“STAY AWAY from that man, Tamara. He’s not the person that you thought he was,” Mark told her with a warning look as he pulled her away from him and hid her on his back.
Tamara looked at Mark, confusion, and shock are all over her face. “What? Mark? What are you talking about?” she asked and laughed. “His name is Thaddeus Yun, and he has a China National ID—”
“He’s not a shaman,” he cut off, looking at Thaddeus disgustingly. “He fooled you, Tamara. He’s not a real shaman. He can’t really see ghosts or solve your bad luck problems caused by spirits.” Mark shot Thaddeus a glare. “He manipulated and took advantage of your weakness.”
Tamara knotted his forehead. “I-I don’t get it…” She pulled her arm free from Mark and scowled at him. She’s beginning to get pissed off by what he’s saying. “Can you please explain it to me? I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
Mark gave him the printouts from his hand. “He just used you so he could have a house to stay with as his hideout,” he said. “That man is not a real shaman or whatever quack, Tamara.” He took the last printouts and showed them to her. “Look at this article. He’s the lost heir of one of the business tycoon in China. And, his family is looking for him.”
“H-Heir?” she asked in disbelief. She glanced at Thaddeus before she read the paper. “M-Mr. Yun of Yun-Ang holdings in China is looking for his firstborn son, Thaddeus Yun…” Tamara’s eyes widened when she saw how much the reward is for those who will tell them where Thaddeus is. She covered her mouth in disbelief. “J-Thaddeus…”
“Tamara…” Thaddeus tried to hold her, but Mark swept his hand away. “Tamara, that is what I wanted to tell you—”
“You fooled Tamara, Thaddeus,” Mark told him furiously. “You made her believe that you can solve her problems, but the truth is you just used her for your own advantages!” He grabbed Thaddeus’s collar. “You’re such a coward bastard!” He punched him in the face. When he’s going to hit him again, Tamara stopped him.
“Mark, don’t hurt him…” she said, trying to fight her tears. “We might get in trouble if you hurt him.”
“Tamara, please listened to me…” Thaddeus begged, but Tamara avoided his eyes.
“I suspected you on the first day, Thaddeus. That’s why I did some research about you,” Mark said with a smirk. “A shaman that doesn’t dress like a shaman? A homeless foreigner but has multiples credit cards? You’re even acquainted with the hospital director where Tamara was hired, right?”
Tamara’s brows furrowed at what she heard. “Y-You knew the hospital director?” she looked at him questioningly. “Thaddeus… does it mean that I wasn’t hired in that hospital because I’m deserving?”
“Tamara, of course not. The director hired you because you’re a good nurse and can be the asset of their hospital,” he said and tried to come near her, but Mark blocked him.
Tears stung Tamara’s eyes. “I don’t know if I could still believe you…” Her chest hurt so much with all the things that she found out about Thaddeus. She couldn’t believe all of this. “Thaddeus… Is this all true? Is it true that you fooled me?”
The man lowered his head. “I’m sorry, Tamara—”
She slapped him in the face. “I trusted you, Thaddeus…” Tears fell from her eyes. “I thought you’re different from Wil… But you’re worse!”
“Tamara, please, listen to me first,” Thaddeus kneeled in front of her. “Yes, I am not a real shaman, but my feelings for you are all real. I love you, and it’s the truth.”
“Do you think I will still believe you after all your lies?!” She wiped her tears and looked away from him. “I can’t believe that I let a fake person like you in my house! Get out—”
“Tamara, please! Listen to me. I never plan to use you or hurt you!” He tried to hold her, but Mark served as a strong shield. “Move away!”
“Leave her alone, fake shaman,” Mark told him and pushed him back. “Tamara doesn’t need a man like you.”
“Get out, Thaddeus! I don’t want to see your face in my house anymore!” Tamara shouted and ran towards her room. Before she closed the door, she saw that Mark dragged Thaddeus out of her apartment.
_________________
Thaddeus strangled free from Mark after he escorted him out of Tamara’s apartment. The man pushed him away from the door before he went back inside again. Thaddeus didn’t expect that it will turn out like this. He has planned on telling Tamara the truth about his identity. But he got hesitant because of the thought that Tamara might avoid him.
Tamara drifting away from him is the last thing that Thaddeus wanted to happen. He loves her so much that he’s willing to run away from his parents again just to be with her. He’s more than ready to turn his back on those luxury things if that’s what she wanted her to do.
He banged on the door and called her name, but she didn’t answer. “Tamara, please let me in…” he begged for her. “Tamara, I have nowhere to go. I don’t want to go back to China and live the life that I never wanted…” Tears fell from his eyes. “Tamara, this is where I belong… I belong in your heart.”
The door slowly opened, but it wasn’t Tamara that came out. It was Mark, wearing an insulting smirk on his face. “You’re still here, fake shaman.” He taunted. “Tamara, won’t let you because she was so mad at you and your lies.”
“You should have let me tell her the truth, Mark,” he said in a clenched jaw. “If you really cared for her, you should know that telling her the truth in that way will just hurt her feelings—”
“And, what’s the right thing to do?” he smirked. “Tell her a fabricated story that will support your confession? Is that what you’re going to do, fake shaman?”
When he didn’t answer, Mark left. But he warned him repeatedly to not bother her again because if he found out that he did, he won’t hesitate to call the numbers on his father’s postings about him. Thaddeus looked at Tamara’s door and hoped that she’s listening from the inside.
“Tamara…” he called to her. “I know that we started with wrong impressions, but I want you to know that my feelings for you on our first meeting was never wrong. I like you at first sight, and I learn to love you on the second… Now that I’m sure how I felt for you, I won’t let anything go in our way. Just… Just believe in me, Tamara.”
But moments have passed, and Tamara didn’t open the door. He was about to knock again when he heard a car stopped in front of the apartment. The door opened, and Armand got off hurriedly.
“Thaddeus, we have to go now,” he said while holding his phone. “The people here are starting to recognize you.”
Thaddeus heaved a sigh and looked at Tamara’s door before walking towards Armand…
***