It's Painful to Love You

The Baby Figurine

The next day…

She was supposed to accompany him in his office again but she asked him if it was OK if she would just stay since she was not feeling well due to her monthly period.

Fortunately, he agreed.

She was just laying in the bed when she received a call from Albert.

'How are you, Em? Is he treating you well?'

'I'm OK, Al. Yeah, he's not doing anything bad and if he does, I'll beat him up.' She jokingly said and it made Albert laugh.

'Good. I'm glad to know that you're OK. Are you free today? I'm thinking if we could grab some coffee.'

Emily hesitated to answer. Aside from her dysmenorrhea, she was also not allowed to see any man according to Kai's conditions.

'Yeah sure. I'm free today.' Well, Albert is not just 'any man.'  He's her best friend. Kai wouldn't mind, would he?

Besides, she never wanted to say 'No' to the person who was always available whenever she needed him.

'Great! There's a coffee shop one block from your area. Let's meet there at 1. See you, Em.'

'Ok. See you.' She hung up and walked straight to her dressing room. Well, Kai's dressing room.

The dressing room where she used to put her clothes before was closed. She didn't want to ask Kai for its key that's why she opted to just put her clothes in the available space of his dressing room.

When she was about to leave, Nan asked her where she was going.

'I'll just meet my friend, Nan. It's just one block from here. I'll be back before 3.'

'But Ms. Emily, Kai has told us not to allow you to leave without him.'

She gave Nan a begging look on her face. 'Please, Nan. I just really want to see Albert. It'll just be quick, ok? Please don't tell Kai, Nan.'

She left without waiting for Nan's response.

********

'Where is she?' Kai asked Nan over the phone. He called to check if Emily was still not feeling well. He was calling her but she was not answering.

'She left an hour ago. She said she was going to meet her best friend. I told her not to go but she insisted. I think she really misses her friend. She might be feeling bored here, Kai.' Nan was trying to make Kai understand that Emily needed to unwind.

Kai didn't say anything for a few seconds.

'Call me the moment she arrives.' Then he hung up the phone.

'May God save you from Kai, Ms. Emily.'

**********

Emily and Albert were enjoying each other's company while drinking coffee. She noticed that Albert had not tried asking her questions about her situation with Kai and she felt relieved. She didn't want to tell him about her weird set up with Kai.

A few minutes after, Albert asked for her hand. When she did, he took out something from his pocket and put it on her hand.

The baby figurine!

She stared at it for a few seconds before lifting her eyes to look at Albert.

He smiled at her. 'I hurriedly went to your house when you told me that you forgot to bring it with you. Uncle William was there when I arrived. He misses you, I think.'

Emily wistfully smiled at him. 'Thank you, Al. It's very thoughtful of you.'

The baby figurine.

It was a gift from Albert. She used to have nightmares after the accident happened. She was having a hard time sleeping and Albert was a witness to that.

There were times when she would ask him or her brother Marcus to hold her hand as she slept.

When Marcus and Albert were away, she dreaded sleeping alone. That was why Albert gave her the figurine for her to hold whenever she slept.

She didn't know why but her nightmares stopped because of it. Maybe because the figurine reminded her of her unborn child. Holding it reminded her that once upon a time, she had carried an angel in her womb.

'Have you had nightmares these past days?' Albert asked.

But how could she tell Albert that she was not having nightmares for the past week? How could she tell him that she was having good sleep even when she was inside the arms of the man she vowed never to see?

'I- I'm OK, Al. Don't worry about me.'