BETWEEN LIES AND LOVE

EPISODE 3

Frank was used to life in the city, he is used to the hustle and bustle that comes with living in a metropolitan area. The constant noise, the roaring vehicles, the unending struggles for power, the endless stream of people, the late-night parties—all of it had been his normal lifestyle. But now, as a project engineer, his current assignment had taken him far off his usual place to the village. The remote area where he was supervising a road construction project was a stark contrast to everything he had known. The silence was deafening, the days long and recurrent, and the nights, spent in a local hotel, were lonely and quite boring.

His fiancée, Dorothy, was still home in the city, and her absence weighed heavily on him each time he returned to his empty hotel room. The isolation gnawed at him, leaving him longing for companionship, for anything that could disrupt the monotony of his days.

It was during one of these boring days that Frank met Vivian. She was a local girl, brought to him by her elder brother, John, who worked as one of the laborers on the same construction project. John had introduced Vivian to Frank, suggesting that she could help with some of the menial jobs and errands that would lighten Frank’s load. Frank, who is desperate for any semblance of normalcy, agreed immediately.

Vivian quickly became a regular fixture in Frank’s day-to-day activities, helping him with various tasks and bringing a slight but welcome distraction from the dull routine. One evening, Frank, relatively tired after a very long day at the construction site, asked Vivian to come by his hotel to assist with some menial work. Vivian’s nonchalant demeanor caught Frank by surprise. She walked in without any hesitation, heading straight for the bed, feeling at home relaxed and unbothered, where she laid down as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Frank watched her for a moment, feeling surprised and unsure of what to make of this unexpected behavior. “So, what should I offer you, Vivian?” he asked, trying to break the awkward silence.

Vivian turned her head to look at him, her expression relaxed and unbothered. “Anything you give me will do,” she replied, her voice light, almost playful, as she shifted slightly on the bed.

Frank frowned, glancing around the small room. “I don’t really have anything suitable for you here,” he admitted. “I only have alcohol and spirit.”

“Never mind,” Vivian said, sitting up slightly. “Let me have the alcohol. I’ll drink alcohol.”

Frank raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. “Have you ever had alcohol before?” he asked, his tone a mix of curiosity and concern.

Vivian shook her head. “No, it’s going to be my first time.”

“Then why do you want to drink it today?” Frank pressed, a slight unease creeping into his voice.

“Can you just stop asking me questions and just hand me my alcohol?” Vivian asked, her tone playful, but with a hint of insistence.

Reluctantly, Frank poured her a small amount of alcohol, watching as she took the glass and downed the liquid in just one gulp. Her body shivered as the alcohol hit her throat, and for a few moments, she seemed to reconsider her choice. But then, with a mischievous smile, she asked for more. Before long, she had finished four glasses.

“How’s your elder brother?” Frank asked, trying to maneuver the conversation into a safer space.

“Which one of them?” Vivian asked, her voice slightly slurred. “Is it the one who used to beat me on the way to school? He’s at home, playing his betting games.” She let out a small, bitter laugh, before lifting her glass in a mock toast. “Cheers!” she exclaimed, clinking her glass against Frank’s with surprising enthusiasm.

Frank chuckled, even though he was still feeling uneasy about her behavior. “Who taught you how to drink?” he asked, captivated by her unexpected action.

Vivian took another sip of the alcohol, her face crumpling up as the alcohol burned its way down. “This one’s got something extra inside,” she noted, as she received another glass of spirit, her words coming out slowly. “It’s really hot.”

“Yes,” Frank replied with a small smile. “That’s the spirit.”

Vivian’s eyes, now slightly tipsy, narrowed as she focused on Frank. “Fine brother... do you have a girlfriend?”

Frank’s breath was caught in his throat. The question was so straightforward, and so unexpected from such a lady, that, for a moment, he didn’t know how to respond. He could feel the tension in the room shift, the air thickening as her question hung between them. “No,” he finally managed to reply, his voice firm. “And you don’t ask me that kind of question, it’s none of your business.”

Vivian sulked slightly, her disappointment evident, but she didn’t press further. She took another sip of her drink; the alcohol is already dulling the sharp edges of her thoughts. Frank watched her rather carefully, his mind racing. What had he gotten himself into with this lady?

