Chapter 8
“You and my uncle. That is just an act, right?” Lenard‘ s voice was strained, his words spilling out in a nervous rush. “Tell me that Melvin cornered you and you come up for him for help. Tell me, because if that’s the case I’ll help you cover it and we can…”
“An act?” I interrupted his rambling, my tone sharp. “I thought your message meant you already knew that I got married.”
I gave a bitter smile and added, “Although it wasn’t Melvin, which must be disappointing for you. You were hoping he‘ d marry me, just so he could have a proper excuse to ‘deal with me,‘ right?”
Lenard‘ s silence was telling. Watching him stand idly by as Melvin tried to drag me away, even going as far as offering advice to that scumbag, had opened my eyes. That saying, birds of a feather flock
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together, suddenly made perfect sense. Whatever kind of person he was, I had been too blinded by feelings to see it before. But now, without that veil, I could finally see him for what he truly was.
I turned to leave, but Lenard panicked.
“Wait, you haven’t-”
He reached out to grab my arm, but Rafael appeared, faster than Lenard’s hand. With one smooth motion, Rafael pulled me into his embrace, his tone light but firm. “What’s taking you so long? It’s late and we should head home. We a wedding to plan, remember?”
I let him guide me into his arms, playing the part of the obedient wife. I didn‘ t spare Lenard another glance.
Out of Lenard’s sight, Rafael leaned down slightly, speaking just loud enough for me to hear. His voice was soft, a quiet reassurance. “It’s okay. I said that to keep him away. I’ll wait until you‘ re ready.”
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together, suddenly made perfect sense. Whatever kind of person he was, I had been too blinded by feelings to see it before. But now, without that veil, I could finally see him for what he truly was.
I turned to leave, but Lenard panicked.
“Wait, you haven‘ t-”
He reached out to grab my arm, but Rafael appeared, faster than Lenard‘ s hand. With one smooth motion, Rafael pulled me into his embrace, his tone light but firm. “What’s taking you so long? It’s late and we should head home. We a wedding to plan, remember?”
I let him guide me into his arms, playing the part of the obedient wife. I didn’t spare Lenard another glance.
Out of Lenard’s sight, Rafael leaned down slightly, speaking just loud enough for me to hear. His voice was soft, a quiet. reassurance. “It’s okay. I said that to keep him away. I’ll wait until you‘ re ready.”
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***
Later that night, the banquet ended and Lenard didn’t wait for Arlene to join him. Instead, he returned to the apartment we had once shared, only to be greeted by chaos.
The living room looked like it had been ransacked. Furniture was overturned, decorations were broken and the walls
bore traces of blood. A strange sense of unease crept over him as he stepped further inside.
Thankfully, he had installed surveillance cameras in the apartment. Wasting no time, he pulled up the footage.
The recording began uneventfully, but then Arlene appeared, barging in with a group of people. They ransacked the place. pushing and shoving without restraint. The video ended with me falling, my head. hitting the corner of a table before I collapsed unconscious.
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Lenard stared at the screen, frozen, as a chilling realization washed over him. Rushing to my room, he found it empty. My belongings were gone, leaving no trace of me behind. Panicked, he called Arlene, his voice tight with anger. “Why do you have a key to my apartment?”
Arlene’s voice trembled, filled with guilt. and uncertainty. “Did Faye tell you. something? I–I just wanted to talk to her! I didn’t do anything to her, Lenard, I swear. You have to believe me.”
Her sobbing might have worked on him before, but not this time. He knew her tricks–the tears, the theatrics. They had always been enough to soften his resolve in the past.
But I wasn’t like Arlene. I didn’t cry. And he knew that, too.
After meeting–the parents–banquet my life settle back into a routine. I returned to
work and every evening, without fail, Rafael was there to pick me up. Rain or
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shine. It was something Lenard would never have done.
I still remember when my coworkers asked if I had a boyfriend. They were always curious because they had never seen him once. Lenard never came to pick me up, not even once. One night, I asked Lenard to pick me up from work so I could show my coworkers that I wasn’t lying.
But Lenard flat–out refused.
“I’m your boyfriend, not your driver. I don‘ t have time to pick you up. Besides, you don’t have to fulfill any of your friends‘ requests. Especially those silly one,” he said, dismissively. “What a hassle,” he added.
However, shortly afterward, his phone rang. It was one of his friends.
“Lenard, do you have some free time? A few girls from my class really want to meet you; they say they‘ re big fans of yours,” his friend said.
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Lenard agreed without hesitation. The double standard hit me like a slap in the face. Suddenly, he had all the time in the world for his friend but none for me, his own girlfriend.
That was just one of the many things that led to arguments between us. “So, your friends are more important than me? You’ll meet strangers for them, but you refused to see my coworkers?”
Lenard agreed without hesitation.
The double standard hit me like a slap in the face. Suddenly, he had plenty of time for his friend but none for me, his own girlfriend.
That was one of the many things that led to arguments between us. “So, your friends are more important than me? You’ll meet strangers for them, but you won’t meet my coworkers?”
“Lenard,” I asked, my voice trembling, “what am I to you?”
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He let out a small laugh and replied nonchalantly, “You’re my girlfriend of course. Why’d you still ask?”
After that, I didn’t speak to him for a long time. He didn’t seem to mind. He went on with his days as usual, surrounded by women, acting as if nothing had happened. In the end, it was always me who gave in, lowering my head first.
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