Alessandre stood up as I read Aiden”s message to me. I felt him staring at me, and I shivered at the coldness of his stare, but I pretended to be unaffected by his presence.
I would pretend I was not with him just to get away from him. That is the only way I am going to avoid being humiliated.
I try to avoid staring at him because I do not want to cry in front of him. When I saw his face, I am sure I would not be able to contain myself and would cry.
All of his nasty remarks, insults, plus the fact that he and Cassy had kissed in front of me earlier seemed like a bomb that burst in my being. I know how sad I am for wishing for a nice connection with Alessandre.
We were doing OK, I thought. I assumed things were fine because he had not been disrespectful to me in the last few days. But I was the only one who was thinking about it at the time. Everything is in my head, since the truth is that he still despises me. Who would want an orphan like me, though?
I screwed up his family by diverting his parents” attention, which he should have received in whole, but due to me, his parents” attention was split. And now he has been forced to marry me for the sake of my father”s business, which he should no longer be concerned about because I am the one who should be dealing with it.
I am to blame for a lot of things, so maybe, just maybe, I deserve it. His connection with Cassy was ended by me. When I am not around, they are happy, but that is all changed because of me.
I took a big breath and exhaled deeply. I soon lost track of Alessandre”s presence alongside me. When I looked at where he was sitting, I noticed that it was vacant.
I noticed him approaching the stairwell.
I just knelt and lowered my phone to my lap, weary. At the very least, I should have been glad because I could finally breathe freely, but that was not the case. Instead, I have the impression that I am alone and lonely. He seemed to have abandoned me for good.
I feel like I have already lost him as I watch his back as he walks away from me. The erasure of my idea that we would get along came at the same time as he turned his back on me.
I only concentrated on the front. People were having a good time and conversing with him. I guess I am the only one at this gathering who feels lonely, eh?
I am starting to feel like an outcast. Despite my want to interact with others, I am unable to summon the guts to do so. I”m too self-conscious to approach them. Another issue is that the women in my town do not appear to care for me. They will roll their eyes at me if I catch them looking at me. Others will nearly gloat to their friends and acquaintances that I am Alessandre”s fiancee, but I am not what he desires.
I returned my attention to my phone. I was taken aback when I noticed Aiden was no longer online. Perhaps he was overworked. When I have free time, I remind myself to treat him to supper.
When I felt someone seated next to me, my attention was drawn to my cellphone because I had no one else to chat to and no one approached me to talk to. When Alessandre left, I moved to a new table because I was not comfortable at our previous table.
The location where we are sitting is in the foreground. I moved on since I felt like everyone was gazing at me. It is humiliating because I am alone and in the spotlight.
I turned to see who was sitting in the chair next to me. As I came across his smirking face as he watched me, my brow furrowed.
“Hello, my name is Louis,” he proudly announced. I was forced to take his hand in mine.
“Hello,” I said simply.
When he heard my response, his grin expanded even further. I do not mind if he thought my response to him was amusing, but I do not speak to strangers and have no intention of providing him my name.
“Do you mind if I sit next to you? I am a little dizzy from the brightness, eh,” he explained. I was on the verge of sketching down his ridiculous justification. What other option do I have now that he is already seated next to me? Is there any other motive he might possibly have?
“Ah, really,” I stated bluntly.
I returned my attention to my phone. This man irritates me greatly, and for some reason, he makes me feel uneasy when he is near. Strange, but he irritates my system.
I have the impression that he approaches me for a reason.
He inquires, “Aren”t you with someone? Are you the only one who has come here?” As he observed me, he even rested his elbow on the table and leaned down on it.
“My partner left, and I have no idea where he went,” I said, uninterested in what he had to say.
All I want is to be alone. For the love of God, I retract my earlier statement that I would like to speak with others here. I have changed my mind; all I want to do now is be alone and away from the folks here.
He held her chest and whispered, “Aww, that is too sad.” I might have pushed this man away from me in front of me earlier if I would not just looked nasty.
