I AM PREPARING Ashley’s meal when I heard the news on TV.
There was a flash report appear on the screen. I don't care about these kinds of news but there seems to be something that motivated me to watch it.
"Mark Polio or better known as Kranky entered the house of Paula Collins. The maid said that he introduced himself as Paula Collins' boyfriend."
Kranky? That’s the name that Ashley called me which is she's afraid of.
Paula, have they know each other?
Suddenly my heart beat faster and I immediately approached the TV then turned up the volume and sat on the sofa for a while.
"The maid said the two argued. The maid allegedly heard Kranky say her son was dead to the woman he raped that Paula had ordered him to, more than two years ago."
I suddenly let go of the mug I was holding and I didn't even know it was broken.
What does that mean?
"Kranky said he no longer face to face his son that he called Charles."
Charles, is he, are they?
"Paula begged not to hurt her because she is pregnant. But Kranky didn't listen and shot Paula. The gunmen clashed and Paula killed Kranky while the girl was rushed to the hospital due to bleeding."
Bleeding? Is it possible that she miscarriage?
Should I be happy? But she is pregnant with my child.
Who does Kranky refer to as his child whom they raped?
"I told Kyla before, When karma hits you, it will hit a hundred folds. Tsk tsk tsk. Stupid Paula, she's more stupid than her sister." I look at Ley who is holding a fruit basket.
"Ley, is Pau ---?"
"Yeah." I never finished what I was going to say when she spoke.
"But we are not involved in what happened. We kidnapped Kranky to present to Ashley. Ashley said something to him. We also have no plans to kill him. Besides, he is nothing but a piece of shit. We can guard him or imprison him in another case as we did to Vince before remember? But he said we didn't need that. He said he was just going to clean something and he was going to kill himself. I did not know he will go to Paula."
"So Paula ordered him to do that?"
"Well, yes, Paula likes you back then. That's what Kranky said and she hates Hunter as well because of what happened to her sister."
"She was the one I leaned on when Ashley left me. But I didn't think she was the head and tail of everything."
"It happens, not only to us but mostly to everyone. That's why there is a popular saying 'be careful of the people around you. Because you don't know that the one smiling in front of you, poisoned you silently.' Anyway, how's Ashley?" Then she looked at Chanley who is now combing by Nana.
"I saw hope, she would recover." She smiled at what I said.
"That's good. I know you're good and I know she's brave."
"Thanks, Ley, did Hunter know?"
"Well, he's coming, so he deserves to know the truth. He's angry of course especially since many are affected. But he's ok."
"Is he mad at me? Well, I can't blame him."
"And first, yeah, but he understands the situation. She has a beautiful wife, that good at explaining."
"Thanks for being there with her, Ley, I owe you a lot."
"Don't mention it, I'll returning the favor. We're Family, right?" She held my hand at the same time. "Anyway, are you going to visit that woman?"
"Yeah, I will. Ley, is it a sin if I hope that she dies and got miscarriage?"
"I don't know, I didn't pray." She laughed but also straightened up immediately. "Well, honestly, yes, of course, it is still your baby."
"I don't want to have a child with her."
"Then, why did you fucked her?"
"I was so mad and sober at that time. She was there for me. I am hoping that she can help me to forget Ashley."
"You know, Asher, I feel you. I don't know but, aren't we stupid? I mean it's just me, but of course, you also,"
"What?"
"I mean, see, the thought that Ashley leaves you and confessed that she cheated should make you hate her and curse her. But goodness gracious, You're still willing to take her back even though you know she has another man?" I smile at her then straighten up.
"Yeah, why did you go back to Hunter even though he's already married to someone else and you're also married? Why did you choose to divorce Eugene even though he fulfilled his obligation to you?" I asked but she did not answer.
"I have my reason," she replied.
"I have mines too."
"What's your reason?"
"Just like yours." We both laughed. Suddenly she turned her gaze to Agatha who is now coming downstairs with a lot of paper bags.
"Like your sister, stupidity has also been the reason for her first love so she still can't move on and still waited for the dead to come."
"Hey," I rebuked her.
"Why? You can't accept your sister is a prisoner of love to my son's father. I'll bet that what she's carrying is for my son again."
"Hi," Agatha greeted then approached us.
"Oh, are you leaving?" I ask.
"Yeah, ahh, I'll go with Ulysses," she replied then looked at Ley so Ley also looked at me and gave an 'I told you.' look, then smiled.
"Why?" I ask again.
"Amp, I brought something for him. I passed by the mall yesterday and saw that there was a limited edition polo for kids, I remember Uly loves polo shirts with stripes color."
"Agatha," Ley called to her.
"Yes?"
"Vince loves stripes not my baby. Ulysses likes Eugene, they both love white and gray."
"Oh, ah," She didn't know what to say instead she smiled awkwardly.
"But he also wears stripes. Go ahead, They will leave later, you might not be able to see them," Ley added.
"Ok, I'll go ahead," she said goodbye.
I followed my sister's gaze and shook.
"You have something to say?" Ley asked,
"What can I say? Like sister like a brother," I replied. "Hailey, what are we?"
"What do you mean what are we?"
"I mean, what do you call us who love too much? Are we a martyr, a stupid, a fool, an obsessed, or maybe we are lack of loves?"
"Lack of loves?" she asked. "So, what do you call my parents' love for me? A Joke?"
"Then why do we love like this? You, the first time you saw Hunter, you knew in yourself that you already loved him and you did terrible shit to get him, even though you became a battered wife, you just let him. Then when you realized you still love him, and he loved you too, you still came back to him. You remarried him. Me too, the first time I saw Ashley, even though I knew it was forbidden because she was young then, I couldn't control myself. Even though I knew I'm not the first, not a big deal for me. Even though I know she left me and went with others I'm still willing to accept her. And you know what, I love her even more now because of what happened to her. Is this still love?"
"I think yes,"
"How can you tell?"
"Because love is unconditional, acceptance, and understanding. Asher, love has a deep meaning. We love on we think what love is. I mean, maybe others thought this is not love, maybe they have another meaning on what we did, like obsession or masochist or something like we're crazy. But for us, it's love, that's how we show our love. That's what love means to us."
"I am a doctor, a psychologist, perhaps, and as a doctors love doesn't exist, it is a product of human imagination, from human thought, human feels, that why they said it's love because that what their brain said. But, fuck, I cannot fucking explain why I am like this to Ashley. When it comes to her, I feel like I am the one who needs a psychiatrist. " She laughed out loud at what I said.
"You know, Asher, life is fucking short. Don't waste your time thinking about what real love is. Instead, just enjoy the feeling of being in love and being hurt. Because in love, one thing is for sure, when you are with the person you truly love, even if it's hurt, true happiness is still there when you saw the person you love. His yours or owned by someone, if you truly love that person, happiness is there when that person happy and smiling. Even if you are not the reason."
"Depth,"
"Anyway, I need to go, tell me what's your plan on Paula, if you're going to file a lawsuit because of what she did to Ashley."
"I will meet her, soon,"
"Ok, bye" she kissed me on the cheek then leave. I look at Ashley while staring somewhere.
I can't live without you. I will do everything for you. I am willing to sacrifice everything I have just for you.