Chapter 2

Nicole had stayed for a while on the side of the bridge. There were no other cars or people that were passing by, but she felt no fear. Her mind was occupied by how she ended up in her situation right now.

When she felt the cold wind touch her body, she decided to leave the place. However, she had to slam on the brakes, after she had just driven out not far.

She could hear her heart pounding fast.

The car just in front of her bumped into a truck. Her body shivered because of the sudden accident, she could feel her cold sweat roll from her brow.

Though she was still in extreme shock, out of humanity, she stepped off her car and then went to check the driver. Even though her knees were feeling weak, she had to be fast because someone's life might be in danger.

Approaching the car, Nicole trembled as she saw a person wearing an eyeglass with her hair tied behind.

“He--- Help,” the woman inside uttered without any voice coming out from her lips while looking at her.

Nicole started to dial the 999 and contacted the authorities. Even if she couldn’t hear what the woman was saying, she knew that the woman needed help.

Without hesitation, she nodded her head and told the woman that she already called for help.

It didn’t take a while and she could already hear the sound of the ambulance as it rushed to the place where they were. The paramedics quickly went out and then they rescued the woman who was still inside the car. They laid her down on a stretcher.

Nicole was just quietly staring at the people. She didn’t know why she stayed there. It was none of her business.

Suddenly, a police officer approached her.

“Miss, are you the one who called the 999 number?” The police officer called her attention.

“Yes, that’s me.” She nodded as she turned her head to the police officer.

“Thank you for the call, Miss. If you don’t mind, can we get your contact information just in case we need to talk to you again about the incident?”

“Sure, officer. Here’s my number, 143********. Will she be fine?” She couldn’t help but feel worried about the woman.

“I think so,” the police officer said as he shrugged his shoulders. “Though the doctors are still checking her condition.”

Seeing the ambulance leave, she felt relieved. After being so close to death, she suddenly felt exhausted. She needed someone to talk to or just someone to be with.

So she came back to her car and was driving to her best friend Margie.

As soon as Nicole reached Margie’s apartment, she got out of her car. But before she could even reach the gate of the apartment, she heard a familiar voice which made her neck stiffened.

"Nicole!"

She didn’t move to turn her head.

“Nicole, stop!” Ashley called her again.

Still, she acted as if she couldn’t hear him at all. She was not yet ready to face him again.

“Nicole, let's go home. Let’s talk. Please, listen to me,” Ashley continued.

For the first time since she discovered his betrayal, he said please. But that wasn’t enough for her to forgive him for what he had done to her.

So, Nicole turned her head and met Ashley’s eyes. She could see the agony in his face. She could see the desperation in his eyes.

It was clear to her that Ashley wanted her to come back, but that didn’t make her feel okay. It just reminded her of how he had cheated on her. Ashley turned her into a person she never wanted to be.

Because of him, she became a homewrecker. A mistress. And those thoughts made a way for her to remember the family she had before. How her father turned his back to her mom. She knew how much it hurt to be left behind because of another woman and yet, she became the one.

“No,” she said while shaking her head. Nicole couldn’t believe that Ashley would say that to her as if it was an easy thing to do.

She had loved him, but she never wanted just to be a mistress.

“It can’t be,” she continued in an almost inaudible voice. She felt like there was something in her throat that she could hardly speak.

“I cannot. We cannot be together. You know why this is happening, Ash. Please, stop following me around. It will not work.”

She knew that to leave Ashley would greatly affect her life. She would be back being no one. She was just able to have the life she had at the moment because of the man.

But would she think about that? That’s just too selfish.

If this continued, she knew that a family would be breaking apart. Would that be something that her conscience could take?

Did she want to be like the woman who wrecked her family?

“Please, hear me out first. Don’t do this. I need you,” he said, which made her eyebrows knitted together.

What was she for Ashley? Was she an object that he could take because he needed her?

She shook her head.

