Even though they have known each other since childhood, Cheryl and Carlos have been trapped in a relationship without the blessing of their parents. Not only her Daddy, but Mateo also often shows his disapproval whenever Cheryl tells about her wedding plans with Carlos. However, three months ago, everything changed. Jackson finally gave permission after a long silence every time Cheryl and Carlos showed their seriousness.
After struggling for years, Cheryl and Carlos finally got the chance to formalize their relationship through a simple engagement party held privately at his family's mansion.
Cheryl doesn't like a party that is held privately. She likes luxury and also the attention that is only focused on her. However, everything about her wishes was always the opposite of Carlos's.
It's okay. It's just an engagement party. Carlos had promised that he would make her dream wedding come true at their wedding party.
"Hey, you've been waiting for me for a long time?" Cheryl walked gracefully to Carlos who was busy rubbing the back of a Thoroughbred black horse named Rusty. Cheryl herself gave the horse its name when it first came to England three years ago.
"Are you so busier than me now that I must be waiting for three hours to see you, Cheryl?"
Cheryl bit her lower lip. She realized that this time he was guilty. Therefore, she had no intention of arguing with Carlos.
"I apologize. I didn't know you would come here, Carlos."
"So when I'm not with you, does that mean you're free from curfew and can go anywhere without bodyguards?" Carlos asked, his eyes glaring at her, indicating he was angry.
Cheryl lowered her head even more, "I'm sorry."
Carlos sighed. "You know how long I waited?" asked Carlos, "more than 3 hours, Cheryl."
Cheryl closed her eyes, preparing to accept the consequences of her foolish act.
"Am I trying to meet the president, so I have to wait for hours? You are my fiance, aren't you?"
"Yes, I know. I'm sorry for keeping you waiting. I promise it wouldn't happen again." Cheryl lifted her head, looked at Carlos with a regretful face.
"Where are you from?" he walked closer.
Feeling intimidated by Carlos' gaze, Cheryl's feet spontaneously stepped back.
"Tell me, did you purposely disappear all day because you wanted to avoid me?"
"No, of course not." Cheryl replied quickly, "Carlos, did I ever intentionally avoid you? I've always been begging you to stay with me all this time. I always ask that you can make time for both of us. How could I try to avoid you after everything we've been through together?" Cheryl dared to touch Carlos' hand.
"You're not cheating on me, are you?" Carlos threw Cheryl's hand away. Instead, he gave a suspicious look.
Cheryl blinked her eyes. She wanted to deny Carlos' accusations, but what she did last night was a form of infidelity even though she wasn't actually having an affair with Rafael.
"Carlos, why do you always bring our fights to your suspicions of my loyalty? Have you ever seen me trying to betray our relationship?"
Cheryl knows it's hard to stay in a relationship that isn't based on trust but letting Carlos go isn't easy either. Cheryl has repeatedly tried to end their relationship, but in the end, they still return to being lovers who need each other. There was never an affair between them. Both Cheryl and Carlos were always faithful to every promise they made together, that whatever the reason, they would never forgive the affair.
It's not about Carlos' loyalty, it's about Cheryl's loyalty. It's true that Carlos has never had an affair, but last night Cheryl slept with a stranger. She held Rafael in her arms all night even though nothing else happened between them but sleep. So, does Carlos deserve to stick with a woman like Cheryl?
"Tell me you're not having an affair, Cheryl!" Carlos walked closer. He reached out to grip Cheryl's chin tightly.
"Carlos… it's hurt." She said with great difficulty, she tried to free Carlos' hand, but his grip was too strong.
Immediately, Cheryl panicked. She wasn't in her office in Diamonique, nor was she in Carlos's apartment, which was so quiet with no maids passing by. They were currently in the stables at her Grandma's mansion. There could be a maid or maybe her grandmother around them.
" Do you think this doesn't hurt me?" Carlos' eyes darkened, and his expression hardened.
Carlos, whom Cheryl knew, suddenly disappeared, and he was replaced by a demon that seemed foreign to her.
"Carlos, let me go…" Cheryl moaned in pain. Tears started to flow when she felt Carlos's finger start to dig into her face.
Cheryl knows that Carlos has emotional problems, but shouldn't Carlos be able to control himself whenever he starts physical abuse?
"Carlos, it hurts… please let me go." Cheryl's eyes filled with tears. Her hands tried hard to push Carlos away, occasionally also punching Carlos to wake him from his emotions.
"Oh my gosh, Cheryl! What did I do to you?" Carlos sucked. He immediately let go of his hands, that had left wounds on both sides of Cheryl's cheeks.
Cheryl lowered her head, still sobbing even though Carlos had let go of her grip. Her cheeks throbbed, leaving a stinging pain because her skin was injured. However, that wasn't what made Cheryl cry, but the feeling of disappointment every time she had to face Carlos's explosive emotions that made her a victim of violence.
"Cheryl, are you okay?" Carlos touched her shoulder, but Cheryl immediately backed away. She was afraid, very, very afraid when she had to face Carlos who had just hurt her.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Cheryl. I wasn't aware of what I was doing. You know that I didn't mean to, right? I didn't mean to hurt you." Carlos started to give the explanation he always said after hurting her. Cheryl had memorized every word that Carlos was going to say, but as usual, her heart still melted at every request that Carlos said.
