Through Your Eyes — Chapter 29

RED'S POV

"Why are you here?" I ignored Eric's question as I stopped in front of him.

"Answer my question first," he may not be yelling at me, but I could hear the gritting sound of his molars. His eyes also seemed to jump out of its sockets as he glared at me.

"You may think what you like, Eric, it's fine with me." I threw him a cold and fearless look, igniting more fire within him.

"I saw you kissing Mr. Grey. What else could that mean?"

"I do not deny it," I replied, giving him a bored look. I saw the surprise in Eric's expression. Never did he expect, probably, that a day would ever come that I would dare to stand and defy him.

"Did you leave me because of him? You have such wonderful taste. Why, Red? Had I not given you enough? Had I not granted your material wants?"

I scanned the surroundings to see if there were onlookers around. I didn't want to start a scene. I knew sooner he would be yelling at me in anger.

"I have simple needs, Eric. And you know that. It was you who chose everything for me, even petty things such as the brand of my lingerie. Anyway, thank you so much for that. You make me an elegant woman."

"I didn't know you're also a wealth sucker, Red. I thought you are someone different. You left me for someone wealthier and more famous."

He gripped my arm tightly, and his harsh breath fluttered the hair on top of my head. If we were at his home, I'm sure he would already strip out my clothes to show me how cheap I was. Cheap was the term he used in describing women who were after someone's wealth.

I walked away from the ER's entrance because I knew he would be shouting at me. I was also afraid of the consequence of ignoring him. I strode towards the parking lot, and he kept up with me. I stopped right in front of his car, and he opened it without the need to tell him that I wanted the privacy of his car for his outburst. I was not afraid he'd hurt me physically because he never did it before, anyway. He may have yelled at me and whipped me with his sharp-edged tongue, but he never raised a hand against me. Only that I could not guess if he would still be able to hold his restraints on me, now that he knew I was in a relationship with Sean.

I slid into the passenger's seat and waited until he opened the other door at the other side and sat beside me. The color of his face turned into a darker shade of red, and his expression showed a rising fury. I knew this place would restrict him from throwing his anger because of the small space.

"Speak!" he said in between his harsh and shallow breathing.

"Eric, deep within your heart, you know that I am not materialistic. And you know I could not afford to replace you with someone wealthier for some material reason. If it is not clear to you, I left because you never loved me, and that is all I supposedly need. I was only your trophy, someone to show off to your friends."

"I would have thrown you off if I didn't, and we would not have lasted for five years."

Tears fell from my eyes at his confession, but he was already too late. He had already hurt me so much that I could never take him back.

"If you did, you would not have cheated on me, and you would have valued me." I was already sobbing when I said this. I covered my face with my two hands to muffle the sound of my cries.

"If it's about Shirley, I was too drunk and horny when that happened. She doesn't mean anything."

"It's not only about women. You know very well what I mean. Who is she, Eric? Who is she who stops you from loving me? Who is she who stood between us in those five years we were together?"

"Who told you about her?" I stopped breathing for a moment--he did not deny her. I could never tell him that it was Sean, who revealed his secret to me. I pounced my two fists in alternate succession as I cried harder. She was a stealer of our happiness.

To my surprise, Eric did not get mad at my sudden attack. He pulled me instead to his chest and hugged me, stopping those punches I threw at him. He then whispered something in my ear that pronounced the meaning of my sobs.

"I'm sorry, Red. I was already hurting, and I thought I don't need to hurt you with her memories. I would be robbing you of the inner peace if you knew that I was in pain because of her."

"But you still hurt me with your coldness and indifference," I murmured against his chest, now drenching his shirt with my tears.

"I know." He rubbed my back while keeping his silence as I sobbed. I recalled all the bitterness and pain in those five years, watching him from a distance as he indulged himself in the company of other women. I also remembered his harsh words and his rough treatment, robbing me of my self-worth and pride.

"Tell me more about her," I managed to say it despite my apprehension. I knew there was no point in telling about her now.

"Our family owns a property somewhere in Sama island. I was still a new graduate when dad assigned me to manage our beach resorts there as my training."

I broke free from his embrace and leaned my back on the car's door so that I could listen to him fully. I was still sniffling in my tears.

"Then," I said, urging him to continue.

"Then, one day, someone applied as a fish supplier. I was attracted to her. I knew my family would be against her because of her social status, so I supported her studies until the time came for me to appoint her as one of the heads in the finance department. Under her management, the number of our beach resorts increased. The great breakthrough in travel and tourism that continued until these days started with her."

"And because she contributed much in the growth of our business and in the island's economy, I introduced her to my family."

"We first stayed together secretly until I introduced her to my family. I fell in love with her and gave her everything. One day, I caught her on the act of cheating with someone wealthier and more famous than me."

"Who is she?" I asked, and my heartbeats started to sound like a stick banging against a bass drum. I didn't expect he would reveal her name but to my surprise, he did.

"Her name is Calla Rivera."