1: SECOND GIRLFRIEND

There is no way Clare was simply going to let her happiness go for the sake of anyone else. She stared at the mirror which reflected an image of a perfect girl. A girl she was not familiar with, anymore. She was ready for the visitor she had been waiting for for a while now.

“Is he going to show up?”

It was not usual for Cane to run late unless he had. She could not call him because she had always maintained the image of a person who had never been desperate. Truth is, she had grown to become more than that recently. She craved nothing else but the attention and time of this man. There was a knock at the door that brought Clare back to earth. An excited smile came all over her face and after giving herself a last glare, she swiftly went to welcome her long awaited guest.

Cane had a way of maintaining a warm expression even though he is a man of few words. It was hard to know when he was alright and when he was not. He looked at Clare and noticed how excited she was. He knew what she was about to tell him and did not want it to happen even he was in no position to decide that.

“I’m  so excited, so I’m just going to tell you right away.”

“ I… I think…”

“Listen, I thought hard about what we have talking about and I’m saying yes! Let us start our life in the open now, no more secrets. I don’t care if the whole world finds out. If things go as we planned then we can move to next town tomorrow.”   

She never wanted to stop talking from all the excitement but seeing Cane’s expression being the same she decided to give it a pose. Cane move and sat comfortably on the couch as he stretched his arm to hold Clare’s hand.

“I am really happy that you thought about it.”

“But…”

“What do you mean but…”

“You do not look happy so there must be a but…”

“It is not really a but… something came up yesterday and you know I like being honest with you.”

“Go on!”

“I have to put on a facade and pretend to like someone in public. She is the daughter of the main shareholder at Dad’s firm and they have not been getting along for a long while. I cannot let my family lose their family business. It will not be a long term thing. My parents are going to find  a way to increase their shares and when they are back to being the main shareholders I’ll break things with her.”

Cane looked at Clare whose mouth by now was wide open. He saw confusion and doubt on her face and continued  to try to assure her.

“We do not have to stay here, I could find you a place in the next town and I would be coming as often as I can… we just can’t go public right now… just trust me and give me a little more time and I will make things right… it’s for the family, you understand me, right? ”

The confusion in Clare’s face increased, her eyes kept bulging open every minute those painful words sank in her head. She could not believe her ears. Removing her hands from the man she had grown to love, she laid back on the couch and still did not find the words to express her current emotions. Tears were forming in her eyes but she could not let them fall. She was not about to give this man the satisfaction of seeing her being broken.

“Please get the fuck out of my house!”

The man faced her and showed no intention of leaving. His eyes showed pain even though he had pretended to be okay all along. He needed to hear that she understood him, her approval was all that mattered to him even if he had not make it obvious.

“No. Let’s talk first. We have to be on the same page.”

“There’s absolutely nothing to talk about here. You have already made your decision. Go and save your family!”

“You should be understanding me right now… you know it’s only you I like…it is something temporary then I’ll be glad to let the entire world know that it has always been you!”

“Are you really this stupid? You know they won’t let you leave her, right? Let me tell you what I’m hearing right now. You want me to go to another town as you date and later marry some other lady whom you underestimate to be stupid, and I’ll be your mistress until the day that I’ll realize that I lost everything for you… you want me to sit back and wait as I grow old and see another woman bear your children.”

Cane seemed to be in thoughts like he was in considering what she had just said. Clare had a pout on her mouth which made her dimples visibly clear, she was cute even at her worst moments.

“It is all a plan and we are all in it. I am going to leave her as soon as they secure their position.”

“Oh my! Then why didn’t your any of your other brothers volunteer?”

“Stop assuming things! There were a lot of factors that were considered before I was chosen. It just had to be me! I can’t neglect my family at this moment, they need me!”

“It just had to be you? Great! You know actually you just made me realize how I was about to make a very huge mistake. You are not the kind of man that I want. A man who does not know what he wants but waits for others to plan for him. A man who would stoop so low and deceive an innocent lady just to get back at her father. A man with no conscious! A man with no morals! I can’t mother you and still be your girlfriend…”

“What do you know about family that you dare judge me?”