Chapter 5

“You haven’t seen your parents for quite a long time, babe. Why don’t you just spend the night there? I’m sure that Mama and Papa will be thrilled to have you stay over their place. Don’t worry about me. I’ll miss you but I’ll manage. I would have been there with you tonight if only I wasn’t feeling tired because of too much paperwork here. But I will be there first thing tomorrow to fetch you. Just give my regards to them, all right? I love you!”

I laughed bitterly while remembering Luke’s words just a few hours ago. I was a fool to feel guilty about staying over my parents’ house when he was “too tired from working” for us, for our future family. I could not sleep in my old room so I rushed back home even if my parents tried to stop me. I risked getting them disappointed. I stopped over at a bakeshop and even bought Luke’s favorite caramel cake to make it up to him and to surprise him.

But I was the one surprised instead.

I was almost at the gate when Luke caught me and grabbed my hand.

“Candice, let’s talk first-“

“Get your filthy hands off me, you sick bastard!” I yelled as I shove his hand. My emotions were completely leaking out now but I was too hurt to bother about the neighbors. I looked at his face. I could not believe that the most important man in my life was suddenly becoming a stranger before my very eyes.

“Let’s not talk here. Come with me. Jackson is still inside. I don’t want him to hear any of this-“

“What? Luke, do you even hear what you’re saying?” Once again, I found myself laughing at the absurdity of his words. “You were embarrassed that your darling Jack might hear us so you want us to talk somewhere else? And who cares about that two-faced guy’s feelings? For crying out loud, I am your wife, Luke! How dare you still care about what he might feel when I am the one hurting the most here? Besides, last time I checked, this is still our house! If there is someone who has to leave, it’s your lover! He has no place here! Let me go! I don’t want to see that scum’s face again when I get back here!”

I was aware that my voice was getting louder and louder with each second that passes. But I feel like my heart was about to burst if I would not let this out.

In an instant, Luke’s expression became unreadable. He grabbed my arm and did not let go this time as he dragged me near the very car that I gave to him as a gift last Christmas. He opened the door and pushed me inside the backseat as he hastily sat on the driver’s seat. I was about to leave when Jackson caught me. He sat beside me and firmly held my hand.

“You don’t have to follow us, Jack,” Luke said in a now softer voice. His expression changed. It became so awfully gentle that I had to bite my lower lip to stop myself from weeping in front of them. So now that their relationship had been exposed, they found the nerve to shamelessly do this with me around?

“I can deal with this on my own, Jack. I don’t want you to be in danger.”

“No. Now that it’s come to this, I will make sure that I will be with you until the end, Luke. We are in this together. Now, drive. Let’s end this. At least, we won’t have to wait until next month anymore. I’ve contacted them already. And they agreed to meet us tonight.”

“I don’t understand what you, two, are talking about and I don’t want to understand anymore! Where are you taking me? I swear I will sue you both for this! Let me out! I don’t want to stay with the both of you a minute longer!”

Amidst the betrayal, the shock, and the heartbreak, I have to admit, I was… terrified.