CHAPTER 4: Letting You Go

-=Ang's Point of View=-

I did everything I could to avoid Miranda because I don't want to get caught doing something that is completely wrong in every way, something I will regret for the rest of my life.

I should despise her, but what I feel is frighteningly different. I don't want to be like the other men who find themselves drawn to her or like my brother, especially now that I know her true nature as a gold digger who just cares about herself.

I got up early that morning and decided to go jogging when the sun was still not up. I stretched and started running around our subdivision. I smiled at the familiar faces I spotted along the way. I jogged for more than an hour and was sweating when I arrived home. I discovered my mother tending to the plants in our garden.

"Good morning, mom," I greeted her and kissed her on the cheek.

"Good morning, son. It's nice to see you out," she said with a smile, and the sincerity in her voice made me understand my mistakes.

My mother and I wanted to talk further, but when I saw Miranda, I excused myself and walked inside.

I was ready to walk into the bathroom when I noticed my phone on the bed, blinking with a missed call and message from Henry Cervantes. He was upset and messaging me in all uppercase, demanding that I answer my phone.

I hesitated but decided to call him later. I quickly removed my clothes and entered the shower, turning on the cold water. It helped me overcome the lust I felt for my brother's wife.

It took me thirty minutes to finish my bath, and as soon as I got out of the bathroom, I heard my phone ringing, and just as I expected, it was a call from a very angry Henry Cervantes.

"Damn it, Ang! It's good you decided to answer my call!" He exclaimed.

"Nice to hear you're doing okay, Henry," I replied with a smile, amused by his outburst.

I've known Henry for a very long time, and in addition to the fact that he's my boss, I also regard him as one of my closest friends.

I heard a long sigh on the other line, and I knew he was trying to calm himself down because of his earlier outburst, but I didn't take it to heart since I knew that he was just worried about me and the fact that he is very serious when it comes to business.

"I know you're going through a tough time because..." but before he could finish, I immediately cut him off.

"No need to go that far, Henry. I will see you later," I said, making a decision that I had been thinking about for hours.

"So, does that mean you're coming to work?" He asked.

"No, I'll come to your house. Goodbye," I didn't wait for him to respond, and I hung up the phone.

After my conversation with Henry, I quickly got dressed and left the room.

I decided to have breakfast with my family first. I knew I had worried them too much because of what happened between me and Atilla, so it was time for me to make it up to them.

When I arrived in the kitchen, I saw my mom and stepdad already settled in the dining table, and as my eyes gazed towards them, I immediately noticed that Miranda was not at the table yet.

"Good morning," I greeted them with a smile.

"Good morning, Ang. I'm glad you can join us for breakfast," my mom greeted me with a smile, while her husband just nodded at me.

"Where is... oh, wait, here she is," my mom said, and I couldn't help but follow her gaze. When I saw who she was referring to, I felt like I was being punched in the gut.

She was just wearing a simple white t-shirt and three-quarter length khaki pants, but she looked good in anything.

"Sorry," she said softly, and oh man, even just hearing her voice made my blood boil with lust.

"So much for taking a cold bath," I thought to myself.

"No worries. We're just starting. Sit next to Ang," my mom smiled and gestured for her to take the seat opposite mine.

"Hi," she greeted softly, to which I just nodded in response.

I tried my best not to look at her because I was worried about how her presence would affect my mind. For crying out loud, I'm not a teenager anymore!

It was the longest breakfast I had ever had because, no matter how hard I tried not to look at her, I couldn't help but steal glances at her, while she enjoyed her food without a care in the world.

Suddenly, I stood up and startled everyone at the table.

"Sorry, everyone. I have to leave. I need to meet Henry," I said, my eyes fixed on my mom.

"Are you not going to finish your breakfast?" she asked in surprise.

"I'm good, I'll go ahead," I said. I didn't wait for any response and hurriedly went straight to my room.

