****Becky's POV***
[I don't know where I went wrong. I don't know what I did that wasn't enough for you. I'm sorry for not being physically present for you. I apologize if I'm disappointed that you're giving up on the love we had. But Marcus, I wish you all the happiness in the world because I love you so much, and that's why I'm letting you go.]
I remember the summer of 2019 when I brought Marcus home to meet my parents. Initially, my dad didn't like him due to the small tattoo on his wrist. I recall how he would come over to our house every Sunday to spend time with my dad and have a couple of beers, even though he didn't like to drink alcohol. He would listen to all my dad's stories and rants, and how he is so proud of me. But what truly made me fall deeply in love with him was when I quietly entered the living room around midnight and heard him sobbing, saying, "Sir, I can't imagine my life without her. Sir, I promise to take care of her and never break her heart." Eventually, you convinced my dad that your intentions were genuine.
Perhaps he tried his best to keep his promise, but maybe it's true that promises are meant to be broken. And that's why love disappoints me. Why do we have to fight for love only to give it up afterwards?
Breakups suck. Because I don't know if he's hurting the way I am hurting. Maybe not, because if he were, if leaving me were too painful, then he wouldn't have left.
It has been two days since I was discharged from the hospital. The days at home have been passing slowly. Mom and dad are, as usual, often away.
It has been five days since I last worked, and I haven't felt this relaxed in a while. No need to worry about catching up with the schedule or dealing with annoying people. I can't even remember the last time I gazed into the vast nothingness, with my thoughts wandering in it's own universe.
*Bleep!*
A notification pops up on my phone. It's a message from Trisha.
[Hey, I know you're still resting. I hope you're feeling better now. I just wanted to inform you that we have a full-day event on Tuesday. Can't wait to see you soon. Take care.]
I let out a deep sigh and take a sip from my cup of hot chocolate as I gaze out the window of our condo. I see a couple of kids playing with the brightest smiles I've seen in a while. When I was a child, I used to dream of growing up so I could do things without needing my parents' permission. I wanted to stay up all night, stock my own fridge with ice cream, read books, and watch series until my eyes grew tired. I never imagined that growing up would be this difficult. I never thought it would be so painful.
***Freen's POV***
"Alright, let's see. My balance is sitting at $35,815. Still a long wag to go, Freen, but you've already made some impressive progress," I said, meticulously counting today's sales.
Debt. It's been my enemy for years now. Although I still have that $38,815 balance hanging over my head, it's a major achievement for me. It all began with a hefty $80,000 burden. My father borrowed money from a friend to launch a business that ultimately crashed and burned. He's vanished now, hiding from the world for the past two years. Unfortunately, I don't have much of a choice but to pay off his debts since we've been receiving death threats from the creditors.
Life hasn't been kind to me since childhood, and it's disheartening that things haven't become any easier as I've grown older. Sometimes, I just want to break down and yell,and throw everything in sight. I want the world to know that I'm not okay, that I have a dream, a goal I've been tirelessly striving for, yet it feels as though I'm no closer to reaching it. Why was I born into a poor family? Why do I have a dad who's a failure? Why must I bear the weight of his mistakes?
Glancing at the clock, I realized it was already past 1 AM. Sleep eluded me, my mind refusing to quiet its incessant chatter.
I picked up my notebook to check my schedule for the week. I've been busting my butt promoting my burger stand business on social media and at different events. And let me tell you, it's paying off. I can see the impact it's having on my sales, and I'm not stopping. My goal is to have 100 restaurant branches all over Thailand.
"Oh, now this is exciting! Tomorrow's gonna be a huge event. I heard there'll be a bunch of celebrities, and it's gonna go from 10 AM to 6 PM. I bet my sales will skyrocket that day. I can't wait," I mumbled to myself.
I should let my TikTok followers know about it too. I grabbed my phone and opened the TikTok app, starting a live stream. As soon as I hit a hundred viewers, I spilled the beans about the event happening on Tuesday. It's gonna be a dance and singing contest with a ton of celebs performing.
