In the middle of the drive, Ian felt utterly uncomfortable. He had never engaged in a physical fight like this before. It was a dumb strike of luck that he won against those three, but upon experiencing the painful consequence at this moment, it seemed like he overestimated himself. With the wrinkled lines protruding on his forehead, Marzia felt even more guilty. If only she was a great driver, she would've driven faster. Gladly, the hospital is just a few intersections away. Upon arriving there, Marzia parked Ian's car on the lot and guided him inside. About a few minutes later, a doctor was already examining Ian's situation.
He did basic tests and wrapped the man in a bandage, eventually telling him and the woman that everything was fine. Marzia exhaled a deep breath, hitching her head down to bury her face in her palms.
Ian witnessed the relieved expression of the lady. At that moment, he felt a tightening in his chest. This girl was almost assaulted, yet she seemed more concerned about his well-being. Quite frankly, no one cared about him like this before.
Truthfully, he felt his heart galloping in a flat-out beat. The doctor said he was fine and luckily his ribs didn't crack, but why did he feel like he had an impending fever? Heat crawled up his body and consumed his groins. It disturbed Ian so much that he thought he needed a large dose of Tylenol to cure him from this damn madness.
About thirty minutes more, everything was already settled and Ian was ready to go with just pain medications and regular bandaging. He has also called Romeo to fetch him. At this moment, Ian and Marzia are exiting the hospital. Holding the bag of medications in his hand with pursed lips and a reddening face, Ian couldn't keep Marzia out of his thoughts. After all, if he didn't match her energy in the car and said some spiteful shit earlier, they wouldn't end up in such a salty situation.
The man tried to pass the giddy feeling of guilt and trepidation, but it seemed like even with the higher dosage of the medicine, his mysterious fever still didn't subside as it became even worse when the lady beside him appeared to be inching closer. Nonetheless, Marzia chose to stay silent, as she too, felt guilty for causing such a powerful man of petty troubles. By the time they got to the car, Ian grabbed the keys from the woman. Marzia, whose eyes were as wide as a ladle, looked at him with an expression as though she's waiting for him to say something. Because of this, Ian appealed to her beckon and answered, "Uhm, thank you for the concern. I called Romeo over. He'll drive us home."
Marzia swerved his remarks and said, "No. I'm okay. I'll be going home on my own. Again, thanks for… running to check on me after storming out your car. That was real chivalric of you."
Ian turned to her with his eyebrows in a furrowing broad. "I was mistaken. I shouldn't have said those words to you. And… you had a point. But please, let us drop you off at your place. It's not safe and it'll bother me if I just let you on your own after what just happened."
"Again, Ian… I said it's fine. You don't have to care any longer. I'm not your employee anymore, remember? I can just grab a taxi from here. Goodbye," Marzia rejected his offer in a straightforward manner. Her eyes are fixed on the road. At this point, she's so tired that she just wanted to go home and curl up in a ball.
'Why is this goddamn woman so stubborn?' Ian grunted inwardly before he heaved a deep sigh, watching the woman walking away in slow, heavy steps.
"Marzia, please don't make this more complicated. I'll drive you to your place like what we have discussed before," he reiterates, making his voice louder as she's a few feet away.
She just turned her head at him haughtily. "Tch, look who's talking. Goodbye, Mr. Ian," she replied nonchalantly.
Ian rubbed his palms on his scruff and hastily added, "Look, if this is because of our fight a while ago, I'm really sorry. I was wrong to say that to you. Hell, you can even keep your job as Chan's tutor for a compromise."
Doing a double take, Marzia dropped her arms to the side. Lifting her chin to meet his gaze, she raised her left brow. "I can say the same thing to you, but I've already made up my mind. I'm not interested in taking that job back."
"Marzia!" Ian's jaw twitched.
He was about to walk forward and grab her arms when, suddenly, the woman deliberately evaded him and ran toward a taxi that happened to stop nearby.
"Bye, Ian! I hope you can find your nephew a tutor who is not as nosy as I am!" Marzia then got inside the vehicle quickly, completely ignoring his yell.
"W—What the? Hey!" Ian grunted, raising his chin up and taking a deep breath.
Dismayed by the lady's seemingly uncaring gesture, he could only watch the taxi leave and another one come. Romeo stormed out of the car that has just arrived with a worried look. He ran up to his boss. "Sir Ian? What the heck happened?" he asks, holding Ian's arms and checking everywhere, but the latter only had his gaze pinned on the horizon.
"Tch… that stubborn woman. I already said sorry," Ian ended up audibly mumbling that for Romeo to hear. "Huh? Who are you talking about, Sir? And what woman? Did you just meet someone?"
