Outlook

Now there was nothing Garrett could do but remain silent and give Elice the time she needed to take a break. Garrett knew that this was a really unpleasant situation.

Somberly, Garrett took a deep breath and realized that the fact that he was still alive was a valid sign. Elice was not a weak woman; quite the opposite. She was strong.

Elice had found herself helpless on numerous occasions. Countless thoughts of suicide had crossed her mind. But when she saw her mother's face, a glimmer of rationality appeared.

I have already caused my mother pain. Should I add to her tears? By going away in a pitiful state?

So when thoughts of suicide came, Elice would prepare herself. She would get dressed and decide to go to the club. Because she thought it was the only way to get rid of those dark thoughts. In the crowd, where there would be no sanctimonious people to mock her tears.

But she never expected what she found today. Instead of ridicule and accusations, she found a pair of ears that patiently listened to her story without a word of judgment.

“At least you're free of that man now,” Garrett finally said. He could not comfort her, as he had said before. He was just a good listener, and he found no other words to say except that.

“I don't know,” Elice whispered sadly. “I don't know if I'm free of him or the other way around. I'm the one who was discarded, and I'm worthless now.”

Garrett furrowed his brow, disagreeing with what Elice said.

“Letting go of a man like him doesn't show your worthlessness. On the contrary, it means he's not worthy of you.”

“You couldn't possibly forget that, I just said it.”

Elice said and looked at Garrett. There were still traces of tears in her eyes, and her gaze seemed truly wounded, as if she believed that her future was now as dark and uncertain as a path in the middle of a forest, without any sunlight or glimmer of hope.

“I am no longer valuable as a woman. I was pregnant. I had a miscarriage. And...”

Elice couldn't finish her sentence. Instead, she took a deep breath and resigned herself to her fate. Perhaps she would continue to live only for her mother. Her true life was already dead.

“But that doesn't negate the fact that many eyes still look at you with admiration,” Garrett replied, signaling with his eyes.

Looking around, Elice noticed a particular focus in Garrett's gaze. Several women seemed surprised when she turned her attention to them, probably caught in the act of gossiping about their fellow women, a typically female trait.

“I have been watching you all this time. Many have been secretly looking at you, probably because they find you attractive,” Garrett continued, looking back at Elice. “Not only women, but I have also noticed that some of the men in my group have taken an interest in you. No need to thank me if you think my presence here has saved you from other players.”

Elice could guess the meaning behind Garrett's words, but it didn't quite register with her.

“You only know my appearance. You don't know anything about my past.”

“And isn't that the point?”

Out of the blue, Garrett cornered Elice with a fatal question that almost made her jump. What Garrett was saying made perfect sense.

“It's just the past. And what people see in us is... just our appearance.”

Elice could not argue with that. Was it not true? What people saw in others was just their appearance?

“I...”

“You are sad, no doubt. And even I'm not sure if I could handle life in your current position.”

It was not an empty phrase. Garrett was sure of it. At first, when he saw a woman crying alone, he thought it was a case of a broken heart. But it turned out that for Elice, it was more than just a broken heart. It was despair.

“But I believe there are still many eyes that see you as valuable. Not just me, or these women, or a group of men. Out there, I'm sure you're still valuable, regardless of your past.”

When Elice's mind returned, Garrett's words sounded remarkably logical. But believe me, Elice had been through this phase many times before. Now she might feel like she was climbing up again, only to fall back down again.

“I don't know,” Elice said uncertainly.

Garrett understood. “Don't force it. You need time. But I do know that at least you realize that surviving to this day proves that you still value your life.”

In her own eyes, Elice felt utterly worthless. She thought she was the lowest woman in the world. Discarded and looked down upon.

“Besides...”

Garrett's voice interrupted Elice's thoughts. She looked at him and saw his shoulders rise as he took a deep breath.

“...why should women lower their standards for men?”

It seemed like a common question, but...

“Isn't that entirely up to you?” Garrett asked with a serious expression, his eyes fixed on Elice. “I just can't understand why you let Ariel dictate your value. Uh... just because you were pregnant? You had a miscarriage? And that puts you in the category of women of lesser value?”

Garrett scoffed in disbelief at his own question. He shook his head as if he were witnessing the most absurd circus act in the world.

