"Who is she?" She slowed her heavy breathing while she asked that question. She never expected this from the start, never expecting she would one day ask this question to the man she loved and trusted. Hugo wouldn't hurt her. Their five years of togetherness already proved that but the scene before her kept her mind in deep unrest and the behavior he exhibited when he realized she was the one he kissed made her fears come true. She always heard stories of cheating boyfriends and also watched it on screens but Hugo.... She'd never believe she would one day be in that situation.
Her eyes narrowed at him while waiting for him to speak up. Her eyebrows were scrunched up, her lips tightened in a thin line as she gaped at him. He darted his eyes across the room, to anything in the room but her and she could discern he must be fumbling the words to say or better still the lies to tell her.
A couple of minutes passed as they stayed in complete silence, she was still clutching the red lingerie, her heart banging irrational against her ribs and her chest tightened to the point she thought she'd probably pass out. Why does it hurt so much? If he thought she wasn't the one he was kissing, then who? She fight back the tears building in her eyes as she waited for his response.
"You haven't answered my question," he finally spoke up and returned his gaze to her. Something flickered in the look he gave her but his eyes were super impassive, didn't know what might be going on in his head. "You should have called me before showing up unannounced. Honestly speaking, I wasn't expecting you'd show up."
Jane stilled on the floor, the coldness of the tiled floor transported all over her body, matching with the cold look in his eyes as he spewed that. Couldn't she show up unannounced in her boyfriend's house? Can't she surprise him or something? And he never picked up her calls or reply the messages she sent him.
Face flushed and pale, she drew a deep breath and proceeded in answering him. Willing her voice and body to comply with her.
"Can't I visit you to surprise you?" She asked. Her voice faltered a bit while her gaze was glued on him. "And since when do you get worked up when I visit you unannounced."
"Seriously Jane...."
Jane? No more sweetheart or baby but Jane now. She wondered.
"Don't take it the wrong way….." He paused, running his fingers through his wet hair. "That's not what I meant, I meant you could've called me, alerted me before showing up. What if I wasn't home?"
"I called you many times," she spoke up when she found her voice back. "But you never answered, I texted you as well, you never replied. I thought you might still be upset with me for slapping you the other day, that's why I decided to show up on your birthday and apologize....only for you…..to tell me you thought I was her?"
"Hugo?" She called softly and took some steps toward him, sealing the gap between them. In a calm voice she asked, "who is she? Tell me who is she?"
"You don't need to know," he replied and pulled away from her. He turned away from her, his back facing her.
Jane was struck at his response, he wasn't denying it. He wasn't telling her the word he said was false and that she might have heard wrong. Feeling the anger ride back, she tightened her grip on the fabric and moved to him, barricading him.
"What do you mean!" She raised her voice. Her nerves working up. "I'm your girlfriend and I ought to know what is going on? Who is the woman you thought me to be? Who is she? I deserve to know."
"Really? Didn't you think I deserve to know you had a steamy night with some guy behind my back? And you never brought it up when you visited me the last time."
Jane's jaw dropped at the accusation laced in his eyes and voice. His accusation made her drop her hand, still holding on to that fabric but his eyes and voice drained all the energy to defend herself.
"Did you?" His voice accused.
"I didn't sleep with any guy! I didn't have any steamy night with anyone! That article is untrue..."
He chuckled, cutting her off. His eyes mocked her, still chuckling. After a minute, his laughter died down. 'You must think I'm stupid, don't you? You must think I don't know what goes on in that movie industry, did you think your boyfriend is daft or something?"
Jane shut her eyes in utter despair and pain. How was she going to explain herself and make him understand what happened was a mistake and he shouldn't question or doubt her personality. Yes she might be an actress, a celebrity but she has some decency, she wasn't the type who goes around sleeping with men to attain greater heights.
Why was the one person who should be her source of comfort condemning her? Hadn't he dated her long enough to know the kind of person she is?
"Hugo, I never had any steamy night with any guy!" She snapped. "I never will. That was a mistake, I never slept with any guy and neither will I. You are the only man who made my body his. Why are you judging me?"
"Wow…. I can't judge you but you can?" His words accused her further. "And you really want me to believe it was a mistake? You walking out of bar upper room in a hurry, hair in a mess and your face looked flushed. You want me to believe you aren't having an affair with someone else or more like opening yourself up to get more roles."
"Isn't that how you got this one?..."
Her hand left her side and came in contact with his cheek. Her body boiling up in anger left her not option but to slap him. Again.
"I won't have you question my personality!" She said angrily, ignoring the startled look in his eyes while holding his cheek. "You have dated me long enough to know the kind of person I am, if I did as you claimed, I wouldn't be here. I would have appeared in cinemas and so on but I didn't yet you accused me of that?"
Hot tears bubbled in her eyes and her eyes shimmered as she tried to control them from spilling down her face.
"So I wouldn't have you insulting me or questioning me," she snapped. "Yes I admit that I was drunk that day and found myself in the bar upper room with some guy but that doesn't mean I go about sleeping with any guy....."
"And...." She trailed off and darted her eyes to the cake on the desk. She picked it up and walked back to him. She saw him flinch a little when she tossed the cake like she wanted to throw it at him. "Never in my life did I ever thought you'd hurt me."
"Why? Because I'm an actress and you believe what the media says than what your girlfriend says. I brought this cake to celebrate your birthday and to apologize for what I did the other time. So here, have it. Happy birthday to you."
She raised the cake and smashed it on his face. The strawberty iced cake smeared on his face, damping his eyes, nose and mouth. The debris falling on the floor.
Without sparing him another glance, she picked up her bag and phone from the desk and whirled away toward the exit. She opened the door and walked out on a package on the foot of the door.
She stared at it before lowering herself to pick ut up and unwrap it.
"Jane, stop!" He rushed toward her and tried to snatch the package from her but she pulled the package from his reach and unwrapped it.
"Jane, I said stop!" He thundered.
She ignored the command in his voice and unwrapped the package, her jaw dropped on what she saw.
A two step well designed cream cake with the inscription 'IY loves HO'.
It took her a little moment for it to register in her brain it was his name initials and the woman's name initials.
IY? Who is IY?