Loving Him

Chapter 16

Mike was overcome with guilt upon hearing Levi's words. How can he bring true happiness to Levi when there is no love between them? Despite his own uncertainty about his feelings for Levi, all he knows is that he longs to see her always, to be together in sleeping and to never let go of her captivating face.

Mike made the decision to leave home and head to a bar. He immediately reached out to his friend Royce Lee, seeking a clear mind and valuable advice. Among all his friends, Royce was the one he considered sensible, which is why he chose to contact him.

They were in a corner of the bar, facing a bottle of Tequila. Mike had already consumed several shots. He was troubled. He had just gotten married, and here he was, drinking with his friend.

Royce watched him closely. He didn't drink much himself because he knew that Mike would get drunk. He was always the one to take care of him, knowing Mike inside out. They had been friends for a long time, but this was the first time he had seen him like this. While he didn't know all the details about what Mike was saying about his spouse, he knew that his friend was going through a difficult time. Especially when it came to Levi. He couldn't fathom how Mike could marry the woman he constantly criticized whenever they talked.

It was always on Mike's mind whenever he was annoyed. He was shocked that they had actually gotten married today, and to make matters worse, he hadn't even been invited. He sighed in frustration with his friend. He tried to stop him from drinking, but Mike insisted, so he decided to let him be for now.

He reached into Mike's pocket and took out his cellphone. He needed to call Levi. It was her right to know the situation of his spouse. He didn't want to be seen as an enabler. He knew how straightforward Levi could be, always speaking her mind without hesitation. But he admitted to himself that he had feelings for Levi, even though Mike forbade him from pursuing her. He secretly felt hurt when he found out that the two of them had gotten married.

"Levi, it's Royce. Can you come to the bar?" he said to Levi on the other line, quickly giving her the exact address. He also wanted to see Levi.

***

Levi never expected to be abruptly awakened by the loud sound of her cellphone. She glanced at the clock on her bedside table. It was already 10 o'clock at night. She answered the call without even checking who was on the other line. She was startled when she recognized the voice, and her forehead furrowed even more when she learned that her supposedly amazing husband was at a bar getting drunk.

Levi quickly got dressed, wearing a t-shirt and fitted jeans with her favorite flat white sandals. She headed to her own car, a gift from her in-laws.

She immediately started the car and drove towards the bar where her infuriating husband was. It was only their first night together, and he was already getting drunk? No way! That was unacceptable to her.

As soon as she entered the entrance of the bar, all the men turned their heads and whistled at her, but she didn't notice because her attention was focused on finding her troublesome husband in the crowd. As she made her way through, a mestizo man suddenly blocked her path, smiling mischievously.

"Move aside if you don't want to experience the slap that was meant for my husband," she replied firmly to the person blocking her path, her voice filled with emphasis.

She had been seething with anger ever since she learned about her husband's disgraceful behavior. If it weren't for Royce's call, she wouldn't have known that her husband had left the house.

"I just want to say hello, relax sweety," the man replied with a smile, raising both palms to show her that he meant no harm.

"Get out of the way!" Levi snapped at the man, who immediately became scared of her furious expression.

He swallowed nervously and stepped aside to let her pass.

When Levi saw Royce and Mike, she immediately approached the sleeping Mike. She grabbed the bottle of Tequila and poured it over his head.

Mike woke up abruptly, cursing repeatedly.

Royce, on the other hand, was simply stunned, staring at the two of them.

Everyone who witnessed the scene gasped in surprise.

Levi didn't care about the people around her; all she knew was that she was infuriated by what Mike had done. It was a huge embarrassment for her. What would her in-laws say? That she was neglecting their child?

Mike stood up angrily, but quickly stumbled back down due to his drunkenness.

Levi was about to scold him when she was stopped by Royce.

"Enough, Levi. This is not the right place for you to burst out. Come on, we need to take him home before the situation between the two of you gets worse," Royce suggested, supporting his intoxicated friend to help him stand and guiding them out of the bar.

Levi followed behind.

After Royce had safely placed Mike in Levi's car, he immediately reminded Levi not to provoke someone who was drunk.

Levi just rolled her eyes at Royce's comment. She quickly started her own car and drove them back home.

Levi got out of the car and called the two guards to assist Mike out of the car and into his room.

Once Mike was lying down on his soft bed, Levi immediately arranged his position. She prepared a towel and a basin of warm water. She gently wiped Mike's face, unbuttoned his shirt one by one. When she finished, she slowly removed his wet shirt, revealing his sweaty body. She couldn't help but admire her husband's well-built physique. She decided not to remove his jeans. Instead, she dressed him in a thin undershirt and turned on the air conditioning in his room.

***

Levi woke up when she felt a presence beside her. As she opened her eyes, she saw Mike's smiling face.

"I'm sorry." Mike apologized.

