why I started arguing.
After sitting there for a while, Gilbert came up with a plan. If I have to make her fall for me, I have to gain her trust first.
He went upstairs to her room and knocked politely like a gentleman.
Rita couldn't understand his behaviour and opened the door. "What?"
She looked at him suspiciously.
"Hey, I am sorry for that," he said.
Rita closed the door in shock and stood still next to it for a few seconds. "Is he going to die?" she thought.
Gilbert stood outside confused. "Did I say something wrong? Usually it works on women."
Rita opened the door again. "It's okay."
She waited for him to leave, but he was still standing there. "Anything else?"
Gilbert said, "Come for lunch today. Let's eat together."
"Okay," Rita replied.
While he was leaving, she looked at his back and thought, What is he up to now?
Gilbert asked Jenny what Rita likes to eat. Jenny also looked at him suspiciously.
"What? You don't know?" Gilbert asked.
"No, sir. I will tell you," Jenny replied, thinking, Sir, I hope you are not creating new problems for your family.
Both Rita and Gilbert came to eat. He thought she would be happy, but she did not respond as he expected.
Gilbert said, "I am thinking you can take your room back."
The spoon fell from her hand. "What? It's too tiring to change. I don't want to now."
Gilbert tried to make conversation. "Okay, but if you want to make any changes in your room, you can do that."
Rita thought he might want to kill her, which is why he was acting like this. "Why are you acting like a good person when you are not? I know you are planning to kill me."
Gilbert was shocked. "What kind of person do you think I am?" He couldn't control his laugh.
Rita said, "A bully who has no empathy."
Gilbert said, "Okay, I know I did some bad things in the past and I accept that. But the truth is, I didn't mean them. It was all a joke."
This made Rita very angry. "A joke? Yes, for you it was a joke because it didn't happen to you. But did you ever ask those victims how they felt? Because they remember everything."
Gilbert understood the situation was getting tense, so he said quickly, "Okay, I am sorry. I accept all of it. I was a jerk, but I want to change now."
Rita asked, "And why do you want to change suddenly?"
Gilbert replied, "Because I know whatever happened at our wedding was not your fault. But all this time I treated you like trash. I am sorry."
After hearing the word "sorry," her emotions became overwhelming, like she might start crying, but she didn't want to trust him.
"I will never forgive you," Rita said and left the place, going back to her room.
Gilbert left for the office. He told Jenny he might not come for dinner and to inform Rita. In the office, Gilbert searched online about how to ask for forgiveness. Even after staying the whole evening there, he could not think of anything.
Then he realized he had also misbehaved with Laura. He hesitated to call her, so he directly went to the hospital to meet her mother. Laura was at the lobby. She saw Gilbert coming.
"Hi, how are you?" she asked.
Gilbert, feeling a little ashamed, kept his head down. "I am fine. And you?"
"I am fine," she replied. She could feel the awkwardness between them. "Let's go outside and talk."
They both went outside.
"Can I ask you now why you left me?" Gilbert asked.
Laura replied, "To be honest, we were teenagers. Later I realized our priorities were different. Family politics, everything. I just want to stay away from all this and make something on my own. Only then can I cut myself off from my family."
"But if you had told me your concerns, I would have helped you," Gilbert said.
Laura smiled. "It was not about you. We are very different. With time, people change. We both changed. The only person I can care about is my mother."
Gilbert was still not convinced. "That's all?"
Laura said, "Earlier I didn't like your superiority complex."
Gilbert was shocked. "What? Superiority complex? How?"
Laura replied, "See, you don't even accept it. You think you are the only good-looking, handsome guy, and others should be grateful that you are with them."
"Now you are exaggerating," Gilbert said.
"But that's true," Laura replied. Gilbert still did not believe her.
Laura then asked, "But now can you tell me what happened between you and Ray?"
"Nothing," Gilbert said, not wanting her to know his thoughts about Rita.
"What? I told you everything. It's your turn now," Laura insisted.
"Okay," he thinks I am childish and a bad husband.
Laura asked, "So what's your thought?"
"As a friend, I want him to take my side and understand me," Gilbert said.
Laura sighed. "A true friend always tells the truth. That means he is your true friend."
Gilbert wasn't expecting her to take his side. "Both of you are same."
"Okay fine, I won't ask more. How is Rita?" Laura asked.
"She is fine. Why?" Gilbert replied.
"Nothing, I was just thinking how someone like her, with so much goodness, can marry you," Laura said.
"You think I am a bad person?" Gilbert asked.
"No. I think she deserves someone better," Laura replied.
"Like who?" he asked.
"Maybe Ray," Laura said.
Gilbert smirked. "You think too much. She should be happy. I married her; otherwise, who would do that?"
Laura thought, This is exactly what I mean by superiority complex.
She didn't answer. "Do you want to see my mother?"
Gilbert hesitated a little but agreed. "After this, let's go for dinner."
"Okay," Laura said.
Gilbert asked, "But do you know how to apologize?"
Laura looked at him. "Apologize and you?"
Gilbert immediately defended himself. "What are you saying? I am not asking for myself."
Laura said, "There are many ways, but what matters is honesty."
Gilbert asked, "How can a person show honesty so the other person forgives them?"
"Whom do you want to apologize to?" Laura asked, thinking it must be Rita.
"I told you, it's not about me," Gilbert said.
"Okay, I will tell you. It should come from the heart," Laura said.
"Seriously, tell me the method," Gilbert insisted.
Laura sighed. "Are you stupid? There is no method. When it truly comes from the heart, the other person will know."