Chapter 7: Heartbreaker

I was running in the hospital hallway looking for the operating room when Kasem found me, and his face looked so distressed. Probably because his dear wife was in surgery and it was normal to feel nervous.

He called me at 4 a.m to inform me that Rebecca needed an urgent surgery for her aneurism and the he had no choice but to call his wife’s parents and asked for help. And as soon as they heard about their only daughter’s condition, they immediately wired transfer the money so that she can have the operation as soon as possible.

And I heave a sigh of relief knowing that she will get better soon.

“Don’t worry too much Kasem, she’s a strong woman. She will be okay.” I said that to lessen his worries, but at the bottom of my heart, I felt scared too. And I was hoping the she could really make it.

“Why don’t you go to the cafeteria and get us some coffee, I’ll wait here” and he didn’t say anything to object, instead…He grabbed his coat and went straight to the hospital canteen, and while I was left alone in the waiting area my mind just couldn’t help thinking about what happened in the hotel with the guy who just claimed that he didn’t know me.

“That jerk! He didn’t know my name? Seriously!” and that thought made my blood boiled on top of my head.

“Is he toying me? Is that some kind of a joke?” I disbelieved his reaction and in my head I wanted to be sure so I decided to go back to the hotel after Rebecca’s operation to confront him.

He was sleeping soundly when I left the hotel, right after I received Kasem’s call. So I thought about going back early in the morning to clarify everything.

Then after a couple of hours, Rebecca’s operation was over and it was successful.

Both me and Kasem rejoiced and as soon as she was settled in the recovery room, I told Kasem that I needed to be somewhere, and I went back to where I left the man who just broke my heart.

And my eyes grew big out of disbelief when I knocked on his hotel room and the bellman just told me that the VIP had checked out an hour ago, and he mentioned about an envelope that Marcus left at the reception area for the woman who took care of him, and that was me.

So I went down to the reception area and asked for the envelop, and after claiming it I walked towards the waiting lounge and plastered my back on the huge couch, luckily there was no one occupying it when I came around to sit.

“What’s inside this envelope?” I curiously asked myself while I was holding and looking at it. And to end my curiosity I peeled off the transparent sticker that has his company name and opened the envelope. I was expecting to see a letter inside of it, however I was wrong when I laid my eyes on the piece of paper with a 4000 dollars written amount.

It was a bank check, and that was my payment that he doubled to thank me. And for what? For the extra service that he thought I gave him when I slept with him? That’s nonsense! I told myself and a hissed of disappointment get away from my lips.

“I didn’t sleep with him to get an extra pay, for self-esteem sake…If it wasn’t him, I wouldn’t sleep with anyone. I just can’t”.

And it took me back to the days when I ran away with Zack Andrew Murphy, and we spent weeks together in a Villa but we had our separate rooms.

For so many times, Zack tried to persuade me to sleep and make love with him and I thought I was ready to do that since I chose him over Marcus, and he was the first guy who have tasted my lips.

But for some reason that I couldn’t explain better back then, each time we almost do it, I backed out and hesitated. I was not ready to do it with Zack despite of the love that I had for him.

Perhaps it was because of Marcus.

I thought about him the whole time I was away and I was with the man I thought was my first love, but I was wrong. I thought about how much I have hurt his feelings when I left him and cancelled our wedding, and how much he have loved me throughout the years of our friendship.

And because of that, I couldn’t surrender myself to Zack. Good thing he was quite a gentleman and Zack didn’t force me.

“Asshole! Is he mad at me for leaving him that’s why he put on that act after we made love? Is this some kind of a revenge?”

I asked myself as I came back to my senses and realized all the pain I’ve caused him. One after another, I hurt his feelings and put our relationship on the edge of a cliff.

He must have been so tired of me that he doesn’t want me to be part of him anymore, that’s why when I left…he didn’t bother to look for me and my sister Lilian told me that he and his parents went overseas after he was discharged in the hospital and stayed there for half a year.

Maybe to completely forget about me and move on? I asked myself.

“But why did he pretend that he didn’t know me? He should have hated me or cursed me or whatever it is that will suppress his anger, I don’t care. But to deny me? That hurts a lot” and my tears started to form in my eyes while I was like crazy talking to myself inside the cab, going back to the hospital to check up on Becca’s condition.

And after confirming her health status, I decided to go back home and have a quick rest before my nightshift in the casino.

