Chapter 24
2188 Words
“What even happened?”
I think I heard Leina’s voice. I felt a soft bed beneath my body. All I see is darkness and I never want to be in the dark, so I tried to open my eyes. But they seem so heavy.
“I don’t know. But I heard she was supposed to attend an interview. Maybe she refused or something?”
Sassy’s soft mellow voice reached my ear. What are they talking about? And why can’t I open my eyes? I feel so weak and drained right now. Did I pass out? All I remember was the conversation with the two devils and that one evil b***h.
“Erina look so tired---”
Raqi stopped talking when I tried hard enough to open my eyes. Maybe it was the memory of that last conversation that made me want to get up.
“Hey, hey! Slow down!” Kesha tried to stop me when I moved to get up. Because I was weak, she succeeded on making me stay on the bed.
“W-What happen?” I ask as I look at their worried faces. They were all standing around the bed in what look like a hospital room.
“W-Where am I? Is this the hospital?”
“Obviously, you dumb ass! You’ve been knocked out for a day and a half already. What happened?” Kesha was almost shouting as I saw Leina went out of the room.
“Leina called the doctors already. We were so worried!” Sassy exclaimed.
Just seconds after, doctors, nurses and even Sir Leo went inside. The doctor - Dr. Nam – asked me a couple of questions about how I’m feeling. After checking me, the doctors went out again. they said it was fatigue. They prescribed medicine then went their way.
“Fatigue? You’ve been inside the house for a month, how do you have a fatigue?” Leina is looking at me curiously.
“Are you really okay?” Raqi was creasing her forehead as she looked at me.
“I am,” I averted their gaze.
“The doctor said you can go home today,” Sir Leo said after sitting in the sofa across the room.
“Let’s go home,” I told them with pleading eyes.
“We will,” Sassy smiled.
I just want to go home. Everything here feels so tight and small. I need to breathe.
Maybe they heard the desperation in my voice, because after what I said, they immediately took care of the discharge papers.
Leina was feeding me fruits when I heard someone open the door.
“Erina, someone wants to talk to you,” I heard Sir Leo before I saw him.
“Who---”
My words were cut off when I saw who was with him. Didn’t I tell him that we should not see each other? Why is he so hard-headed?
“Erina…...”
“I told you to not meet with me again! why are you here? Sir Leo, make him leave, please!”
“W-What? Erina, what do you mean?” I saw confusion in Sir Leo’s eyes.
“We’ll stay outside,” I heard Kesha as she led the girls and Sir Leo outside.
“W-Wait, Kesha!” I tried to stop them, but she just looked at me like she’s trying to say something with just her eyes.
“And Silas, make it fast. She would be in trouble when the bosses find out about this,” Kesha to Silas as they went out of the door.
“Can we please talk now?” I looked at Silas’ tired eyes as he stood at the end of the bed, not trying to get near me.
“We don’t have anything to talk about,” I averted my gaze because I can’t keep on looking in his tired and pale face. He looked like he didn’t get a week worth of sleep.
“Yes, we have. Are you mad at me? Because I revealed our relationship to the public? If you are, then I’m sorry. I just thought that that’s what you wanted, because I want that too. I want us to be free. But I guess I’m wrong.”
“I…...I…...,” I tried to form sensible words or even just one sentence, but I can’t.
Because I don’t have anything to say to him. I can’t tell him the truth. And I’m left with no excuses already.
“What? I can’t take it back, Erina. I can’t take back what I said already. But I can be here with you. I’ll be with you! I’ll take the blame for us; I’ll take care of all the consequences. But please don’t go silent on me. Please talk to me…...hun,” he’s almost begging as he slowly walked towards my side to hug me.
As I heard his cry, I too couldn’t stop my tears anymore. Why is this happening to us? What did we do that is so wrong for us to deserve this?
“I can’t, I’m sorry. Let’s break-up,” I told him us I try to push him.
“No…. please,” he begs as he cling to me.
“Let go……”
“No. please hear me out. We can do this Erina. As long as we’re together, we can get pass this, please!”
“I said no! are you that dumb to not understand what I’m saying? If I stay with you, all my hard work would be gone! My career will be gone! So, no! I want to break up with you. Go away!”
“Then let’s break up but only for your career’s sake! Please, Erina. We could break up for the public but let’s still be together please. I can do that! I can deal with that! I’ll forever be your secret boyfriend, just stay with me please!”