Levi sat up abruptly. She hadn't realized that she had fallen asleep on the couch in the room they had rented. She noticed that the basin and towel she used were still beside her. She glanced at the clock. It was already four in the morning.

She didn't respond to Mike. She stood up and picked up the basin and towel, intending to take them to the kitchen.

However, Mike quickly grabbed her other arm, causing her to face him.

"Are you angry with me?" Mike asked gently.

"Do you think I would be like this if I wasn't?" Levi sarcastically replied to him.

Mike took the basin and towel from her hands and placed them back on the table.

He pulled her closer and kissed her intensely. Levi tried to resist, but Mike was too strong. She didn't even realize that he had already laid her down on the soft bed. His lips covered her red lips, which Mike never grew tired of kissing.

The heat between them intensified, and Mike once again united their bodies, bringing her to the peak of pleasure several times.

Levi was exhausted and glanced at Mike. He just smiled at her and pulled her close, embracing her. "I want more, Levi," he said again.

"What's wrong with you? Don't you ever get tired? Mike, I'm exhausted," she complained.

"Alright," Mike replied and kissed her on the forehead.

Levi closed her eyes, feeling the tender kiss. She loved it so much and wished everything was real. But she knew she couldn't deny that all of this was just for show.

***

"Levi, are you okay? What are we doing here? Why do you need to secretly follow your husband?" Tessa asked her friend, confused.

"I have a feeling he's meeting up with his ex-girlfriend," Levi replied.

"What? Why would Sir Mike do that? You're already married, aren't you? And what really happened between you two? As a woman, you still haven't answered my questions. You just called me out of the blue and asked me to meet you. Do you know that I had to skip work just to meet you?" Tessa complained to Levi.

They were currently in an Italian restaurant, sitting in a corner to avoid being noticed. They both wore glasses and hats to conceal their identities.

Mike was sitting in front, waiting for his guest. Levi observed him secretly. Her eyebrows raised when she saw Yuna, the girl Mike used to love, approaching him with a smile.

Tessa was almost speechless when she saw Mike's ex-girlfriend, whom he used to adore. She covered her mouth in shock. Was she back?

The two were having a serious conversation. They saw Yuna holding Mike's hands as if pleading, and saw Mike shake his head before standing up. He was about to turn around when Yuna stopped him by holding onto his arm.

They couldn't hear what they were saying because they were too far away.

"Levi, what do you think they're talking about?" her friend Tessa asked, annoyed with Levi's behavior.

Tessa couldn't help but lightly hit her friend, and Levi glanced at her with a raised eyebrow.

"What's your problem? Can't you see that someone's watching?" Levi complained to Tessa, squinting to observe the two people talking.

"Levi, can we talk first? I've been annoyed with your foolishness for a while now. Are you in love with our grumpy boss? Don't you dare deny it to me because I've known you for a long time. I know you too well, Levi. You can't fool me. Your actions just show that you're obsessed with your husband! Don't tell me something happened between you two?" Tessa blurted out to her friend.

Levi lowered her head. Did she really need to deny everything to her friend? No matter how much she denied it, she knew that her friend had a strong sense of smell. Tessa even knew the scent of her armpits and farts.

Levi and Tessa had been friends since high school, and they continued to be friends throughout college and even after they started working. They were both fortunate enough to be hired by Montenegro Industries Corp. and, with God's help, Tessa was immediately accepted due to her good reputation and familiarity with the Montenegro family.

Levi had told her friend everything, not hiding anything. Tessa just stared at her in disbelief. "Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed.

***

Mike had been noticing that someone had been following them for a while. They were on their way to take Yuna to the hospital to see her obstetrician. When he checked the rearview mirror again, he saw that the car that had been following them had disappeared. When they arrived at the hospital, he helped Yuna out of the car. He felt guilty about what he was doing now. What if his wife found out? Levi would surely be angry with him again. He decided to worry about it later when Yuna's condition was okay.

"Mike, thank you for coming with me," Yuna said with gratitude.

"No problem. The baby's health is my top priority now. And please, Yuna, take care of yourself. If you need anything, you can call me," Mike replied.

Yuna hugged him, and Levi witnessed the scene. She didn't even notice the tears that were starting to fall from her eyes, accompanied by a familiar pain in the depths of her heart.

Tessa reminded her tearful friend that she was the one who had said there was no love between her and Mike, and that she could do anything for the Montenegro's. "Maybe, Levi, these are the consequences," she said. "You need to be ready, and most importantly, prepare your heart for the pain."

Levi replied, sobbing uncontrollably. "Tess, I never thought that something had happened between them while something was happening between us. I feel like such a fool. Why did I let my emotions take over? Is fate really just a game? Or am I foolish to have succumbed to his hugs and kisses? But when I think about it, I have no right to hate or fight with Mike. He's just my husband on paper, and the agreement will remain as it is."

Her friend hugged her as she cried on Tessa's shoulder. Although her tears couldn't change anything, it was a relief to release the weight of her emotions.