Disregarded

"Ena! Have some of this! This is my specialty!"

Grandma Grace is the most terrifying when she is with her stainless tongs. She would just put whatever on your plate before you could say anything.

There was no schedule for the neighborhood association that Sunday but she was invited to Grandma Grace's house since she decided to hold a celebration for Grandma Carolina's recovery. She immediately accepted the invitation.

After that conversation with Aidan, she became uncertain about what things she should talk about with him. He was on a business trip again and was back on Saturday evening. He asked her if she wanted to meet but she already accepted the invitation so she refused him. The truth was, she really wanted to run to him that night, but she decided that she should have a serious talk with him first, but then she was so afraid to hear the truth about their relationship. She found the invitation as a golden opportunity to take her mind elsewhere.

"Is the food not to your liking sweetheart?" Grandma Carolina asked.

"No, I mean it's delicious!"

"You don't look that enthusiastic about it."

"Leave her alone. Maybe she is trying to lose weight for someone!"

"Oh, come on! She does not have to do that. A little meat here and there is healthier than being thin like a stick."

"My granddaughter said that having no ounce of fat in your body is the trend these days. You should be watching more dramas these days! All the female leads are as thin as models."

"You don't have to listen to them, my dear. As long as you feel healthy, then that is all that matters."

She just forced a smile. The truth was, she was criticized by her family members for having extra weight when she was in elementary school. She was thin as a stick when she reached high school, but then she still did not feel that she was thin at that time. No matter what body shape she was in, she used to think that she was fat and so, at that point in her life, she did not bother so much about any diets anymore. She just eats what she likes but then she just did not particularly have an appetite at that time, so she stared at her full plate wondering if she could eat them all.

"Oh! They are here!"

Jake and his mother entered the living room and handed some gifts to Grandma Grace. His mother apologized for being late. Jake went to greet his grandma who was sitting next to her.

"Hi, Ena." He greeted her with his eyes smiling.

The grandma's noticed it and they all started teasing.

"Oh, so this is your handsome grandson, huh?"

"He is handsome indeed! I hope someone will notice."

She felt so trapped. The grannies are merrily pushing for them without knowing anything and she could not begin to explain because of her worry that Grandma Carolina might have a heart attack again.

Jake was not even trying to clear up the misunderstanding. He just sat next to her and chatted with the grandmas. She wanted to leave so badly but she was sandwiched between him and Grandma Carolina and in front of them were the other enthusiastic grandmas. She was in there but she felt that she did not belong in that place anymore. Her sanctuary has already started crumbling.

The grannies made a way for Jake to take her back home and she appreciated that. She also wanted to talk to him. They were walking down the silent street when she finally spoke.

"How could you act like that in front of them? Have you no shame?"

"I decided to throw that away when I chose to get you back?"

"And how about Danielle and your child?"

"We agreed to be co-parents. That is all that is between us. You are the one that I love!"

"And I told you, I don't love you anymore!"

"What about him? Does he love you?"

She could not respond for a moment but she glared at him.

"My feelings matter more right now. Can you just consider that for a moment?"

"I won't give up on you. I can't! Even if you reject me a thousand times."

"Why are you suddenly acting like this? You did not act that way before!"

"And I regret that. I regret it so much that it makes me want to die. Please take me back. I just don't know who I am without you anymore."

Jake desperately reached to touch her hand but she stepped away from him.

"I can walk home by myself. You may leave now." She said without looking at him.

Jake did not move and so she took the first step but he suddenly pulled her back and embraced her tightly.

"Are you insane? Let me go!"

He tightened his embrace. Thankfully, someone was passing by.

"Is everything all right?" The kind man asked.

Jake loosened his embrace and she pushed him away. She slapped him.

"I don't want to see you ever again!" She yelled in her trembling voice.

She ran to her apartment and dialed Aidan's number. It kept ringing on the other line.

"Aidan, please pick up the phone. Please." She cried.

But then she was just sent to the voice recording. She fell down on her knees at the entrance of her unit.

 I should have just continued to feel nothing.

Aidan's business trip lengthened. He won't be back until the company's anniversary party. He saw her missed calls and immediately called her but she did not answer anymore. She just messaged him that it was nothing. He then told her that he had already made all the preparations for her look in the party.

She was in despair but she brightened up upon seeing his message. She imagined that she will be next to him at the party and it would be like a big reveal to everyone, especially to those malicious gossipers, that she was with their boss and not Jake. Jake will also stop bothering her. It may be drastic, but it would also remove all the doubts in her heart. If that does happen then she will finally know what she meant to him. Others will judge her because she is of low status compared to him, but then she will feel reassured that the one she loves feels the same way about her.

The day of the anniversary came and she was in the salon having a great time chatting as they applied more temporary neon orange color to her hair. That color started to mean a lot to her. It was because of that color that he noticed her. They styled her hair with big curls that added enormous volume to her hair and she looked like she was going to have one of those TV commercials. She then wore a heart-shaped black tube dress lined with clusters of crystals. It looked so fancy that she did not recognize herself after they finished her look. She could not believe that her plain self could look like that. She even thinks that she can stand next to Rachel now and not look like garbage next to her.

She almost felt like flying her way to the party. She entered and everyone looked at her and she smiled. She had not felt so confident in her life as that night. She felt like everything would be perfect as long as she wore that gown with her fiery neon hair.

Aidan wasn't there yet and that was understandable. She received his message that he was still on his flight an hour ago. She decided to enjoy the food and drinks and some friendly conversation. She did not bother to stay with her team as Rachel was already staring daggers at her and she did not want them spreading their negativity toward her. Just for that night, she will stay positive no matter what.

He finally arrived with his secretary dressed elegantly in an emerald green dress. She did not want to believe it, but it seemed that she was his date at that event and not her. He stood on the podium and saw her. He smiled at her and then started to deliver his speech. Her hope ignited with that smile.

The party went further and her hope began to disappear with each passing minute. He was having conversations with all the other important attendees with his secretary next to him and there she was, hoping that he would take her hand.

She went outside to get fresh air. She already had too much to drink and she did not want to make some mistake like announcing to everyone that she should be the one standing next to Aidan and not that secretary.

"Ena. Are you okay?" Jake asked.

She did not even want to turn to him after hearing his voice. She was swaying sideways and he grabbed her arm before she could fall.

"Ugh! Let me go…" She slurred.

Jake did not let go. Instead, he embraced her. She tried to push him away but her arms did not have any force.

"Ena." Aidan said.

Jake turned to Aidan with Ena still in his arms. Ena sobered upon seeing him and pushed Jake away but she lost balance with her heels and fell to the bush behind her. Aidan quickly went to her and helped her to stand, then he dragged her to the parking lot. She struggled to match his pace with her high heels.

Aidan stopped upon noticing that she was having a hard time walking. He began kissing her to the point that she could not breathe. He suddenly lifted her and hung her like a sack on his shoulder and took a few strides to reach his car. They got inside his car and his kisses had occasional bites that shocked her. He did not even allow her to talk as he went on and lifted her skirt so he could insert his fingers inside her. Two went in smoothly and the sound it was making embarrassed her. Even with the anger and hurt she felt towards him, she was still slopping wet because of him.

"Please, someone might see us." She said when his lips went down her neck.

He had already left three marks on her neck when he suddenly shoved in fully.

"Aidan, wai-AHH!" She grabbed his shoulders when he suddenly thrust fully inside her.

"Stop… no! Ah!"

He covered her mouth with his as he pounded mercilessly inside her.

She did not remember much after that. They both became quiet as he drove her home that night.