*Three Months Before*
Althea's
After our talk, I immediately entered the room and tried to sleep. The truth is I am disappointed that Nixon didn't come, I honestly don't know if what disappoints me the most .. is it because he didn't come meaning he's not really real or because I found out that my ex will marry the one before him?
Maybe both? The fact that just knowing that the person I love is going to marry someone else is crushing me, what more if I still go? It's just that their faces are really thick to invite me after they cheat on me? Nonsense!
I find it odd to feel comfort with the person I met through dream .. I badly want to see him, because there's a part of me hoping that he's really true. I know he's real, I saw him at the bus stop, and he saw me too! Or maybe Fritzie is right that he was just made by my subconscious mind since I am looking or wanting to escape the pain that I've been feeling.
I must say, it's very hard to move on to think that all those years my world revolved around him, Tyler is the person who is always there for me. In the past 6 years he is the only one I lean on, with him I draw strength, he is the only one who makes my heart happy .. but he is also the one who will kill my heart. It hurts! It hurts real bad .. that all I wanted was to escape, to stop the pain because everywhere I looked I remembered him, every time I blinked I saw him, every notifications on my cellphone he was the one I asked for.
I want him back, I want him to apologize to me and I will accept him without hesitation .. but how else? She will get married and have children. I don't know how else to proceed.
I woke up with my eyes wide open, without strength for a whole day. I just felt like something had changed, like I had no more tears to shed. I also thought that I should guard my self, and stop caring for the happening around me and don't let it bother me.
I walked to the kitchen, it was only 6 am .. we went to PM Publishing at 8 am, so I thought of cooking first but I caught up with fritzie who was already cooking.
"Morning" I greeted her and went straight to drink some water.
"Oh! Six little pigs!" She even jumped in shock, OA really.
"Mm." I just hugged her and sat down, she started serving food at the table. I just checked e-mails on my phone.
"Girl! Your eyes are so swollen! You feel so bad that the 'man in your dreams' didn't show up, that's okay! You're beautiful, there are many others" I just looked at her and took a hotdog and took a bite.
"Ah, ah! You're going back to your old friend, before you met Tyler." She even hit the table. "You're too sparing to speak, just nod, and I guess the next things you write will be broken hearted and killed again!" I just stared at her, the morning was so noisy! Tsk.
I ignored her and just ate, she was right. Six years ago before I met Tyler, I was timid, reserved, rarely spoke, avoided people, and seemed to have no interest in the world. Tyler changed me, he's a big part of me. Now that he's gone, I can feel that I am slowly getting back to who I am before.
"Thea, I hope you don't go back to the past .. but if that's what can help you move on I won't complain, all I want is for you to free yourself from the pain .. because as your friend I get hurt every time I see you like that, you don't deserve that pain. Nobody deserves it, especially you. You have the kindest heart, the kindest soul. You deserve to be happy. " I looked up at her, her tears were still flowing so I got infected.
I ignored her and just ate, he was right. Six years ago before I met Tyler, I was timid, reserved, rarely spoke, avoided people and seemed to have no interest in the world. Tyler changed me, he's a big part of me. Now that he's gone, I can feel that I am slowly getting back to who I am before.
"Thea, I hope you don't go back to the past .. but if that's what can help you move on I won't complain, all I want is for you to free yourself from the pain .. because as your friend I get hurt every time I see you like that, you don't deserve that pain. Nobody deserves it, especially you. You have the kindest heart, the kindest soul. You deserve to be happy. " I looked up at her, her tears were still flowing so I got emotional too.
"I'll feel the pain, I enjoy the pain until it hurts no more." I bowed. "I may not deserve this, but everytime I say I can .. that I can he will come to hurt me again. I'll go back to who I am before I met him, because that's me. That's the real me. " I looked into her eyes, as tears trickled down my cheeks.
"Stop crying! We still have work to do, have you finished your manuscript? Maybe the dragon will get angry again!"
"Mm. It's over" I stood up and put what I ate in the sink. "I'm taking a bath."
I went straight to the bedroom, sat on the side of my bed. I opened my laptop .. I smiled sadly when I saw the wallpaper. It's me and tyler, hugging while watching the sunset.
"I hope I forget you." I said while staring at his face.
