APRIL
Could the day be any better?
When I got to work later in the morning, Dr. Barron informed me Sophia had come for me earlier in the morning, so I made a mental note to check on her during lunch break and I did just that.
Not bothering to go to the cafeteria for lunch even though I hadn’t eaten anything that morning, I headed to the O&G department which was at the west wing of the hospital; it wasn’t that far from the orthopedics. The closest person to Sophia told she was attending to someone at the patient’s room when I got to her office so I decided to just follow her friend’s description as Dr. Barron had told me it looked important and I couldn’t just return to my department.
It was long before I sighted Sophia coming out of the laboratory with a couple. I raised my hand with the intention to wave at her but she looked towards my direction and our eyes met, her face lit up immediately and a small smile slipped out of my face but disappeared immediately.
I stopped in my tracks when my eyes met with his and the anger I didn’t feel when he dropped the bomb on me filled my body that instant replacing the self pity. My eyes fell to the lady beside him; one that looked familiar but I couldn’t remember where I’d met her before. Apparently, she was the one he’d left me for and looking at her now, I understood why he’d done that. She was definitely the opposite of what I was. Prettier, taller and curvaceous while I was just the average looking lady, short as a rat with tiny curves; it was actually the moment I would hate myself but this time, I felt nothing apart from anger.
“Hey, April,” Ray greeted and that snapped me out of my thoughts. I’d been so deep in thoughts that I didn’t know when they all appeared in front of me.
“Hey. I haven’t seen you in a while,” the lady beside him uttered with a bright smile and my brows lifted.
“Do I know you?” I asked while trying not to sound upset. The lady nodded before glancing at Ray who didn’t look concerned at all.
“Yeah, we live in the same building. I stay on the top floor. We met a few times even with him, right?” she replied as she nudged Ray’s shoulders.
“Oh, right,” Ray responded and I lost my cool at that moment.
“Wow, then you must know we were in a relationship before you decided to tie him down with your pregnancy,” I uttered while Ray dashed me a warning look.
“Maybe, maybe not. It’s not my fault that he sought care from me and I gave him what you couldn’t,” she replied with a fake smile that was really getting me riled up.
“You must feel really proud.”
She bobbed her head. “Of course, I’ll be getting married soon and we’ll be having a child. I hope you’ll meet the one for you soon.”
“You must really believe he’s the one for you, what…”
“April, stop it. You need to stop being bitter all the time,” Ray cut me short and my eyes flew to me.
“Oh, now, I’m the bitter one, do you…”
His stupid bimbo cut me short. “Let’s not exchange words. You don’t want to create a scene at your workplace, right? Let’s sort everything amicably. I’m sorry things had to end between you and Ray when you must have believed he’s the one for you but unfortunately, he isn’t. A little piece of advice though, try to take care of yourself. Even with your coat, I can see you’re so skinny, your bones are almost coming out of your flesh. You’re a doctor so, you should know what to do. You’re already short and being skinny just worsen the whole situation, it would have been better if you were pretty but nah,” she wagged her index finger before slipping her hand into Ray’s, ” Let’s go babe.” And with that, they both walked away leaving me to my miserable self.
“Are you okay?” Sophia asked and that made me tear my glare from their retreating figure.
“I’m fine,” I replied while trying to force out a smile but it wouldn’t budge.
“You can’t deceive me. It’s clearly written all over your face. I’m sorry you had to experience that,” she said in a pitiful voice and I shook my head.
“No, it’s fine. It’s not your fault,” I assured her.
“But still…”
“Dr. Barron told me you stopped by earlier. Is anything wrong?” I asked and my stomach just decide to reply by grumbling and Sophia smiled.
“Let’s get something to eat,” Sophia suggested and I smiled before turning back and then we headed to the cafeteria. Once there, Sophia took it upon herself to go get the food while I found us seats at the window side corner of the bustling cafeteria, I was replying my Matilda’s message when Sophia returned with a tray filled with two plates of chicken mole.
“You love this, right?” She asked and I smiled then she took her seat opposite me.
Sophia removed the scrunchie from her hand and packed her long brown hair into a ponytail, obviously to stop it from getting into her food. The ponytail made her face look small, though her face had never been big, she had a babyish face; it was a trait that runs in our family but at least, Sophia’s own was complimented with everything I wanted. A beautiful figure and pretty face.
“So…” I drawled out as I picked up my fork. Sophia glanced at me before clearing her throat.
“Can I stay at your place?” She queried and I lifted my brows.
“What’s wrong? Is your mom coming over?”
When Sophia moved here for her internship, her mother had pleaded with me to allow her daughter stay at my place and since I didn’t mind, I accepted but when Sophia came over the following day, she’d told me she wouldn’t be moving in with me but would stay with her boyfriend whom she’d been dating for almost two years but it was a long-distance relationship and they’d only met a few times. Together, agreed to fool her parents and my mother.
