Chapter - 3

Elena's p.o.v;

"It's over between us."

He said and walked away without even hearing anything from me like all he came only to convey what he wanted to say.

My opinions never matter to him from the onset of our relationship but don't I have the privilege to ask why? At least this time? At Least when I'm getting a break up all of a sudden?

Suddenly, I felt cold even though I wore two layers of clothes, I gripped my coat tightly like I'm freezing dead. My inhalations and exhalations lost their rhythm. I couldn't breathe properly. I wanted to cry out loud but I couldn't. Please, I don't wanna go through this again.

I went to a nearby drugstore and bought a pill.

After swallowing the pill, I took a long breath and started walking in the street. My breathing became normal as I took steps. It's over. My three years of relationship ended just like that.

I felt lonely.

People passing me talked about some clubs. They talked like they enjoyed the place a lot and planned to go on every weekend. I went in the path where people were coming out.

I saw a club. Its board was lit dazzlingly. I went inside without taking a look at the name of the club.

Inside the club, People were dancing here and there. I walked in further. Some half-naked girls were dancing on the stage. I couldn't bear the music so I went further and took a seat. I sat down with so many thoughts in my mind. Since I'm new to this place, I don't know what to order so I pointed to other people's drinks and asked for them.

The bartender looked at me for a minute and asked for my id. Am I looking underage for him? After taking a look at my ID, he finally gave me the drink.

Since I have never gone to clubs, I looked around. People looked happy while having drinks and while dancing on the floor and their faces filled with smiles and laughs. I took the drink and choked. Why does this taste awful? Coughed a bit and drank again. Soon I got adapted to this awful drink. I ordered more.

While I was drinking alone, A guy came offering me a drink and asked me to sleep with him.

Does everyone come here for that? Maybe it's a common thing here. I denied his offer and tried to leave but I don't wanna be alone tonight so I agreed to go with him.

We ended up in a hotel. The moment we entered he started hugging and kissing me like he's in a heat. Soon his hugs felt different. I don't even know this man, but why does this embrace feel warm and nice? I held him tightly. When he lifted me and dropped me on the bed being rough, I got nervous. Is it going to happen tonight? Am I going to have sex tonight?

"Can you be gentle since it's my first time?", I said while he's trying to unhook my bra.

"What do you mean the first time? You said you've broken up with your boyfriend?", he asked.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I've done it."

He said it's wrong and tried to leave but I didn't want him to leave so I offered him to drink with me and he accepted. I asked about his first time since he talked about it a lot. He accepted one term that I have to say about how I broke up too.

We two agreed in terms like each of us have to tell their story to each other. I enjoyed hearing his part. I never heard a love story before in person so I was interested in it and he looked cheerful while reciting his story too. I enjoyed it.

I named his story 'High school love' and he named mine as 'Office Romance'. We both broke into laughter. It was fun though.

We drank and talked a lot that night. Without my knowledge, I slept.

I woke up to the alarm sound but that sounded different from mine. I searched for the phone to turn off the alarm.The bed felt different. When I opened my eyes, I was not in my room. Where am I? How did I end up here? Last night, I went to a club and was drinking.

"Arghhh... My head..."

I remembered that I left the club with a guy so I looked around the room. It's empty. Did he leave?

I heard the creaking sound of the door. When I looked in the direction, It's him. What is he still doing here? He was dressed up for work.

"I've been running late to work. Can I drop you at your place?", he asked.

"It's okay. I can go by myself.", said while avoiding looking at him. He walked out of the room as soon as I said that.

While I was drinking the juice he ordered for me, I caught sight of a note beside a lamp. I took it to see what it was. It was folded halfway like something was inside it. When I opened it, there was a name.

Nick.

Is this his name? I smiled to myself. He said we don't have to know our names but he left his name behind. Cute.

After a while, I went to my apartment and left for the office. Everyone was working seriously. I went straight to my place.

"Hey Ellie, Why are you late?", asked Steffanie.

"I slept in." I said while organizing the files on the desk.

Steffanie is my colleague and my best friend too. We studied at the same High school. And she's the one who suggested this company while I was looking for one.

She gave me a file saying, "Bill said to check the annual report and don't forget to send it to my mail once you finish with it."

I nodded.

"And I forgot to say, Bill asked you to meet him when you come so first go and meet him and work on that file later."

While entering Bill's cabin, "Sir, you've asked to...Ahhhhhhh!... Sorry, Sir. You asked me to see you. What is it, Sir?"

"Didn't you get sufficient sleep last night?"He asked while taking a look at some random file on his desk.

"I-I'm sorry, Sir."

