Flawed

Chapter 4

Tiffany

I just finished my class. It's my birthday today, and I just want to finish with this day. Last year, I spent it in Cancun with my so-called friends, while this year I only received one message, the one from my dad. Not even a word from my mother. I go back home. I want to write to James but since he has my number and hasn't contacted me since last time, I don't want to. I would give anything to change my life, despite my amazing closet. My dad thinks I'm celebrating my birthday with my friends, and I don't want him to find out I don't have any friends left. I order a pizza and dive into bed to watch movies.

Kyle calls me around 11pm but I don't pick up. Knowing him, he'll just taunt me and remind me how worthless I am now, and I won't be able to hold back my tears. It's almost midnight when he shows up at my dorm room with a cake in his hand.

- “What do you want?”, I ask him.

He enters my dorm without my permission.

- “I tried my best not to call or visit you, but I couldn't. Even though you're a f*****g b***h, I can't leave you alone to destroy yourself. Happy birthday Tiffany. I hope you realize that you're growing up, that you're not in high school anymore and that now all your actions have consequences”, he tells me, and I refuse to let my tears fall.

He knows I'm not going to say anything. As much as I want to scream thank you to him, I don't. He lights the candles and puts the cake in front of me. I blow them out, making the only wish I have, to be happy. We eat the cake and then lie side by side watching the movie I had put on. I turn to him and start to kiss him, but he pushes me away.

- “I'm not here for s*x Tiffany. I just want you to stop what you're doing. You're worth more than that," he says.

- “I'm not going to change Kyle, you should get that through your head”, I tell him

- “I won't let you destroy yourself Tiffany, no matter what you do to push me away.”

We end the night on these notes. Kyle spends the night in my bed, next to me.

When I wake up, he is already gone. I get a call from my mom.

- “good morning sweetie, happy birthday!”

- “you know it was yesterday, right?” I ask her.

- “of course, I do. If you checked in with me as often as you do with your father, you would know that I had something important yesterday.”

- “What, Mom? A gala dinner? A party? Maybe if you acted like my mother, I would think more of you”, I say to her as I hang up.

I take a deep breath so that I don't start my day on a bad note.

I go to my classes and then meet Kyle to study. At some point I get a message from James saying he wants to see me. I answer him that I am available tonight.

- “who is texting you?" he asks

- “my new lover," I tell him with a broad smile.

He continues to eat in silence. I didn't do anything wrong, I just answered him. He takes me home at the end of the day without any words exchanged.

I get ready to meet James. I will have to put everything in place tonight. I wear a black dress with my Louboutin and put my hair in a ponytail. I arrive at the address he sent me. I recognize the restaurant. I came here last week with the one who had offered me the car I sold. I go inside and join James who is already there.

- “I see that you have a punctuality problem”, he says with a wide smile

- “Good evening James, it's been a while. How is your wife?”

- “I see that you are also obsessed with my wife. Jealous?”

- “Me? You are insulting me. I'm not jealous of anyone, least of all an old woman”, I tell him.

- “I hope not, because she's a pest and if she ever finds out about you, you're screwed.”

- “I know how to manage the plagues”, I say to him. “Did you order?”

- “Yes, I ordered for you, I'm sure you'll like it. So, tell me about yourself, Tiffany.”

- “I just turned 21. I'm studying communication and marketing. I don't have many friends, people hate me. I love my father and I hate my mother. That's it”

- “Wow, what a summary. I am impressed.”

- “Thank you. Your turn”

- “as you know I am married, I am 38 years old. I work in the computer field. I have a 7-year-old daughter. I love my mother, I hate my father and my wife," he says.

The waiter brings our food, and he ordered for me what I usually order.

- “do you like it?”, he asks me

I nod.

- “it's delicious”,

- “what are you looking for Tiffany?”

- “a serious relationship with a man who knows how to take care of me”

- “you are honest, I appreciate that.”

- “not to waste any time, do you think you can be that person?” I ask him.

- “Yes, but I don't want drama in my life and I'm not going to divorce my wife. If you think you're okay being the other woman, we have a deal.”

- “as long as you respect me, I have no problem.”

- “well then, it’s a deal”, he answers me

The waiter brings us the dessert.