"I love you, Freen. Aww I love you too," I grinned, reading the comments.
"Do you like Becky?" A smile slipped across my face. "Why do you keep asking me that, guys? She's undeniably stunning, and I happened to catch one of her movies. She's absolutely likable, I must say."
"How's your business going?" A barrage of inquiries flooded the chat. "It's going phenomenally, but it would be even better if you all could come tomorrow. See you there!"
After bidding farewell, I ended the live stream. Scrolling through my TikTok messages, I saw an overwhelming number of unread messages—thousands of them. Realistically, I couldn't possibly read them all, especially considering the multitude of fake accounts attempting to flirt with me. It wasn't worth my time. I set my phone aside and settled into my bed, fully aware that tomorrow would be a monumental day.
"Freen, it's 8 AM," I heard my mom's voice as she attempted to wake me up.
"The weather doesn't look promising today. You should check for updates. It's quite gloomy outside," she advised before leaving my room.
I hurriedly drew back the curtain and glanced at the sky.
"Oh no," I exclaimed as I spotted the cumulonimbus clouds obscuring the heavens. I stretched my body and rose from my bed.
"Mom, did you load my things into the van?" I shouted while making my way towards the dining area.
"Yes, everything you listed is already there. I even packed a large umbrella for the stall, just in case it rains," my mom replied, placing scrambled eggs on my plate.
I expressed gratitude to my mom before taking a bite of my breakfast. We turned on the TV to check the weather updates. It appeared that a Super Typhoon was approaching, expected to make landfall in Thailand on Thursday. I also checked the event's website for any changes, but it seemed they were not postponing it. The venue was nearly an hour's drive from home, so I dressed quickly and prepared to depart for the event. I also planned to swing by Deo's house to pick him up since I anticipated a large number of customers. Deo would be a tremendous help.
We arrived at the event before it commenced. As people started queuing up for our burgers, we swiftly set up the stall. This was the largest event I had ever participated in! There seemed to be tens of thousands of attendees. Thank goodness I brought an abundance of supplies. The event kicked off promptly at 10 AM, and the line at our stall grew to around a hundred, and it was just the beginning! Deo and I did our utmost to serve everyone's orders as quickly as we could.
While cooking burgers, the host introduced the contest judges. Becky ascended the stage. I looked at her and felt relieved to see that she appeared better. She glanced in my direction briefly, so I took the opportunity to smile and wave at her. However, she inexplicably rolled her eyes afterward.
I shrugged it off and continued cooking the burgers. Thirty minutes into the event, the line seemed endless. We had been cooking nonstop for the past half-hour.
"Are you still hanging in there?" I asked Deo.
"As long as you're paying me in cash, not burgers," he chuckled.
"I already told you I would," I replied.
Two hours into the event, the line had shortened slightly, but people kept streaming in. The wind began to pick up, and the sky darkened, as if warning us that it was about to release the rain it had been holding back.
"Deo, I need to use the restroom," I informed him.
"Go ahead," he replied.
I hurriedly made my way to the small hall where the dressing rooms were located and searched for the restroom. I followed the signs in the hallway until I found it. As soon as I closed the door, I heard a loud sound reverberating through the roof. The rain had begun pouring.
I quickly texted Deo: [The rain is pouring. If the wind gets too strong, put the stuff back in the van.]
I could hear the wind whirling outside. I thought the typhoon was supposed to make landfall on Thursday. Why did it feel like a typhoon was raging at this moment?
While washing my hands, the lights started flickering, and then there was a loud crash on the roof, as if something incredibly heavy had fallen onto it. A few seconds later, the lights went out completely.
I turned on the flashlight on my phone and, after about ten minutes, received a response from Deo.
[I'm heading to the nearby mall's parking area. I've already put everything in the van. Just stay there for now. An electrical pole fell near the hall, and people can't enter. We should wait for rescue.]
