4 — I don't know who you are

S E L E N A

Without a moment's hesitation, he reached out and cupped my cheek with his hand. His eyes were locked on mine, filled with an emotion I couldn't quite place.

His face was frozen in a look of complete surprise as if he couldn't quite believe what was happening. And then, I heard it - the steady, rapid beat of his heart. It was pounding so hard, it was like it might burst out of his chest. At that moment, I knew that he was just as affected by this moment as I was.

"Selena, is it really you?" he asked, his voice quivering as his thumb traced my cheekbone. I could feel the warmth of his skin against mine, and I knew at that moment that my heart was in trouble with how hard it was beating against my chest.

I was speechless, my mind a jumble of thoughts and emotions. I stood there, frozen in place, my eyes fixed on him. This wasn't what I had expected. I thought he would ignore me, pretend like he didn't know me. But here he was, right in front of me, asking if it was really me. I felt my heart racing, my breath caught in my throat. I had no idea what to say, or what to do. Everything felt surreal.

“Selena,” he said, his voice a low whisper, almost a plea. His hand trailed down my waist, pulling me closer to him until our bodies were almost touching. I could feel his heart beating against my chest, his breath warm on my skin. I looked up into his eyes, and I saw something there that I hadn't seen before. It was fear, raw and unfiltered.

His hands moved slowly, tracing patterns on my back. I could feel my heart pounding, my breath coming in short gasps. I felt like I was drowning like I couldn't get enough air. I was trapped, trapped in this embrace.

I wanted to push him away, yet, I couldn't bring myself to move, to break free from his grasp.

“Who are you?” I found myself asking him, my voice barely a whisper. I hadn't meant to ask the question, but it had slipped out. At that moment, I wasn't sure who I was - the girl he had known before, or the woman I had become.

I didn't want to be the timid, poor girl he had left behind all those years ago, the girl he had paid off with a million-dollar check. I was no longer that person, no longer the girl who let herself be manipulated and used.

I hadn't planned on coming back at all, much less as a better version of myself. But here I was, face-to-face with the man who had once meant everything to me.

“What?” Pedro stammered, clearly taken aback by my words. He reached out and gently touched my chin, lifting my head to meet his gaze. I could see the confusion in his eyes, the questions swirling behind them. I knew that I had shocked him, that he hadn't expected this from me.

His face hardened, his jaw set, as he asked me, “What did you mean by 'who am I'?” He sounded hurt, but I knew it was just a front. He was hiding behind a mask, trying to protect himself from the pain of our reunion. I wanted to reach out and touch him, to pull him close and show him that I still cared for him, despite everything. But I knew that wasn't what I should do.

“Why are you doing this, Mr. Lopez?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper. I hadn't noticed the other men until now, but there they were, standing with their expressions stunned and confused.

“What is the meaning of this, Mr. Lopez?” Christopher demanded, his face reddening with anger. He stepped closer to me, his eyes blazing as he tried to make sense of what was happening.

“Lena, do you know him?” Christopher's voice was full of confusion and disbelief, his eyebrows raised as he looked at me. His question hung in the air, unanswered, as I struggled to find the words to explain. I didn't know what to say, or how to make him understand. All I knew was that I couldn't bear to see the look of hurt in his eyes.

“She’s my…”

“I don't know him, I don't understand what he's doing,” I interrupted Pedro, my voice trembling as I took a step back. I was standing behind Christopher, who seemed to be just as confused as I was. He looked from me to Pedro and back again as if trying to piece together the puzzle that had just been dumped in front of him.

Christopher's face was full of disbelief, his brow furrowed as he turned to face Pedro. “Mr. Lopez, what's going on here?” he demanded, his voice sharp with anger. He stood tall, his shoulders tense, as he waited for an answer. But Pedro remained silent, his expression unreadable. It was as if he was frozen in place, unable to speak or move.

As I watched, unable to move, Pedro's eyes met mine. I felt my heart stop, a wave of nerves flooding through me. I had no idea what he was thinking, or what he was feeling. I had no idea what he was going to do. All I knew was that I was terrified, frozen in place, unable to escape.

