Hurt

A DIAMOND RING

Deep down inside, Annemarie was filled with joy. She knew that she had taken away George completely from his fiancée. And the events that have unfolded this morning was a confirmation of how much her influence on George. But it was not all happy for now; George hated her with every bones on his body and Annemarie was determined to explain herself. She braved herself and knocked on his door.

"George, it's me, Annemarie."

"Get the hell out!" he shouted and then followed by the sound of glass crashing in the door. That was pure rage.

Annemarie was shocked, her heart filled with fear.

"What happened?" exclaimed Veronica from the end of the hall. She was just woken up. "What have you done?"

"I...Geo...I mean Mr. Covington is drunk. I...I just offered him some coffee." Annemarie stammered.

"Just leave him be. And told Herbert to bring my breakfast in. I think I'll have my breakfast in bed." Said Veronica nonchalantly.

"Yes, ma'am."

It all felt like a bad dream – a bad spiraling dream – for George. He woke up with bad headache and sweat soaked his entire body. He was hungry but at the same time have the urge to throw up. He haven't feel like this for years and this was the most horrible feeling that he regretted very much. But that weren't the only thing that he regret. He was very sorry for lying to Bette, sorry for those days that he acted out of impulse and betrayed Bette and he also regretted this morning when he threw a fit on Bette and kicked her out of his room, cruelly.

George rested until it's almost afternoon tea time when he finally gained his strength back. He took a shower and put on his best clothes; very draper. He was going to the Sunny Side to apologize to Bette.

"George!" exclaimed Annemarie when she saw George started his car. "George, I can explain, please!" she ran towards the car but George didn't care, he drove straight out the iron gate of Breeches Lodge.

Annemarie palpitated and cried out loud. She saw the most heartbreaking things in her life; George walked away from her back to Bette.

George made two stops before reached Sunny Side; the first stop was to buy flowers – daisies, Bette's favorite – and the second stop was to buy the promised diamond ring. When he reached Sunny Side, his heart felt heavy like he was carrying a sack of sand in his shoulder. It was guilt and fear.

"Mr. Covington." Said Wilbur when he opened the front door.

"Wilbur, listen, I'm sorry about this morning. I wasn't quite myself." Said George.

"That's alright, sir. Miss. Bette is in the library."

"Thank you, Wilbur." George went inside straight to the library. He knocked softly. "Bette?"

"Yes?"

George opened the door and saw Bette, sitting on the red sofa by the window with books on her laps.

"George..."

"Bette darling, I'm so sorry about this morning. I was a jerk, I know." He walked slowly towards Bette.

"You were drunk, George. You haven't been drunk for years, why now? Is something happen to you that I don't know about?"

"Bette, there's nothing, I promise you." Even when the chance to come clean presented itself, George couldn't bring the truth out. "I was just...I was just being in the train and I met a fella from Merseyside and we were drinking to pass the time and I might've drank too much. That's all." More lies.

"But George, you couldn't possibly ask me to believe you, could you? I mean you have been sober for years, there are plenty of time that you could've gotten very drunk but you didn't and now you tell me that you got drunk over some friendly train drinking? That doesn't make sense."