Book 2:16

I danced with Sean all night, resting between intervals when he felt I was already exhausted. I saw several pairs of eyes thrown at us, perhaps, waiting for the chance to dance with Sean. Yet, Sean did not leave me as he promised.

"Mr. Grey, may I have a moment with you, please?" Dr. Fabella approached us while we were on our way to leave.

Sean glanced at me, and I nodded. I held high respect for the chairman, so I offered to stay behind and wait for him in the coffee shop. I felt cold, and I wanted a hot drink.

"Chairman, kindly wait for me in the lobby. I'll accompany my wife first to the coffee shop."

"Go ahead." Dr. Fabella gave me a nod and a smile, motioning for us to go ahead.

Sean chose a table by the glass wall with a couch as its seat. My eyes lit up to see the soft cushion and pillows. I could no longer wait to slump my body into its comfort. The moment I leaned my head on the backrest, my drowsiness took over, and I didn't know how long I drifted into sleep.

I woke up later when the chilling temperature of the air conditioner made me shiver.

"Turn off the aircon for a while, and then adjust the thermostat," I heard Eric's voice hurled against the attendant.

I looked up when I heard footsteps coming. Eric gazed at me with a frown, bringing a folded cloth in one arm.

"Do you want to catch a cold? It's not good for the baby!" he said, spreading out the sheet to cover me.

"Thank you. I fell asleep."

"That's the problem with your man. He involves himself in too many troubles."

"Trouble?" I sat up abruptly and stared back at him.

"I told you before that Sean is a very dangerous man. How I wish I could drag you out from him, but I know you will never believe me unless you see the proof."

"What are you talking about? Sean is the kindest and the most peace-loving person that I know. Don't dare to stain his reputation in my eyes because I know what I believe!" My orbs seemed to pop out from its cases as a surge of anger gripped my whole system.

"Relax. I won't force you to believe me. But one day soon, you'll see."

"Eric, can't you move on yet? Calla, the only woman you love, is back in your arms. Stop destroying Sean's image just because you're angry at me. You can't accept the fact that I could find someone better than you."

Sean dropped himself on the couch across me. Placing his legs over the other and leaning his back on the cushion, he fixed his gaze on me again.

"Let me correct it, my dear. Calla belongs to the past. Aside from that, her heart belongs now to someone else, and he is no other than your husband. I don't understand how you are so blind to the truth that while you believe he is in his office working hard, he is indulging in his lust in the other room."

A stabbing pain hit my chest when Eric mentioned that room. It wasn't enough that it also slipped out of Hazel's tongue, and now, here's Eric, bringing up the subject again. What hurt me was the fact that Sean never made it clear to me. He even apologized for having Calla work for him, and for converting the room next to his office as her workplace.

"Why? Did Calla ask you to tell that lie to me so that she can have Sean for herself?"

"My dear, those things Calla confessed to me should have been kept only to ourselves, but I'm hurting for you. I could not keep you blind and innocent.forever."

The temperature of the room had already warmed, but I was shaking. If only I were not trying hard to show Eric that I never believed him, I would have cried torrents of tears already. There was a sense of truth to what Eric told me. I even felt bad when I found out about that room.

Eric sprinted toward the counter, and when he got back, he was already bringing a tray of steaming teapot and small cups.

"Here, drink this one. Forget about what I said." Eric poured out the hot liquid into one of the cups and handed it to me.

I held the rim of the cup into my lips with a trembling hand, not knowing that drops of tears escaped already from my eyes.

"Red, how I wish I were not too late to realize that I need you in my life. That despite my denial, I still can't lie to myself that I love you."

I looked at him with an expression of annoyance splattering on my face.

"Don't give me that look. I know I don't deserve to say it. I just wish I can still shield you from the pain. At least, in that way, I could make up for all the sins I have done to you. And I want you to know, even if it is already too late, that the greatest regret I have ever done in my life is to lose you."

I was about to open my mouth to let him shut up, but he stood up and left. He then barked at the attendant who met him halfway.

"Turn on the aircon but reset the thermostat. I don't want the lady to catch a cold."

Eric went out, his right hand on his ear, answering a phone. I got the chance to exit without his notice, so I walked out of the shop as slowly as I could so that the heel of my stilettos wouldn't create a sound. Just as I passed by where Eric was standing, I overheard him seething in anger.

"How dare you, girl! Red is here, and you can't wait for another day to flirt with him?"

I walked faster, sending clear, and loud thuds against the floor. Due to the silence of the surroundings as it was already past midnight, the clinking of my heels echoed against the hall. Yet, the volume of my racing heartbeats still drowned whatever noise my footwear created.

A hotel guard smiled at me as I was about to enter the function hall.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry. We have closed the hall already and turned off the lights."

I looked at him with a questioning look. I would have asked him if he happened to see Sean, but when I looked up, I saw Sean coming out from the ladies' room. I saw a shadow behind him, so I stared longer. The head of the woman popped out but then retracted perhaps because she saw that someone was looking at her.

I could never be wrong. It was her.