*Andrea*
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“I should be asking you that. This is my father’s house, so what are you doing here?”
I stood rooted to the ground. Why was Lucas suddenly here? “Well, I…” he brushed past me and walked inside. I followed behind him.
“So, mind explaining to me why you are here?” He asked, crossing one hand over the other. Only yesterday had I rejected him again. Who thought we were going to be meeting here like this?
Especially now that I wanted to speak to Alejandro.
Sigh.
“Cat caught your tongue?” Lucas yelled, and I flinched. “Are you stalking me now, or have you come over to look for me? Don’t tell me you regret what you did yesterday.”
I wanted to scream no and tell him I would never regret that, and if given the chance, I’d do it over and over again. But I held my tongue in my mouth.
“Come on, say something. What the fuck are you doing here?” He asked again; this time, he sounded more angry than the first time.
“Well, I…” I racked my brain, trying to think of something. I could lie and tell him I came for him, and then quickly leave since Alejandro wasn’t here. Or, better still, I could say I am his father’s P. A.
I heard the sound of someone punching in the lock’s pin, and I turned to the door.
“Please leave if you have nothing to say; stop looking dumb and stupid,” he said bitterly.
Maybe I’d have said something to counter him, or I’d have felt bad because he called me dumb and stupid, but right now, I couldn’t reply to him.
The door opened, and Alejandro stepped inside.
It was a mistake to come here today. I should have stayed home, and I shouldn’t have gone to the hospital, either.
My chest beat wildly against my ribcage. A trickle of sweat ran down my back. Lucas kept speaking, but I could barely hear him.
Alejandro was walking towards me, and when he saw me, his lips pulled up in a smile. My heart cut.
No. I shook my head. This can’t be happening. What if he doesn’t forgive me? My teeth shook inside my mouth. I felt my entire body shaking, and I stood watching him come closer to me with every step he took.
“I didn’t think you’d be here, Anna,” he said. He was holding a bag. He put it on the table and walked to me. I wished the ground would open up and swallow me that instant.
“I’ve missed you, love.” He said, and wrapped his hand around me. He gave me a small peck on my lips.
“Anna?” At Lucas’s words, Alejandro broke the hug. He seemed not to have noticed Lucas before. “I see Lucas is here. You both finally meet.” He said.
Lucas raised his brows and shook his head. “What the fuck is going on here?” He was angry. I knew it
“Well, I can …”
“This is Anna. She is the one I’ve been telling you about. Anna, this is my son, Lucas.” He introduced us.
I wanted to smile and say nice to meet you, Lucas, but I couldn’t. I knew I couldn’t pretend not to know him.
“Andrea, why are you being introduced to me as Anna?” He asked.
“You know each other?” Alejandro asked, his eyes moving from Lucas to me.
I shook, “Well, yes, no, I mean, we…” I couldn’t think straight. I couldn’t say I knew him, nor could I deny it.
“So you mean to say she is your girlfriend?” Lucas asked Alejandro.
His hands snake under my waist, “I know you may not like her or anything, but yes, son, she is the one I love. She is the one for me. And I hope you treat her well.” Alejandro said.
Lucas lets out a mocking laugh.
“You can’t be serious, Dad.” He moved his eyes to me, “you slut. What do you think you are doing?” He asked me.
Tears blinded my eyes.
“Watch your mouth. Be careful what you say.” Alejandro warned.
“You are the one who has to be careful, Dad. How can she be your girlfriend? How can you do this?” he closed his eyes and opened it, “especially without telling me. Don’t you feel guilty?” He asked.
“Why can’t I do this? Do I need your permission to date?” Alejandro asked back. I could see that he was already getting angry.
I tried to intervene, “I have something to tell you, Alejandro.” I said, moving away from his hold.
“Oh… it seems you don’t know.” Lucas said as his gaze flickered to me, “Anna? Since when did you start to be known as Anna, Andrea?” he asked.
“Lucas, hear me out,” I said.
“No, I won’t.”
“Son, let her speak,” Alejandro ordered.
“No. And you shouldn’t refer to me as a son. Not when you’ve been sleeping with my ex.” He said.
“Your ex?” Tears flowed down my cheeks. So this was how he came to find out. I didn’t even get the chance to tell him myself.
“Anna, why are you crying? What is he talking about?” Alejandro asked me.
“Well, I…” I closed my eyes and let more tears flow, “tell him, Andrea.”
“And why does Lucas keep calling you Andrea? What are you keeping from me?” He asked.
“She is my ex. We broke up a few months ago. And her name is Andrea, not Anna.” Lucas said.
“Is that true?” Alejandro asked.
I tried to hold back my sob, but I couldn’t. I nodded slowly, “It is true, but I can… explain.” I said, my salty tears entered my mouth as I spoke.
“You don’t need to explain.” Lucas pulled me forcefully by my arm.
“You knew he was my dad. You must have dated him to spite me, right?” I knew he wasn’t demanding any reply from me.
