*Alejandro*
I sat in my bed; on one hand was a bottle of vodka. I drank directly from the bottle. My room was a mess. Bottles of different alcoholic beverages are laid on each corner of the room.
How did this happen?
How come I am having to go through this pain again? I have forgotten it for a long time: the heartache, the betrayal, the pain of losing your favorite person.
Tears rolled down my eyes.
When I had broken up with Clara, I felt nothing like I feel now. Not much pain or heartache, in fact, I felt relieved.
So why can’t it be the same with Anna? Even my divorce didn’t shake me so much. I still carried out my job then, but now, leaving my room was a nightmare.
I have been inside this room for over a week.
Drinking.
I placed the empty bottle on the floor close to my leg.
I couldn’t believe she was no longer in my life. Of all the people who could manipulate me, Anna was the last person. I wanted to call her and tell her that it wasn’t all over.
I wanted to forgive her, but I couldn’t. I…
I still remember how my heart broke as I watched her being pulled out of the house.
The sight of her in pain still affects me, but I know that there was nothing I could do.
I could only watch from a distance.
I deleted her number after I blocked her and also fired her. Now, we have no business with each other.
My phone rang.
My heart leaped, thinking it was her, but it soon fell when I saw Williams’s name appear on the screen.
What the fuck did he want?
I declined the call, switched off my phone, and threw it farther into the bed.
I walked to the window and stood. All the memories we’ve shared resulted in my mind.
“Man up.” My brain screamed, “You are a man; why cry over a girl that betrayed you?” My brain scolded me.
I fell to the ground and stayed there. I wiped the tears off my eyes and stared blankly into space.
The smell of alcohol hung heavily in the air.
I wondered how Anna was doing. Was she crying, too?
Did she feel the same way as me?
The door soon opened, and Williams walked in. He wore a black suit. A silver Rolex resting gently on his wrist.
“Alejandro…” he paused, taking a look at the room, a look of disapproval settled on his brows.
“What a mess.” He said.
He began picking up the bottles one after the other. I wanted to stop him and tell him he didn’t need to. But I didn’t.
I didn’t have the strength to speak. After he picked up all the bottles, he walked towards me and placed a bag in front of me.
“I heard you haven’t eaten.” He said, “You should eat something.”
One reason I haven’t gone out is that I was too ashamed to face anyone, especially Lucas.
I was too afraid to face him. I have failed him.
“I think you’ve done enough, Alejandro. How long will you continue to go on like this? It’s not as if someone died.” he said.
His words may be harsh, but I knew he was just trying to wake me up and bring me back to reality.
“You weren’t like this in the past. You didn’t even give a fuck when you broke up with Clara, and should I remind you of your carefree attitude when you divorced Nora? So what the fuck is going on this time?” He asked.
I wanted to tell him that I had no idea.
Maybe Anna was different. Maybe this time, I have truly been in love. I used to think Nora was my first love, but now I know it’s not.
Scratch that.
There was nothing like first love. There was only true love, and that was Anna. And she had betrayed me.
“You need to speak to Lucas. You can’t allow what you’ve been striving to build with him to go down the drain because of Anna, Andrea, or whatever her name is.” He said.
“I know. But what do I tell him? How can I face him?” I asked.
The room was clean. I don’t know how he did it, but there was no bottle in sight. Aside from the heavy smell that remained hung in the air, no one would have guessed I drank in this room.
“I don’t know. You should figure that out yourself.” He said.
I inhale sharply.
It was time to forget Anna.
I walked into the bathroom and took a shower. I stepped out to see that Williams had left.
I have watched the night for so long from my window, so now, the light scared me.
I still don’t know what I will tell Lucas, but I knew it was time to face him.
I dressed up and walked out to have breakfast. Nora wasn’t in the dining room and I was grateful.
I think it was time to send her back. I don’t want any woman in sight.
After breakfast, I walked to Lucas’s penthouse opposite the mansion.
He opened the door for me. He had a look of annoyance when his eyes met mine.
“What do you want?” He asked.
“Well, I…” I paused and studied his face. He patted his left leg on the ground impatiently.
“Can I come inside?” I asked him. He contemplated for a few moments and opened the door wide enough for me to step inside.
I took a seat.
“You can start speaking now.” He said.
I felt a pinch in my heart at the disrespectful tone he used, but I knew that I deserved it. I had slept with his ex-girlfriend, I had gone out with her.
Plus, I had hit him because of her.
“I am sorry.” I began. I closed my eyes and opened it, “I am truly sorry for slapping you and for dating Anna. I didn’t know she was…” I swallowed a lump in my throat, “your ex-girlfriend. If I had known, I would have kept her far away from me.” I said.
