Chapter 5.
848 Words
Eros.
Hearing her use that corny nickname took me back to those times when we’d grab burgers and then drive up to the open field to watch the sunset and gaze at the stars.
I was very happy.
She made me happy.
After seeing her this morning and staring at her like an i***t, the most sensible thing for me was to ignore her presence and continue on my way.
She was just as beautiful as I remembered, though her hips were fuller now—she’d had a baby, after all. What I wouldn’t give for her to be mine again.
I’d been a jerk to her all morning, and now, seeing her in front of me after six years, even though we hadn’t spoken in all that time, I realized I’d never really let her go. I kept tabs on her, found someone to check in and make sure she was okay—definitely a bit stalker-like on my part.
Calling her the same way I used to when we were together made my chest tighten, and hearing her sigh like that tore me apart. But I couldn’t give in. I couldn’t let my father have the satisfaction. I needed him to hand over the company, and the only way to make that happen was by getting married.
After Alex stormed out of my office, both furious and frustrated, I called my sister to my office.
"This morning you threw me out like anyone else, and you acted like a jerk to Alex, so..." I interrupted my sister's complaint "It's her, Mary" I said and that alone was enough to leave her stunned.
Mary was left gasping like a fish out of water.
"What? Are you telling me that all this time I was with her and I never knew?" My sister couldn't believe what had been revealed.
I nodded with my hand on my chin and leaned back in my chair, my eyes not looking at her but I could tell what her mind was thinking.
"What happened, Eros? Why did you leave her?" I didn't plan to answer, or simply the answer was so stupid it embarrassed me to say it out loud. "Wasn't she enough for you?" I lifted my gaze so quickly that I got dizzy and frowned with frustration and anger. "She was, is perfect but..." I took a breath and continued, "She was too real to be for me"
I leaned back in the chair again after processing my reason out loud, my sister couldn't believe what I had just told her.
"Are you even listening to yourself, Eros? She suffered so much because of your neglect. Do you know how many nights I listened to her talk about the man who made her feel like she could see the stars with just a glance? And then came that i***t John, who used her for marketing, got her pregnant, and ditched her to chase his next trophy wife. And you... you left her because she was 'too much' for you?!"
"When you put it like that, it sounds ridiculous. But to answer your question—yes, that’s why I ended things with Lex."
Saying her nickname again felt so sweet.
Lex...
How much I missed her.
"Eros, you're my brother, but you're such an i***t for letting her go" she said, shaking her head.
"She doesn’t want to know anything about me, and I’ve acted like an i***t all day. I saw her in the parking lot this morning and just ignored her. I’ve been pretending like I don’t know her, and then I had the audacity to reproach her for refusing to marry me while agreeing to marry John."
It was as if what I said was the worst sin in the world, as my sister stood up furious and stormed towards me.
"She married John because his father left a document binding them for the sake of the company—something I find incredibly archaic. Technically, that agreement was invalid, but my naive friend, who adored Mr. Ben so much, went through with the marriage. It’s something she’ll never admit to anyone, but she confessed it to me when she asked for my help to get a divorce. Listen, brother, I love you, but you’re an i***t with a capital ‘I,’" Mary seethed. I was taken aback by this revelation, and my anger towards that guy only grew.
"Who has custody of her daughter?" I asked.
"Alex, but John's lawyer just sent me a message with a copy of a custody lawsuit for Harriet, something I haven't told Alex yet because she left earlier. Now I understand why."
"I repeat, I hate that guy".
"Don't tell her, it would destroy her, that little girl means everything to her. Just let me take care of it" I looked at her seriously, but she shook her head.
"No, she has to hear it from me, I'm her lawyer, so no." And she left, slamming the door.
What's with everyone and that door?
Now Alex has more problems than I anticipated.
- Writer