“Again, I don’t know why I have to keep on repeating myself to you, Ash. You should know this yourself. Yes, you need me but you are already a married man. You have a family to begin with. For Pete’s sake! I don’t want to be the reason why you will leave your family. I cannot afford that,” she said in a firm voice. “I cannot afford to be happy while there’s someone suffering because of that.”

“I will divorce Belinda. Just don’t leave me.”

She smiled bitterly.

“No, no. You don’t get it, Ash. I didn’t ask for you to leave your wife. You don’t have to do that because that will just make me feel really bad. I cannot have peace of mind if you do that. Please, Ashley. You don’t need me. What you need is to go back where you really belong. I need some space. You already lied to me and not only to me for that matter but also to your wife whom you have promised forever,” Nicole couldn’t hide the emotions in every word that she uttered.

“Listen, Nicole. You only know half of the truth. Can’t you hear me out first? I want to tell you about this but I didn’t find the courage to do so. I must admit that I have been a coward for not telling you the truth. I am so scared that if I tell you, you will leave me. I am so scared. Just so scared,” Ashley said continuously.

Nicole was just listening to Ashley. She didn’t know what to feel but hatred and anger dominated her chest. She couldn’t imagine how Ashley couldn't understand her reason why she needed to leave him.

“Just like what’s happening now, Ashley. You should have told me earlier. You should have talked to me from the very start. You just gave me reason to hate you. And, you know what? What's worse? I hated myself because of you. You made me look like a fool. I never wanted to be like this, Ash. I never wanted to be a mistress. You made me look like a stupid because you know that I am in love with you!”

“Please, don’t say that Nicole. This is just a problem that’s testing our relationship. Please don’t give up easily to me. Let’s talk and fix this,” Ashley was persistent.

“And what do you want to hear from me? Should I be thankful for everything that you are saying to me right now? Do you want me to say that I love you still? Is that what you want to hear from me?” Nicole said in a high tone. Her heart was pounding so fast inside her chest.

She couldn’t help but to get mad again because of how reality was being slapped in her face.

Ashley was about to hold her arms when the door suddenly opened. And she was silently thankful because of that.

It was Margie. Probably, she was hearing the commotion going on outside.

She knew that she forgot her surroundings because of all the feelings and the things that she had inside her. She was unable to control her voice. She felt like she was going to explode if she didn't raise her voice.

“Nicole? Mr. McAdams,” Margie called as soon as she saw them.

Nicole tried to calm herself. She didn’t want to make a scene. It was only Ashley that followed her and wanted her to come back in his life after she found out that he was already married.

She turned her head and then walked towards the door where her best friend was standing.

“Nicole,” she heard Ashley calling her again as she tried to go inside the apartment.

“Ashley, go home. No, go home to your family. I know that she is waiting for you to come back. Please leave me alone. Everything that is going on between us, ends here,” Nicole said without looking at her back. Her heart was like being cut into pieces.

“I am very grateful that even in a short time, I felt happy because of you. At least, I am no longer just another woman. Go and get lost. Fix your family. Your wife needed you more than you needed me,” she mumbled as she drew a smile on her face.

Deep inside her, she was shattered into a million pieces.

She was wondering what she would become now that Ashley was no longer part of her life.

“There is no longer an “us”. So, go and leave. Leave me alone!”

But Nicole knew that this was the best decision that she could ever do in her entire life.

She turned around and then said to herself that it was the final goodbye for them. But anger was registered to Ashley’s face.

It was obvious that he didn’t like what she had said to him.

“I will leave you now, Nicole but I swear,” he said in a tone that was threatening. “This isn’t the last time that you will be seeing me. You are wrong because everything between us is still here."

"It didn’t end. You will see how I can be your greatest nightmare. I will not let you go. I will not give you up easily."

"No man can ever take you. It will only be me. I own you. From head to toe. Your body, your soul. Everything about you is mine. Keep that in your mind. I will be your shadow, Nicole.

"So you better be careful.”

That was the last words Ashley said before he left.