It’s a beautiful evening and a tiring day for Max after a long day at work. Alicia is sitting on the bed with her back against the wall as she stares into space with a deep frown on her face.
The image of Max and Ariel kissing some days ago in the kitchen pops up in her mind, and a drop of tears slid down the corner of her cheek. She has been trying to get it off her head, but the more she tries to, the more it keeps disturbing her. She feels betrayed and broken. Maybe this wouldn’t have happened if she can bear a child, and maybe another woman wouldn’t have become a threat to her marriage if she didn’t have difficulty getting pregnant. All she ever wanted was to make sure that her husband was fine, she just wanted to make him happy. She knew how important the business is to him, and that was why she had to take the risk, but now her marriage is at stake. Her marriage of almost two years is going to crash because of the favor that she did for her husband. Another woman is going to snatch her husband from her, and just the thought alone makes her feel like she’s going to lose her mind.
‘She needs to leave. I can’t handle this again. I don’t want to lose my husband, not even to her’ she says to herself as more tears find their way out of her eyes.
“Are you OK?” Max’s voice pulls her out of her deep thoughts, and that is when she realizes that he’s already out of the bathroom and now sitting on the bed with her, his eyes lurking around her with curiosity written in them.
“Why are you crying, babe?” His voice sounds hurt as he questions her worriedly.
“Are you going to leave me for her?” More tears stream down her cheeks as she stares into his eyes as if the answer to her question is written on his face. She prays silently that his answer should be sincere, knowing what his reply would be. Maybe she will be fine if he assures her that he won’t ever leave her, maybe she will be fine if he gives her reasons why he would never leave her, but realizing that this other woman is carrying his child, she can’t help the sadness that fills her from within. A part of her knows that this woman already has a place in his life even if he wants to deny that fact.
He stares at her with many questions running through his mind. At this point, he’s scared of promising her. He doesn’t trust himself anymore, Ariel is already driving him crazy, and he’s having this feeling for her that even he doesn’t understand what it is about. Of course, he loves his wife and won’t ever leave her, but what if he ends up not fulfilling his promise to her? What if he ends up breaking her again?
“No,” He finally replies to her with just a single answer, unsure of his reply. He’s so afraid. Afraid that he’ll lose his love for this woman that his world used to revolve around, afraid that another woman may eventually take him away from her, afraid that he will break her heart, which is something he would never want to happen.
“Do… you love her?” She suddenly asks after a long silence, whilst staring into his eyes. She prays silently that he doesn’t lie to her, then at the same time, she prays that he doesn’t end up giving her a reply that would break her for the rest of her life.
Again, he stares at her as her question replays in his head. ‘Do I love her? What do I feel for this little woman that has captured my attention for just months now?’ He can’t help asking himself to be sure, but it seems like he’s never going to get the answers that he seeks.
“No, babe,” She tries to believe him, although she can’t see the sincerity in his answer.
“Do you still love me?” She asks, and he cups her cheek in his palm as he smiles at her, but behind the smile, millions of questions flood his mind.
“Don’t ask me that, babe. You know I do. I loved you, Alicia… I still love you, and I will always do with the last drop of my blood,” How he manages to say those words even when he is unsure of his answers is crazy and unimaginable.
“If I can’t eventually give you a child forever, would you leave me for her? Would you abandon me?” She asks again, and he chuckles dryly.
“Why would I do that? I won’t ever do that, babe,” He assures her, and she manages to nod her head even if it’s hard to believe him. Time will tell, as she strongly believes.
An awkward silence assumes the air afterward until she finally speaks up.
“I want her out of the house, Max…” She pauses to observe his reaction, and she was expecting him to raise his eyebrow in shock, which is exactly what he did.
“I don’t want her around… I don’t feel comfortable with her being around you… Around us… We can still take care of her wherever she is, OK?” She pleads with him, but he just stares back at her in shock.
“Babe…” He pauses and sighs silently, trying to find something to say. He wouldn’t ever let Shirley leave his sight, at least not now that she’s still carrying his child. Even if this was just a contract that they signed, even if the baby was for the property that he wanted, he still wants to know how it’ll feel like to have his baby in his arms. What if something happens to her or the baby if they let her go? It’ll be unfair to her and the baby.
“I understand how you feel. I know I messed up, and I promise that it won’t happen again, OK? I’m sorry about everything, OK? We need this baby. I promise to let her go as soon as she gives birth,” How’s she not supposed to believe him when he has so much weak expression on his face? How’s he not to believe his words when they’re so real and assuring? Maybe she’s just being insecure, but it’s not her fault for being like that when he already gave her every reason to be, right?
“The secret may get leaked if we take this risk. I hope you understand?” He whispers to her as he rests his forehead on hers while having his palms cups her cheeks.
“Hmm,” She hums as she nods her head. Not that she has a choice anyway. Maybe bearing this for the next few months won’t hurt. Maybe everything will be fine eventually after she gives birth.
He wipes the tears from her eyes as he leans forward and pecks her lips, pulling her into his arms afterward, while stroking her hair.
“Everything will be fine, babe,” He assures her, while she just cries on his shoulder…