The day wore on, the tension in the room began to reduce just beneath the surface. Frank couldn’t shake the feeling that he was standing on the edge of something very dangerous, something that could easily spiral out of his control if he wasn’t careful. He had come to this remote place only to work, to escape the complications of city life, but now, with Vivian lying on his bed and a glass of alcohol in her hand and already tipsy, he realized that perhaps he had only traded one set of problems for another.

Frank lay back on the bed, the silence of the room amplifying the turmoil in his mind. The weight of what had just transpired pressed heavily on his chest, a burden he never anticipated. He glanced over at Vivian, her innocent face unruffled, almost satisfied, as she lay beside him. The reality of the situation hit him like a wave, and he struggled to find the appropriate words.

"You haven’t done this before?" Frank asked, his voice laced with guilt and disbelief. He needed to hear her say it, even though the answer was pretty clear that he had just defiled an innocent lady.

Vivian turned her head to meet his gaze, her eyes wide and trusting. "No, fine brother," she said softly, her voice carrying the innocence of youth. "I have never done it before."

Frank’s heart sank. He felt a surge of regret so intense that it almost submerged him. How had he let this happen? This wasn’t something he had planned or even considered for once since his arrival here. It was the loneliness, the alcohol, and the way Vivian had approached him—eager, trusting, unguarded. "I’m sorry," he whispered, his voice deep with regret. "I honestly don’t know what came over me after the drink. I’m really sorry. It wasn’t my intention."

But to his surprise, Vivian smiled, a light in her eyes that made his stomach turn. To her, this was a moment of pride for her, a story to hold onto. She had just experienced something she had only heard about in quiet conversations and had daydreamed all her life, something no one had ever discussed with her—losing her virginity to a handsome, wealthy man from the city. It was a dream she never thought would come to fruition. "It’s okay," she said, her tone reassuring. "I am satisfied with the whole situation. It’s just a little bit of pain down there, possibly because it’s my first time."

Frank felt surprised and winced at her casual acceptance, the guilt gnawing at him like a relentless beast. "How are you feeling now?" he asked, with genuine concern evident on his face, though it only deepened his internal rift. He had crossed a line, one that could lead to his destruction, and there was no going back again.

Vivian shifted slightly, wincing as she moved. "I feel good," she replied, though there was a hint of discomfort in her voice. "Just some slight pain down there."

Frank sighed, running a hand over his face in frustration. "I’m honestly not happy with what I did," he said, his voice low, almost pleading and sober. "But I’m really sorry."

Vivian reached out, placing her gentle hand on his arm. Her touch was tender, but it sent a shiver down Frank’s spine—a reminder of the innocence he had just shattered. "Don’t be sorry," she said softly. "It’s really okay. Really."

But Frank couldn’t shake the regret and guilt. He had let his idleness drive him to a place he never planned to go. "I’m going to give you my contact details," he said after a long pause, with a serious tone. "Make sure you call me at any time. And promise me that you’ll go back to school, always punctual, and focus on your education. Please, Vivian."

Vivian nodded, her eyes shining with a mixture of admiration and newfound affection. "I promise," she said, her voice firm. "I’ll be a good girl, I will attend my classes regularly, and I’ll always call you."

Frank reached for a pen, his hands shaking slightly as he scribbled his number on a plain piece of paper. He handed it to her, their fingers brushing briefly—a touch that now felt loaded with the weight of his wrongdoing. "Keep this safe," he said, his voice barely more than a whisper. "And remember what I said, call me."

Vivian took the paper, holding it as if her life depended on it. "I will," she replied, her voice full of resolution and purpose. She glanced at the wall clock, realizing how late it had gotten, it was hours after she had left home. "I should go. My parents might be disturbed about my whereabouts. I told them I was at a friend’s shop, but I’ve been gone for too long."

Frank nodded; his heart heavy as he watched her dress quickly. The room seemed to grow colder with each passing moment, the gravity of what they had done settling in the air like a dense fog. As she prepared to leave, he felt a pang of worry—a mixture of concern for her and a deep, gnawing regret.

"Take care, Vivian," he said as she reached the door. "And remember, you can call me anytime."

"I will, fine brother" she promised, giving him one last smile before slipping out into the night.

As the door clicked shut behind her, Frank was left alone in total silence, the reality of his actions weighing him down. The room felt empty, yet suffocating, as if the walls were closing in on him. He had let his loneliness and poor judgment steer him down a path he never intended to take. He wouldn’t have imagined himself in this act, and now he was left with an overwhelming sense of regret.