Two-Away Direction

When Elice heard Garrett's words, she was stunned. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly, as if she wanted to speak, but not a single word came out.

“I am curious. How big a man can make a woman cry like you are now?”

Garrett said, waiting for Elice to answer his words. But in the end she just let out a long sigh. Her eyes blinked once, then she turned her body to the front and watched the bartender, who was busy with his agile hands.

“Aren't you going to answer?”

Garrett seemed to show no signs of retreating from the curiosity that had taken root in his mind. He was curious. So, without hesitation, he put one elbow on the bar table. In this position, he could observe the sharp line of Elice's nose from the side. It looked so perfect, not exaggerated, and gave the impression that one look was not enough to satisfy the eyes.

At that moment, Elice took a deep breath. She briefly thought about raising her hand again to order another drink. But for some reason she refrained. As if she had already had enough. It made her question herself. Maybe what she needed was not another drink, but a pair of ears to listen to all the turmoil in her heart.

“He's not a great man.”

Elice uttered the sentence, and it caused a slight twitch in Garrett's eye. He remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

“He's definitely not the kind of prince you find in fairy tales,” Elice continued, shaking her head. “Definitely not.”

Hearing this, Garrett nodded once, but still refrained from commenting. It was as if he really wanted to prove to Elice that he was a good listener and that her words were indeed the truth.

“He's just a man who happened to be born into a respectable, wealthy family and supposedly upholds moral values. But as it turns out, he doesn't even know what those morals are.”

Garrett's eyes sparkled when he heard Elice's words this time. He could clearly sense the emotions behind the words she spoke. Something that forced him to take a breath and hold it in his chest. Instead of giving in to his urge to question her, to ask why all of this had happened.

“He...”

Elice closed her eyes. When she was about to speak again, a spark of reason in her head stopped her. It made her unconsciously clench her hands so tightly that her knuckles turned white, as if there was no blood left in them.

This did not escape Garrett's eyes. He immediately grabbed Elice's hand and carefully unclenched the fist one by one. With a gentle but effective gesture, he managed to loosen the tight grip of Elice's fingers.

“Do you remember?” Garrett asked then. “I'm just a stranger. A stranger who doesn't even know your name. So... what makes you hesitate?”

True. What Garrett said was true. He did not know Elice. He did not even know her name.

“He has completely shattered my life. There's nothing left. Nothing.”

Garrett did not let go of Elice's hand, holding her slender fingers instead. Feeling the softness there. Then he let go, giving Elice a chance to wipe her face indiscriminately.

“Tell me,” Elice said, turning to Garrett. “Are men like you always born without hearts? Born without a brain to remember all those promises? Do you even say all those sweet words consciously?”

Garrett smiled and exhaled. Not wanting to burst out laughing at an inappropriate time, he just shook his head once. Then he rubbed his slightly rough chin. He had forgotten to shave that day.

“Truth be told... we, men, are born with hearts. We also have brains to remember. But the problem is... sometimes we throw away our conscience.”

Elice looked at Garrett, perhaps not believing that there was a man who would say such blunt things to her. Was that not a little touching of the ego of Adam's descendants?

Garrett's smile widened. “No need to look at me with such awe. I'm just stating the truth. That we, the male species, have a tendency toward high ego. Sometimes we feel superior by making others suffer. As if that is a validation to prove that we are powerful beings.

“Unbelievable.”

Garrett chuckled softly and scratched his temple with his index finger. It itched slightly when he saw Elice's incredulous expression.

“I can't believe it either sometimes. But that's what happened. There are some men who enjoy hurting a woman. Uh... and it seems like you've met that kind of man.”

“You say that as if it was just my misfortune. As if I wouldn't be like this if I had met another man.”

Garrett seemed to ponder Elice's words. Then, without any doubt, he nodded.

“True. Maybe that's how it is.”

“Well, I would rather blame God than blame Ariel.”

There was a piece of information that made Garrett furrow his brow. “His name is Ariel?”

Without denying it, Elice nodded. Besides, there was no point in hiding the fact.

“His name is Ariel Sebastian Ramirez. Uh... you probably don't know him. But he's a man born into a wealthy family, the kind I should have avoided from the beginning.”

Garrett furrowed his brow, seemingly not entirely convinced by Elice's words. But he remained silent. He did not interrupt Elice when she continued.

“I met him when I was still in college. Uh... I should have listened to Mom when she told me to choose business over law. If I had followed her advice, I wouldn't be where I am today.”

The wrinkle on Garrett's forehead instantly disappeared, replaced by a grin he could not contain.

“Your words remind me of my mother's advice,” Garrett interjected. “She said that the words of parents are like prayers.”

Elice looked at Garrett incredulously. “That doesn't make any sense, does it?” she asked, shaking her head. “Because I'm sure that if I had followed my mother's advice eight years ago, I wouldn't be so broken.”

