The One

Part 5

Later in the morning, Steve went out of his room wanting to clean up the mess he made last night. His hands sting a bit. He never actually being that violent before. Of course, he did when he is at work. But only at work. However, he was hurt last night. What even hurt him more was the photo of a man kissing Crystal's lips. He couldn't even touch her or even held her hand but someone else is allowed to touch her lips. Not him as her husband. He was a little shocked to see the house had already been cleaned up. He guessed maybe Crystal felt guilty and helped him. He wasn't feeling well but he has to go to work. He could call in sick but what for to stay at home that just makes him sad. He wanted to go back inside his room to get ready to work when he noticed Crystal was sleeping on the sofa in the leaving room. He went over to her and knelt beside the sofa. "Honey... wake up. It's morning already. Don't you have to go to work?" He shook her body softly. Crystal opened her eyes and saw him. "No. I am not feeling well." She said and closed back her eyes. Steve placed his hand on her forehead and felt the heat. "Okay. Wake up. We go to the clinic." He said while looking at her. "I don't need a doctor. I am fine. I know my condition. I just need some sleep." She said being stubborn.

Steve sighed a bit and not giving up to wake her up because he didn't want her fever to be worse. "Don't be stubborn. I don't want your fever to be worse." He said trying to console her to get up to go to see the doctor. Crystal opened her eyes and get up. "Don't force me to do what I don't wanna do!" She said angrily. "It is enough that I am forced to be your wife!" She spoke more than getting off the sofa and stormed off to her room. Steve felt like his heart was struck by the lightning. He never forced her to be his wife. Even when they were already married, he never forced her to treat him like a husband. Steve got back on his feet and called his captain to tell him that he will be off work again today since Crystal wasn't feeling well. He went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator to see if there was anything he could cook for her for breakfast. Since there was chicken and some vegetables, he decided to make chicken soup. Besides, his mother always makes for him chicken soup whenever he wasn't feeling well.

When the chicken soup was ready, he let it be in the kitchen first since he wanted to let Crystal get the sleep she needed first. He didn't want to make her angry again if he tried to wake her up. He went to the living room and sat on the sofa while turning on the television. He leaned against the sofa while watching the television. Even though his eyes were on the television but his mind was somewhere else. He couldn't get her voice out of his head. Why did she hate him so much? Why couldn't she accept him as her husband? Not long after, he was falling asleep too. He was feeling tired and not well but Crystal is sick so he needed to be there for her.

Crystal woke up from her sleep a couple of hours later. She didn't remember what she had yelled to him before she fell asleep. She went to take her bath to freshen up a bit and then went out of the room after she was dressed up. She smelled the chicken soup from the kitchen. Maybe Steve cooked for her before he left to work. But then she saw Steve sleeping in the living room. She just ignored him and went straight to the kitchen. She heated the soup and put some into her bowl. She sat at the dining table and tasted the soup. "Hmmm.. he is not a bad cooker." She spoke to herself and continued to eat until she finished it. She suddenly remembered what happened last night. She needed to ask him where did he know where she was last night. She didn't like it if he hired someone to follow her. That was too much since she never interfere in his life.

Steve woke up in a little shock when he felt someone patted on his shoulder. He looked around and saw Crystal standing in front of him. "I am sorry. I fall asleep. I made for you chicken soup. I am going to heat it and you can eat." He said and ready to get up when Crystal stopped him. "No need. I already ate it." She said and then took a sit on the armchair across from him. "Oh? Okay. Are you feeling better?" He asked while looking at her. "I'm fine but there is something I am not fine with." She said while giving him a cold look. Steve frowned when he heard that. He was feeling worried. Is she sick? But she said she was fine. "Are you okay? Do we need to go to see the doctor?" He asked worriedly. "It is not about my health. Like I said I am fine." She said feeling annoyed to see him pretending like he didn't know anything. "Okay. But what do you mean that you are not fine?" He asked feeling confused. She smirked to hear that. "You are very great at acting you know." She said while folding her arms against her chest. That confused Steve even more. "Stop sending people to follow me where ever I go." She said with a sharp look to let him know that she was serious about this.

Steve frowned even more. When did he send anyone to follow her? "Did someone follow you? I don't know what you mean." He said wanting to know more of what she was trying to say here. "Stop pretending to be innocent, Steve. Stop trying to show me how you are such a good husband. I am not gonna fall for that." She said and Steve sighed softly. "We are doing this only because of our parents. Nothing else. You destroy my life. Yes! I do have a boyfriend and I love him with all my heart. I was just about to introduce him to my parents when they first told me about this stupid marriage." Steve could feel that his heart was aching. "Crystal, please stop." He said and tried to hold up his tears. "What?! Isn't it true? If you just do not agree with this, we don't have to go through all this. I don't have to feel guilty when you make the dinner for my birthday last night without telling me." She said angrily. "I already told you, you don't have to do anything for me." Steve looked at her. "But I want to. You are my wife." Crystal cut him off. "Only on the paper!" She shouted. Steve stood up wanting to go away from there. He couldn't take more of what will come next from her mouth. "See! Whenever we are talking, you always do this. Run away!" He stopped and spoke without looking at her. "Because if I don't do that, I might hurt you and I don't wanna do that." He said and touched his chest. His tears were already flowing down his cheeks. "And just so you know, I never send anyone to follow you. I don't need to do that. I know my limit." He took a deep breath. It felt so suffocated inside right now. "Thank you for being honest with me. I am not going to tell your parents about this. I am also not going to stop you from seeing him." He said and let out a deep breath. He turnaround to look at her and smiled with tears still running down his cheeks. "He is a very lucky guy. I wish I am him. But it is okay. You can do whatever you want. I am not stopping you because I know this marriage destroy your love life with him." He said and sniffled. "Let me go," Crystal said while looking at him with a serious look. Steve was shocked to hear that.

What she was asking him to do is impossible. No, he can't let her go. He rather has himself hurt than let her go. Besides, he has promised her father that no matter what, he will never let her go and he was not going to break the promise. "I am sorry, Crystal. That is the one thing that I can't do." She was furious to hear that. She stood up from her seat. "Why not?! You know that I don't love you and I know deep down you don't love me. You only do this because of your parents. That is not love, Steve." She said and he shook his head. "This conversation ends here." He said since he knew if they continued, it won't go well. Besides, he already feels the dizziness. "No! It is not! You are cruel! You have no heart at all!" She scream and cried. "You can say anything you want to me. But I am not letting you go." He said and started to walk over to his room but before he could reach it, he fainted.