Sweet Bastard

6

6

Lisa's POV

"I hate you! You cheater! Liar!" Tears blinded my eyes and choked my voice. Oh God... too much pain squeezed my heart as I thought of Jason.

How could he do this to me? I had been loyal, sweet, caring and loving to him. For two years, he was my everything. My sun, moon and stars. What did I do wrong?

Whenever he needed help, I was always there. I would bring his mom groceries whenever he was out of town. I had once fetched his dad from the airport because he had a hangover. I made his sister's costume during their International week. I would even lend him money when he was broke...

Why?

I saw his post on Instagram this morning. He was on bed with his partner field reporter, Vanessa. With hashtags #relationshipgoals #soinlove #truelove #wokeuplikethis #destiny #freedom. I looked for our pictures together. It was all deleted.

He'd been cheating and lying to me for months. He was secretly dating that girl Vanessa for two months already. My source was his cousin who could not stand his arrogance.

I looked at our pictures on the walls, above the counter table, in my bedroom, even in the bathroom. We shared so many memories together and it all vanished. Forever gone.

Rrrriiinngggg!!! Rrrriiinngggg!!! Rrrriiinngggg!!!

The doorbell rang again. That new neighbor could not understand the word NO. I told him that I'm not interested. He kept on pestering me since yesterday to buy life insurance from him.

Stomping my feet, I went to the door and opened it angrily. "I told you I have a life insurance already!"

"Chill," the man in front of me said.

My jaw dropped on the floor. It was not my insurance agent neighbor, but my boss, Alessandro Russo. I was so embarrassed for shouting at him that I wanted to crawl at the nearest hole like a mouse. I'd be dead if I don't have a job on Monday anymore.

He looked so handsome, intimidating, aristocratic and powerful as usual, dressed in his overpriced custom-made gray suit and shiny Italian shoes. While I looked like a mess in my old dotted green-and-white bathrobe, loose white shirt, and red pajama pants. My hair was a mess for not taking a bath for three days and my eyes swollen from crying. I was so miserable. I just wanted to stay in bed and cry my heart out.

"Miss Brooks," he greeted me with a nod.

"Mr. Russo. What are you doing here?" I tried to comb my hair with my fingers but stopped when I saw my dandruff were flying.

"I came here to check if you're okay." I was surprised at the concern in his voice. It did not occur to me that he cared for his employees. He rubbed his hands and said. "Can I come in? It's cold out here."

"Um... of course. Come in." I ran to the red leather couch and dusted it with the throw pillow to remove the visible flakes of dandruffs.

Mr. Russo closed the door and came inside. He looked so big in my tiny fifty-square-meter apartment. His eyes roamed around my place, studying the frames on the wall, the kitchen, everything. Then his eyes meet mine.

"Sit down, sir."

"Thank you," he said and sat down on my tiny couch.

I sat down on the armchair opposite him. It was so awkward facing each other like this, with the center table between us. It made me nervous.

Why is he in here? Is he going to fire me for being absent for three days? I called the Human Resource Department. I'm entitled to use my sick leave, right? But, am I sick? Well... my heart is aching, broken, miserable. Therefore, I'm sick.