Alibata let go of her as her vision began to blur. She fell to the floor, the pain in her hips and lower back pulling her back from memories that stirred an incomprehensible emotion she never expected to feel again after all these years.
Her mouth opened and she gasped for air several times. She could feel her heart pounding loudly and quickly, with each beat accompanied by a sharp pain.
She looked up at Alibata, whose eyes were dark as he stared at her still sprawled on the floor. Her gaze, filled with regret, gradually turned to anger and bitterness toward the man who had given her both joy and sorrow over the years.
“Are you still the Alibata I knew?” she asked through gritted teeth.
He sneered. “Don’t meddle with my business again.”
“Why is it so hard to make you happy? Even now, you still try to stay loyal to a woman who’s already dead! Aurora’s soul won’t return to you!”
Alibata slapped her. His eyebrows knitted tightly together, his face contorted with the anger welling up inside him. Simmy couldn’t help but feel her body tremble at the expression on his face.
She never imagined she would see such anger in his eyes, as if only a thin thread held him back from killing her. Simmy swallowed hard, unable to hide the chattering of her teeth in fear.
Why? Why was she only seeing this side of Alibata now? In the past years, he had never raised a hand against her out of respect for Aurora and their shared history.
“A-Ali…” she called out to him, her voice trembling.
He looked away, but he couldn’t hide the irritation and anger in his eyes. “Leave the mansion. Go to Oslob, to the resort house I gave you. Never show yourself to me again. Do you understand?”
“Ali!” she gasped. All her pain, ache, and fear were replaced by shock and alarm at his words. She quickly stood up and grabbed his hand. “Don’t… don’t do this to me, Ali!”
He looked at her again with those dark eyes. She saw disdain and distrust in them. The colder his gaze became, the more her own body chilled. She swallowed hard. Where? Where had she gone wrong for him to look at her this way?
“A-Ali…” she said, trembling.
He raised his free hand and forcefully removed her grip from his other hand. She heard a sound from his chest, a noise of disgust.
“You’re the one who gave them those damned papers.” Alibata’s eyes narrowed as he stared hard at her. “You betrayed me first, Simmy.”
“Ali…”
She saw his lips curve into a mocking smile. “When did you change?”
She gasped at his words. She blinked and looked away, but Alibata grabbed her chin and lifted her face.
“Look at me when I’m talking to you.”
Her heart ached as it pounded rapidly. His face was just a few inches away from hers, and she could feel his hot breath on her face. She even smelled the aroma of coffee and fought against the intoxicating feeling she was experiencing.
She closed her eyes but quickly opened them again. She forced herself to look back into the eyes of the man who wanted to devour her in his rage.
With trembling hands, she reached for Alibata’s cheek. He had a few small stubbles that added to his suave appearance. She felt those stubbles yield under her fingers, as if surrendering to her touch. And even though her life was on the line with his kind of gaze, she couldn’t help but smile. She had finally touched his face and played with the stubbles that had piqued her curiosity, wondering if they were soft or not. And they were soft. She wasn’t wrong in her guess.
She looked up and bravely met Alibata’s gaze. Her knees grew weak, so she held onto his arms for support. She took a deep breath and smiled at him.
Alibata’s frown deepened. “And you still have the nerve to smile at me?” he asked in disbelief.
He was about to let go of her, but she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his. She closed her eyes and tried to memorize the softness of his lips before he roughly pushed her away.
She staggered back several steps from his force. Dazed, she looked at him. His eyes were filled with shock, and his lips were parted. “Simmy!” he shouted.
Another gentle smile appeared on her lips, and she didn’t expect her vision to blur suddenly because of the impending tears. Her lips quivered as she looked at Alibata. “L-Love…” She cleared her throat. She couldn’t bring herself to say what she wanted to say to him.
He shook his head and laughed. His laughter was full of sarcasm. “What were you thinking, kissing me?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” she whispered hoarsely. She swallowed to clear the lump in her throat. “I love you, Ali…” Her expression softened. “I love you.” And she showed him a broken smile.
He was silent for a few seconds, staring at her intently.
She continued her confession. “I waited for you for years, endured the pain every time I saw you with Aurora. Ali, I fell for you first but… but why did you choose her?” She sobbed. “I gave you everything. After Aurora died, I didn’t leave you. I didn’t abandon Azora. I was there whenever you needed someone. Ali, why can’t you see everything I’ve done for you? Why do you always ignore me? Why is it so painful to love you?”
She looked up at the ceiling, hoping to stop her tears, but they continued to flow like a rushing river. She sobbed again.
All the pain she had kept hidden behind her tough and strong mask over the years poured out at that moment, in front of Alibata. She had no plan to show him how she cried. She didn’t want Alibata to think she was begging in front of him, but she couldn’t stop herself from sobbing.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the maids leave the kitchen, leaving her alone with Alibata, who remained silent, unable to speak after her confession.
She didn’t know which hurt more — his silence or the pitying look in his eyes.