A Night With My Boss

19

CHAPTER 19

trigger: violence

"WILL YOU MARRY ME?" Roselle froze. Can't speak a word. She roamed her eyes and met the eyes of the people witnessing the event, expecting something good from her.

But her eyes still chose to settled on him, Kim Justin. He was looking at her with blank, like an empty and blank canvas. It frustrated her that she can't distinguished his emotions.

"I-Ian" Stuttering, Roselle called him whispering "I-I"

Her eyes again wandered around. To Ian's friends, teasingly looking. To Ian's mom that was looking at her so emotionally with his dad beside her with his signature stoic face. Jessie, who was looking at her with a sarcastic grin. To the people, expecting for her to say yes.

This is a trap. This is a set up. How can she reject this proposal? This is a total social suicide.

With trembling hands, she tried to hide her hands behind her. Ian saw it, the loving eyes he had disappeared. Ian creased his brows at her movements.

Roselle bit her lips, trying to stop her tears from coming out. She's like being summoned to death.

"I-Ian" She called him again, slowly shaking her head "I-I c-can't" Her voice slowly vanished.

She saw how Ian's soft looks on her erased. He was now scowling. She just can't, she knows she already agreed on marrying him but after a month.

Before this set up. Before this proposal. Before she knew that he has this plan today.

For the first time, she wanna fight for her will. She wanna follow her wants, she wanna be selfish and choose her happiness without thinking about her parents.

But that's not her. All her life, she was trapped by Ian for her parents. But why does she's slowly setting it aside? What is the reason she's slowly not minding it and just want to escape?

And same as she always does today, she looked at the person she wanna escape from this turmoil. Crazy it may sound, but with the months she was with him. It was the most precious.

With him, she felt like she is her. No limit and just being her free self.

She felt like after all, she still can do what she desires. And she want to feel that forever, maybe with him. If only he wants to, but she bet he don't.

Justin has Jessie now, he's serious with her. She can see it with their interaction today. It was nothing like them, it isn't a deal. It wasn't just lust but something deeper. The thing she was insecure of.

Ian stood up from kneeling, with gritted teeth he whispered "What do you mean you can't?!"

A tear fell from her eye but she immediately wipe it, afraid the people will see it. Ian looked at the crowd and plastered a smile, to tell them it was fine even if the people in the front saw her cry.

"We already talk about this, you'll marry me!" He said, now scowling.

Roselle shook her head "You didn't told me you have this plan. I don't want this Ian"

"I don't f*****g care with your want" Ian whisper-shouted.

"Ian" His mother called with a low voice "What's the matter?"

With force, he grabbed her arm "We'll talk for a while mom" He looked to the people "We'll be back, continue enjoying the party"

The people's eyes wandered with confusion. Ian grabbed her as they walked inside the mansion. She was biting her lips to suppressed her tears.

They were almost inside when Roselle glanced at Justin's direction. There he was, looking at them with furrowed brows.

They arrived at his room, after locking the door Ian faced her with anger on his face.

"What the f**k is that?!" He yelled making her tightly closed her eyes from his thunderous voice "We already talk about this! You're acting like a b***h!"

Roselle faced him "You didn't told me you have this plan. I don't like this Ian, we don't need this"

"This is normal!" He screamed, combing his long hair because of frustration "We can't get married without a proposal!"

"We aren't normal Ian" Roselle softly whispered "You know it yourself, we aren't normal"

"What do you mean by that?!" He asked furious, but Roselle chose not to respond. Afraid he'll be even more furious hearing her response "TELL ME!" He groaned.

Roselle jerked up at his voice. Luckily, his room is soundproof so the people outside can't hear him.

"You won't tell me?!!" Roselle stepped back with fear when Ian stepped forward towards her. Ian squeezed her cheek with his one hand "ANSWER!"

Pool of tears are coming out of her face. She shook her head, holding Ian's arm and tried to removed it but she can't.

Fire was in Ian's eyes. Anger isn't enough to describe it and she can tell with the way he holds her face so tightly. Her jaw is hurting with his grip but she can't mouthe it, she's afraid to.

"You won't answer it?! Then I'll answer it for you!" Ian let go of her face, and she fell on the floor.

"We aren't normal. Why? Because what? I hurt you?! Well f**k you deserve it after cheating on me with that son of a b***h officemate of yours?! What was his name again?" Ian looked upward sarcastically thinking "Oh right! Richard" Ian laughed.

He shook his head as he glare at her with a ghost of smirk "The coward. Whatever you do Rosie, no man will be with you. They are all coward, they won't hold your hand even if you beg them to. Why? Because you are mine. Mine alone! I will kill whoever will steal what's mine"

Sobbing she met Ian's glare with the same intensity. She don't know where she got the courage for the first time. She only want to fight, even for once.

"No Ian! We aren't normal not because of that reason" Roselle walked a step forward "We aren't normal, you know why?"