"Matt asked me to change his unit suddenly. When I asked about the explanation he didn't give a proper reason. Did he say anything to you?"

"No, Sir."

"Well. About the annual report, there's been a mistake in comparative data so correct it and include percentage differences."

"Yes, Sir."

He nodded and asked, "And why are you late today?"

"I-I'm sorry for being late, Sir. T-There was too much… traffic. Yes. Traffic, Sir."

"Okay. Go and work on the report."

"Yes, Sir."

Three days passed,

"I want you back. I'm sorry for being like that. I'll never do that again. Let's be together again. Lennie, I'm sorry." Matthew held my hand and pleaded like I'm the one who broke up with him.

"I don't want to."

"I know you'll forgive me but please don't take much time. Let's be together again, I know that you'll suffer without me. You need me, Lennie."

"Stop."

He grabbed my hand, "I'm here."

I shouted, "Stop! Stop it!"

Steffanie came in, "Hey! What's going on here?"

I collapsed all of a sudden.

When I woke up, I was in infirmary. Steffanie was beside me, "Hey sleeping beauty, how do you feel now? Are you okay?"

I nodded.

"What happened between you and Matt? Why were you shouting at him?"

I hid from Steffani that Matt asked me to break up with him and now that he's asking me to be in a relationship with him again.

"We had a little fight."

"Are you hiding anything from me?"

"Even if I did, won't you find it?" I asked while smiling at her.

"If it's nothing, then it's okay. Rest for now. I'll visit you later." she said while leaving the infirmary.

After Steffani left, Matt sat beside me holding my hands, "Let's be together again."

I nodded.

There we go, I failed to myself again. I couldn't even stand for myself. I accepted the relationship which I don't like to be in once again. Among the things he said, one of them is true. I still like him.

One week passed,

I came out with Matt. He said he wants to take me out for dinner since we're worked for a whole week.

On the way to the restaurant,

While he was looking at his phone, his expression changed. He got mad.

I asked, seeing his mood, "Is everything fine?"

He asked, "The day when I broke up with you, where did you go after that?"

"What?"

He showed a pic of me entering a hotel with a guy. Thank gosh! Nick's face wasn't clear in the picture. Wait! Why did I feel relieved?

He continued, "My friend sent me this saying that the girl he saw is looking like my girlfriend. Indeed, it is my girlfriend."

"I-I..."

"Even though I can see that it's you, I want you to answer me. Is it you?"

I nodded.

He shouted, "Stop nodding and speak."

I was startled, "Y-Yes. It's me."

He slapped me right after he heard it from me. I fell to the ground because of the force. Half of my face felt it was on fire.

Someone helped me to stand. When I looked at the person's face who helped me. Nick?

Matt pulled me towards him and whispered, "Let's go home."

He shouted at Nick to leave. Nick left.

I took my hand from his grip saying, "I'm not going with you."

"What do you mean 'you're not coming' Are you going with someone else?"

"I don't want this."

"This?"

I stepped back and looked at him while saying, "I don't want to be controlled by you anymore."

"You're gonna be hurt."

"The more I tried to hold my pain and be strong, the worse I felt, and I eventually stressed myself out. I don't want to pretend everything is okay anymore."

"What are you trying to say? You wanna break up with me?"

"I-I don't know. I don't know what to do. I-I...", started sobbing.

"It's okay. Let's go home and talk about this.", He grabbed my hand.

I snapped his hand and said, "I don't want to."

"Okay. Let's go somewhere, eat and then we'll go home."

"Why aren't you listening to me? I don't want to go anywhere with you. I don't know what I'm going through right now."

"So you're gonna break up with me?"

"I don't know. I-I know I still like you but I want some time to think about it. Let's take a break, Matt."

He stood still watching me talking. I never talked like this before to him. All I did back then was nodding to everything he said. He then left without a word.

I walked with a blunt sense in the street.

Someone dragged me into the alley by force. When I looked at the face, It's Nick. He put on a bandaid and looked worried. He took me to a restaurant asking me to eat with him. We two remained silent. The atmosphere around us looked more and more awkward. To break the silence, I asked about his 'High school love'. Without hesitation, he said how he met her. Wow. A competition. Singing event. Seeing his love practising dancing. His love story sounded like a movie. I liked it.

He asked mine back. I said how I met Matt in the office. It reminded me of the old days. It hurts. I left the place hurriedly. But before leaving the place, I left a note having my name on it. It's just a barter system.

After remembering some memories, I wanted to see Matt. Matt said I couldn't survive without him and that's true because he's the only person who knows about me better than myself so I decided to go home. The home where Matt will be.

After all, I am used to this toxic relationship I guess.