I am gonna die right now. Can the floor just eat me? Rafael is standing in front of us the moment the elevator door opened, at the exact moment when Mike and I are laughing and looking at each other.
Rafael is standing near his desk as I sat down on the near chair with Mike standing like he is readying himself to be killed by his boss. To be honest, no one has bother to speak a single word since we entered his office, all the word that is producing in the room are my feet, tapping on the floor and the silence is already deafening me for 10 minutes!
"Boss,~"
"~You're fired, Mike!"
"What?!" I jumped up from my seat at his sudden decision. "You can't be serious!"
"You hiding things from me and leaving behind my back, yeah. I'm dead serious, Isabelle." Oh, he called me by my whole name. This is not good.
"If the boss wishes to then I will leave" Mike lowered his head and about to leave but I stopped him.
"No! Rafael, this not Mike's fault. It's all mine so don't be angry at him, put them all on me." I explained. "Don't fire him because all he did was help me. I asked him to hide this from you so please put all the blame on me!"
"Madam..."
Rafael eyed me suspiciously then ran his hands through his face and groaned "What the fuck good into your head, Belle? Are you crazy? And do you really thing you can hide things from me?"
"I'm sorry, alright? I'm sorry for hiding this from you but please, just don't be angry at Mike. He only did what I asked him to do" I continued to beg him.
"Fuck, like that is gonna stop me from being mad because I am damn mad right now!" he hissed, slamming his fist on the desk causing the figurines on the edge to fall into scatter on the ground. "Leave, Mike. Don't show your face to be until I call you. I'm not done with you yet."
Shit, what trouble did I caused.
Mike bowed his head before turning to leave the office. I mouthed him sorry before the elevator doors closed. Now, it's only me and Rafael. How amazing, that is.
Rafael faced the huge glass window with his back against me. I know he is mad but that doesn't mean that I don't have the right to explain myself.
"Where did you and Mike went to? Is this place that secretive that you told my assistant rather than tell me about it?" His voice holds something dark in there. I know he is totally not happy with that.
"You don't have to know."
"Damn it, Belle. You're my wife and I deserve to know where you are and what are you doing when I'm around. And that is so clever of you two to sneak out while I'm in a meeting."
"Wife? Do you call me a wife now that I know you are hiding something from me too, right?"
"What? What are you trying to say? I don't follow"
"You are gonna meet up with little miss Marissa again, aren't you?"
His eyebrows touched "Why is even Marissa involved in this? Did she attack you or something?"
"No."
"Then why did she even got involve here?"
"Maybe because you involved her here" I shrugged my shoulders, playing along.
"Who is feeding you up with these lies? I will surely gonna kill him." He hissed, and ran his fingers through his hair. "Marissa has nothing to do with this"
Yeah right. Like I believe that lie.
I scoffed and crossed my arms but still, I am angry too and I'm still not letting what happened earlier passed. "How could you fire Mike just like that? Are you really that cold hearted that you will just throw away the loyalty he has given to you for so long, huh? Are you really that evil?"
"Loyal? Is what he did hiding things from me can be called loyal?"
"He didn't hide something bad, Rafael. He just helped me go into the city and I told him not to tell you because I'm still angry at you!" My voice was getting louder and louder.
Rafael turn to me in a swift and his jaw is clenched "Angry at me? Seriously, Isabelle, what did I do to make you really fucking angry?"
Fuck.
"You told me the other day that you are falling for me. I can't see that is an enough reason for you to ignore and be angry at me." He eyed me.
Shit, I'm cornered.
"I know...is this about my Dad again?"
I scoffed at what he said. "We are gonna talk about that again, Rafael?"
"No because I'm sick of it"
"And so am I!" I snapped at him, shouting. "I am so sick of these pretending and faking, Rafael. Your Dad is sick, he is gonna die and you are just gonna break the company he had died for and ruined everything! That is your plan, right? Your sick revenge!"
"Are we gonna have this conversation again, Belle? Aren't you getting sick of talking about this?"
I didn't know that I was crying again. Shit, of all times why I do have to show him that I am weak?
"Rafael, look at yourself in the mirror. Where is the man I fell in love with?" I sniffed, wiping my tears away. "You're gone. The revenge has eaten you. I miss the Rafael that I married months ago. Where is he? This is not you, my love." I walked closer to him and slowly put a hand on his arm "Don't tell that evil revenge destroy you, Rafael. Please."
Rafael just fell silent.
"Belle..." he looked down then turn away from me then I hear him softly muttering "I can't."
Then I just got broken down.
He stepped back and went to his desk, leaving me there, standing and hoping that he will change his mind.
"I will be leaving in two days from now. I have an important thing to arrange in Cannes and I don't how long I am gonna stay there." He informed me. "I'm leaving in 5 minutes so I am hoping you will be in your best behavior and don't ran away from me this time."
I hate him.
I want to fucking kill him with my bare hands. I can't believe how evil he is and how bad he can be.
I can't change him, Mom. For he doesn't love me and I am nothing to him.
