CHAPTER 4: LADY

It’s twelve midnight when Duke leaves for work again and I am alone by myself again. After we fight because of his nonsense jealousy. He left the house without talking to me and I feel like I want to go to his office to observe and investigate if he is really going to work on those days and on those times. I can search the address on the internet anyway but I know he will be mad if I went to his office and asked about his schedule of work. I know I will make him embarrassed and He will not like it. It will start a fight again. He will tell me that I don’t trust him. So even if I want to, I stop myself for the sake of “us”  not to fight.

I am home alone again but it is okay because I have a lot of things to do. After I deliver the orders. I have a schedule of teaching in the afternoon. That is why I never get bored even when I am always home alone. I just miss Duke so much even no matter how busy I am. I am always thinking about him, especially if he is not home. I am always checking my phone from time to time waiting for his message or call but I only get disappointed if I don’t see even one single message from him. That makes me overthink which I don’t like because I feel like I am crying each time I overthink.

“Friend,” Someone is calling me outside so I look out the window to check who it is and I saw Angel, my friend. 

“Come in,” I said and she went inside. Crying with a bruise on her arms and face.

“What happened to you?” I asked her in surprise because I didn’t expect to see her like that. We sat on the sofa and she hugged me while crying.

“Are you okay?” I asked. She looked at me and I felt like she wanted to break down.

“I found out that Grey has another woman” She answered while wiping her tears. Trying to stop her tears from falling. 

“What?” I asked again because I couldn't believe what I heard. 

“How has it happened?” I asked her and her tears started to fall even though she tried to stop it from falling.

“He changed a lot. Like he is always out for work, he puts a password on his phone, when he is home he is always holding his phone. He is busy on his phone every time he is home and he is always starting a fight with me even in front of our kids. He is so distant. Until one day God helped me to guess his password and I opened his phone accidentally and I read their sweet conversations, I saw their sweet photos too” She cried. I tapped her shoulder to comfort her and hold her hand because I can feel her pain. It is her first time crying to me because of Grey. That is why I really cannot believe it.

“And when I asked him about his other woman he hit me” She continued while crying and she showed me her bruises on her face, Holding her hanky. My heart beat fast hearing her story because I suddenly remembered what happened last night. I don’t know what to tell her because Duke is showing the same signs too. 

“I feel like I want to die, I can’t take the pain” She cried.

“No, don’t say that” I told her

“Just look at your kids… be strong for them” I added

“How about the kids by the way?” I asked her

“Good thing that they are sleeping when we fight,” She answered.

“I think you need to bring the kids to your mom while you and Grey are not okay” I suggested to her and she nodded. 

“I am planning that too,” She said while wiping her tears with her hanky.

“Don’t let your twins see that their father is hurting you” I told her and she nodded again.

Like me and Duke. Angel and Grey are childhood best friends too. Until they became lovers and now husband and wife. They have twins that is why I can’t imagine Grey having a third party. After having cute little twins to his childhood best friend and now his wife. He is cheating and betraying her. “I can’t believe it,” I told myself while looking at the bruises on her face. “How could he do that?” I asked myself too because after all he is going to cheat and hurt her like that.

“Wait, I will just get you water,” I told her. When I noticed she can’t breathe anymore because she keeps on crying. I went to the kitchen and got her water. Her voice is echoing in my ears and the things that she told me make me think because Duke is acting the same like Grey. He is so distant, he is so estranged and I feel like I don’t know him anymore. I want to get my phone and call him but what would I tell him? That he is cheating on me, it is because Grey is cheating on Angel. I took a deep breath and shook my head. Maybe I am just paranoid again because of Angel and what she told me. I checked my phone but there was no call or even message from Duke. I went back to Angel and gave her the water. 

“Thank you,” She said and sipped on the water that I gave her. She is in pain. I can feel it. The pain of being betrayed and lied to. I don’t want it to happen to me because I don’t know if I can take the pain because I love Duke so much. He is my life and everything and thinking of him with another girl… is killing me.

“Where is he now?” I asked Angel. Where is Grey now?

“I don’t know maybe he is with his other woman”

“Bring your kids to Bulacan first… to your mom before you fix your relationship with Grey” I suggested because I don’t want the kids to see their fights.

“Don’t let the kids see their daddy hurting you” I added and she nodded.

“Yes, maybe this week I will bring my kids to mom” She agreed while wiping her tears. She drank her water and hugged me and I hugged her back.

“Be strong,” I told her while tapping her back to comfort her even for just a while.

“Thank you,” She said.

After finishing the glass of water she got up and hugged me, thanked me and went home. I can’t deny the fact that I am worried right now even though I keep telling myself that I am just paranoid because I can’t erase what  Angel told me about Grey. Duke is showing the same signs to me. That is why I am worried  right now and I feel like I want to cry too. I checked my phone but I didn't see any messages from him. Knowing that he knows that I am here alone waiting for him and I will call him because that is what I am always doing since then. Call him, and ask about his day because I want to know if he is doing great in his work but it’s different now because I can’t contact him even I wanted to. I remember the call on his phone last night and I want to know who is calling him but his phone is locked and I don’t know the password. He even gets mad at me when he catches me holding his phone like he is hiding something. Like he has a secret and I am not allowed to know. The signs that he was showing are the same exact signs that Angel told me about Grey. I sigh and sit on the couch because I can’t get my worries away. 

My phone beeps and I got excited to check who messaged me hoping that it was Duke but it was not him. I received messages from Mark. My buyer; the one that Duke gets jealous with because Mark calls me beautiful that I haven’t heard from him for a long time.

Hi! How are you? First message with a smiling emoji on it. I just read the message and ignore it

Accept my friend request , please the second message still with a smiling emoji on it and a “begged” Emoji.

I want to see you, please the third message without a smiling emoji but with a heart emoji

Please don’t be a snob fourth message with a “begged” emoji again.

 I can't get you out of my head, His fifth message and then he called but I didn’t answer his call.

Mark looks like a jolly person but I don’t want to entertain him because I don’t want to give Duke a reason not to trust me. He is not always hom. I don’t want him to think that I am cheating on him while he is not home and besides the signs that I am worried about are just the signs. It does not prove yet that Duke has another woman. I don’t have evidence and I know. Duke will not cheat on me and I am sure about that because he loves me and he is not like Grey though they were close friends but he is far from Grey. 

I checked the orders again trying to remove what Angel told me in my head because I don’t want to overthink but I can’t deny the fact that I am affected because of the signs that Duke is showing me even though I am trying to convince myself that “the signs are just the signs” and it is not proven yet for me to stop worrying. I try to read my book again to divert my attention but I can’t concentrate. I keep on looking at my phone hoping that Duke would call me. Because I am worried about him and just one call from him can take my worry away but there is no call from him or even message.