“You are not in the position of a woman. No matter what happens, we'll always be the ones backed into a corner.”

“That's why... from now on, don't let men get close to you like that.”

“I can even be sure that no man would want to get close to me after knowing my past.”

“Don't you see me now?”

“You...”

Elice sighed. A small smile played on her lips. She shook her head weakly.

“Maybe you're the only man who stayed here after he found out about my past.”

“Perhaps not the only one,” Garrett said. “But still... I'm sure you didn't expect a stranger to sit with you and listen to your story. In the end, I gave in to my instincts and approached you.”

“So... do you think I'm valuable?”

Without a doubt, Garrett nodded. “In my eyes... you are a valuable woman. And maybe that's the only reason I couldn't resist coming over to talk to you.”

“Tell me, what makes me valuable in your eyes?”

Garrett took a few seconds to answer the question, taking the opportunity to examine Elice from head to toe. Starting with her black, sensually wavy hair, moving to her beautiful oval face, and then down to her body, accentuated by a stunning black dress. Ending with a pair of six-inch high heels that made her shapely calves look alluring.

“Because not many beautiful women like you come to the club alone without showing any signs of trying to seduce a man.”

Elice burst out laughing.

“And you're oblivious to your surroundings. Regardless of a few people who tried to approach you, you were lost in your own world. In my eyes... that's a real sign that a woman is valuable.”

Satisfied with her dry laugh at Garrett's words, Elice lifted her head, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly.

“You have a different judgment for the category of valuable women,” Elice commented. “You should add 'virgin,' 'well-behaved,' 'intelligent,' and 'from a respectable family.'“

“Oh! Isn't that too harsh? Women aren't perfect creatures. Why set so many criteria?”

Elice laughed again. “Criteria or not, that's what builds trust in our community.”

“Find another way to build trust.”

“Like what?”

“By looking in the mirror and seeing how much you have.”

Garrett's hand rose gently, pushing aside a few strands of hair that nearly covered Elice's eyes and tucking the delicate strands behind her ear.

“I'm sure it's not hard for you,” Garrett said, withdrawing his hand. “Because I, who have only been talking to you for half an hour, can feel it.”

The words hit Elice like a breath caught in her throat. Hearing Garrett's words, watching the way he spoke, and seeing the smile on his face left her speechless in a thousand languages. It made her realize that she was cornered with one question. Was it true?

“If you don't believe what I said, you can see the truth in a month. And if a month is not enough to prove it, then look a year from now. In the end, you'll see that I'm right.”

As if Garrett could read Elice's mind, he said something that made the air reluctantly reach her lungs. Elice could only react with indifference.

“Let's just wait and see.”

“Do you need proof?”

“What do you mean by proof?”

“That there's at least one man here who still thinks you're valuable? Regardless of your past.”

Elice was still trying to comprehend the meaning of Garrett's words when she felt his fingers, which had briefly touched her hair, move again. This time they brushed gently against her cheek, causing Elice to instinctively close her eyes.

Her body tensed, unable to anticipate the touch, making her rigid. She could not even flinch.

Garrett could clearly feel Elice's body freeze as his fingertips brushed her smooth cheek. But when he noticed that she didn't pull away, he continued.

Garrett's face moved closer, positioning itself directly in front of Elice's. Creating a reality where their breaths could caress each other.

Garrett looked into Elice's eyes. In a few silent seconds that meant everything, he ignored the music that captivated them both and paid no attention to their surroundings.

“Allow me.”

Two words Garrett spoke as a kind of permission. It was an expression that Elice had no time to answer. As his fingers that had first touched her cheek moved to her chin, he pulled her closer. He embraced the presence of Elice's lips, which then met his own.

Elice's eyes closed immediately, and her hands rose to rest on Garrett's chest, feeling its firmness. She wanted to push him away, but Garrett pressed his lips to hers and she found herself gripping his shirt instead.

When Garrett felt Elice's hands on his chest, he was prepared for several possible reactions. A slap would be the most logical. But the reality was just the opposite.

And that made a small part of Garrett's mind think. The grip on his chest told him that what he had thought about Elice was true.

Elice was a valuable woman. And at least that's what Garrett wanted to show her. That when a woman is valuable, a man will kiss her with all his soul.

*