I laid myself flat in a single bed as soon as I arrived my apartment, and as I looked around me I felt a sudden sadness in me when I missed my family. “How long should I stay here?

***

I have been lying in the bed for more than an hour since I came home, and I haven’t slept yet. My eyes were still wide awake on the thought of calling Marcus to clarify everything.

I still have his overseas number and I even memorized his email and social media accounts, so I could definitely contact him any time since there’s no point of hiding anymore or deactivating my public accounts. He already knew where to find me. So I told myself while my eyes were pinned on the ceiling, that I should call him and clear things up between the two of us.

And when I finally got tired of having random thoughts just to get a sleep, I jumped out of the bed and took my mobile to search for his number.

“There you go, my honeycomb!” and I found his number under a call sign which I like so much because he was so sweet like a honeycomb crunch. And I giggled as I got excited to hear his voice once again.

But before I made up my mind to call him after such a long time, I told myself that I will sincerely going to apologize to him for leaving him behind, and for running away. I also decided to tell him my reasons and ask for his forgiveness with my whole heart.

And once I have mustered up my courage…without thinking twice, I dialed his international number.

And it rang.

For a couple of times it rang before someone answered the phone and it was a woman’s voice who came to my senses.

“Yes hello, who’s this?” she asked nicely, and her voice was small but sweet.

My lips parted for a few seconds, I was voiceless but my mind was not. My thoughts were screaming inside my head.

“Who is she?” and when I heard her say…

“You’re not answering? I’m hanging up now”

And before she could even end the call, my voice escaped my mouth.

“Hi there! Sorry, the signal was not good a while ago, so I didn’t hear you say hello.” I pretended and it seemed like she believed me.

“May I help you Miss?” she asked straightforward.

And I stuttered a bit when I asked her “May I speak with Mr. Lee?”

“Oh! You want to speak to Marcus? Hold on for a minute please, his in the bathroom” she said and I was like shocked, I couldn’t absorb the picture. The girl was in his room. What is she doing there? I asked myself, and before I could even get an answer to my question, I heard his voice on the other line.

“Who’s calling baby girl?”

“Not sure babe, it’s a woman” she said.

“Baby girl?” I was word mouthing when I heard he said that, and my anger almost exploded but I controlled my temper, until I got him on the line.

“Who’s this?”

“Marcus!” I exclaimed

“Huh? And who the hell are you to yell at me?”

“Who am I? Seriously?” my tone was high and it was hard for me to lower it down since I was so upset about what’s happening.

“Am I supposed to know you?” he sarcastically talked back and that pissed me more.

Didn’t he recognize my voice? I mumbled under my breath before I gave him my reply.

“Of course! Because I am the only woman in your life Marcus Liam Lee.” And I heard an insulting laugh on the other line.

“What the f*ck are you saying crazy bitch? My woman?” and I felt hurt when he said that. His acting was so real, it ripped my heart.

“I’m sorry for hurting you Marcus, please don’t do this to me. Don’t pretend that you don’t know me. It’s me Alyssa, your best friend…your fiancée.”

And my voice was stuttering over the pain that I was trying to endure in my heart.

I walked to the kitchen to grab some glass of water when I felt my heart was being squeezed out, but I stopped on my pace when I heard his degrading words.

“You know, I’m not a fool to buy your game lady. So don’t waste your time on putting this crazy act cuz I am not going to give you a single penny. If you need money, try a dirty old man instead”

“How dare you say that to me Marcus? After what happened to us here in Bangkok, you have the guts to tell me that. I didn’t ask for your money!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

“So, you are the lady I have spent the night with. Now I get it. Isn’t the money I gave you enough to keep you quiet? As far as I remember, I doubled the payment because you know, I enjoyed your performance and I really had fun with you. Besides, I gave you an extra bonus when I let you cummed twice. So do you want to have another round with me? I don’t think that will ever happen again because I am not fascinated with woman like you”

And my anger raised when my patience exceeded its limit.

“Woman like me? You son of a bitch, asshole! I know you are mad at me and I expect you to hate me for all the things I have done in the past…But you have no right to insult me, and think that I am just after your money.” I paused as I held back my tears.

“You know me better than that Marcus, of all people in the world who will judge me…I didn’t expect that it is going to be you who would treat me like a trash” and I hang up when I felt my tears rolling down my cheeks.

“I hate you”