"I'm sorry, Cheryl. I lost control. I was scared because you left without bodyguards, your cell phone was off, and your grandmother didn't know where you were."
Cheryl didn't answer. She was still shocked by what had happened a moment ago.
Her parents never yelled at her, and never raised a voice even though Cheryl often made mistakes that disappointed them. No matter how angry Daddy and Mommy are, they will only scold Cheryl by saying soft words to advise her. They never shouted, nor did they physically hit or injure her. However, why did Cheryl have to get all that from Carlos? The man she loved so much, her future husband?
"Cheryl, please say something. I'm really sorry for letting myself lose control again. I'm so stupid!" Carlos said while throwing a slap to his own cheek.
Cheryl widened her eyes. She was getting hysterical when she saw Carlos start hurting himself.
"Carlos, stop it!" Cheryl grabbed Carlos' hand, which had been hurting himself ever since.
"Stop it!" Cheryl screamed while trying to hug Carlos. "I'm sorry. I won't repeat the same mistake. Please dont be like this." She's crying in Carlos's arms.
And yes, no matter how far they run, no matter how hard they hurt each other, fate will bring them back to the same point.
However, how long will they continue like this? How long have they been hurting each other? How long will they be stuck in a complicated relationship?
Where did all the happiness that they used to share together? Where are the fun days they always fill with laughter?
Why now they have to hurt each other and cry together?
Cheryl didn't understand what was going on. She only knows that she loves Carlos; she needs Carlos, and no other man will love her as Carlos did.
***
"What do you think about coming with me to my family's mansion tonight? Daddy and Mommy are in Las Vegas. I think we needed to meet them."
Carlos rarely talks about his family, in fact he often refuses whenever Cheryl asks him to meet his family. Carlos grew up in a strict family which prioritized business and lacked time to build a harmonious, loving family. Cheryl always felt concerned about Carlos's family, but as she grew older, she began to understand that maintaining household harmony is not easy. Falling in love is a simple matter, but maintaining love is not as easy as she thinks.
"Why do you want to meet them with me?" Cheryl asked. She reached up, bringing Carlos's fingers to dance with hers.
After their fight, Carlos hugs her tightly, apologizing for hurting them.
Cheryl couldn't refuse Carlos's apology because she realized that she had also made a mistake. A big mistake that Carlos will probably never forgive.
"You still have to meet my family even though I don't intend to get you close to them," Carlos shrugged, his hand moving to caress Cheryl's injured cheek. He repeatedly landed kisses on her face, hoping that the wound would soon disappear after getting a kiss from him.
Unfortunately, Cheryl is not a sleeping beauty who can wake up from a long sleep after getting a prince's kiss. She is human, a hundred percent human who can feel pain and needs time to heal the wound.
For a moment, Cheryl remembered that this morning there was a foreign man who called her a sleeping beauty just because she was lazy to get up early.
Cheryl shook her head slowly. She shouldn't have thought about Rafael when she was with Carlos. Her fiancé is Carlos, not Rafael. That man was completely unimportant to her. He was only a small part of the terrible incident that she would never forget for the rest of her life. Just to remember, not to tell anyone.
"Why? You don't want to meet them?" Carlos asked.
Cheryl blinked her eyes. She just realized that her head was shaking slowly in response to her thoughts about Rafael.
"Haven't we met at the engagement party before?"
Carlos has known Cheryl's family since they were little, but Cheryl doesn't know anything about Carlos's family even though they have been in a relationship for many years.
"You don't want to meet my family?"
Cheryl raised her head, "It's not like that, Carlos. But will you show them the scar on my cheek? I would be in a lot of trouble if they asked what happened to my face."
At first, Cheryl didn't mean to bring up the incident a few hours ago. However, she doesn't want to be in the unpleasant position where she has to meet her future husband's family at an inopportune time.
"Can't you cover the wound with makeup? Like you always do before,"
Cheryl kept her mouth shut. She couldn't comment on Carlos's suggestion which reminded her again of the unpleasant things she had received in the past few months.
Carlos often loses control. He also took out his anger on Cheryl by physical abuse to her.
"Carlos, how long are we going to be like this?" Cheryl muttered.
"What do you mean?" Carlos looked confused.
"Hurt each other," Cheryl looked at Carlos intently, trying to find the figure of Carlos who had always been her Prince Charming, whom she rarely saw lately, "how long do I have to hold on to this situation?"
"Cheryl," Carlos clasped her hands tightly, "I'm a bit busy taking care of my company. That's why I often lose control. Soon it will be over, and I promise we will be back like before—no crying or fighting. Do you remember? There was only laughter and happiness."
Carlos' words are like magic that can calm the restlessness in Cheryl's heart. Carlos promised that everything would be back to the way it used to be, and Cheryl wanted the same thing. Back like it used to be.
However, can a broken glass come back whole? Does every wound that Carlos gives doesn't leave a mark? And can Cheryl wait until Carlos returns to her old Prince Charming?