He said, “A lovely lady like you should never be left alone.”
To settle myself, I let out a deep sigh. My patience with him was wearing thin. Why is he being so nosy and acting as though we”re in a close friendship?
“Do not worry, I will stay with you till your boyfriend returns, assuming he returns,” he replied.
What he said made me frown. What exactly is he on about? What he stated seems to have hidden connotations to me.
“I am just going to the bathroom,” I said, feigning a smile at him.
He nods and gives me a thumbs up. I hurried away from him, clutching my bag. He is giving me the creeps. I am getting chills from the way he looks at my body.
I took the path Alessandre had taken earlier instead of heading straight to the bathroom. I had seen him come in earlier. I will just ask him if we might go home early, because it”s beyond twelve o”clock. We might be able to return home.
I simply proceeded down the long, dark corridor that led to the hotel”s garden. Wow! It is quite lovely here.
I grinned when I noticed a swing in the middle of the garden. When I heard a faint voice, I was prepared to leave.
A familiar voice replied, “I miss you.”
I hear a woman”s voice say, “I miss you too. You do not visit me in my condo anymore.”
Despite my trembling knees, I was able to take a step towards the source of the two voices. Even if I know who owns those voices, I hope he is not the one I am thinking of right now, only to be disappointed once more.
I overheard Alessandre and Cassy conversing. If Cassy had not just sat on Alessandre”s lap while Alessandre was practically hugging her, it would not have stung so much.
When I saw them in that position, I tensed in my stance.
“I am sorry, Cass,” Alessandre said softly as he quickly kissed Cassy on the lips. “Mommy is always watching over me, so I cannot escape.” I overheard Cassy laughing.
She asks him, “Is it because of that woman?” as she plays with his hair. I admire her. I was never allowed to touch Alessandre”s hair. He claims that I am allowed to touch anything on his body except his hair. It is funny how he just stood there and let her fiddle with his hair.
Alessandre just said, “Yeah.”
I noticed Cassy frowning in response to Alessandre”s response. Alessandre simply laughed at Cassy”s expression.
In my heart, there is a heaviness. That is the chuckle I would been hoping to hear from Alessandre for a long time.
Laughter that is not forced. I tried several times to make Alessandre laugh, but all I got was a harsh remark, except from Cassy. She does not have to go out of her way to make Alessandre smile.
“So, what are your plans with that woman?” Cassy inquired. A long pause hung in the air. I noticed Alessandre was deep in contemplation when I looked at them.
Cassy only stared at him, as if she were examining his features. My tears were already streaming from my eyes, something I was completely unaware of. I tried furiously to wipe away my tears, but they continued to flow.
He answered coldly, “Hmm, I will marry her, then file for divorce. Yeah, that is what I am going to do. Then I will marry you once I deal with that woman.” My tears had increased by a factor of two.
“Really?! What if she does not agree?” she exclaimed, pouting. “I do not think that woman will let you go once you two are married; perhaps you will not be able to visit me at my condo anymore once you”re married.”
“That will never happen. That woman will never be able to control me,” Alessandre said, grinning ear to ear as he stared at her. “Perhaps I will go home to your condo more often than to our house, eh?”
I fled the garden when it became too cold. I do not think I will ever be able to accept what he says.
I quickly moved away from the garden. What I have heard has made me feel as though I cannot breathe. I had no idea he thought so little of me.
What I have heard is killing me on the inside. So that is his strategy, huh?
When I remembered the kiss we shared earlier in his office, I sobbed even harder. Is that just for the show? Is he then just acting? Was he just trying to persuade me?
What irritates me the most is that he said it as if I was genuinely forcing myself to submit to him. He seems to despise me to the core, based on the way he speaks. Even as a friend, I have the impression that he will never like me. That is how unappreciative he is of me.
My tears continued to stream down my face. Because of the tears that continue to run from my eyes, my eyesight is clouded.
I dashed to the hotel”s comfort room. I wanted to get out of here, but I needed to calm down first. Surely, the reporters are still waiting at the hotel”s entrance, and I am terrified to think what else they will think if they see me in my current state.