So, that was the loud sound. I exited the restroom, searching for windows to assess the situation outside. While walking down the hallway, I heard someone crying.
"Is anyone there? Please help me," a voice pleaded.
I followed the sound, which led me to the dressing room area for the artists. I aimed my flashlight at the door to see the nameplate. The voice was emanating from Becky's dressing room. I knocked on the door urgently.
"Is anyone in there?" I shouted.
"Yes, please help me," came the girl's response.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"No, I'm not," she sobbed.
"Are you injured? Can you open the door? It's locked," I shouted, pounding on the door.
"Hey, can you hear me? Can you open it?" I shouted again, relentlessly knocking.
"I can't open it. I'm sorry," she replied.
I traversed the hallway, searching for something that could help me break open the doorknob. I spotted an emergency fire extinguisher. Grabbing it quickly, I returned to Becky's dressing room.
"I'm going to try breaking the doorknob, so stay away from the door, okay?" I instructed.
"I'm not near it," she responded.
I placed my phone down to illuminate the door and began striking the doorknob with the fire extinguisher as forcefully as I could. It took about five minutes, but eventually, it gave way. Hastily grabbing my phone, I opened the door and scanned the room for the girl.
She was sitting in a corner, weeping—Becky. I was taken aback when she suddenly grabbed my hands, pulling me closer, and embraced me tightly.
"I'm scared," she whispered.
I wrapped my arms around her, gently rubbing her back, and whispered, "I'm here now. Don't be afraid anymore." I reassured her.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she wept for what felt like an eternity. I could feel the dampness of her tears seeping through my T-shirt as I held her tightly. I couldn't fathom why she couldn't bring herself to open the door, as it was less than ten steps away.
Finally, after a couple of minutes, Becky's sobs began to subside. She released her grip on me, allowing me to stand up and relieve the cramp in my legs from being in that awkward position. As she wiped away her tears, I rose to my feet, and that's when she reached out and grabbed onto my pants, her eyes pleading.
"Please, don't leave me," she pleaded.
I met her gaze, but her eyes swiftly rolled, and she let go of my pants.
"I'll just get some water for you," I offered.
I retrieved two bottles of water from the table and handed one to her. "Drink this," I instructed, extending the bottle towards her. She accepted it without a word, her attention now fixated on her phone screen, mindlessly scrolling.
"Feeling any better now? Why didn't you open the door? I was worried something had happened and you couldn't get up," I questioned, taking a swig from my own bottle. But she remained silent, her attention fixed solely on the screen.
"We'll have to stay here for a while. The wind outside is really strong, and an electrical pole fell down," I explained, still receiving no acknowledgment from her.
What's gotten into her? In a matter of minutes, she transformed from a teary mess to an unpleasant person. I attempted several times to engage her, but she appeared to be deliberately ignoring me.
But I know just how to bring back the emotional wreck, Becky. "Fine," I said suddenly, rising to my feet and turning towards the door. As expected, she grabbed my pants, desperation evident in her grip. I grinned and rolled my eyes. I knew it.
"Where are you going?" she finally spoke.
"Oh, so you can see me after all. I thought you didn't," I teased.
Sitting back down beside her, she still refused to release my hand. The silence in the room was shattered by the sound of her ringtone. Someone was calling Becky's phone.
She let out a deep sigh. Staring at the screen, she seemed torn about whether to answer or not. A solitary teardrop glistened in the corner of her eye. I could perceive the sadness and pain etched within her gaze. I wondered who this person was and why she reacted so strongly.
Brushing away the tears, she took a deep breath and reluctantly answered the call.
"Hey. Yeah, I'm fine. Uh-huh. Don't worry about it; I'm truly okay. Just ignore my mom. You know she's never around, so what does she really know, right? I hope this will be our last conversation, Marcus. I'm blocking your number after this call. I genuinely hope you find happiness."