“Her name is Andrea, not Anna, and that doesn’t excuse the fact that you hit me, your son, because of that lying bitch.” He said.
I wanted to scold him for calling her a bitch, but I held myself back. I have no business with her anymore, so he could call her whatever he wanted.
“I am so sorry. How do I make it up to you?” I asked.
“No. You don’t have to make it up to me. Go back to her. Go make a son with her and forget about me.” He said.
“Please, Lucas. Let me make it up to you. I’ll do anything to make it up and ease your anger.” I said.
And I meant it. As long as he agrees, I’ll do it, as long as I can have my son back. He was all I had. My only family.
“Fine. What I want is simple.” He began. I nodded, urging him to continue.
“End your relationship with Andrea.” He said without looking at me.
“I have done so already.” “You mean you’ve gotten her out of your life, and she no longer works for you?”
I fired her that day I found out. “Yes,” I said.
“Fine then,” I was relieved. I was about to speak, but he beat me to it. Then my request would be easy to fulfill,” he said.
I raised my brow, a bit confused. I thought he had said what he wanted.
“Get married to mom.” He declared.
“What?”
“I want a complete family, Dad. I’ve been deprived of it for long enough.” He said.
I shook my head. I can’t do that. Not Nora. She was already out of my life, and I can’t bring her back.
“What? You can’t?” He asked.
I raised my head and held his gaze. “You should know that it is not possible,” I said.
“Then I guess I can forgive you.” “But Lucas,” I began, but he cut me off.
“You promised to do anything I wanted. You have never kept your promise to me, not even once.” He said.
“I will do anything. I mean it, but that is just…”
“Not possible? This is the first time I am asking you something. Aside from the fact that you owe me one, aside from the fact that you betrayed me and slept with my ex and all, this is the first time I want you to do something for me. Is getting married to Mom so hard? Do you hate her so much that you can’t grant this request of mine and try to love her again?”
“Lucas, please listen to me.”
“No, Dad, you listen. If you don’t marry Mom, then I’ll never be your son. Please leave,” he said.
I didn’t want to live without coming to terms with him.
“Fine, I’ll think about it. I am not promising anything. In the meantime, you should come up with something else.” I said and left.
I thought about his request that night as I drank with Williams in a bar. We were in our booth-a VVIP section.
“What’s wrong?” Williams asked.
“I spoke to Lucas today”. I said.
“And?” He asked, sipping from his wine.
“What did he say?” He asked again. The more I thought about it, the more repulsive it sounded. I didn’t even want to imagine it. Why should I get married to Nora? Again?
“He is trying to manipulate me; he wants me to get married to Nora.” I could swear that I saw something flash through his eyes for a brief moment.
Williams’s grip around his drink tightened, and I could only assume he shared the same anger as I did.
“And what did you say? Are you truly going to get married to her?” He asked.
“I’m still thinking about it,” I said
I had just broken up with Anna and was not attracted to Nora in any way.
“Maybe you should listen to him.” He said.
“What?”
“Do what he tells you for once. Don’t you want your relationship with him back?” he asked.
Of course, I wanted it back, “I do.”
“Then what’s stopping you?” And I thought he would be on my side.
“Come on, Williams, shouldn’t you be on my side? You should help me come up with other ideas. How can I marry Nora?” I asked. Was he joking?
Has he forgotten about what she did to me and Lucas?
“Well, you asked for my advice, and I gave it,” he said.
I thought about it all night, especially Williams’s last statement, “It’s killing two birds with one stone. You’ll get back your son, you’ll get Anna out of your mind, and you’ll get a wife. Wait, it’s three birds.”
The next morning, I came up with a decision. I’ll get married to Nora.
My chapter with Anna, well Andrea, is over.
Maybe it was all meant to be. My son is more important to me.
“I’ll agree to your request,” I told Lucas.
I know he is manipulating me like a kid to get what he wants, but the joy on his face was something I’d kill to see again.
“Really?” He asked, and I nodded.
It was time to put her behind me.
“Then mom would be glad to hear this.” He said.
“I’ll register the wedding with her when I have the chance,” I said.
“Come on, Dad, don’t sound so nonchalant. You have to make it memorable.”
“I want a small wedding,” I said
“But Dad.”
“It’s a small wedding or no wedding.” I declared.
“Fine.” He paused and continued, “At least make the engagement memorable.”
……,…
For the next week, I went everywhere with Nora. We went on dates. It was all to make Lucas happy.
When I wasn’t with Nora, I was in the office, buried in work. There were times when the thought of her came into mind, but I pushed it out. I have decided to marry Nora and resolved to forget about her completely.
Anna or no Anna, life must go on.