CHAPTER 5- CRITICISM

ELLICE'S POV

"Hi, Ellice! Enjoy the night!" Nate said to me. I'm with Nico at a table with his other cousins.

"Again, happy birthday, Nate." I greeted him again.

"Thank you!" he replied.

"You look so good together. It's really enviable." said Clarisse, one of his cousins.

"Thank you, Clarisse." Nico replied. I just smiled.

"By the way, I saw you Ellice last night with your friends at the bar. Gary and I were there too." Clarisse added. Gary is her boyfriend.

"Seriously, your alcohol tolerance is still cool! I ... I just saw you that night, drinking that much." she added.

I didn't know what to say. Yes, I drink heavily because I probably have a high alcohol tolerance. But, that's not my fault, besides I'm just always enjoying the night.

"You were there too, but I didn't see you and Gary, maybe next time." I said. I really don't know how or what to answer.

We have here at the table together with some cousins ​​of Nico and Nate that I just met at the first time and then this is what Clarisse will tell them. So embarrasing.

"By the way, Nico, we have a plan which is a business trip to Batangas for one week next month." Bin reminded him. One of Nico's co -workers.

"Yup, Nate mentioned that to me earlier." Nico replied.

"Hi, Nico!" a woman greeted him.

"Erin?" he asked the woman.

"Yup, it's me." smiling as she answered.

"Where are you working now?" Nico didn't even introduce her to me.

"By the way, this is Ellice, my girlfriend." his introduction to me. Finally, I bet he reads my mind.

Erin smiled at me.

"Hi." I also greeted her.

"Hello, nice meeting you. I'm Erin Sanchez, I'm one of the co-workers of Nico before." she further explained.

"Oh, I see. Nice meeting you too, Erin." my answer.

"Please excuse me for a while. I will just go to the comfort room." I said.

"I'll come with you, hon." said Nico.

"Nope, just wait for me here." I answered.

"Are you sure?" he was still making sure of.

I just nodded. Then, I got up and walked to the comfort room.

While I was in a cubicle in the comfort room I heard women talking.

"It's still Nico and Ellice. What did he really see there with Ellice? She's just beautiful." I heard a woman say.

"You're right. I don't know how he got Nico. They're not married yet so there's a possibility that the two of them will separate." a woman replied.

Even before they could leave, I went out of the cubicle so that they would know that I heard what they said.

"Oh my ..." the woman said.

"Is there anything problem?" I asked them.

"Nothing." a direct answer comes from her.

"I thought you were jealous because I'm Nico's girlfriend." I answered confidently.

"What? Envious? Why should we be jealous of you? Haven't other people around Nico used to tell you or think that you might just be a gold-digger? That you loved Nico also because not only he is handsome, hardworking, smart, but because his family is rich. Besides that, many people admire Nico, because we know that they are rich but he still chose to work hard in his uncle's company to prove to his parents that he can be successful by his own hard workings. A man that every woman dreams to have, isn't it?" she replied.

I don't really like what these women are saying anymore. But, I'm not a quarrelsome woman.

"Just think what you want to think. But me? I know to myself that Nico and I love each other. We truly love each other, I don't care what else do you think of me. I'm not stepping on anyone or something. So better back off." I confidently answered.

I'm not going to lose somehow once I walk out of the comfort room.

I suddenly stressed out with those women too much.

Nico and I have been together for 4 years but why do some people still think that way about me?

Yes, we are not that rich but, I did not love Nico just to be influenced by the beautiful and luxurious life he has.

Nico's parents were really nice and kind. They accept me and they never judge me and so I am really thankul for that.

They are happy because their son and I are happy.

"Are you okay, hon? Why are you frowning?" Nico asked me as I sat down next to him.

"No, hon. I'm just okay." I answered. I didn't want to tell him what I had heard before. I don't want to talk about it anymore.

I just took the wine in the glass and drank.

Nico and his cousins with ​​Nate are busy talking about their childhood memories.

A few more minutes passed and I could see that everyone was enjoying Nate's party. There are so many visitors, they are almost at the same level, all rich.

"How are you Ellice?" Nate suddenly asked me as he sat down next to me.

"I'm okay, Nate." my answer.

"How is Giana?" he asked again.

"She's okay. She have to pick up her cousin earlier at the airport and she asked me if I can join her butI said it was your birthday so I can't be with her." I'll tell him more.

"Yeah, that's what she told me too." he answered.

Huh? Are they communicating with each other again?

"What?" I asked in astonishment.

"So ... she's not telling you stories about it." Nate said while smiling.

"Obviously, no." my answer.

"You're telling me those things now even though she's not sharing some stories about you and her." I said.

"Just ask her Ellice. She might be mad at me, it looks like she doesn't want to tell you already that we're talking, again." Nate explained.

Again, yup. Giana and Nate have a past. They had Mutual Understanding before but, they were both busy so they broke up before but now, it seems that their closeness is returning to normal.

"Maybe so. I won't force you to tell the story because I also want her to tell Hazel and me regarding that. That Giana really has some secrecy." I replied.

"Hey! It seems that the topic of your conversation looks good." smiling Nico said. He broke into our conversation with Nate. He was busy talking to his cousins ​​earlier so I just let him enjoy talking with them.

"Yup. Really good or should I say beautiful, like Ellice." Nate replied.

"Giana is our topic, hon. Nate and her are talking again." I said to Nico while smiling.

"That's great, bro. It seems now that it's a continuation of your closeness then. I hope the stage levels up what you have now. Goodluck bro! It's a pity Giana isn't here at your party right now." Nico sadly said.

"That's right. That's why I'm not that happy, even though there are many girls out there, Giana's presence is still different." smiling he replied.

"Nate, come here!" his mommy calls him.

"Wait, I'll just go to mom. Maybe there's something important to say." he said. Nico and I nodded and Nate stood up and walked away from us.

"You want more, hon?" Nico asked pertaining to the tequila that I am drinking.

"Yes please." I answered.

Until the band that Nate was invited for his birthday set up and sing while we were just listening and drinking.

The surroundings are just so calm.

"You're all I need to be with forever more ..." said the lyrics to the song forevermore.

Nico and I looked at each other.

"I love you, hon, forever." he said.

"I love you too, hon, always and forever." I answered.

TO BE CONTINUED...