Regret

"I SAY DON'T TOUCH ME!"

Justin was stunned when Nadine screams at him. For a few moments, it was quiet, Justin could see fear in Nadine's eyes before Nadine ran out of his room.

Nadine kept running until she entered her penthouse. Her body slumped behind the door, she didn't cry but her heart ached. Is it that bad in her condition that she's overreacting to Justin?

Nadine tried to get up, her body still shaking violently. She walked while holding on to the wall when suddenly her penthouse bell rang.

"Sorry for my overreaction, I will be your maid from tomorrow," Nadine said through the loudspeaker near the door. She can see from the monitor screen if Justin was still standing there.

"I'm sorry, Nadine. I was just teasing you, I didn't mean to scare you." Said Justin regretfully. He knew that something was wrong with Nadine, so Justin felt that Nadine's presumptuous attitude had only been to cover up something that was hurting her.

Nadine didn't answer his apology, but Justin couldn't go, he was too worried about Nadine.

"Go on, you haven't showered, have you? Go home and eat your breakfast before it gets cold." Said Nadine, her voice sounded low and shaking as if Nadine was holding back her tears now.

[How can I eat when I know you're not okay right now.]

"I'm still handsome even though I don't shower," Justin replied, he tries to joke to make Nadine feel better and Nadine feel a little better now.

"You are wearing clothes upside down." Said Nadine when she realized that Justin was wearing his clothes upside down, it seemed like he was in a hurry to put his clothes on.

[Could he be worried about me? No way, he is just a stranger.]

"This is fashion ... You know wearing things unnaturally is sometimes a part of fashion," Justin replied he was too embarrassed to admit if he was wearing clothes upside down.

Justin was still standing, he took a step closer to the screen. "I know I'm presumptuous, but has someone ever done anything rude to you?"

"If I answer you, will you make sure to get into my company?"

Is it true? Justin clenched his fists and held back the angry feelings in his heart. He would kill that person if Nadine was ever hurt.

"I ..." Justin was about to say yes to Nadine's offer when suddenly Nadine said "Forget it, I will only be your maid. Now go home, shower, and eat, I'm going to work."

Nadine immediately turned off the monitor and loudspeakers, she looked down as her tears dripped.

For years, she still feels afraid and embarrassed if anyone finds out that she was almost raped by Marcell.

Justin turned around, not to leave but to hide his tears. His biggest regret now was that he was too cowardly to find Nadine's whereabouts all this time so that now he doesn't even know what Nadine has been through to traumatize.

"I'm sorry Nadine ... I'm sorry ... "

***

Marcell woke up from his sleep when he felt the glare of the sun on his face. His head felt dizzy and his back felt sore.

It was already noon and he fell asleep, so he didn't know whether Nadine had gone to work or was still at her house.

Marcell then looked at the watch on his left hand, it's still 07.30 in the morning, and as far as he knew Nadine was still at her house.

He then got out of his car, straightening his shirt, Marcell stepped closer to the entrance to Nadine's house. Marcell wouldn't have breathed a sigh of relief if he hadn't apologized for what he had done to Nadine last night.

With a hint of hesitation, Marcell rang the bell and before long a maid opened the door.

"Good morning, Sir." Greeted the maid, the maid who used to work in his house and now works at Nadine's house and all of that under his father's orders. Marcell knew that his father loved Nadine as much as his daughter, but just like himself who couldn't accept Nadine's mother, Nadine also couldn't accept his father until now.

They have never been a family, that's why Marcell has never been able to give in to his feelings that have always loved Nadine until this moment.

"Where's Nadine? Tell her if I want to meet her." Justin asked as he stepped inside.

"Miss Nadine hasn't been home since last night, sir."

Hear what Nadine's maid said, Marcell immediately felt worried because Nadine always came home no matter how late it was, Marcell knows because the maid at Nadine's house always reports everything Nadine does in her house to him.

Marcell said nothing more, he immediately ran out of Nadine's house and drove away using his car.

Marcell tries to call Nadine but Nadine's number isn't active.

"Where are you, Nadine ..."

Unable to contact Nadine, Marcell then calls Nadine's mother, maybe Nadine was with her mom.

It didn't take long for Nadine's mother to answer the call from him.

"Is Nadine with you? " Marcell asked matter-of-factly.

"I'm not with her, what's wrong?"

Marcell doesn't answer Nadine's mother's question and immediately switches off the line, but Nadine's mother didn't worry at all why Marcell was looking for Nadine because she thought that Nadine didn't pick up a phone call from Marcell on purpose.

Marcell then tried to contact Sammy. Sammy's phone number can be reached but Sammy doesn't pick up the phone, which makes Marcell angry, but Marcell kept calling Sammy because the only person who was sure to know Nadine's whereabouts was Sammy until finally, Sammy picked up the phone.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, WHY HAVE YOU JUST PICKED UP MY PHONE?!" Shouted Marcell emotionally.

"I have no responsibility to pick up your phone calls," Sammy replied in a cold tone.

"Nadine didn't come home last night, was she with you?" Marcell asked, his voice sounding very agitated.

"Nadine is not with me and wherever she is it is none of your business and you should stop bothering Nadine."

"What's your business managing me! You are only her assistant!"

"Regardless of how I work with her, above all else, Nadine is my best friend. I won't let you hurt her anymore." Sammy sounded calm but he was clearly warning Marcell before turning off the line.

Marcell hit the steering wheel to vent his anger. Everyone was against his feelings for Nadine, everyone thinks he can only hurt Nadine even though he loves Nadine more than himself.

***

Nadine feels calmer after taking the medicine, she has taken a shower and is ready to go to work, but her steps stopped when she opened the door to her apartment and Justin was still at the door.

"What are you doing here?" Nadine asked, but when she realized that Justin was still wearing his shirt upside down, Nadine immediately realized that Justin was still waiting at her door. "Why are you waiting for me here?"

"I'm worried about you."

"I'm fine Mr. Wang. I was just ... a little surprised." Nadine replied, stammering a little to find an excuse that usually popped into her mind but this time made her think twice as hard, but no response from Justin other than a look that Nadine couldn't confirm but it looked like a worried look and a second later Justin pulled her into his arms.

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you all this time."

***