Explain

Chapter 003

Reese

I raised my palm to stop him from talking further. It was clear as water that he persuaded me just to get mom. He used me. He only married me, but he never loved me. He was head over heels in love with her. With my mother!

Rage gripped me by the throat, and I swallowed the lump, but it stayed there and I almost choked.

Anger rose within me, and then it swelled, and then it slammed me, walloping my entire being, killing me.

I blinked my eyes, attempting to stop the fresh tears that were beginning to form in my eyes. The words he said to me delivered a hard blow in my gut, and made me want to puke on his face.

''I'm sorry, Reese…'' Troy's voice again. ''I'm sorry---''

''Sorry for what? That I found out about your affair?''

He shook his head. ''I'm sorry that I hurt you. That you found out like this…''

I glared at him, and without saying anything more, I turned on my heels and went downstairs, and then I found myself running. I ran blindly, beads of water clung to my clothes and my hair.

I looked down at my shirt, and I couldn't help but recall the disgust that I had seen in Troy's eyes earlier. He had a scrunch of his nose, and it was likely because he smelled the vomit on my clothes.

I stopped on my tracks, and waited for a cab to arrive. I couldn't help but question myself as I stood at the side of the road, wiping away my tears. They were not worth my tears though. There were more important things to cry about instead of them.

The sound of an engine made me turn my head to see a car coming. The headlights were the first thing to come into view, and then a black SUV emerged from the fog, pulling up a little way past me. The door opened and an old man hopped off.

''Are you alright, Miss?'' the gray-haired old man in a black suit asked as he moved closer to me.

I shook my head. ''Please… I need a ride.''

I heard footsteps come running from behind, and Troy appeared.

''What the hell do you still want from me?'' I asked, stepping back from him.

''I have something to discuss with you inside the house, please…'' Troy said, and I bet it was about the filing of divorce. ''Please, she's not going with you. You can leave now...'' he told the old man as he draped his arm around my shoulder, but I shook it off violently.

"I don't want to go with you...'' I growled, glaring at him.

The old man decided to step between us. ''I don't think there's anything to talk about. This young woman seems not wanting to talk to you, son...''

''Reese…'' Troy tried to stop the old man, but he had already put a comforting arm around my shoulder, and steered me towards the car. He opened the back passenger door, and I climbed inside without taking a glance at Troy. After he shut the door, he walked round, and popped back into the driver seat. ''Reese, wait!''

Troy tried to chase the car, but it had already driven away.

''Thank you…'' I spoke to the man behind his back, and he looked up, meeting my gaze in the rearview mirror.

''You're welcome, sweetheart. I'm Vincent…'' he smiled before he turned his focus back to the road in front of him.

I avoided responding to him. I could tell that he wanted to know my name as well, but I chose to remain silent. The only thing I did was tell him to take me to the residence of my mother-in-law.

''Thank you again, Mr. Vincent…'' I told him as I bid goodbye, but before I climbed out of his car, he handed me a calling card.

''Call me if you need my help again...'' he smiled, and I watched his car speed off until it disappeared from my sight.

I shrugged my shoulders and shoved the card in my bag, before pulling out the keys to the main door.

The living room was peacefully quiet, and this was what I needed right now. Mia was most likely now asleep in her room at this time. I just hoped that she brought her mom dinner before she took a rest.

I sighed as I padded my way up the stairs, but I immediately stopped in my tracks when all of a sudden, I heard a voice coming from the balcony. I turned my head to look at the person who was carrying a phone and having a call with someone.

My eyes widened in surprise when I realized that it was my mother-in-law who was standing there as if she wasn't sick. Her back was facing me, so she didn't notice when I quietly slid the glass door open, and slowly walked closer to her, only to freeze when I heard the words she said.

''Oh, dear… now that you plan to divorce Reese, who will take care of me?''

So, she was aware that her son would divorce me. Was she also aware of the fact that he was having an affair with my mother?

''Do you think it would be easy to find a maid who can serve me well and clean the house? Son, she is without a doubt the most wonderful maid I've ever had."

As I listened more to my mother-in-law's words, I stood at the doorway in a daze, my chest tightening. So, it turned out that in her eyes, she was only seeing me as a maid and not her daughter-in law.

What made me even more upset was the fact that I had been so nice to her over the past two years, and had assisted her in everything she needed. Well, she'd been so nice to me as well, but it turned out that she was just pretending.

But why?

I don't understand why she would ever do something like that to me.

''Oh… I forgot that Reese is an idiot, empty-headed woman. Just bring her a bouquet of her favorite yellow roses, and she will crawl back to you without hesitation. Right, my son?'' she said, her voice was soft, but it was then followed by a mocking laugh, and I gritted my teeth in wrath.

Yes, I was so stupid for loving him. It's not like I have never gotten into a fight when I caught him having an ambiguous relationship with his personal assistant. I ignored Troy the whole day, but placated by three yellow roses that he had bought for me after he came home from work.

I harshly wiped away my tears and stepped out of the house in a hurry, ignoring the cars honking, the drivers cursing and shouting at me.

I kept moving, letting my feet carry me anywhere.

I sped up my movements, although I did not exactly run. I couldn't manage the proper functioning of my limbs. I wished I could run. Run away from everyone. Run away from them forever.

I continued to walk in a hurry until I reached the park.

I had no idea what time it was, but night had already blanketed the city.

I walked further, looking around for an empty bench that I could sit on. As I moved, the wind messed up my long ginger hair and it whipped my face like it was trying to slap me awake.