I should take some time to relax beforehand. I tried to forget about Alessandre and Cassy”s previous chat; it was the only way I could stop crying.
Anyone who sees them will immediately think the duo is too cute. They are a lovely couple, if only I had not come along to wreck their happiness.
With the tissue I discovered in the comfort room, I wiped away my tears. Because of my constant crying, my make-up has spread. It was as though I am sobbing a lot over how I presently appear. Black tears are streaming down my cheeks, most likely due to the make-up my sister Rosette applied earlier.
If I had known this was going to happen, I would have told sister Rosette to apply water-resistant make-up to me so that I would not appear even more pitiful than I already am. As I cleaned my face, my tears continued to fall steadily.
I just took off my make-up because it had already been damaged by my constant crying. I also have no plans to return to that gathering, so it is fine if I am without make-up.
In the mirror, I studied myself. This is who I truly am. I give a sorrowful smile to myself in the mirror. I am completely exhausted. All I want to do now is get home and sleep in my warm bed. I am exhausted.
As I looked in the mirror, I looked as if I was going to pass out. My eyes had enlarged slightly from sobbing earlier. My cheek is likewise red, as is my nose. I let out a long sigh. I was pondering how I would return home later.
I do not want to see Alessandre because I will recall everything he said about me. Also, it is possible that the two of them are still together right now.
To stop myself from fretting again, I simply shook my head. I am too tired to think about anything. I chose to take a break in the restroom first. I opened and closed one of the comfort room cubicles. I closed my eyes and sat on the closed toilet.
When I heard the comfort room door open, I was taken aback. I tried not to make any noise by keeping my mouth shut.
I overheard the girl say, “Have you seen how Cassy kissed Alessandre in front of his fiancee? Girl, that was so great! I truly respect Cassy”s confidence.”
What she said made me squirm. Do you think that is cool, girl? Well, let me tell you something: what she did was not cool, and it was disrespectful.
Another girl responds, “I know right! Cassy is not actually going to lose.”
They appear to have come here solely to gossip. I never heard from them again after that. They also appear to appear out of nowhere. Tsk.
Fortunately, I am finally at ease. Even though I was still depressed, I had stopped crying. I wish I could scream at Alessandre and Cassy, but I cannot. I am quite aware that I”m guilty of it.
Maybe they stated that because they are in love with one other.
When the door to the cubicle where I was staying banged loudly, I almost jumped out of my seat. I hurriedly stood up and opened the door. As Cassy”s solemn expression appeared on me, my brow furrowed.
“Let me tell you something straight, bitch: you cannot take Alessandre away from me. Even if you marry him, he will still be mine,” she added angrily. Her eyes squint when she looks at me.
“Listen closely, Annalize. You harm our relationship! If it were not for you, Alessandre would not be able to force us to part! You truly used your orphanhood to separate me from Alessandre! Why, is it our responsibility if your parents die?” she asked, smirking.
“Is it fun, huh?” she asked, gently pushing me. My back collided with the wall. When she hit my arm wound, I winced.
“Are you enjoying how Alessandre”s parents prefer you over me?” she asked, her face darkening as she stared at me. My brow furrows.
“Huh! Look at you, as if you are an angel,” she remarked, “but the reality is, you are just a desperate bitch, an attention seeker bitch who wants to catch everyone”s attention.”
“Look, Cassy, I did not want any of this to happen either,” I explained as I stared her down.
“I never want to marry my stepbrother, much less harm your friendship with him,” I murmured, practically sobbing. Cassy just laughed cynically at me.
“You cannot fool me, my dear; you are just a rotten fruit thrusting yourself into someone who will never like you,” she sneered. What she said caught me off guard.
“Cassy-” I tried to take her hand in mine, but she slapped me hard.
The sheer intensity of her slap on me made me feel deafened.
My hand shook, and the pain in my right face was palpable.
Cassy moved away from me and slammed the door shut after slapping me.