“Y-You seriously don't know who I am?” Pedro asked, his voice soft and shaking. He was staring at me with a mixture of disbelief and hurt as if he couldn't comprehend what was happening.

“I don't know who you are,” I mumbled, my eyes fixed on the floor. I couldn't bring myself to look at him, my hands trembling as I tried to calm my racing heart. The words felt like a lie, but I couldn't bring myself to admit the truth.

“I haven't forgotten about what we had,” Pedro said, his voice full of emotion. “I haven't forgotten about us. I've been waiting for you to come back to me, longing for the day when we would be together again. I've been searching for you, looking for you, hoping that you would return to me.” He paused, I could feel his eyes boring into my trembling body as if trying to see into my soul.

“How could you have forgotten me when I haven't forgotten about you?” he asked, his voice low and pleading.

I felt my heart breaking, the weight of his words crashing down on me.

My heart was beating crazily in my chest, threatening to rip off of my chest as I tried taking a step back, but his grip on my shoulders tightened stopping me from walking back.

“Selena, please tell me you remember me, tell me that you haven't forgotten about us.” my head was spinning and my vision was getting blurry as I felt my tears rolling down my eyes.

“I… I-I don't think you know what you're saying.” I yelled, jerking my shoulders, letting his hands drop off my shoulders. “Stop this madness, I do not know you.”

Pedro made to grab my hand but Christopher grabbed him by the collar, pushing him off of me. Pedro staggered, crashing into the nearest wall.

“I think you should stop right here, you're assaulting my assistant and I will call the cop on you if you don't stop right here.” I could sense anger in Christopher's tone as he growled at Pedro.

My heart was pounding in my chest, threatening to break free. I felt like I was suffocating like the walls were closing in around me. I needed to get out of this hall, out of this building, out of this city. I needed to escape, to find somewhere to breathe.

“I think we should reschedule this meeting,” I said, my voice shaky and uncertain. “I can't be in the same room as someone who thinks I'm someone else.”

I turned to leave, my heart pounding in my ears when I heard him shout my name.

“Selena, wait!” he called out.

I stopped, frozen in place, my back still turned to him. I didn't know what to do, what to say. All I knew was that I couldn't face him, not like this.

Before I could move, he grabbed my arm, yanking me back towards him. I stumbled, my ankle twisting as I fell against him. I let out a cry of pain as my head hit his chest. I could hear my heartbeat thudding in my ears, my breath coming in short, sharp gasps. I felt like I was going to pass out like my world was closing in around me.

I tried to pull away from him, but he held me tight. “Let me go!” I cried, my voice sounding weak and pathetic even to my own ears.

But he didn't let go. Instead, he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close. I struggled, fighting against him, but his grip was too strong. I felt helpless, trapped in his embrace.

He was silent, his body tense against mine.

“I won't let you go,” he blurted out, his voice low and determined. “I can't let you walk away again.”

I felt a surge of panic, of fear. I didn't want to be trapped here, held against my will. But I was powerless, my strength sapped by my terror. I felt like I was a prisoner, caught in his web.

“Please, you have to let me go,” I pleaded, my voice breaking, and my heart pounding in my chest.

I was on the verge of breaking down when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned, my breath catching in my throat as I saw Christopher standing behind me, pulling Pedro away from me. I stumbled back, my legs shaking as I watched the two men struggle.

Suddenly, Christopher threw a punch, catching Pedro in the jaw. He staggered backwards, his eyes wide with shock. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

“Christopher, you can't…” I began, my voice shaking. But I never finished my sentence, because Christopher had turned to face me. He took my hand, pulling me towards him. We both turned to look at Pedro, who was standing a few feet away, his hand on his cheek, and his eyes narrowed.

“If your company treats its partners this way, I'm not sure I can work with you,” Christopher hissed, his voice stern and serious. I was taken aback by his words, my mind reeling. I hadn't expected him to react this way, to take my side. But I also felt guilty, like I had brought this upon myself. Like I was the cause of all this.

I stood there, frozen, not knowing what to do or say. All I knew was that I had made a mess of things, and I didn't know how to fix it.