I looked up at the dark sky full of stars, blinking my tears away before I roamed my eyes around the park, and still couldn't find a seat. Couples and lovers were everywhere.

I didn't stop walking until I found myself standing at the Green Island Bridge. I couldn't see anyone here. It was only me. And that was just what I needed right now. To be all alone by myself.

I took off my shoes and climbed over the balustrade and sat down on the cement ledge, allowing my legs to hang loosely in the air.

I didn't dare to look down at the dark waters below. I was so scared to look at it, it might invite me to jump off. I didn't come here to end my life. I just wanted to think. Think about what to do next after everything that I found out.

But if I were to jump off, maybe I wouldn't feel this kind of pain anymore.

If I were to die tonight, I wouldn't have to see the sun and the rain for the next few days.

I wouldn't have to face my mother, Troy, and my mother-in-law tomorrow.

Besides, I was very tired. My entire being was very exhausted. My legs, my body, my mind. Everything.

Maybe, I should give it a try.

I took a deep breath and dared to glance down, but it only took me three seconds to look up again because the water caused me to shake all over. I was unable to continue looking down.

I shook my head. I couldn't do this.

''Hey…'' I heard a voice coming from a distance, and I turned my head to see a man wearing a dark cap sitting on the ledge just three meters away from me.

It was because I was so engrossed in my own thoughts that I failed to recognize that someone was watching me, and that they even came very close to where I was sitting.

''Problem…?'' he asked, making me tear my gaze away from him.

I don't want to talk about my problem to anyone, especially to a stranger like him.

''I only come here when I have problems...'' He spoke again, and I rolled my eyes as I gripped the edge of the ledge.

''I'm sorry, but I don't socialize with people I don't know...'' I snapped at him, and was about to climb down from where I was sitting, and turning around to face the road, when my hand suddenly slipped, making my eyes widen in horror.

''Hey!'' the man yelled out, and I could hear fear in his voice. ''Don't move! Stay right there, Miss! I'll save you!''

''Please, help!'' I let out a terrified cry, my voice was hoarse and raspy in fear. I couldn't understand what he was trying to tell me because my heart was beating so fast and loud, it almost exploded out of my chest. ''Help me, please!''

My entire body was still shaking all over, so the right hand that was holding the edge was slowly moving, and I knew that I would slide down in the deep water below at any moment, and I would definitely die.

''No!'' I cried out loud. I couldn't die. I'm still a virgin!

My grip on the cement ledge was so strong that I exerted every ounce of my strength to keep it.

''Hold on!'' the man roared once again, as he jumped down from where he was sitting earlier, and in a second, he was already holding my hand, pulling me up from hanging in the air. ''I got you. You're safe now. I'm not gonna let you fall...''

When my feet were finally able to make contact with the ground, I pulled the man into a tight hug, which made him instantly frozen from his spot in shock.

''Oh, I… I'm sorry.'' I quickly pulled away from him, turning around, but he caught me by the wrist, an electric current suddenly flowed through my veins like a million volts of lightning striking me, waking all my nerve endings. I immediately shook his hand off, and hid mine behind me.

''Tell me about it…'' he said, his voice low. I looked up to see his eyes, but it were obscured from the cap he was wearing. I could only see his prominent nose and his thin, red kissable lips.

Wait. Did I just say kissable?

I shook my head, stepping a few steps back away from him. His musky cologne was penetrating into my nostrils. I was safe now, but having him close to me like this made me feel more than drowning in the water. This man looked more dangerous.

''Tell you about what?' I asked, swallowing so hard when my voice sounded so raspy. I dragged my tongue across my lower lip as I gazed back into his hidden eyes.

''About your problem...'' he shrugged, crossing his arm over his chest, and looked away from me. My eyes were drawn to the ripple of his biceps straining against the tight black t-shirt he was wearing, and I swallowed for the second time around. ''Why do you want to jump off earlier?''

I took a deep breath before I mustered up the confidence to tell him what had occurred in the house. ''My husband…''

''Oh...'' was the only thing he said, so I continued.

''He can't do it with me—I mean, it won't get hard every time we try to have sex...''

''Oh…'' he repeated, but I observed a hint of a smile in his voice this time.

Was there anything funny about what I've said?

''You know what, I'm leaving!'' Tears started to form in my eyes as I turned to leave when I realized that he was making fun of me.

Was my pain making him happy?

Who gave him the right to laugh at my misery?

''I guess, you're just horny...''His remarks made me stop dead in my tracks. I heard him laugh, which made me more annoyed at him. ''You're going to jump into the water just because you can't make your husband's dick get hard?''

''That wasn't the reason, you asshole! He cheated on me!'' I screamed in rage, spinning around to check his reaction, and I just saw him stiffened, stopping from laughing. I knew he was staring at me intently for a few seconds even though I couldn't see his eyes under his cap.

''I'm sorry…'' he said as he bent down, took my shoes, and started to walk closer to me.

God… I almost left with my bare feet.

I watched as he crouched down in front of me, and helped me put on my shoes. ''I can be your doctor, you know. I can help you with your problem...'' he then said as he stood up in front of me.

''Help me with what?'' I frowned, puzzled at what he was talking about? ''I'm not sick. I don't need a doctor!''

''Well, I'm not actually a doctor. And you're not sick, of course I know that, but because your husband can't make you happy in bed, I can…''

My eyes widened, a right hand sprang out and smacked him across the face with a forceful blow.

''I'm not having sex with you, you pervert!'' I roared on his face, shocked at what he was offering me.

But what shocked me even more was when he pulled me by the shoulders and touched his lips with mine.