I decided to delete everything about him, it's time to finally let go.
We arrived at the publishing house with no one in the office, I frowned wondering if there was an announcement that there was no business or if we had a meeting in the conference room.
"Fritzie, was there an announcement yesterday?" I looked around but I didn't really see anyone.
"No girl, why is there no one here? What is that! Maybe James will surprise me? Yieee don't me!" there she is again with her crush on gay. "Maybe he realized he's really a man and he's going to flirt with me!" I was just shaken. She had a long time crush because he was really handsome. Similar to Mario Maurer but he's gay.
I ignored her and dropped my backpack on my chair, and opened my pc. I thought of a good plot of the story, the man had a fight with a woman who was good at fighting, or let's just say good at fighting. They became friends, and as time went on he realized that he was falling for her.
But when he was about to admit it, he prepared a date but the woman did not show up and he just found out that he had returned to Korea. After three years the woman returned, and she found out that the man should propose to her .. she looked for it right away but they didn't meet because the man followed her to Korea. He tried to call the man several times but he didn't answer, so he asked if the man was with him in Korea and he found out that the man was in the hospital. He hurried to go, and he was surprised to see that the man was beaten shut. He asked where his friend was, and the answer was that he was in North Korea because they found out the true identity of the woman .. someone suddenly came and forcibly took his male friend. So she hurried back to her country to save the man she loved.
Until then all I could think about was, I wanted to make him two books. No matter, while I was writing the sypnosis I was surprised when someone suddenly tapped me.
"Girlasssh !! Gora is in the conference room, dragona is screaming again! There's a meeting mamsh!" James said artfully while applying balm.
"My baby James !!" fritzie ran in a hug while James pushed her Hahaha
"Yuck Fritzie ha! What james? I'm Jaimie! Omygod girl stop stop me! I'm scared of you" I just shook my head and turned my back on them. I could hear the squeal in James' voice, while Fritzie insisted on hugging him.
They followed me, before we could get close to the conference room .. a man came out, it looks like he's one of our bosses that I've never seen. We hurried inside, and I was distracted by a book that had been thrown at us.
I gasped before I picked up the book. "Why are you just now !! The meeting started earlier! You two will arrive when the meeting ends?" The dragon shouted at us.
"Sorry ma'am we weren't aware that there was a meeting." Fritzie said as she bowed.
"Sit!" she shouted loudly, and we sat down. "Althea, you and I will be having a dinner meeting tomorrow with the boss. Your story is approved, and they want to discuss about the book." he said after we sat down .. "And yes, it's a formal meeting! So make yourself beautiful!" I just nodded at her.
She said a lot more but I didn't listen to her, I was thinking about how to start the story I thought of. What traits of the characters, and what else.
"Bes! The meeting is over, you're so excited!" I jumped in the chair when I heard zie's voice that was so loud. I looked at her and stood up.
I spent my time writing, because this is the only way for me to get rid of Tyler in my mind, this is my escape from reality. My passion. I love writing, and this is what keeps my family alive.
"Tey" My eyes widened in shock when I heard that familiar voice, there was only one person calling me then. "Can we talk?"
Talk again? What else can we talk about? Why hasn't he stopped me yet?
"Hey! Doggy!" Zie yelled at my side and stood still. "You're always here and sniffing at that conversation ah! Stop pestering my friend, how do you get in here ha the thickness of your face really!"
"Zie, I just want to talk to Tey, I just want to tell her something." He talked to Zie but he didn't even look back, he kept his eyes on me. "Please Tey." He pleads.
"Don't call me Ma-zie, zie dya--" She stopped when I stood up. "What Thea! You'll talk to him and you'll cry again later! I'm telling you !!!"
"Zie, last. We'll just talk." I turned my back on her and started walking.
"HA! All right Althea! Make a fool of that man! God!" I ignored her.
I'll talk to him, not because I'm making a fool of myself again .. I'll talk to him because I'll set him free, and I'll say I hope he doesn't show up to me first or if it's unavoidable .. he himself will stay away. I went straight to the pantry.
"What is it Tyler?" I looked at him. "You have 5 minutes, I'm doing something." I sat down.
