Intense Lover

Chapter Two

"Come in," Ethan said in a cold voice and forced a smile.

Angeline couldn't help but frown. He was very confused by Ethan's behavior and actions. Shouldn't they talk? Shouldn't they fight? Like the common scenario that usually happens when the wife or husband found out about their unfaithfulness?

She thought she knew and was ready for what was going to happen and the consequences of what she had done, but she didn't expect the reaction and behavior that Ethan was showing her. Something happened! She did something very wrong and the victim, her husband, Ethan found out about it! Shouldn't he question Angeline? Be angry at her? But, what is Ethan doing?

Even though Angeline was surprised, she followed Ethan and just went inside. She was about to close the door when Ethan closed it like a gentleman, no, like how Ethan always does.

"Can you wait and stay here?" Ethan asks Angeline.

Angeline frowned more. It's like Ethan didn't witness what horrible thing she did like nothing happened and like she didn't do anything horrible to him. It was just like before, except for Ethan's cold voice and eyes, except for his forced smiles. Angeline didn't know what to say and couldn't utter a single word so she just nodded at Ethan. She followed Ethan with her eyes as Ethan headed inside their room.

Angeline waited for a long time and several minutes passed but Ethan still did not come out of the room. She felt impatient standing and waiting and was about to walk towards their room to see Ethan but when she was about to walk, he saw Ethan come out.

She looked at Ethan annoyed but Ethan didn't seem to notice her annoyance, he just smiled at him. "Why did you take so long? What were you doing inside? I thought we were going to talk. E-Ethan, we need to have a serious talk—"

Angeline's words were interrupted when her gaze fell on the flower Ethan was holding. Ethan looked at her sadly. The strength in his eyes is gone and the happiness and excitement he feels when he bought the cake and flowers are gone. His delusions were broken by Angeline's betrayal. His body was so heavy, that he didn't even know how and why he was still standing and why was he even able to face Angeline.

He forced a smile. "Happy 10th anniversary," Ethan said and tried to hide the sadness and the pain in his smile that want to escape. He wanted to cry but his eyes didn't want to. Even his own emotions are betraying him.

Angeline's mouth was still open. She suddenly remembered what day it was, what kind of flower Ethan was holding, and how wrong she had done to his husband, how she had wronged the man who had done nothing wrong but love her.

Angeline's tears flowed. "E-Ethan… o-oh my gosh, E-Ethan."

Ethan walked closer to Angeline while still smiling at his crying wife.

"E-Ethan… I'm s-so s-sorry."

"I also brought your favorite cake. Just wait here, and I will go and get it." And as if Ethan wasn't in pain, he was able to speak calmly but he still couldn't hide his expression and forced smiles.

Angeline's cry grew louder. She didn't understand Ethan, she couldn't. Ethan was looking directly at Angeline while still holding the flower. Meanwhile, Angeline could not look into Ethan's eyes. He just cried while bending down.

"Angeline... can you please look at me for a moment? I have to go and get the cake."

"E-Ethan…p-please… stop…”

"P-Please, Ange."

Angeline bit her lip and closed her eyes tightly. He took a deep breath and looked at Ethan. Ethan didn't speak and neither did Angeline. They just looked at each other's faces. And Angeline was about to look away again when Ethan suddenly smiled at her. It's not forced but sadness overflows behind it. He had never seen Ethan hurt like this before, and she was the first one to make him feel it. What kind of a person is she?

"Can you please accept the… flowers?" Ethan said to Angeline and his voice almost broke.

Angeline hesitated about what to do, but when she saw the sadness in Ethan's eyes, she was able to take the flower from Ethan's hand. The smell quickly entered her nose, a familiar smell. She remembered the happy memories and the first time she caught sight of the smell of tulips.

The truth is, tulips are not her favorite flower but it was Ethan's favorite so she lied to make him like her. She felt that she couldn't or wouldn't be able to reach Ethan's standard if she would still tell him the truth that she doesn't like flowers and the only flowers she knows are roses and tulips.

She remembered feeling nervous in Ethan's presence, blushing whenever she saw the young man, and getting excited when she spoke to him. Angeline's chest aches even more. She bit her lip to stop her sobs but her sobs only got louder. She sat on the floor. She put her palms on her face and covered her wet face while hugging the flower. "I-I'm so sorry… E-Ethan… I-I'm sorry I cheated on you. E-Ethan, I'm-I'm sorry…"

Ethan turned his back on Angeline. Ethan clenched his palm with great pressure until he felt the nail on his palm, trying to hold back the tears that wanted to escape from his reddened eyes but they failed him again when they fell down his cheeks. He remained standing with his back still turned. He tightened his grip on his palm even more before he moved and walked over to open the refrigerator in front of him. It took him a long time to get the cake as his eyes were starting to blur from the tears and he couldn't stop his hands from shaking. He wiped his tears and slowly took out the vanilla cake from the refrigerator.

"E-Ethan, I'm-I'm sorry," Angeline apologized with her trembling and broken voice.

Angeline repeatedly pleaded and apologized. Ethan didn't say anything, his back still turned to the kneeling Angeline, he could not move from where he was standing. He was holding the cake box tightly, his lips were trembling and his reddish eyes were blurring 'cause of the tears that wanted to stay in his eyes and didn't want to fall.

Ethan sighed and headed to the table not far from Angeline who was still sobbing while kneeling on the floor.

