GOODBYE STRANGER  

CHAPTER 6: GOODBYE STRANGER

“I—” Raquel gulps. The awkward air made the atmosphere between them thickens. Even with David, she had never been this nervous, only with Eliot. Only with this man, whom she always wonder—“Why?”

“Why?” Eliot looked at her.

“Why do you wanted to help me?” She was straightforward. “…so bad?”

Raquel didn’t know, but Eliot was like a breathe of fresh air, away from the abuse. He was the same stranger. Always carefree. Always the risk-taker. He was full of freedom, while she’s not. And she will not drag someone to the same hell just because she was chained there.

Elliot is just…too precious to be contaminated by her toxic family.

“And I wasn’t blind, I don’t want to assume, but your action speaks of a pursuant man.” She bit her lips. “And you know…I am married, I am no longer free, Eliot.”

“Raquel…” Eliot took a deep breathe, before looking at her. “Would your doubt be compensated, if I told you that I like you?”

“Don’t give me that crap, Eliot.” With him around, Raquel felt free expressing her emotions. “We only spend a night there in Bali, nothing ties us…we aren’t even in a relationship.” Even if she wanted to. But Raquel was reminded that fate had already sealed her cruelly. “I don’t think my pussy is enough for you to develop your feelings with me.”

She was bold. Fierce façade she musters that made the latter astonished.

Eliot was astonished at first, before he chuckled softly, “That’s the Raquel I knew from Bali.” His smile was radiant, when he spoke again. “But I am not bluffing, you may not believe it at first, but I do like you, Raqy.”

He looks genuine. The emotions on his face were not guarded, and was very open for Raquel. But she reminded herself that Eliot would be better off without her, really.

“You are my first choice, my first freedom, Eliot.” She spoke the words she rehearsed, half truth, and half lies. “You have the first decision I have ever made, and yes, I won’t deny that I have not like you. What was it for not to like the great Eliot Duke? Handsome, nice, gentleman, and kind… you are so free, a good catch for most women, and one of the reasons why I don’t want to drag in my mess. But that got me thinking—why would you like someone like me?”

“I am attracted to you, Raquel.”

Her face hardened.

“I may look beautiful, but I am a broken mess. In truth, I am a horrible person, and I… I don’t want you to see the worst in me and that infatuation would turn into pity. I don’t want that…”

Raquel was holding to her brave façade.

She has to end whatever is this, before she gets her hopes up again.

“I appreciate your worry, but all my life, I have survived without anybody’s help.” All the emotions on Eliot’s face disappeared. “In a few years, I’ll be alright. Perhaps… I may not be able to live that long.” She added with a chuckle.

Perhaps.

Eliot sighs. His fist clenched, seeing how he was in vain, while Raquel was trying her best to push him away out of her life.

“Are you done?”

“Yes, and I’m leaving—” Raquel nodded her head.

“Before you go, can I at least hold your hand for the last time?”

She didn’t know what he was planning. Raquel hesitated at first, before she pulled her hand under the table and let him hold it, if it meant getting away from Eliot as far as she could.

But the next thing she knew was herself being cradled on his chest, when he pulled her closer.

“Eliot…”

“Is that what you really wanted?” Eliot took a deep breathe. Sadness seep in on his voice. “To be battered, and abuse until you were covered by it?”

“Do you think I really have a choice?” She bitterly uttered.

“You do.” Eliot pulled apart. “You have me as your choice.”

Raquel shook her head, “No.”

“Raq—”

“I said no, Eliot. No.”

Eliot blew a loud frustrated breath. “—you said I was your first choice, yet you couldn’t even choose me now. Why keep pushing me away, Raqy?”

“That’s exactly the reason.” Raquel pulled her hand and stood up. As she let go of his hold, the warm sensation was no longer there, but she was driven by the feeling of cold and emptiness that bothers her greatly. It was no good. Being closer to Eliot would only mean trouble. “I wanted you to be happy, and not suffer towards the same pain because of me. I’m already used to this miserable life, and I am not dragging you with it.”

Eliot knew that if she left, it would be over. There wouldn’t be any second chances.

“If you don’t want to accept my help, I’ll understand. I am not going to force you…but if you felt like you have enough, if you think that you wanted to escape, think of me…call me. If you don’t to share your hell with me, bear in mind that I was ready to share my heaven with you, Raquel.”

A tear she was left defenseless fell from her eyes.

