I patiently waited for Gio, but he still hadn’t returned. I thought we would have lunch together, but he was still not here. I ate alone again. It was difficult to eat, considering that my feelings were growing heavier, but I forced myself to eat. In the end, I had only eaten a little.
My cellphone rang. I quickly answered it and saw my friend Rae’s name. I was disappointed it wasn’t Gio, but I still answered.
“Rae.”
“Millie, where are you?” He asked, his voice carrying a hint of suspicion.
“I’m at home. Why?” I inquired.
“If you’re at home, then who’s this girl that Gio is with?” The words from Rae caught me off guard. “Wait, they entered a restaurant. Let me follow them.”
I remained silent and allowed Rae to continue. What he said about Gio being with another woman was enough to send my thoughts spinning. I thought he was coming home today. Why is he with another woman? Who was she?
It felt like my heart was being squeezed by all the emotions.
“I couldn’t follow them anymore, but they entered a restaurant and seemed to be having a discussion. Maybe it’s a work meeting. Your husband works on Saturdays, right? Do you even have time for each other?”
I couldn’t call my friend insensitive because he wasn’t aware of our quarrel with Gio, and we hadn’t spoken since. Instead, I thanked him for suggesting it could be work-related.
I hung up the call. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to go to the location where he found him to look for Gio, but I was afraid he might get angry.
Before I could collect my thoughts, a message from Nina shocked me. She sent me an article, and when I opened it, my eyes widened at what had happened last night.
It showed Rory lying on the floor from Gio’s punch. The headline claimed I was caught cheating on my husband. How did they get this picture?
I couldn’t bring myself to read the entire article because the site suddenly became inaccessible. My hands went cold, and I almost dropped my phone. I searched for other articles about me and the alleged affair, but it seemed they had all vanished.
As I was busy searching for any remaining articles, my phone suddenly rang, making my heart race when I saw the caller’s name.
Agatone. Gio’s father.
I hesitated about whether to answer it. He was likely calling about the article that was spreading.
My hand trembled as I picked up the call. He was the first to speak because I couldn’t manage a greeting.
“Millie.”
“D-Dad,” I managed to reply.
He didn’t immediately continue with what he intended to say after I greeted him.
“I guess you already saw the article.”
“Yes, Dad…”
I was terribly nervous, struggling to speak clearly. My voice was weak. I was still contemplating how to explain what happened before he could ask me.
“I know what truly happened. You don’t have to worry; we already took down every article regarding that incident last night. We’ll also handle those spreading it. Is Gio with you? I can’t reach him. I need to talk to him.”
Gio? How could I tell his father that we hadn’t spoken yet and that one of my friends saw him in the mall with another woman? I didn’t want to think he was cheating or seeking revenge on me because that wasn’t like Gio. He knew that adding another problem wouldn’t solve the first one.
“Gio is not here, Dad,” I replied.
“Okay, can you tell him to call me when he gets home?” Dad’s voice was calm, but I was still fearful. I felt like any wrong word from me would anger him.
“Sure, Dad.”
I thought that would be the end of our conversation. I even believed he had hung up, so I was surprised when I heard him speak again.
“I hope you’re okay, Millie. Tell Gio to call me.”
His words seemed to touch my heavy heart in a way I didn’t expect. I couldn’t respond immediately and returned to my senses only when I realized the call had ended.
Gio did come home that day, though it was late in the evening. As he entered our room, I immediately confronted him.
“Where have you been?” I asked calmly.
Gio looked at me, and I noticed he didn’t want to talk to me. In the end, he probably realized he couldn’t avoid me.
“I had some errands to run,” he replied and went into the walk-in closet. I quickly followed him.
“Errands? Who were you running errands with? A woman?” I couldn’t stop myself from saying it. The words slipped from my lips, and when I realized what I had said, I bit my lip.
Gio paused, and he had my full attention. He looked at me and tilted his head as if my question was a joke.
I was about to say something, but in the end, I just pressed my lips together. I understood that our roles had reversed. I couldn’t scold him because I knew I had also done something wrong. When I had distanced him from Rory, I told him there was nothing suspicious about our conversations and that it was purely business.
I wanted to speak, but it felt like I had lost the right to do so. I was reaping what I had sown in my actions and behavior towards him. It was as if I understood Gio’s feelings better now.
“I’ve had some time to think as well. You’re right,” he began. I met Gio’s cold gaze. “I shouldn’t be jealous of any other man when you’re not doing anything wrong. I overreacted. I’m your husband, and I should trust you, right? I shouldn’t be jealous. That’s not what I should be. I should trust you.” He breathed out through his nose. I knew this wasn’t what he wanted to say, but Gio chose to express it this way.
I thought my emotional burden from last night had been lifted. I thought I had cried it all out, and things would be better now. I was wrong because there was an added weight to my feelings.
I initially chose to keep my mouth shut, thinking that speaking up might worsen the situation. But in the end, I couldn’t hold back.
“I didn’t let Rory kiss me. I didn’t want what happened last night. I tried to stop him, but he forced himself on me. In fact, I was about to leave, especially when I found out Rory was there after I went to use the restroom. When I came out, he was waiting for me.”
I didn’t know what the point of explaining was, as I wasn’t sure if Gio would believe me.