“Are you hearing yourself? The great Silas Henry Kim stooping this low?”
“I don’t care! I don’t care about any of that! I’d give everything Erina, please! I’d give up everything……”
“Then the more reason for us to break up. This is not you anymore! This is not the man I loved! You’re ruining yourself for me! And I can never do that for you, so please, let’s just break up. I don’t want to be with you anymore!”
My heart stopped when I saw the look in his eyes after hearing my words. It’s the look of total defeat. Like he’s done everything he can already and that he’s finally giving up. Isn’t that what you want, Erina? This is what you’ve been waiting for. For him to finally let go of someone as unworthy as you.
“Is this what you really want?”
He was looking in my eyes. His tears stopped and his face was void with no emotions. He looked scary. What did I do? Did I just create an emotionless monster?
“Answer me. Is this what you really want?”
And he sounds so calm which made it scarier. He stepped backwards as he looked me in the eye.
“Y-Yes,” I stuttered.
“Okay,” he made it sound like it was simple as that.
“Okay,” I seconded.
“In one condition,” he said which startled me.
“W-What?”
“Never see me again,” I almost cried with what he said. But I remembered that I have to endure this, for everyone’s sake. “Let’s not see each other again.”
“O-Okay.”
“Goodbye, Erina.”
“Goodbye, Silas.”
When he finally went out the door, my tears began to fall. The girls and Sir Leo all went to me when they heard my cries.
“What happened?”
“Erina…...”
“Please leave me alone,” I dismissively said as I lay down the bed. I covered myself with the comforter and close my eyes.
I know that I said I hated the darkness, but right now, all I need is it. All I need is for me to succumb into it. To get lost in it.
“I want to go home,” after almost an hour of crying, I finally managed to speak.
“We’ve taken care of it already, Erina. Let’s go,” they offered help in getting me off the bed, but I didn’t take it. I wore sunglasses, mask and coat to shield me from the reporters that will storm us outside the hospital walls.
With the help of the hospital guards and also from the company staff. We safely exited the hospital and went home. The next few days were uneventful for me. The interview was postponed multiple times but today, the two devils decided that it was enough.
I stared at the mirror as the make up artist do my make up. She’s good, because she was able to cover my pale face. She made my cheeks so rosy that I didn’t looked lifeless that much. But she failed to cover the pain in my eyes. Even just in the mirror, I pity the Erina I’m seeing. Pathetic. Weak.
“We will be live in 3, 2, 1…… action!”
One of the directors gave the signal that the interview will finally start now. A female host which I think I know but no energy to remember was sitting across me. One of the assistants was signaling me to smile as she put her two pointing fingers near her cheeks. I did smile. At least I tried.
“Here to finally break her silence, GreyArea’s main vocalist, Erina Lee!”
Since there are no audience, I heard the clapping background. All the questions are already written on the script and the answers are already manipulated. First, she asks me technical questions about what’s going on with my life and I answered them easily. Then she asks about the girls and I answered all the questions calmly. But when it’s finally time for the question that everyone was waiting for, I find it hard to breathe.
“So, let’s now talk about what the public is really curious about. Is it true that you are in a relationship with Silas Kim?”
Silence filled the room. Countless assistants are urging me to finally answer the question, but I just can’t seem to open my mouth. Erina…… this is for the girls, right? This is for Silas. You have to do this.
“No. It isn’t true.”
“You heard it from Erina herself!” The host gave me a smile, but I didn’t smile back. “So, if you say that it isn’t true, why do you think Silas Kim posted your picture in his social media account?”
“I can’t speak for him. But like what I said, I’m not in a relationship with him. That’s all, thank you. Have a great day.”
There are supposed to be more questions, but I can’t take it anymore. I needed to get out of this place.
Thankfully, the interview ended, and they let me out. The next few days were filled with the news of that interview. Some people we’re saying that I lied while some says that Silas is just delusional. Others are treating it as a scheme to boost the popularity of Silas’ new drama.
I stayed home through all of that. After weeks of unending news about me and Silas, the chaos is finally subsiding. Now, the general public mostly thinks that I wasn’t the one in the picture and people just assumed. Silas’ drama has been receiving high ratings one after the other. So, I guess, all is good.
But why did I even think that? Why did I forget how unfortunate and dramatic my life is? Just as the issue is subsiding, pictures of me and Silas surfaced on the internet. There was no denying that it was us. And just like that, I was branded as the greatest liar of my generation.
- Writer
