Chapter 42 Did You Not See Me?
Hera followed the voice and spotted Zhane standing near the entrance of the Chinese restaurant. "Oh! Zhane, are you dining with your mother here as well?" she asked politely, more out of etiquette than genuine interest. She wasn’t even expecting a response.
Despite his cold expression, Zhane still responded to Hera’s question. "No, my mother went home earlier. I’m meeting some friends for a meal," he explained patiently.
"I see," Hera responded, her tone a bit dry. However, she wasn’t sure how to continue the conversation, given their lack of closeness.
"Ha!" An exasperated voice echoed from the side, drawing Hera’s attention. "I was the one who called you, yet I’m the one being ignored?" Rafael interjected his head tilting to the side, his deep frown etching lines between his brows, capable of crushing a fly to death. He called Hera out of courtesy to say hello, but to notice a difference in treatment between him and Zhane, even in this context, left him perplexed. Rafael wasn’t aware of the nature of Zhane and Hera’s relationship, adding to his confusion about why she only greeted him.
"I apologize, Mr. Briley. I genuinely didn’t see you," Hera offered her sincere apology. While she had initially suspected the voice didn’t belong to Zhane, she hadn’t anticipated encountering both of them together in the mall.
"This is the first time I’ve heard someone claim they didn’t see me. With my body mass, I usually tower over almost everyone, except my friends," Rafael remarked, glancing at Zhane before continuing. "Or perhaps I appear small to you?" Rafael’s tone betrayed a sense of wounded pride; accustomed to being the center of attention in any gathering, he found being ignored or overlooked unfamiliar and unsettling.
It might be viewed as pride, as individuals like them often possess a greater sense of pride than ordinary people. This pride, combined with their arrogance and authority, was cultivated over years of conducting business and exerting influence over others of similar standing. There were certain expectations and behaviors they had grown accustomed to, almost ingrained in their very being.
This is why people hold different perspectives; their views are shaped by their environment and family beliefs. That’s why Rafael took being ignored personally.
Instead of responding to Rafael, Hera glanced at Zhane, then back to Rafael, and then back to Zhane again. She repeated this back-and-forth movement, a flash of realization flickering in her mind. However, amidst her physical exhaustion, her mental faculties seemed to falter, leaving her unable to grasp the significance of her thoughts.