After locking the door, I let out a long sigh. I know I promised my mom that I would be staying in this house, but I'm afraid that if I stay any longer, I might disregard what's right and wrong.

I have no idea what kind of spell Miranda has on me, making me lust over her. I didn't even feel this kind of lust towards Atilla when we were still together, and yet, Miranda could awaken such carnal desire in me.

I quickly changed my clothes, and after getting the key on the bedside table, I immediately headed to my car in the parking lot and drove away.

I vented my frustration while driving, but I couldn't tell if it was about my emotions or the fact that I couldn't have Miranda since she was my brother's wife.

As problems continued to arise for me, I questioned how I had maintained my sanity for so long. I was unaware that I had already reached the community where Henry Cervantes, one of Asia's richest men, has his mansion.

It doesn't mean that the security in this place is weak, however, as getting inside is actually very challenging for people without an appointment. The guard at the entrance already knew about my arrival, so I was able to enter without a hitch.

The metal gate of Henry's home opened as soon as I approached it, displaying a big solar of Henry's residence.

I parked my car and went to the mansion. When I arrived, it seemed as though someone was waiting for me when the front door opened and I saw one of Henry's maids.

"Good afternoon, Master Henry is in his study room," she said courteously.

I didn't need to ask where the room was because I was familiar with the house. Henry's mansion is enormous, and everything within is unquestionably expensive.

I discovered him reading reports sent from Australia, most likely from Robert Downey, whom I had nominated as a temporary head for his company in Australia when I told him that I would be staying in the Philippines for an indefinite time.

I faked a cough that caught his attention, and a broad smile appeared on his face when he saw me.

"Finally, you son of a gun!" He exclaimed, and I couldn't believe how fast he recovered.

He still needed a cane to support his standing, but seeing him today made me wonder if he really had an accident.

"Sorry if I caused trouble, Henry, and glad to see that you're doing well," I greeted him with a smile.

"No worries. Now that you're here, everything will be fine. You know you're one of my most trusted people," he said.

My smile faded as I heard his words, and an overwhelming sense of guilt overcame me as I remembered my decision.

"Uhmmm, Henry, the reason why I'm here is to tell you that I'm resigning from my position," I said, and it took him probably thirty seconds before he understood what I said.

"You are what?" He said this, surprised, because he seemed to be thinking of another reason why I had decided to meet him.

"I decided to resign because my family needs me, and I need to manage our business, especially after what happened to my brother," I explained.

"But I thought you didn't want to work for your family's company, that's why you decided to work for me," he asked confusedly.

I still remember our conversation, especially when he found out that I came from the Rodriguez clan.

"I want to be away from the shadow of my family," I said when he asked me, and since I joined his company, I have become a significant asset.

"I still didn't want to, but I have no choice, they are my family, and they needed me," I explained, and I could see the understanding in his eyes.

"Well, I can't argue with that, but always remember that you are always welcome to come back to my company," he said with a smile as he extended his hand. But before I could reach his hand, there was a knock on the door, and a new voice was heard.

"Henry, you shouldn't have..." Atilla was about to say something, but she stopped when she saw me inside. I didn't expect to meet her, as I thought they had already left for their honeymoon.

Hearing her voice brought back so many memories and pain in my heart.

"Ang..." I heard Atilla whisper before I faced her.

A fake smile appeared on my lips as I approached her, and as I got closer, the pain that I had been trying to forget came rushing back.

"Hi Atilla," I greeted her with a smile, even though what I really wanted to do right now was walk away.

She appears to be at a loss for words, and as she was trying to think of anything to say, we heard a voice from outside.

"Atilla, don't move too much. You know your pregnancy is delicate."

A few moments later, the door reopened, and Ram entered the room, astonished to see me.

"Oh wow, congrats," I managed to reply with a smile, despite the fact that I really wanted to congratulate myself on my acting abilities.

"Thank you, man," Ram replied, while Atilla still couldn't say anything.

Even though she remained tongue-tied, I could still see the guilt in her lovely face as she continued to look at me.

