ANTAGONIST

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

     "We should go to that cafe downstairs." Minnie invites. We're in a mall since Minnie wanted to go shopping for makeup and skincare products. She didn't find much, considering we're on a tiny island.

"Okay." And we go down. When we enter the cafe–yellow, dim lights and all, with a couple of people, we order. She gets some black coffee, while I just order a donut. We sit and feel the chilly air around us.

"You just wanted to come here since the barista's cute."

"Shhh." She scolds. I giggle as I chew on my donut. The door suddenly opens and I look behind to see who it is.

My heart swells.

Suddenly, everything blurs.

Except for Josh.

Josh.

Blue coat, messy black hair, skinny, tall build. Earings, that familiar face.

"Holy shit." Minnie curses when she sees who I'm looking at.

I didn't know he was here. He never told me. I want to jump out of my seat and run to him. Hug him. Caress him. Talk to him for hours.

When Nina holds his hand and looks at him in the eyes romantically and mischievously, knowing damn well Nina has a husband and kids.

Nina. Josh.

What the fuck?

"HUH?" Minnie chokes on her coffee so hard it splatters all over the table. The couple line up and take their order. I can't help but stare. Nina? A married wife for fifteen years. Josh? The guy I like (well maybe less ever since the truth and maybe not anymore at all now). Together?

Together?

Their coffee arrives quickly and they take it and walk out, they look around the cafe but don't seem to see us as if they're paranoid. They better be.

After they walk out, me and Minnie are silent from what we witnessed for approximately three minutes. "Well, that's one hell of a scandal." She utters.

I nod slowly, still not processing everything properly. I'm obviously in denial. Nina? Josh? Nina? Josh? What?

"Looks like Nina found someone to spend all her money on," Minnie adds. I gasp and it all makes sense.

"Holy shit. Josh needs money for his family's business..."

"And nag biga-biga si Nina..." She connects.

A sugar baby, a sugar mommy CEO.

That truly is one hell of a scandal.

Ლ

My head is still spinning when we return to the resort. Minnie, on the way here, told me all her theories.

"What if they met on Tinder or something?"

"Hey, what if they were just friends."

"Wait, no, because friends don't hold hands and look at eachother like that."

"They looked super paranoid too."

"What if Josh's family business has been alright this whole time?"

I wanted to tell her to be quiet because a migraine was on the way but didn't have the energy to do so.

Josh. Why do I feel so betrayed? Better yet, why do I feel so hurt, when he obviously isn't? So he wasn't looking forward to meeting back with me again? He knows where I work, and he's obviously aware of who the CEO of my company is, hell, he worked here before. So many questions, yet no answers. And was he using Nina for the money? Jesus, I feel like I'm victimizing myself here. In all honesty, I don't know what to think. I really don't know what I think.

Then it all clicks.

Josh must've been with Nina for the money, and Nina must've been bored of her old husband (or as Minnie said, biga-biga). What if Josh's business has been okay now all this time? That would explain Nina's withdrawal of large amounts of money, right? And what if Josh only wanted revenge? Wait.

Nina.

They've been planning this together to throw off Kyan.

Something burns inside my chest.

How can an older sister be so cruel? How can a guy like Josh...

"I think you're thinking what I'm thinking," Minnie says when she notices my focused face. "I think we've connected the dots."

We decide to sit on an outdoor, white sofa couch to digest what we just discovered.

Impulsively, I open my phone and decide to message him. I type slowly. Is this even a good idea? But I want answers. But I don't want him to know I saw him. Or that I know.

I wait for a couple of minutes after I send my message when my phone chimes.

Me: Are you single?

_joshy: That's sudden.

Me: Hahaha, just curious.

_joshy: Well, yes.

My body turns numb. No you aren't Josh. Moreover, the person you're dating isn't even single.

Me: Really???

_joshy: Definitely.

Me: Where are you right now?

He types for about twenty seconds, the bubbles disappearing and appearing again and again. My suspicion is growing and growing.

_joshy: Here at Bohol, obviously.

Me: Oh

_joshy: Yeah. Why do you ask?

Me: Nothing. How's your business?

_joshy: It's getting better I guess.

I turn off my phone and lean back on my chair. Such a liar.

Liar liar liar.

I have the answers splayed in front of me.

I can't help but cry.

Regardless of the sick truth about Josh, a part of me still wants to forgive him. To believe that all of this is false. That this is somehow all just an absurd dream or illusion. But it's not.

My heart twists and my chest feels heavy. My eyes feel like sacks of water. You know what, maybe it is good that Kyan fired him.

Minnie hugs me. A feeling of comfort only the best of the best friends can provide. I hug her back.

"I knew that bastard had something up his sleeve." She mutters.

"Minnie, not now."

"Sorry."

I have to tell Kyan.