She shook her head. “Nope.”
“Then, why?”
“I’m breaking up with Felix.”
My eyes widened. “What! Why?”
After Matilda’s relationship, Sophia’s own was the next best thing, even though it was long-distance, they’d made things work and I admit, it got me jealous at some point. Never did I expect them to end things, not after they’d started living together and coouldn’t get enough of themselves.
She took a spoonful of her food and chewed on it before replying, “I caught him cheating.”
“Wow,” that was all I could say. To think Felix wasn’t different from other guys.
“Let’s just forget him. Can we go to his place to get my things after getting off?” She asked and I nodded. The discussion ended there. We didn’t mention anything related to relationships after that, in fact we didn’t even talk at all but instead focused on our meals and obviously thinking about our unfortunate lives.
Later in the evening when I got off work, Sophia joined me in my car and we both headed to her boyfriend’s place. It was in the same street as Matilda so it wasn’t far from my place and while Sophia went into the house to get her things and since it was just a box, I remained outside and had a few discussions with Matilda who was just returning home when she noticed my car and then approached me.
“Babe,” I heard a familiar voice call while helping Sophia place her box in the trunk.
“You’re not leaving, right?” the same voice asked and this time I was able to pinpoint the owner as Felix.
“What does it look like?”Sophia’s warm voice turned to a cold one that instant and I walked up to them. Matilda nudged my shoulders, obviously to ask what was going on but I couldn’t tell her at that moment.
“I already told you it was a mistake. I’m sorry,” He turned to me,” April, can you help me beg her?” Felix uttered in a pleading tone and if I didn’t know better, I would have been fooled into helping him but Sophia was my cousin and her decision would always come first.
“Let’s go,” Sophia shouted as she withdrew her hand from his.
“Don’t do this Sophia. I’m…”
“I already told you it’s the end for us, don’t come looking for me,” she concluded before entering the car and Felix sighed then he turned to me with a hopeful look.
“I’m sorry.”
“We’ll talk later,” Matilda said as I turned to her then I gave her a small smile before entering the car and soon drove off. The sobs from my side made me glance at Sophia and then I noticed she was crying. I decided not to pacify her or say anything, it was what she actually needed at that moment.
“What would you want for dinner?” I asked Sophia halfway through the ride as I pulled over in front of a restaurant. She’d stopped crying a few minutes ago.
“I’m not hungry.”
“You can’t starve yourself because of him. You only ate a little earlier,” I said, reminding her she’d only been picking on her food during lunch.
“I just don’t have the appetite.”
I shook my head. “You need to eat. Do you want to end up in the hospital? I’ll get you something,” I told her before coming down from the car and then made my way into the restaurant.
I was waiting for the food at the counter when my eyes caught sight of Aaron and his wife looking all lovey dovey. Aaron was my ex; the one before Ray and just a few weeks after our break up, he’d sent me the invitation card to his wedding which I never attended. I watched them until they were no longer in sight and then the waiter called for my attention.
Walking out of the restaurant with the food, my mood turned sour and Sophia who seemed to notice as soon as I got into the car asked me what was wrong but I only told her not to bother herself with it. I started the car after that and we drove in silence.
“I’m sorry for any inconvenience,” Sophia started after she’d fully settled into the house. We were in the living room having our dinner in silence when she suddenly talked.
“No, it’s fine,” I assured her and she gave a tight-lipped smile.
“I shouldn’t have stayed in his place at all.”
“Why? Did he treat you badly other than cheating?” I asked and she shook her head.
“No, did something happen at the restaurant earlier?” She swiftly changed the topic, obviously not wanting to talk about Felix again.
“Not really. I just saw someone.”
She lifted her brows. “Your ex? Is it Ray again?”
I shook my head. “Nope, I dated him before Ray.”
“You’re not over him yet?”
“I am. I don’t understand why I’m even sad. I guess I didn’t expect to see him so happy with his wife.”
She bobbed her head. “It’s normal. You surely wouldn’t expect that.”
“I don’t know why I’m just feeling miserable. With everything that happened today, I just feel I’m not enough.”
First, it was with Rowan body shaming me and then Ray and his useless girlfriend and then Aaron. Do I have to be reminded of how unappealing I am in just a day? Could the day get any worse?
Sophia touched my hand. “It’s fine. Let’s just forget it and get some drinks.” She got on her feet and walked to the fridge to get some wine. First, it started with the intention to forget our worries but soon we started bawling our eyes out while talking about how bad we were in keeping a relationship.
We ended up getting drunk and crying ourselves to sleep that night.