After uttering those words, she abruptly ended the call, releasing her grip on my pants and covered her face with her palms. Once again, her cries echoed through the room. Gently, I rubbed her back, feeling inadequate in comforting her when I had no understanding of the situation. Clearly, they had a heated argument for her to block his number and declare it their final conversation.
It took some time for her to regain composure. The weather outside showed no signs of improvement. Deo sent a couple of messages, advising us to wait until the rain lessened before rescue could arrive.
"I'm sorry for crying so much," Becky suddenly apologized, faking a laugh.
"It's alright. There are moments when we're simply not okay, and that's perfectly fine," I reassured her.
"He's my ex-boyfriend. We broke up recently, and I haven't gotten over him yet. Three years isn't something to scoff at, and the most painful part is that I still love him very much. Sometimes, I wake up at night and wonder why I wasn't enough. Why wasn't my love enough for him?" she confessed.
"Maybe your love was more than enough," I uttered, gazing at her. "Love can be expressed in numerous ways—sometimes warm hugs, sometimes a shoulder to cry on, sometimes loyalty, sometimes holding on, and sometimes, even letting go. It probably took a lot of love to finally let him go."
She looked at me and smiled. But the curve on her lips did not define the emotion her eyes speaks. A river of tears flowed from her eyes once more, and I moved closer, embracing her, but she removed my arms from being wrapped around her.
"Don't do that," she glared at me, her brows frowned as if angry. What is wrong with her?
"Hey, you've been giving me that look since earlier, and I'm just trying to comfort you. What did I do wrong?" I inquired.
"You didn't respond to my messages. I waited for seven days, and you still haven't replied!" she complained.
"What do you mean?" I asked, puzzled.
She grabbed her phone and scrolled a bit before she showed it to me. She showed me her messages on Tiktok. I scrolled to see how many messages she sent and it is a lot. I can't help but burst into laughter when I saw her frowned face while showing me her messages. She looks like a kid that did not got her candy after getting a perfect score in an exam.
"What's so funny about this? I've been waiting for several days! And it's quite rude of you to read a fan's comment and not respond to it."
"Wait, did you watch my livestream?" I asked, and she nodded in affirmation.
As she looked at me, she rolled her eyes. I couldn't help but burst into laughter again. I mean, her username is beckyfanaccnt. Firstly, it's not verified, and it definitely seems like a fake account. I didn't even notice what she had sent me because of that comical username. And it's unbelievable that Becky, who has millions of followers around the globe, has watched my livestream.
"Why did you message me? Are you a fan of mine?" I teased, playfully moving my face closer to hers. The frown on her brow suddenly vanished. However, a sudden loud bang on the roof startled us. In my surprise, I accidentally pressed a button on my phone, turning off the flashlight. I could feel Becky's arms wrapping around me, trembling as if she were terribly frightened. I struggled to find my phone and turn the flashlight back on, hindered by her grip, but eventually managed to do so.
"Hey, it's okay now," I whispered.
She gently released her grip and stared into my eyes, as if trying to convey something. I couldn't quite decipher her expression. I moved a bit farther from her and leaned against the wall.
"What was the question I didn't answer?" I asked, breaking the silence in the room.
It took her a couple of minutes before she responded, "A fan asked if you like me," she said, her gaze fixed on me, awaiting an answer.
"Oh, so you're one of those fans," I chuckled.
"What do you mean? I'm not your fan," she denied. "Just answer the question," she demanded.
"I already answered that question. I said you're beautiful and very likable," I replied.
"So, you do actually like me?" she inquired.
"I said you're likable," I replied.
She leaned her face closer to mine, looking deep into my eyes. Suddenly, I could hear the loud thumping of my heart. What was she up to? Then she glanced at my lips and moved even closer. I don't know what came over me, but all I remember is closing my eyes and feeling Becky's lips gently touch mine.
Author's Note:
This is the end of Chapter 2! I hope you liked it. Please vote and follow. Love ya'll