“But there's no point in regretting it. Anyway, I'm sure that during those eight years, not only misfortune has happened in your life.”

“Maybe yes. Maybe not.”

Garrett decided not to argue. He did not want to reveal any facts that might indicate that his words were true. That it had not been all misfortune for the woman during those eight years. He was sure, although he did not know it, he was sure.

“But even if it wasn't all misfortune during those eight years, it doesn't seem worth it compared to what I'm going through now. All the happiness I once felt is gone. Gone without a trace.”

“That bad?”

Elice let out a long sigh, then turned her head and looked at Garrett with a blank stare. She seemed to be smiling, but it lacked any emotion.

Once Elice nodded, with an assumption in her mind. That the man in front of her was nothing more than a stranger. A stranger she would never meet again. And in that moment, Elice realized it. That what she needed right now was just one thing. A place where she could take out all the pain, anger, and disappointment that was almost driving her crazy.

“So bad,” Elice replied bitterly. “To the point where sometimes I want to end my life.”

Garrett's expression suddenly changed. There was no trace of amusement in his face. It disappeared instantly when he heard the sentence slip so effortlessly from the red lipstick-painted lips. It was smooth, as if there were no burdens or considerations from the owner.

“You?”

Elice bit her lower lip, her face immediately dropping as she looked at her fingers. It was just a distraction. She tried to hide her eyes, which began to well up again.

“I'm really worthless now. I've become a woman without any value at all.”

Though not entirely sure, Garrett seemed to guess the source of Elice's problem. No woman would be so desperate unless it had to do with a man and... her honor.

“He told me he loved me. I believed him. And for some reason, even after all these years, I still really feel it.”

Elice closed her eyes and tried to push away the memories that immediately came to her mind. The beginning of her meeting with Ariel. How they fell in love and began a relationship that made other women envious.

Then, as time passed, their love deepened. And it was not surprising that Elice finally gave her life completely to Ariel. Not only her heart and her love, but all of herself.

“I got pregnant.”

Garrett held his breath. His assumption had not missed the mark. It hit the mark.

“So? He didn't want to take responsibility?”

A small laugh escaped Elice's throat. Her face lifted and she looked at Garrett with teary eyes. Her smile seemed poignant.

“Worse than that,” Elice replied, taking a deep breath. “He made me abort our baby. Even though he promised to marry me a week before.”

Garrett would not be surprised if Elice considered ending her life. Truly. He never expected that this was the reason why a beautiful woman like Elice was crying alone in a club, accompanied by alcoholic drinks.

His eyes widened suddenly. “You drank.”

Elice snorted in amusement. She looked at Garrett with her hand on her stomach, and the painful expression was obvious. It was something Garrett had never seen before.

Elice nodded once. “Sorry. I mean, I was pregnant. Now my baby is gone,” she whispered quietly. “He's gone. I couldn't keep him. Ah! I still often feel like he's still in my womb.”

There was a visible lump in Elice's throat as she tried to hold back her sobs. Her beautiful face seemed to harden in the effort to hold back her tears.

“I thought I could be strong. I could keep him. But all of reality overwhelmed me, and in the end...”

Garrett reached out and grabbed Elice's hand, holding it tightly, then letting her take control of the grip. He willingly allowed her to squeeze his hand with all her might.

“But you know what makes me even more devastated?”

“Tell me.”

Elice needed a moment. She took a deep breath and tried to strengthen herself. Because when she decided to answer this question honestly, it meant to reopen old wounds.

“He was grateful. He thanked me. And he even laughed so happily in front of me.”

Elice would never forget it. No. The image of Ariel being so happy while she lay in despair on the hospital bed flashed through her mind. It made her feel nauseous.

Garrett raised his hand and motioned to the bartender for a glass of water. He handed Elice the cold drink.

Of course, it would take more than a glass of water to ease the tightness in Elice's chest. But at least she could breathe a little easier now.

“But if you think that's the end of it, you're clearly mistaken.”

Elice looked at the empty glass in her hand and realized that her life was no different than that glass. There was nothing in it anymore. Now she was just like a person with nothing left.

“A few days later, his family came to my house.”

Garrett noticed Elice's fingers tighten around the glass again. Her body tensed. And he knew that this was the point where Elice really broke. Which... was true.

“They said many things that made me unable to look at my mother's face again. Th-they...”

Elice's eyes closed suddenly. The memory was vivid in her mind. How Ariel's parents had come and offered her money as compensation for leaving their son alone.

Then they said other things she had never imagined. Doubts about herself, as if she had been involved with several men before ending up with Ariel. Her only son, adored by many.

Elice was truly broken. She could have endured losing her child and her dignity. To be abandoned by the man she loved. But when she saw her mother crying, she knew. She had loved the wrong man.

*