Angeline cried so much that she was having trouble forming words, "E-Ethan… Plea… t-talk…"

Her eyes and nose are very swollen and red. She hugged tightly to the bouquet of tulips. Their backs turned to each other and so they both couldn't see each other's expressions. Ethan placed the cake box on the table and took out the violet ribbon that was beautifully tied to the box.

Ethan was about to get the cake inside the box when Angeline spoke again. "E-Ethan, l-let's break up. I-I can't f-face you anymore. It's my fault… I-I know that I'm such a bad person f… for saying t-that… but, i-it will be for the b-better. W-We… W-We can't s-save this marriage a-anymore… n-now that this… h-happened—"

"I got you a vanilla cake from Hamelyn's. Y-You know, the bakery that we frequent? Apparently, it's their new creation, since no one likes the one they made last month that was also vanilla flavored. It seems that only you liked it. Well, your appetite has been really weird these days. I-I-I… don't know why, r-really… " Angeline stopped crying. Silence enveloped, no one spoke and Angeline stopped her cries and grew silent, her mouth agape.

She let go of the bouquet of tulips she was hugging. "W-What?"

She looked down at her stomach and as if she realized what Ethan meant she covered her mouth. Her eyes widened as the realization came to her like a bomb thrown at her. Ethan watched Angeline's reaction. He closed his eyes and turned away from Angeline again.

"Am I… perhaps… pregnant? I-'m…" Angeline was struggling to finish her sentence.

"I-I message them through their website if I can still get them to make that cake b-because m-my w-wife..." Ethan was also struggling to finish his words, he buried his face in his palms and let out a loud breath. Both of his palms remained on his face for a few seconds before he used them to slam the table hard.

Angeline jumped in shock, her cries even got louder. Ethan was bending down and looking at the cake with the words 'To my one and only beautiful wife, Angeline' written on it, using the chocolate syrup that Angeline didn't want before but in the past few days, Ethan suddenly noticed that Angeline was buying it secretly so he also requested it at Hamelyn's. Ethan took a deep breath, even his breathing was shaking.

"I-I message to t-them that my w-wife… that my w-wife might be pregnant w-with our first… c–c- child bu-but… that's just bullshit, isn't it?"

Angeline frowned. She quickly shook her head and said, "E-Ethan, you d-don't know… we d-don't know t-that. W-We're not sure!"

Ethan can see Angeline's being hysterical. Ethan can clearly see the truth in Angeline's lies.

"N-No..." Ethan faced the still-kneeling Angeline.

Angeline stopped crying but her tears continued to flow from her red and swollen eyes and fell uncontrollably down her wet cheeks.

"No… No, Angeline… you're not sure! You're the one who's not sure! I–I know everything that there is in our marriage... even the little things, Angeline! T-That's why I know! I am sure! f**k! I'm sure, Angeline! "

Angeline slowly stood up, her whole body didn't have any strength left in them, but still, she forced herself to stand to properly face Ethan, but Ethan couldn't face Angeline.

"No, how w-would you e-e-even know about ev-everything, E-Ethan—"

"I know everything because I care for this marriage! I cherish it more than anything! Even more than myself! I'm nothing with it! I'm n-nothing with you! I—" Ethan didn't continue the words that he was about to say. He could not say those words. Even though Angeline did something horrible to him, he still loves her.

"My gosh, Angeline!" He groans in annoyance and anger.

"E-Ethan, I-I—"

"I-I was in doubt I was f*****g questioning it! Denying every answer I get every time I question myself! Impossible! My Angeline can't do that to me! She's the most amazing person that I ever got to know of. It's not p-possible! I was hating myself so much because it crossed my mind... because I was able to think those kinds of horrible thoughts to you. But… but… but you answered it, m-my doubts, my d-denials, my questions, m-my l–life… my everything, life with you, future with you, the love I've given you… you, just... Why, Angeline?"

Angeline did not answer and remained standing, unable to move. She felt that he had no right to move and speak. Ethan finally looked at her again, and at the same time as their eyes met, their tears began to fall. Ethan bit his lip before giving Angeline a sad and forced smile.

Tears slowly fell from Ethan's eyes. He looked up at the roof and bit his lip hard before he sighed. "I w-want you to answer me… C-Cause I have so many questions, Angeline. Why? How! What! W-What… what did I do that was s–so f*****g bad that y-you get to do something s-so horrible t-to me? I-I thought I was giving you everything! I thought I was giving my all to this marriage! C-Cause… It's not… It's just not possible that you will be able to do something so horribly horrible to me!" Ethan cried. His chest tightened, even more, he tried to stop his tears from escaping but no matter what he did, they continued to flow.

He could do nothing but let it go. He no longer has control over his own emotions, it's better to just let them go. Ethan couldn't speak again, he turned his back to Angeline to hide his face which was turning red from holding back his tears. Ethan wanted to hear Angeline's answer to his questions but a few seconds passed and he still didn't hear a single word from Angeline.

Only Angeline's sobs and Ethan's silent cry fill the silence in the room.

Angeline took a deep breath, her breath shaking from crying so much. Angeline sniffed and took another deep breath. She wiped her tears with the back of his palm and was about to look directly at Ethan but she quickly looked down again when their eyes met. He was looking at her, Angeline thought that Ethan still had his back on her.

She bit her lips as hard as she could. She tasted blood but didn't mind it. She pinch her palm and said with her eyes deeply closed, "I… I-I didn't cheat because he did something you didn't, Ethan…"