“She is your mother.” She said to him, making him frown.
“God forbid.” He claims.
“Tiania, that's enough. Listen to your mother.” Her mother, remembers Henrick saying his mother was the first person he had cried for, said to her.
“No. I am done listen-
“His mother is dead, you stubborn good for nothing girl child. But how would you know? When all you care about is yourself.” Her mother cut her off and said to her, telling her another thing she is unaware of. But also reminded her by asking that she doesn’t know her husband at all for she is only for herself.
It was then that she became silent. Her husband who is soon to be ex. Stared at her for he couldn’t help himself. Her mother felt sorry that the daughter she thought would be a perfect wife ruined someone's life. She made a complete fool out of him in the name of love.
“You look pretty.” Henrick said to her. She didn't know how to accept his compliment because she dressed up for another man.
“You can come in.” He said looking at everyone.
“You too.” His voice tells her he was speaking to her. She stood up and entered with everyone. Everyone entered except Tiania.
“Are you not... It’s okay if you don’t want to come in, it’s now a place you have come to hate.” Henrick said after he noticed that she allowed everyone to enter, leaving her standing there. What he didn’t know was that Tiania was now feeling the pain of her injured feet. Herick left her there to see if she really wouldn’t enter.
“Tiania, what are you doing? Come inside, it's hot out there.” Rinaea called her and asked her before telling to come in and why.
Everyone came back to the hall to see if she would really not enter. Henrick looked at her in wonder if she really had come to hate him that much. She stepped off and fell! Her brother went to offer his help, but his mother stopped him.
“Let her husband pick her.” Her mother said to him looking at her. Henrick went to offer his help, but he didn’t know if she would allow him to touch her. He stood there waiting for her permission so he could do his job as a husband.
“You have drained this man of all his will to do what should do as a man who is supposed to protect. Now, look at him waiting for her to give him permission to touch her. Pick her henceforth, you are to do your job as her husband until her mother says otherwise.” Her mother said glaring down at her. Sudden sadness in her father’s eyes when he looked at the both of them. Her mother made it clear for Henrick to hear and know what to do but still he waited for her to say otherwise.
“Do as she tell you.” Tiania said to him before she looked up at his meeting his gentle eyes.
She seemed surprised that his eyes were so gentle and sweet to look at. She wondered if his eyes had always been that gentle and sweet. She had long known of his brown coloured eyes but she never actually took a good look at them. She became shy and avoided looking at anyone.
He took her into his arms and up the stairs. Then to his room where he placed her on the bed and went for a first aid kit and returned. She was just sitting there waiting for him. She glanced around noticing how the room looked the same but felt different.
“Has it always been me? Was it me who didn’t love him? Was I lying to myself saying that I love him when I didn't? …Has it been me all this time?” She asked herself each question as if she was asking someone else who was seated before her.
She took a moment and asked herself once more just a bit different just when Henrick came out with the first aid kit. He was surprised that she was asking herself instead of him but to the point where he heard the question, he believed that she was asking him.
“Huh? Ah, i –i-
“Sorry, I was speaking to myself.” She cut him and spoke. Immediately after she realizes that he has a softness to his voice. She looked up at him immediately. She couldn’t believe her ears. She stood up and the pain made her sit in an instant.
“Please don't... You don’t have to try to leave because I tried talking to you, Ania, I know you don’t want to be in my presence. So, please Nia let me do this.” He said and paused. When he spoke, she couldn’t take her eyes away from his. It was like a magical moment for her. When he called her Ania, she felt her heart skip beat in her chest. But then he shattered it when he reminded her just how much she hates him. He pleaded she should allow him to band up her feet.
“I don’t hate you.” She said to him, and he looked up at her.
The tears in both their eyes made kaleidoscope. Not knowing of their own movements. They were inches away from kissing when his guardian and her friend entered the room without knocking. Tiania looks away immediately, but Henrick stays in the same position hoping she will notice that he hasn’t given up on her. He suddenly stood and leaned down toward her.
“I know that I don't make you happy. So, if happiness is him...? I will support you happily.”
He said to her and stood up from her and went to the bathroom. Even after he was long gone from her sight and the shower was turned on, she was still in the same place.
“So, if happiness is him. I will support you happily.”
She remembered his words as if he had just said it to her face. Her chest burns like she was poured over with hot water. She began to cry silently. Rinaea came up to her and noticed that she was crying. Rinaea glanced at Henrick's guardian hinting her to leave and she did.
“How about I test his love for you myself. Can you show it to me please, I would like to see if it’s him who hates you or it’s the other way around. Even so, he has been chasing you for your love so nicely even from the shadows. Those flowers, gifts, and expensive stuff and I know nothing has happened to him but yet. Your acting fooled me for sure.” Rinaea said to her and asked her nicely. She sniffles and wipes her tears looking at her with confusedness. Rinaea wanted to see who loved who and who hated who. She then told her about the gifts and flowers she has been receiving from Henrick. She was surprised but Rinaea didn’t notice. Instead, she told her that her Tiania acting skills completely fooled her.
“What?” Tiania asked.
“I said, i-”
“I heard you; I just don’t know, I'm confused here. Henrick was the gifter of everything that I was receiving since the day I moved out and moved into the apartment next door?” She said in a cold manner then asked as she was confused thinking they were from someone else, like the person she got dressed up for. Just that the simple look was how she met Alex, as well as how she met Henrick.
“Who else would do all those for you? The apartment is yours. Henrick brought it for the very next week. The paperwork I had you sign was for the apartment.” Rinaea told her with a smile and a little bit of a guilty facial expression.
“Okay. Enough about all that now, you know. I thought you had long figured it all out, but you didn’t. I should have told you too just in case. I apologize. Now, please he is about to come and face everyone what you think he would wear, and what he wouldn’t? Put them out and let’s see which he will wear. I will help you since you have your injury.” Rinaea said to her and sat down on the bed next to her. She began to explain things to her and say that she thinks Tiania had noticed everything, but it seems she didn’t. She apologizes for not telling her and asks Tiania to show her the clothes thing between her and Henrick. She implies that she would help because she knows Tiania won’t be able to move around.