I closed my eyes and a thought in my mind is running around my mind.
No, I can't. Don't give up yet, Belle. You didn't got raised for this to end like this.
But I don't want anymore. Its time for me to think of myself. Just this time. Just for now, Belle. Love yourself and put yourself first.
You have done the best you can and it's time for a rest.
I stood up straight and looked at him directly without a hint of hesitation in my mind.
"Let's end this"
Rafael suddenly stopped from what he was doing, signing some papers I think. He narrowed his eyes at me and stood up once again.
"What?"
"Lets end this bullshit, Rafael." I repeated.
"Do you know what you are saying, Belle?"
I sigh and maintain my attitude because I don't want to cry right now. "Yes, Rafael. I'm sure of what I am saying. I have a clear mind to tell you that I want to end this play"
His eyes darkens "Don't make this hard for me"
"Hard? Don't you that this is hard for me too? I'm in love with you, Rafael. Sooner or later, you and I am gonna leave each other and you are gonna be with your puppy love. Don't you want this? I am finally giving you the freedom to be with Marissa but here you are stuck to a loveless marriage." Then I raised my hands as an act of surrender. "Now, go. You're finally free and go to Paris to be with the woman you love"
"You were the one who was watching us at the mansion" he realized "Belle, I can explain on that one. I am not giving up on this wedding. Marissa is my past and I will never ever go back to her."
"Blah, blah...keep feeding me with your lies, Rafael. You love her!" I snapped at him as my voice cracked from the pain I am feeling my chest. "You are gonna leave me for her!"
"No! Belle, I'm not leaving you."
"Yes. You only need me for your selfish revenge, you bastard!"
"What? Of course not, Belle. You're more than that!"
"Oh yeah?" I raised my head, to look at him challengingly as I walk closer to him. "What am I to you, Rafael?"
He suddenly froze and just stood there, looking at me coldly. "Belle..."
I started crying as he tried his best to tell me what he feels about me. You can do it, Rafael. I know you can do it.
"You are very special to me, Belle. Very special"
Special?
I thought hearing that came out from his mouth will make me happy but what happened was the opposite. It broke my heart even more.
"Special? I'm just a special girl."
"Don't make this hard for me, Belle. I told you from the start that romance is not my thing." He explained, but his eyes were staring right into mine.
Ouch...
That really is painful.
"I see" a soft weak chuckle escaped from me. Then I started walking away from him. "I really mean it. Let's end this, Rafael. I can't pretend anymore."
Then I ran to the elevator to go up to the penthouse. As soon as the door closes, I just screamed and cried. I don't want this anymore.
I want to end this pretending and faking that we love each other. Fake smiles and fake laughs. I just can't do it anymore.
I want to be strong, for the both of us. But I just can't let myself be fooled by this love that can never be returned.
Well it is already expected that we will depart ways so why not end it sooner. This is a better way to save each other from this life.
Love is just not for me.
And so is for O.
I can't save him. My love is not enough to save such a lonely man like him. He is the only one that can save himself from destroying his own. I pity him.
To be honest, he is one lucky man. He had everything he needs, money, cars, houses, hotels and many more. He just need love. He can't buy that or get that.
The first step of love...is to love yourself.
That is the most important thing to do before you love someone. Love or you won't get any.
I ran to my room upstairs then I thought to myself, I don't even own a single thing in here. Those aren't even mine in the first place so I am not gonna keep them with me.
Time to leave.
I went inside the closet to look for the floral dress that I wore the night they kidnapped me. I saw it on the bottom layer so I took my outfit off then wore the dress.
Then I saw the velvet box of the necklace Rafael gave me. I suddenly hesitated to keep it or not. I took the box and opened it seeing the sparkling diamond.
Just this one.
I put the necklace in my bag but I left the phone he had given me. When I left the walk in closet, Rafael was standing in my room.
"Here's the check." He handed it to me as I examine it without touching the paper. It was written 25,000,000$. What he had talked about.
Take it and you'll be rich, Belle.
But I keep my hands closed and shook my head. "I don't want to keep anything that will make me remind you." I told him before walking passed as our shoulders brushed each other.
"Belle..."
I stopped on my spot before I could reach the door and faced him "I pity you, Rafael. You have so many people around you who loves you and care for you. But you just shut then out because you're a coward." I snarled then added "You are even worse than Roberto." Then I left my room and headed downstairs without looking back.
I surely gonna miss this gorgeous place. I will never encounter such dream again.
Goodbye rich lifestyle.
Hello old me.
I left the hotel and called a cab to go back to the apartment. Catalina is going to kill me if she knew what happened. I know exactly what she is gonna say.
But so is my Mom. I can't tell him that I am low class girl. She just knew me being successful and happy. That I am gonna fix ever thing with my husband. I just can't believe this is happening.
When I step inside the cab, I took a once last look at the hotel and whispered.
"Goodbye, Rafael. I love you."
~~~•~~~
Too sad?
Comment below if you think the story is getting fast or getting ugly but this is really in my mind. I want them to be apart for now.
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