“You dated Lucas, and you knew I was his father?” Alejandro asked, his voice breaking as he tried to join piece by piece together.
“She must have wanted to get back at me.” Lucas laughed mockingly, “You treated me last night like I was a fool, like I have committed the biggest sin in the world, but you’ve been dating my dad just to get back at me?”
“What does that make you? You slut, you are shameless. You are a gold-digger. Do you even have a beating heart?”
“Lucas, stop pulling me,” I was in pain as he kept shaking me. Tears blinded my eyes, and he didn’t seem to mind.
“You always looked innocent, but who could have thought you were promiscuous? You seduced my Dad.” He said.
“Let her go,” Alejandro said, but Lucas refused.
I yelled in my hand when I felt his thumb dug into my skin, his sharp, long finger scratching me.
Alejandro pulled him away from me forcefully and slapped him hard across the face. He then rushed towards me, “Anna, are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?” He took my hands, inspecting them keenly.
“I am fine.” I was about to speak to ask for his forgiveness. If he cared about me like this, he can forgive me, right?
“Did you just slap me across my face because of her?” Lucas asks, interrupting me.
“She used you. She manipulated you, and I’m the bad guy?” He asked.
“I didn’t use you. Alejandro, please listen to me. I can explain. Let me explain.” I tried to hold him, but he stepped back.
“Fine. Explain.” I wiped my tears, but it came pouring down. “Did you know he was my son when you approached me?” He asked.
.
.
.
*Alejandro’s POV*
I hoped and said a silent prayer for her to say no. Anna was different from Nora. She didn’t use me; she didn’t lie to me.
“Yes. But I’m..”
“Oh wow,” I said, hearing my heart crack.
“And you approached me on purpose. Our meeting that night.” I paused, the memory of the night I had thought was pure, rushing into my mind.
“You planned for us to meet like that, for us to bump into each other?” I wanted her to say no. Even if she had dated Lucas, I wanted her to say she didn’t plan the meeting, but she nodded.
That simple nod sowed the perfect pure night we had shared.
“But listen, I did plan to…”
“No, you listen. I ask the questions, and you answer, Andrea, not the other way around.” I said, clenching my fist.
“All this while, you’ve been avoiding meeting my son because you knew him, and I had thought…” I inhale sharply, trying to steady my emotions.
She must have taken me for a fool, “did you use me to get back at him?”
“Alejandro, I…” she stepped forward.
“No, stay back, Anna. Or should I say, Andrea.” She even changed her name and everything.
“Did you or did you not?”
“I did. But I love you. I initially wanted to get back at him, but I fell in love with you. What I feel for you is real.” She said.
“Don’t even dare move an inch. You disgust me. And to think…” I scoffed and laughed. “To think I wanted to…” I wanted to propose to her.
I wanted to have her as my wife, and travel the world with her. I have made so many plans for her, for us.
“Alejandro, please. I am so sorry. Please, forgive me, please, forgive me.”
“I didn’t deserve this, Anna.” All the time we spent together suddenly felt fake, like it was all a lie.
Like it was all arranged. The Anna I knew was gone, it had disappeared into thin air. This girl in front of me was different. She was a manipulator and a fraud.
I shook my head. She got on her knees. And to think I have hit Lucas because of her.
I turned to Lucas. He was seated now, staring at her with so much hate. He must be so disappointed in me. He must hate me more now.
Now, how do I fix my relationship with him?
“Alejandro, please give me one more chance. Let me prove my love for you.”
“What love?” I said in a soft voice. I was tired already. “Please leave. I don’t ever want to see you again.” I said.
“No. I can’t do that. I can leave this house right now. I know you are angry, and I know I am wrong. I have hurt you, and I am deeply sorry. I swear I can do anything but not see you again.”
She moved to hold my legs, and I moved quickly. “I can’t live without you, Alejandro,” she said.
I don’t know if I can live without her either. My heart hurt, but this betrayal was so much. I wanted to pick her up from the floor and tell her it was okay and that this was just a phrase in our relationship, but I couldn’t.
Not when Lucas was here. If I did, I would never be able to face him.
“I can’t live without you, Alejandro.”
“Then die.” A voice screamed from the door.
I turned to see Nora.
“How can you be so cruel,” she turned to me. “I warned you about her, didn’t I?”
“I told you she was a fraud and a manipulator. See.” I hate the fact that she was right.
“Miss, please leave. Don’t come in contact with me ever again.” I said to Andrea. We were strangers now.
I couldn’t look her in the eyes.
“Alejandro,” she called.
“Leave before I have the security throw you out,” Nora said.
I couldn’t bear to hear her sobs. So I walked towards the stairs.
We are over now.
Tears threatened to fall from my eyes.
I didn’t think this was how we would end. I never thought she would betray me. But I’ll forever have myself to blame. I entered my room and watched her from the window as she left, clutching tightly to her bag.
“Goodbye, my Anna.”