Roselle swallowed the lump on her throat, with courage she pointed Ian's chest and said "You love me" And pointed her "But I don't love you"

She saw the pain flashed on his eyes but she don't care. Enough is enough. Enough of feeling hopeful that Ian will come back the way he is. Enough of staying silent and letting him control of her life.

But it was her who only thought about that 'cause in reality. She was just brave today but tomorrow, thinking about her parents. In the end, the braveness she felt today will vanished as she kneel down for help in front of Ian.

But the feelings she felt today, the feeling of for the first time having your time to mouthe your sentiments. It was refreshing. She didn't regret it, even when she felt Ian's slap landed on her face.

Roselle felt her cheek burning from the slap. Looking sideways, she felt Ian walking out of the room. He can't say a word, because he himself knows she don't have even an ounce of love towards him. He was just acting blind when Roselle never forgets to make him feel that.

Roselle felt her knees wobbles, holding the mirror beside her to balance herself. She saw her reflection on the mirror as she slowly sat down on the chair. The red trace of Ian's hand was evident on her face, and then she felt the pain on her arm. It also has red trace from his tight grip.

It will take her a long time fixing this mess but it was fine, she don't want to come out anyways. Ian can do whatever he wants with the visitors but she won't show herself again on that flatform stage.

Roselle busied herself applying make up on her face, she would sigh time to time remembering the heated scene earlier.

After applying she slowly stepped out of the room, she glanced over the garden but the visitors are busy doing their own businesses. Forgetting the discontinued proposal earlier.

Roselle went straight at the back of the mansion, feeling the wind as she lean on the railings. She wants this, just peacefulness and nothing to care.

She closed her eyes as she feel the embrace of the cold wind when she felt an energy from a person beside her.

She opened her eyes and saw Justin with a glass of wine on his hand. He wasn't looking at her but to his wine, as the wind disheveled his hair.

Roselle felt a small nervousness with his presence, it's been so long when they met and talked. She missed him but does he feel the same way?

She cleared her voice and slightly looked at his way "Y-you're here" She stuttered.

"Why? Am I not allowed?" His deep voice said.

"No, it's fine. You can stay here. Do you want me to--" She stopped when he looked with his brows scrunched "go?" She continued.

"No, you can stay. This is your house" He looked back at his wine glass.

"This isn't my house" She whispered but Justin heard it.

Their conversation stopped with a deafening silence. She would steal glances on him but he was busy checking his wine glass as if there's something interesting on it.

This is weird. Roselle never felt this is how awkward they will be. As if they haven't f**k each other anywhere in her apartment and in her car.

"You're getting married" She woke up from her reverie when he suddenly spoke.

"I won't. I rejected him" She proudly said.

Justin faced her, with the side of his body leaning on the railings. He didn't say a word, he just stare at her. He didn't even asked why she rejected Ian.

"I should go now" He stood up straight, walking back inside the mansion.

"Justin" Roselle called him. She don't want to cut their time. She wanna talk to him long. She wanna ask him about many things.

He turned back, facing her. She bit her lips hesitating to say a word but she did "You won't ask why I rejected him?"

Justin stared at her, it took a moment when he responded "I told you I don't want to meddle with anyone's problem. If you have enough reason to reject him, then it's up to you"

Roselle tried to read his face, but it didn't say anything. She can't read him.

"I don't want to marry him" If he don't want to know her reasons, she don't care. She wants him to know, she wants him to know what she feels toward him "I don't want anyone to put a ring on my finger"

Roselle raised her hand and show it to him, she saw how his brows furrowed. His eyes settled on her arm and that's when she remembered.

She forgot to apply make up on her arm, she cover the red trace with her other arm but it was too late. Justin already saw it.

Justin went closer to her with a deep crease on his forehead. He reached for her arm and examined it. He hold it like a fragile glass opposite with how Ian holds her.

"What happened to your arm?" He asked.

"It's nothing" She tried to avoid it and released a fake chuckle but Justin was serious.

"What happened to this?" He asked with diction.

Roselle bit her lower lip seeing his face. For the first time today, she saw an emotion on his face. A tear brimmed on her eye as she saw concern and care in Justin's eyes.

Like a baby, she wanna throw herself to him and hugged him as tightly as she could. She wanna tell him that Ian hurt her, same as how normal kids do.

Because of suppressing her tears, she accidentally released a small sob. Followed with continuous sobs, she looked at him with sadness.

Roselle saw how Justin's eyes soften at the sight of her crying. Justin rubbed the pain arm of her, trying to erase the trace.

"Tell me what happen to this?" He softly whispered.

But she just responded him with a sob, can't say a word. But then his eyes landed on her right cheek. Shock was evident on his face.

Curious what he saw that made him shock, Roselle touched her cheek and saw the make up she used to cover up the slap trace. It wasn't waterproof, she must've used the wrong one.

Roselle looked at him with nervousness. He saw it.

The softness on his face changed into anger as he asked "Did he hurt you?!"

The softness on his face changed into anger as he asked "Did he hurt you?!"