“JAVIER?” Gretel called animatedly. His door opened even before she could knock.
She giggled when Javier grabbed her hand and pulled her inside his room. He closed the door abruptly and gently pushed her against it.
“J-Javier…” Gretel moaned as he claimed her mouth.
“I’m glad you’re home,” he whispered.
“Me, too.” She cupped his face and smiled.
“Did you bring something for me?”
Gretel blinked in surprise. Javier’s tone… he almost sounded like Alexander when he asked her that.
“No?” he asked.
“I-I did, of course. Mother made sure I get to bring home something for you. Should we eat mangoes before the sun sets?”
He grinned. “Definitely.”
“YOU’RE getting good at it,” Gretel teased as she watched Javier peel the mango in the garden.
Javier frowned.
“I have a great teacher.”
Gretel bit her lip. Everything was going well. Maybe it was the perfect time to give him her gift.
“There’s something I want to give you.”
He arched an eyebrow.
“What is it?”
“It’s your birthday tomorrow, so I got you a little gift. It’s not much, but I hope you’ll still like it,” she said timidly.
Javier’s face softened.
“Y-you didn’t have to do that, Gretel.”
“But I want to.”
He chuckled awkwardly.
“T-this is… this is really unexpected.”
“Should I go get it?” she asked with a smile.
Javier nodded.
“Thank you, my wife.”
Gretel stood up hastily.
“I’ll be right back.”
GRETEL ran to the stairs as excitement ran through her veins. It did not matter if the stairs were long and her legs hurt. She could not wait to see Javier’s face when he finally handed him her gift.
She took a deep breath as she finally walked down the stairs. She was holding the gift wrapped in brown paper and tied with a red ribbon. She was trying to relax. She wanted to face Javier calmly.
Gretel walked slowly and quietly. When Javier finally came into view, he was already talking to Mr. Martinez. She could not help a smile.
This is it.
“Promise me you’ll look after Gretel when I’m gone,” Javier said that made her stop on her tracks.
“You know that’s not a problem, Javier. But what would Gretel feel if you just leave like that? She deserves a proper goodbye.”
Gretel took a step back and hid behind a tall bush. Her body began to tremble as she scrunched on the ground.
“If I bid her goodbye, would that make it less painful?” Javier said in a cold tone.
“Don’t you trust her?”
“It does not mean that I don’t trust her. I just don’t want to ruin everything that we had.”
“Just how things got ruined between you and Edina? Gretel was better than her.”
Javier fell silent for a moment.
Gretel could only hug the gift tight as her chest squeezed in pain. How could she forget the deal she made with Javier? They will only be married for a short time until it was time for Javier to leave. And she will get his possessions in return.
How could she forget?
Of course. They were happy. A month of marriage with Javier gave her bliss. They were so happy that Gretel thought nothing could ever go wrong. And now it’s time to face the truth.
Why didn’t Javier tell her not to fall in love with him?
“Don’t forget to spoil her with books. Make sure she dates a man who will not take advantage of her. Protect her for me.”
GRETEL’S hands were still shaking when she put the gift on Javier’s bed.
She left even before Javier, and Mr. Martinez could finish their conversation. She already heard enough. There’s nothing that could change Javier’s mind. He was still leaving.
She lost the courage to give her present in person. She did not want Javier to know what she heard. She did not want to cry in front of him. It would be ridiculous. He married her not because he was in love with her. Gretel should always put that in mind.
It hurt, and the worst thing was she could not bring herself to hate him.
Gretel went to her room and locked the door. She closed the curtains, and when she sat down on the bed, tears began to fall. She could not help them anymore.
How could Javier do that? Did she even matter to him? How could he leave? How could he go without meaning to say goodbye?
“Gretel?”
Gretel jumped at the sound of his voice from outside her room. She put a hand over her mouth to suppress her tears.
“Are you there? I’ve done peeling the mangoes.”
She stood up, her body trembling, and walked to the door. She took a deep breath, but it was not enough. She cleared her throat as she grabbed the door handle.
“J-Javier…”
“Is everything all right?”
“I’m sorry. I suddenly don’t feel well. I-I might have an upset stomach. C-can I just see you tomorrow?”
“Is there anything I can bring you to make you feel better?”
Gretel wanted to scream at him that he should leave at once because she was scared to break down again. She did not want Javier to know how she truly felt. She felt like a loser.
“N-no. I’m fine on my own. Please go away.”
JAVIER stood outside Gretel’s room and stared at her door for another minute. Something was not right. Gretel was excited when she left to get her present for him, but she did not return. After talking to Mr. Martinez, he went back to the house to check on her himself. And this was what he got.
Gretel was suddenly not feeling well. He could tell it from her voice.
He wanted to pry and ask more questions. There was something more than her alibi. She sounded like she was hurt.
With a sigh of submission, he went to his room. He did not have much time, even if he had the courage to ask her. It’s almost sunset.
When he went to his bedroom, he found a package wrapped in brown paper and tied with a red string. For a moment, he just stared at the parcel, bemused.
It must be Gretel’s gift for him. She decided to leave it in his room instead of handing it to him personally.
Javier picked it up and opened it carefully.
His heart twitched at the sight of a white shirt neatly sewn. It must be the reason that kept Gretel busy for the past week. She was sewing a shirt for his birthday.
As tears began to spring from the corner of his eyes, something hit him. With that sudden change from Gretel, she must have heard his conversation with Mr. Martinez back at the garden!
Javier rushed to the window and stared at the sky. Maybe he could still ask and explain to Gretel. He put the gift down and ran back to her room.
“Gretel!” He knocked loudly. “Let’s talk. Open the door.”
But there was no response. He held the knob and realized the door was not locked. He went inside right away only to find out Gretel was not on her bed.
Javier rushed to the bathroom or in every corner Gretel could be, but she was not there anymore. Gretel had already left her room.
His chest pounded as realization hit him. Gretel was lying.
Javier caught his head. What had he done?