“Just call for me anytime and I will answer.” He said clearly. “I am willing to take care of you, and protect you no matter how much you wanted to runaway from me, Raqy.”

Her mask crumbles. Another tear fell from her eyes the moment she turned her back and left. And Eliot, who was left behind watched her disappear from his sight sadly.

Is accepting that he cares…really that hard?

When Raquel arrived home, it was her mother’s deathly glare that greeted her outside their door. Her eyes are full of contempt. And Raquel knew that the stunt she pulled cause her face to darken, and curse her as if she was never her child.

“Ma…”

“And you still have the guts to showed up after what happened.” She sneered.

But Raquel isn’t in a good mood either. She walked past at her.

“Let’s talk about it later on—”

But Mrs. Roswell won’t let it slide so easily. Before Raquel could go, her right arm was already suspended harshly.

“Don’t you dare turn your back on me!” She spat with venom as she winced. “I have never raise you like that, Raquel!”

Yes, they never raised her, but they made her like this. It was ironic how her parents never like a hardworking daughter who could attend to their whims, but what they wanted was a daughter they could sell to anybody. A perfect daughter who could gave them riches. And so, they married her off to a wealthy man, David Smith. Her sole purpose? To get money from him as they like, and in return, Raquel would always be the one who would bear the abuse.

A battered wife. How pathetic.

“You’re hurting me.”

“You are really going to get hurt!” Mrs. Roswell’s anger woke up her father.

“What’s going on here?” He asked looking groggy.

“Your daughter is being rude!” Her mother furiously stated. “After what she did to David, and for pete’s sake! I just needed to sacrifice a million from my account just so he wouldn’t put her in jail again! A million!”

Now, Raquel could understand where her frustrations are coming from.

“Relax, dear—”

“How can I fucking relax?!”

But his father calmly touch his wife’s shoulder.

“Think about it.” By the tone of his voice, Raquel knew that he was already plotting something.

“What?!”

“Raquel would pay you, and perhaps she might double it, don’t you think so?” He was suggestive.

When he lifted his face to look at her, she was never wrong to see the greed on his eyes. But what he said seems to calm down Mrs. Roswell a bit.

“Really?” She looks at her. “Would you pay for it? And may I say double it, Raquel?”

She never responded first. Her hold tightened. Warning bells ring on her ears.

“Y—yes.” Left with no choice, she was forced to lie again.

Lying seems to be her forte for now.

“Good.” Her fierceness dissipated, replace by a soft looking mother, who smiled softly at her. “Well, you should have said that, my god! Look what you made me do! Don’t worry, I’ll make it up to you, dear.”

She made her sick. She wonders how her mother had two gave, one to fool her, and the other half was the one to beat her, if she disobey.

Raquel shook her head apologetically, “No, I’ll be alright. I just needed to rest, Ma.”

“Well, have a good night rest, dear.”

When she reached her room, her strong façade breaks down. Tears began to fall one after another on her eyes. Raquel was tired, she was so fucking tired about everything. She could still feel her arms throbbing, but apart from that, it was the suffrage that keeps her more miserable.

“I fucking hate all of you.” She gritted her teeth, crying.

There were ton of times that she envied Grace, her sister. The favor child, who is always free to do everything she likes. While Raquel was the unfortunate daughter. The way their parents treat her was different. Her freedom for them was rebellion, her denial was disobedience that she always warned to stay still and listen.

Her eyes drifted back across to her wrist.

The scar was still there on her flesh, and the image of her father that totally erased her bravery to seek help flashed before her eyes.

“Are you still going to disobey me, Raq?!” Mr. Roswell’s face was inched closer to her as he pinned her down on their tiled floor.

On his hand, he was holding a large chef knife that made Raquel terrified.

“P—pa, please…”

“Oh god! Don’t you dare do it!” Her mother screamed, but it was futile.

His eyes stay focus on her as she cries.

“I—I won’t do it again, Pa.” She pleaded as she beg for her life.

The young Raquel terrorize by her own parents. How she wished she never went home, and stay with her friends. She had no idea that they would be this mad after what happened. She was just gone for an hour, but her parents didn’t think so.

She argued first, but fear laced her eyes, when her father pulled the knife and pointed it at her.

How Raquel wished she was adopted, but unfortunately they were her real parents. An abusive father, and narcissist, double-face mother who would do anything for money, even if it means exploiting her in danger.