"Hey, I know I'm sorry and it wouldn't lessen the pain you're feeling right now. But still, I'm sorry." I can feel his sincerity. Here's the one that's blocking my throat again. "The truth is, you're still the one I love. I'm getting married tomorrow Tey, I can't. You're the only one I can see that I can handle until I'm old. But I can't escape it anymore, I just want you to know that you're still me I love you and that won't change. " She was crying and took my hand, she even came close to her cheek.
"You are selfish Ty, how can you do this to me? Why do you have to say all this? D'you know how I force myself to believe that you don't love me anymore so you can forget? And yet ! You show up to say you love me but you're getting married tomorrow! What's the point of saying that to me today! This is shit! " I took what I could from him. I stood up and turned my back on him.
"Tey, I'm sorry I want to tell you the truth." I was surprised when he hugged me as I turned around. "Please believe me. Hey, I can't take it anymore. The pain is too much, I want to report to you .. I want to cry about how unfair everyone is to me. I didn't do anything but I'm the one who's suffering." I was confused by what he was saying, I tried to remove his grip on me and I faced him.
"What do you mean?" He sat down and pulled me closer to him. He held my hand as he looked up at me.
"Babu" he bowed and sobbed. He kissed my hand. "Babu, I don't want to marry her, I want you"
"Then why? Why would you marry him?"
"Babu, my older brother raped her." he whispered and he looked up at me.
"A-what?" I can't believe my question.
"They're friends with my older brother babu, my older brother has wanted him for a long time. They're bestfriends, they grew up together. One time when my bestfriend blaze went home, Nikki liked him, and they both clicked. After a few months they became The older brother was so devastated, he was always drunk and just locked himself in the room. Nikki forgot about him because Nikki had so much fun with my bestfriend. " He knows for a long time.
"What connects that to us?" I sat down.
"After our anniversary date I was surprised when I was about to enter the house .. he was running, n-he was naked .. he was crying. His clothes were broken Babu .. he hugged me, I heard someone running down and I saw I took off my jacket and put it on him, he was shaking. Nikki shouted loudly, my parents woke up. They took my brother up to his room, they talked to Nikki and she said that she- his older brother raped him. "
I covered my mouth. "What is he doing to you? Why is he there?" I still ask.
"Kuya babu allegedly called him, he picked up kuya at the bar and took him to his room. Kuya allegedly exploited him there."
"Eh why are you going to marry him Tyler? Why you ?!"
"Because babu, the next day while we were eating, daddy woke up kuya but he was gone, he left a letter. He's hiding babu!" She cried and cried.
"That didn't answer my question Tyler!"
"She said Nikki will file a case, in case she found out that my older brother ran away. She threatened my parents that if my older brother didn't show up, he would destroy our business."
"Tyler, I don't understand."
"We promised babu, we will look for kuya he gave us a month to present kuya with him. We looked for him, we even hired a private investigator babu but we couldn't really find him. We were surprised when Nikki suddenly came home, crying She was very angry. She said she was pregnant, and her older brother was the father. " I kept looking with questioning eyes at him. "He said he can't send me to my bestfriend, because nothing has happened to them before. He wants his older brother to be responsible for what was done to him, he wants his older brother to be imprisoned."
"I still don't get it why you need to get married?"
"Babu, her parents found out what was done to her. They don't want other people to know that she was raped, and of course my parents also don't want to ruin our family name. Our parents decided babu .. that we are the ones to get married "Against us both but we can't do anything. Both our name and business will be ruined, because you know that our company will soon go bankrupt .. Nikki's family promised that they will help our company rebuild if I allow us to get married."
"Why did you agree?" I was crying tears, couldn't believe it. "You can say no Tyler!"
"I like Tey, but they begged mommy for me. I can't help it, you know how important our business is to my parents and they also want us to protect my older brother."
"I don't know Ty, I don't know what I should say or do." my tears never stopped. I don't know what to do .. should I be happy because I found out? or should I be angry because destiny has toyed with us?
"Hey, Babu .. I love you so much .. it's just you, I can't hide from you anymore. My chest is so heavy. It's like I'm going crazy babu." He hugged me and pressed his eyes on my shoulder.
I hugged back to him. "Sorry Ty, sorry." I tightened my hug. "I love you so much too."