What choice?

ALICE

“Yet, you make her suffer for one whole month. Do you have any idea what a torture it was, for her to stay on your side, seeing you hooking up to any girl you just met every night? The pain she feels when she keeps asking herself ‘What is wrong with me? Why won’t you look at me?’ ‘Am I not good enough for you?’ ‘I’m right here but why can’t you see me?’ It’s driving her nuts…” I raised my hands in exasperation.

“But you’re just.. so oblivious about it. You refused to see the look in her eyes when she’s screaming for help. For redemption. She’s always right here waiting for you, for you to come to her on your own and you - you just rebuffed her. It’s like you're putting up a wall between you and herself. Never letting her in.” I made a door opening gesture with my hands. Then slice the gap in between.

I supposed I’m getting so worked up in this affair I’m basically setting up another fire in his miserable heart. Just by looking at how frantic his chest is rising. It’s like his heart is about to burst out inside. A little bit pushed on the edge and it’s hello heart splattering explosion.

“You hurt her, and she never deserves that. No person in this world who loves someone deeply deserves the kind of treatment you’re giving her horse-faced. Seriously, why hurt someone whose only intention is to love you?”

I stuck my chin up in defiance. Daring him to prove me wrong. He did not speak. I clamped my mouth shut and sit back. Observing his reaction. Letting my words sink into his dumb little brain. I sacrificed my entire 24 hours for these two and if it’s isn’t enough, then I don’t know what will.

He swayed a little. Mumbling to himself. His eyes have that lingering look. The kind of look where he’s staring at something, but seeing something else. Something entirely different. His glassy eyes are reflecting the luminescent light in the fluorescent above. The glow is dancing at his iris. Contracting when he closed his eyelids, widening when he stares at his side.

I know he’s reminiscing back to those days he spent happily with Katherine. Wistfully thinking how great those times were. Wishing it will happen again.

But not this time. If he decides to just sit in there and do nothing, those happy memories will eventually turn into haunting ones. Remembering how nice it has been is one thing, regretting why it never happens again is another.

“So what? you’ll just sit there feeling sorry for your silly little ass? Moping around, blaming yourself for what happened while your loved one is taken to some place you don’t even know the hell where?”

He inhaled sharply. I can see how it chokes in his throat. His lungs refusing to inhibit more air, making him hard to breathe.

“If you don’t make a move now, you will never see her again,” I tell him. He’s lost for words. His lips are quivering, trying to make out words he can’t even form.

“Y-you mean K - katherine?”

“No, I meant the floor. When you slam your butt earlier, he seems feeling too good about it. Most of the floors are. They just love it when humans bump their butts right into them. That’s why it hurts when we try to get up whenever we tripped.”

His flabbergasted face looks so stupid I can’t help but make a quick trip to making a fool of someone ride to pleased myself even more.

And he did not disappoint me.

He’s staring at me wild-eyed with a mouth hanging wide open. Like I just took off to another planet in the middle of our love counseling slash love therapy conversation.

Son of a foot shank, I just love giving advice to miserable people. They’ll be so lost in their thoughts they don’t actually care what face they are making or even bother to put up an ‘I’m so damn cool’ mask to show off. Prime example? Our lover boy Michael here.

While he’s still busy talking to himself, I better send the record of Michael’s conversation with ’the mother’ to Katherine. The poor girl just took off heartbroken. She deserves an explanation.

People don’t hurt the person they treasure without a reason. And as good as everything happens for a reason, people do what they do without getting the time to tell someone why they do it. And sometimes, they never get the chance to tell their loved one that. They’re always misunderstood. Always. No wonder relationships don’t work out.

Now, I have no idea how will things proceed between them. When she said goodbye earlier, I can feel her soul wrecked in the spot. She left it behind.

I’m sure horse-faced felt it too. He won’t be this devastated if he didn’t. I sighed.

After tapping the send button, the circle twirled around on my screen. She’s not online. Better try calling her. Maybe after two hours, when she’s done crying.

I spread my hands on the sofa, stretching my legs at the top of the table. He didn’t even notice me. I watched him fiddle on his fingers. Smacking his forehead into his joined hands. Constantly muttering to himself.

“You know, there’s a story back then.” he stopped mumbling. Looks like I caught his attention. I draw my hands in front of me and rest them in my lap.

“It was about a girl who’s living in hell and a guy that lives like a superhero. ” He looked up. I met his eyes and continued.

“The girl lives her life miserably. She was abused, violated, oppressed, brutalized by her own family. Depraved of human rights, she was treated like an animal. Chained in her neck like a dog, she was locked up in the basement. She’s punished for a crime she doesn’t understand what. For them, her existence is as disgusting as sh*t. So they treated her for the sh*t that she was.” I watched his eyes slowly widen in interest.

“They forced her to sell her body, her organs, and any useful body parts they can trade for money. They did not hesitate to pluck out her eyes to earn thousand dollars. They did not bat an eye when she screams, asking for help. As multiple men pounded her to submission.”

“That’s so f*cked up.” he croaked. I snickered.

“Yeah. But you know what, just like in movies, this superhero guy came to save her. She was his dazzling Thunder God in shining armor.” he scoffed.

“You mean Thor?” I shrugged.

“Could be. But Thor doesn’t have healing powers. This guy has.”

“He patches her wounds, both physically and emotionally. The girl was happy. For her, it’s like she’s living in a dream. She’s finally free. She found someone special, someone who can protect her from bad guys. Someone who can blow all her pain away with his superpowers.”

“Good for her,” he said quietly.

“But that doesn’t end there. You see, the girl’s too tainted to stay by his side.” I said, chewing on my cheek.

“Tainted how?”

“She was his poison. His pitfall. The more she stayed at his side, the more his power destroyed him inside. And you know what’s the saddest part?” I asked.

“What?” he cocked his head to the side.

“They both don’t know it’s like that. And then one day… he just died.” I whispered. He blinks in surprise.

“What? Just like that?”

“Yeah. The girl was devastated. So many dreams don’t get fulfilled. So many hopes never brought to fruition. So many memories… she can’t bring herself to remember. Because it’s killing her. His death is like a death sentence dropped unto her. Now imagined when she found out he died because of her. What do you think the girl feels?”

“I - ...“ he’s lost for words.

“I can’t imagine how that feels.” I nod.

“Of course you can’t. Unless you feel it yourself. And right now, I’m sure that’s what Katherine feels when you told her she’s a nuisance.” I watched his face whitens. His restlessness from earlier kicking in.

“I - I don’t.”

“You better decide now horse-faced. What do you actually want? Gaining back your old life while losing her in the process? Or going after her to win her back? It’s all up to you.”