Three
1649 Words
"What's the meaning of this? Why are you here?" I asked dumfounded because of the situation.
"Lauren, I was just---" Astrid was about to come near me but I took a step backwards. Not wanting her come near me.
I saw Rick held her hand and pulled her closed. He intertwined his hand into hers, and my forehead curved as soon I saw it.
"Let's not hide it anymore, Astrid. She will still soon find out. There's no more hiding." Rick said to Astrid.
Astrid look at him. "No," she then turned to face me. "Lauren, this is not it. We didn't plan this. We didn't plan everything. It just happened." She explained but I couldn't understand a single thing.
"What the f*ck are you talking?" I confusedly asked. No matter how I try to understand it and process everything, there's nothing coming into my head.
I can feel my body trembling. My head is spinning but I'm trying hard to fight it. I don't wanna lost consciousness again, not now, not in front of them.
"Astrid and I are in a relationship." Rick frankly said.
I look at Astrid and I saw guilt in her eyes. I laughed mockingly. They must have been pulling out prank on me again.
"Come on, guys. This isn't funny anymore."
"You think this is some kind of a prank, a joke? No it isn't." Rick raised his voice at me and my eyes widen because of what he did.
I can't believe he shouted. Not even once he did after being in a relationship with me for 8 years. He never yelled, he never got mad. He always understands me, but now he is like a different person. It's like I'm talking to a complete stranger.
"Love," I called, hoping that he would apologized to me but he didn't.
The look on his eyes were very different, it has no trace of love, of care.
"I'm sorry if I didn't tell you sooner. I was planning on telling you the last time when we celebrated our 6th year anniversary, but Astrid stopped me because you were having a problem that time. She said it will hurt you more and you might not handle the pain so I didn't tell you. There's many times that I wanted to tell you but you're giving me reasons to hide it. You keep on doing things that will make me feel that I should not do it for the meantime," he said then look away.
I don't know but when he was telling me those things, I can feel his pain. Like he did really had a hard time hiding everything. And I'm such a fool for not noticing it. How did it come that for 8 years I haven't noticed it?
"When did it started?" The first question that came into my mind that I wanted to ask. If he tried telling me 2 years ago, does that mean he's been lying to me for almost 2 years? They've been cheating on me for 2 years?
"About 3 years ago." Astrid answered. "But I promised, Lauren. I didn't intended do it. It just happened." She said.
I laughed and closed my eyes as tears fell into my eyes.
When I opened my eyes I saw Astrid crying but I didn't feel any remorse, instead I felt anger and hatred. "You didn't intend to do it but yet you lasted for 3 years? Are f*****g joking me? How could you do this to me! I considered you more than a friend. You were like a family to me and this is all what you will repair me after everything? How dare you!" I yelled and the next thing I did shocked the both of them.
*SLAPS*
I slapped Astrid hard on the cheeks, I felt that my hand were in pain. She was taken aback because of what I did. She must have not been expecting that I would do such thing. Rick hurriedly went by her side and comforted her.
He look at me with anger. "What the hell is wrong with you!" He yelled.
I laughed hard. I laughed hard like a crazy woman. "I've been trying to make our relationship perfect. I had given you everything. I even fought for you with my parents and this is what I get?" I yelled angrily said and look at Astrid who was crying while being comforted by Rick.
"Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!" I screamed and messed my hair like I'm going crazy.
He hugged her like he don't want her to be hurt again. He hugged her because he's afraid that I might do anything again to her. Pain struck my chest seeing them. And I thought that it should've been me whom he is comforting and protecting with. It should have been me who's in his arms right now.
"And that's the reason that I don't wanna marry you anymore!" He yelled. "You think it's just you who's trying to make our relationship better and perfect? It's not just you. I'm tired of understanding you and your family! No matter how I try to be a good partner for you but your parents still doesn't see me as one. They look at me and treat me as one so hard to understand them, to understand about you. How about me? Don't I deserve to be understood just even once?"
"You should have told me," my voice lowered down as I look at him.
He laughed. "You think I didn't? I told you many times. So f*****g many times but you didn't listen. Not even once."
"Then it's not my fault then. That doesn't mean that you have the right to cheat. And to give the fact that it was Astrid. How could you? How can you sleep at night knowing that one day you'll be caught and this will happened." I said.
"No! It is your fault. Astrid didn't do anything wrong. I should even thank her for making me feel worth to be love and not to be question. She was there whenever I feel down. She was there I feel that I am no longer feel appreciated by you. She helped me realized my worth in which you couldn't do to me. I felt that she's pure and genuine,"
"And I am not?" I cut him off.
He shook his head. "It's not it. But she made it different. She made me do things that I couldn't do with you because you keep on complaining. You keep on telling me that it's not worth to do."
"That's bullshit!"
"If that's what you want to believe then it's your decision."
I look at Astrid who was besides Rick sobbing. "Cheating is a choice Astrid. It's not something that you didn't expect to happened. Don't f*****g tell me your reason that you didn't intend it to do because you have a choice of not doing it."
"I did, Lauren. God knows how much I stopped myself. God knows how I tried so hard to not fall for him. But no matter how I try, the harder I fell." She explained while sobbing.
"F*CK your reasons! It's totally unacceptable!" I yelled. "You should have tried harder. You should have thought of me."
"You don't understand what I feel, Lauren. That's why you can say that so easily. You don't know how it felt because it was me who's always understanding you. You never ever understand me. You never asked me how I felt." She said and cried hard.
Rick held her in his arms. "And because of that you did this? Do you hear yourself? Did you know what you two have done?"
"You couldn't blamed us, Lauren." Rick answered. "It was you and you along who did this. It's not us. We are not the problem here."
I look at them with disgust, anger and regret. I didn't know that this day would come. Never I had ever imagine that they will do this, that they will stab me behind my back.
"Blaming me because of what is happening is totally the worst reason I've ever heard in my whole life. I didn't tell you to understand me and I didn't tell you to not tell me what you feel. It's your choice not to tell me. It's your choice to cheat. Even if there's so many things that I lack to but you should have thought better. Cheating is not the answer." I said.
I took a heavy breathe and faced them. I shouldn't look pitiful in front of them because it will make me look like a loser. I wiped my eyes dry and face them wearing a firm and fierce look.
"Maybe I was wrong for not understanding you. I was wrong for not listening to your complains, but at least now I know that you're no better than any other man out there. You two reeks in disgust. I hope that you wouldn't stay happy forever because you ruined someone else life. " I said to Rick then look at Astrid. " As for you, I don't want to see your face ever again. I don't want to have a friend who stabs me behind my back. I hope that you'll regret what you did to me." I said before turning my back to leave.
I can feel that my whole body is shaking and any moment now I will fall to the ground but I'm trying hard not to. As soon as I went out of the door, I saw Viy outside the car. She run towards me and helped me walked and get inside the car without asking.
And when the car starts to moved away from the Villa, that's when I burst out crying. The pain is killing me.
Where did we go wrong? Why does this have to happen?
- Writer
