Jean closed the photo album and continued stepping up the hall to the second floor. He was heading for their bedroom.
But before he could reach the bedroom, he found yet another surprise from Lilia. On one side of the wall that was originally empty, 520 photos were now attached, forming a giant heart.
Jean's footsteps automatically stopped as he studied the photos. In the center of the heart that was made up of hundreds of photos, there was a photo that was bigger than the other photos. The picture was taken on their wedding day. To be precise, Lilia took a photo of their marriage certificate and enlarged it.
Jean chuckled while shaking his head. He decided he would never remove a single photo from this display. All of this was a form of Lilia's love for him. He wanted to keep this display as a reminder of that. Jean could already imagine himself stopping to look at the photos every time he passed this hallway.
Apart from their wedding photos, Lilia pasted their childhood photos together with the help of photoshop. Starting from the photo when both of them were 1 year old until they were adults, every timeline they'd grown up to was framed in these photos.
Jean believed that this was Lilia's way of reconciling their past. Seeing the edited photos made Jean wonder if their current relationship would be different had they grown up together. Maybe Jean would find it easier to express his feelings with Lilia by his side. Maybe Lilia wouldn't feel so alone and hungry for affection if Jean could give her his attention.
Nonetheless, their current relationship was the result of their past actions and decisions. If they grew up together, maybe the two of them wouldn't be husband and wife like they were today. Whatever fate had been written for them, Jean was grateful that he was able to meet Lilia and marry her.
Jean's gaze was fixed on another post-it note pasted on their wedding photo. The note contained the inscription, "Hi Mr. Widjaya, I am Mrs. Widjaya!"
Jean chuckled as he read it. He could imagine Lilia writing that post while smiling mischievously. His gaze shifted to another photo and his smile froze.
The photo showed the figure of Lilia wearing a white skirt filled with lace and carrying a pink school bag. Her skin was tanned from the sun and her hair was pulled back. The 10 year old little girl smiled innocently at the camera while striking an adorable pose.
Next to little Lilia was a picture of Jean when he was 12 years old. Even though he was still young, the boy's good looks had been able to steal the hearts of women from all ages. The young master was wearing cloth pants and a formal white shirt. Jean stared coldly at the camera, his expression stiff without a smile. The figures of the two of them looked so contrasted, like heaven and earth.
Jean touched the photo of Lilia with a nostalgic gaze. He remembered that 14 years ago, when they met for the first time, the little girl was also wearing the same skirt.
The sound of noisy footsteps from the direction of the stairs brought Jean back from his past memories. He glanced at the other photos regretfully. There were so many photos that Jean didn't have time to pay attention to, but he made sure he could take a slow look at them later.
"Wow! There are so many photos on the wall! Isn't this a portrait wall?" Tom commented, his eyes shining with excitement.
Jean shot a cold gaze towards his childhood friend. Tom had his own talent for always ruining good moments! No wonder the guy didn't have a girlfriend until now!
Chris and Alex appeared behind Tom. They knew that Tom's presence would make Jean angry. so they deliberately appeared late to avoid the man's anger.
Chris whistled as he looked at the hundreds of portraits on the wall. He admired the dedication and effort Lilia put in to prepare this surprise. No wonder Lilia asked Chris for all of Jean's childhood photos— it turned out that she had planned this from the start.
"Lilia is really artistic." Alex commented while shaking his head, "Her work is very beautiful and full of meaning."
Although Jean felt a little happy that his wife was being praised, he was still annoyed that the presence of the three friends ruined the atmosphere. Jean cleared his throat and cast icy glares at the three of them. The men automatically shrank and took a step back by Jean's sharp gaze.
Alex hastily nudged Chris, who dared to step forward. Chris put on his biggest smile and patted Jean on the shoulder. Normally, people would feel embarrassed to post such photos, but Jean was angry because someone else saw his wife's masterpiece.
"Jean, Lilia really is the best wife for you!" Chris said while trying to defuse the man's anger.
Alex nodded enthusiastically, "I agree! If my girlfriend did all this for me, I would never let go!"
Tom turned to his two friends in disbelief. How could they throw him at Jean's scolding while the two of them just dodged the man's anger so easily.
Chris cleared his throat and talked in a serious tone again, "Let's go. Lilia is waiting downstairs."
Those words immediately caught Jean's attention. He looked at Chris with raised eyebrows.
"Where is she?" Jean asked, sounding like a prodigal son looking for his mother.
"It's better if you come down and see her in person!" Chris suggested.
Chris thought that Jean would reply coldly, but the man just nodded. Jean followed them downstairs in silence.
The sun had almost completely set, making the scenery outside the house seem even more engulfed in darkness. But different from earlier, all the lights in the living room had been turned on again.
Jean immediately realized that the door to the kitchen was ajar. The man turned towards the kitchen before opening the door wide. Instantly, Jean's body stiffened as he almost forgot to breathe. Even years later, Jean would still remember that sight.
Jean always knew that Lilia was a beautiful woman. All of Lilia's fans would agree with him about that. The woman was charming, lively and elegant. She was not only known for her beauty, but also for her dignified and mature demeanor. In comparison, Lilia was like a lily that bloomed with pride. People's first impression of Lilia was that of a calm and elegant woman.
However, at this moment, Lilia's beauty far surpassed all her past appearances.
Her long hair was rolled up, leaving a few strands tucked behind her ears. She wore a gray house shirt and leggings covered with a white apron. Lilia in her real housewife figure captured Jean's heart.
That man had to convince himself over and over that this was not an illusion. For Jean, Lilia's figure as a housewife was much more charming than when she appeared on the runway stage. But of course, Jean wouldn't say that to Lilia. He knew it would only hurt Lilia's pride as a model. Also, Jean didn't want to make his wife stop doing what she liked best.
Their dining table was filled with all kinds of hot dishes. A birthday cake stood in the center of the table, as if it were the main course for today's dinner.
But Jean was barely aware of all the dishes. His gaze was only fixed on the figure of his wife. All the surprises and gifts Jean had found since he returned home flashed through his mind.
Jean couldn't hold back anymore and decided to ignore everyone who was there. He walked over to Lilia, who was smiling broadly at him with sparkling eyes. Without saying another word, Jean reached out and pulled Lilia into his embrace.. Then he kissed his wife with all his heart.
This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