Chapter 32: Chapter 32

A young woman in a trendy attire clung onto Hart’s arm, giggling cheerily as she strolled casually in the waiting hall of the hospital. The way she stared at Hart was unmistakable, Myra observed. Worse, Hart did nothing to stop her. The woman must have a deep liking for Hart.

Her long curls bounced as she muttered something inaudible to Myra. Everything about the lady made her feel so insecure, especially how Hart returned her looks.

“Baby, if we’re done with your observation, shouldn’t we get back to the office to get some actual work done?”

He was actually smiling! Myra realised, feeling the bitterness in her heart. Even though Hart wasn’t that person she truly loved in her heart, it made her feel sad he was with someone else in this manner. Should she let him go? Or should she approach him?

She felt a hand on her waist. The handsome man earlier was now towering over her. Jake Yu had never looked so handsome ever in her life, that she thought he had used some dark magic to entice her she fell to his appeal. He noticed the tears in her eyes.

“Myra, it’s time to go. Your discharge papers are done now.”

He stared towards her eyes. The couple hadn’t noticed them, obsessed with each other. Immediately, Jake pulled her close, whispering to her.

“If you want to, go confront them. Right now. I’ll support you.”

“I…”

She looked back at Jake. But she was too fearful to make a move, like he had suggested.

“Look at me, Myra,”

Jake’s voice encouraged her. But watching how happy Hart seemed with the woman made her think twice. Her instinct told her this was probably ‘W’, the mysterious woman in Hart’s contacts who he worked with. Now that it was Hart’s reaction to her holding on to him, not pushing her aside, and instead allowing her to do what she wished, that made her even more insecure about their relationship. She had never felt this way in the last two months, but then, she hadn’t even reunited with Jake then.

Her mind returned to the slip of paper in her bag, something she wasn’t quite ready to come to terms with. Perhaps it was all a bad dream, after all: Hart and W, her and Jake, now this surprise. She should have been a lot more prudent. Now she was stuck with this problem and in between them.

“Myra, what are you waiting for? Confront them, quickly,” Jake pushed. With a disconcerting look on his face, it seemed he also wanted to know if he had the chance to have her himself, but Myra disregarded his thoughts.

Jake and she weren’t meant to be; she enforced the thoughts in her mind. Myra was just there to fulfil the arrangement between their families. She needed YX’s help, nothing more.

“Jake, I can’t.”

“Why not?” Jake faced her strongly, his masculinity radiating powerfully from his eyes. She gasped again, this time from their sudden proximity.

“It’s your call, Myra. As much as I don’t enjoy seeing you in a relationship with him, it pains me even more to see you unhappy,” he continued. “I won’t talk about our past, but right now, you should know my feelings for you.”

She sensed butterflies in her stomach. Sometimes, being in love with the wrong person at the wrong time it all made a difference. Had she made the right choice back then, she wouldn’t have started a new chapter with Hart thinking he was the one.

“Hey, if you will not make your move, then I will,” Jake announced with an arrogant smirk. “He isn’t married to you, and your relationship is between the both of you. Don’t forget that I am the one who has a prior engagement to you, not him.”

Myra bit on her lower lip nervously. “Hey, let me solve this myself. But not now, please, Jake. I’ll find time to speak to Hart myself and explain everything.”

“And then?” Jake swiftly continued. “Are you going to end everything with him and accept me, now that he has someone else?”

She was speechless, not knowing how to answer Jake. It was a difficult thing for her to decide right now. His hand clenched hers tightly, compelling her to react. She remembered how Hart had told her about the girl bearing a strong resemblance to Milla.

Milla..Milla..Milla.. If she still existed in this world, would Hart still love her?

Between Milla and her, who would he choose?

She trembled slightly, her every movement witnessed clearly by Jake.

“Jake, let’s go,” she begged, imploring him to listen to her with her eyes. Jake shot her a serious look. She looked so unsure, but what she wanted the most was to get out, to be away from Hart and W. She needed space, but she didn’t know what to do next. Or in the near future. What was she going to do now?

When Jake didn’t answer her, she just turned around and ran. Myra didn’t know how long she was running or what she was running from. Everything just felt so confusing right now. She just wanted an escape from everything that had just happened. Whatever the ending was, she didn’t know and couldn’t bother himself to care right now.

“Myra!”

Jake’s sudden shout startled Hart, loud enough for it to be heard in the distance. Myra ran as fast as she could, ignoring how many times Jake called her name. It was the second time Jake had called her for so long, and both times, she disappeared from him. Immediately, wasting no time, Jake dialled her number, but like how it happened, she ignored his calls.

Hart stood where he was, rooted to the spot. Jake gave up calling Myra, rashly stopping in front of Hart abruptly.

“Please excuse us, Miss,” he didn’t forget his courtesy as he bowed politely to Waley. Without hesitating, Waley turned around and took her seat on a nearby couch.

Jake gestured for Hart to move to the cafe where he was waiting earlier. Now that they were far from Waley, it was time for Hart to listen to what Jake had to say to him, whether or not he was ready for it.

……………………………………………………………………………

“Miss, we have been circling the area for some time. Do you wish to go anywhere?”

Myra stirred, realising she had fallen asleep in the taxi until the aged driver had spoken. She peered from the window, contemplating where she should go. She didn’t feel like going home, just after everything that hit her like a stray bullet today.

There was one place she should go, somewhere Hart didn’t know. The old place. Jake had left her a key the last time they went there. He hadn’t claimed it back from her after that, and she knew she would be safe there.

Calming herself, she told the driver the directions to the deserted mansion. Her cell phone, lodged deep in her bag, beeped incessantly, showing it was about to run out of juice. Now, nothing mattered. Not Jake, their impending marriage, nor Hart, and how he had someone else ignoring her all this while.

The taxi driver was indifferent as she paid her fare and alighted. Perhaps he had seen more. It exhausted her and just wanted time away from everything. Her perfect world just crashed down on her, confusing her with all what had just happened.

A good night’s sleep would be in order, she thought as she turned the key in the slightly rusty lock. Everything was so serene, making her remember the lost times between her and Jake. If only they could ever go back to the past. As she lay down on the sofa and took off her cardigan, she suddenly saw a vision of the past.

Myra did not know when this happened. She and Jake were drinking beer, and she hadn’t pushed him away. She knew it was because of her father’s issues that had driven her to pick up the bottle. Her head throbbed slightly when she recalled each detailed memory of what had happened.

They were so clear, she couldn’t be mistaken. In that moment of intoxication, she had lost herself. She felt the kiss on her lips as if it was happening to her now. His lips, though tasting of alcohol, were so divine that she had forgotten Hart.

She remembered taking off her dress as her entire body was burning from the heat of the alcohol in her, and….

….

She gasped as she witnessed each moment with such clarity, while she thought she had forgotten everything. It couldn’t be...

She bawled. That couldn’t be her in those memories. She wasn’t that… cheap.

[I wouldn’t have. It must be a bad dream. I would never do that with Jake when I was still in a relationship with Hart.]

Even kissing Jake had made her so guilty. How could she have even slept with Jake?

[No, no…]

Panicking, she got up but tripped over a stool nearby, sending her sprawling backwards on the sofa. She couldn’t believe what she had done in a night of passion.

Could it be?

She fumbled in her handbag for the slip of paper, reading each printed word.

Five weeks pregnant.

What should she do now?