Ian looked at Romeo with a frown. "Tch! Shut up and just drive me home. I can't feel my knuckles," he said and stormed the backseat, his lips unconsciously pouting. The whole ride home, he was drowning in a mixture of confusing emotions.
…
Sunday morning greeted Marzia with incessant badgering calls from her mother. And because of what had just happened lately between Ian and her, she didn't have a choice but to tell her mother the truth: that she was still on a job hunt. LinkedIn wasn't as helpful as she thought. It turns out that postings on the internet isn't that reliable at all. As a result, Mary groaned in disapproval and was constantly fiddling with restless words to her daughter.
And so, over the following weekday, Marzia suited up and joined the real world of job searching. Since the academic year will be pursue in three weeks tops, Marzia used this timely opportunity to walk in on institutions that accepts graduates with no experience. After a thorough interview one Wednesday afternoon, Marzia was smiling to herself as she thought she did well in answering the principal's interrogation earlier. Her pleasing personality and high grades certainly made up for her lack of experience. Years before, Marzia only landed a few tutoring gigs with Deniece's socialite friend's kids and nothing more since Scott never let her do her own thing.
"That dumb hunk. If only he let me work before, I wouldn't have to sacrifice this much. Ugh, what did I even see in him?" she thought as she walked along the yard of the prestigious elementary school.
As she dwelled in self-deprecating thoughts, she strides to the side of the main road and was about to hail a cab when she caught notice of a familiar shadow across the street. Getting a clear view of him, she saw a man dressed in an expensive suit heading toward her, his expression serious and his face seemingly hit anew. A whole nother scar was plastered on the right side of the man's face. It seems like he got beat by his father again. 'Deserve,' Marzia thought in glee.
Moving on from the sight of Scott's figure, Marzia avoided him immediately, dashing away from his sight. However, he walked like the grim reaper and had already blocked her way.
Annoyed by his presence, Marzia bit her tongue and frowned. "Do you mind?!" was all she could ask.
However, Scott just remained in front of her, trying to barricade all openings so Marzia could run away nowhere. With no sense of ineptitude, the man suddenly said, "Come back home, Marzia." He then held her left arm and squeezed it tightly. "I—I…" Scott paused and looked away before swallowing and adding, "I want you back."
For the very first time, Scott sounded pitiful, but Marzia would no longer be duped by this manipulation. "Lol!" Marzia commented with a glower and literally laughed out loud. "Bipolar much? Didn't you just insult me the other day? And now, you're asking me to come back? Hey, Mr. Scott Pilgrims, I'm not a dumb bitch. I know you're just saying that because you're father is forcing you to. Sorry to burst your bubble, but no!"
Marzia didn't give a single fuck anymore and just shook her head while Scott heaved a deep sigh. His hands were splayed on his waist while he lifted the other to reach her hand. Pressing her palms softly, he begged, "I can pay your mother's debt, Marzia! Or let you get a job in one of the finest schools here… just, please come back home."
She threw his hand away from her and gave him a death-defying glare. "The moment you've ditched me on that altar, we're already over. You should've thought of that first before leaving me there looking like a mess. Also, what do you even want from me? Just get used to Mr. Dickin's beatings because that's all you're going to be in this life of yours. His punching bag. So, please, shoo!"
Scott's humble countenance vanished instantly. Huffing a large sigh, he chafed, "Fuck… Come on, Marzia! I'm trying here."
Marzia scoffed. "I don't care! I'm still not going back with a narcissistic guy like you, to your pathetic house, and especially to your horrendous mother!"
His genteel eyes snapped to a livid nightmare. He snatched her shoulders, pushing her against the bark of the tree behind them, and forcibly grasping her skin in constriction.
"Don't you insult me or my mother like that! You have no right…" The edge of his mouth curved upward. She could see his teeth gnashing.
"What the?! Get off of me, jerk! I don't fucking care about how you feel. I'll insult whoever I want to!" Marzia replied and pushed him away. Thankfully, he let go. She then brushed her sleeves and added, "See? You're still the same guy. The same proud and egomaniac guy who thinks he has rights to everything!"
Scott would never change. This has sealed the deal for her.
Her ex-boyfriend grimaced, baring his anger with the woman he once called his fiancee. "You can't live without me, Marzia…. It's hard out there. Just come back home and act like you always did and you would live the best life… For fuck's sake, just let me have this."
After hearing his words, Marzia chuckled once again. At this point, she no longer wanted to listen. "Whatever, Scott. My decision is final… I can't degrade myself like that anymore."