"Nice meeting you two, but I have to leave; I still have something to attend to," I replied, returning my attention to Henry and asking him to email me the paperwork I needed to sign for my resignation, to which he responded with a simple nod.

I hurriedly stepped away from the room, making sure they couldn't see me as I hurried towards the door. But I was about to leave when I heard Atilla call my name.

I was divided between leaving and waiting for her to get closer to me, and I chose to wait despite my excruciating suffering.

"Is the reason you left the company because of me?" She asked, sounding melancholy.

I slowly turned around and saw the pain in Atilla's eyes as she looked at me.

"Yes, and now," was all I said, and I saw tears freely falling from her eyes.

"Please don't cry, Atilla. Yes, I was hurt, but I'll be okay knowing that you'll be happy. And I'm sincere when I say congratulations on your upcoming child. I know you'll be a great mother and wife... goodbye Atilla," the weight of those last two words escaped my lips.

"Goodbye, Atilla," were the last two words that ended whatever relationship we had.

I have mixed emotions after saying those words. Yeah,  I was sad because I still have feelings for Atilla, but at the same time, I also felt relieved because I know that I can finally move on.

But just like they said, it's easier said than done, which is why I found myself in a bar, drinking to my heart's content, still remembering our times together.

It was almost eleven when my phone rang, and I didn't even bother checking who was calling as I answered the call.

"Hello?" I answered, my voice slurring.

"Ang? Are you drunk?" I heard my mom ask on the other line.

"I'm sorry, I'm just celebrating," I said.

"Celebrating for what?"

"First, I want to celebrate my resignation with Henry's company," I said, trying to sound cheerful.

"Wow, that's really good news. Finally, you'll be able to take control of our company. I don't know why you let yourself be under someone else's control when we have our own company," she said.

"Well, that's all in the past anyway, and the second reason is because... I'm just happy," I replied.

I couldn't bring myself to tell her about seeing Atilla, and I didn't want her to think that I was hurting again because of her, which is how I feel right now.

After she finished her instructions, she said goodbye, and I finished the bottle of beer in my hand. After paying, I headed straight to my car.

It's a miracle that I made it home safely in my condition, especially since I was stumbling until I managed to get inside the house.

"Is that you, Ang?" Miranda asked softly when she caught me taking off my shoes.

"Yes! It is I, my beloved sister-in-law," I chuckled, seeing her tilt her head and whisper "Drunk."

"I'm not drunk, I just had a little to drink," I laughed, trying to walk straight to show her that I wasn't drunk, but after a few steps, I suddenly fell. Fortunately, she caught me just in time.

"Not drunk, huh?" She raised an eyebrow and helped me into my room.

As our bodies touched, I became dizzy from her feminine scent and the feeling of her skin against mine. The drunkenness disappeared when we touched.

I was so focused on the woman leading me that I didn't notice a bottle on the floor, causing me to fall, taking Miranda with me. I automatically locked her in my arms, protecting her from the fall.

"Are you okay?" I worriedly asked, glancing at her head, but my mouth went numb when she looked up.

Our eyes met, and I was hypnotized by Miranda's gaze. I didn't know if it was the spirit of the alcohol or just what I was feeling for her, but it was like I lost all my sanity.

I slowly approached Miranda's face, and when I saw her close her eyes, I mustered up the courage to move in closer. And when our lips touched, it was like thousands of volts surged through me because of that gentle kiss.

At first, every move I made was gentle, until I became bolder. My lips started to explore her mouth, and the experience was crazy.

While my tongue was exploring her mouth, my hand decided to move toward her breast, but before I could touch her, she quickly stood up, and I saw the confusion in her eyes.

"This is not right," she said, and she quickly left my room.

A deep breath escaped my lips. I knew it was wrong, but something in my mind was telling me that what I did to Miranda wasn't wrong, even though she was Anthony's wife.

It was a good thing that I drank, so I fell asleep quickly.