Chapter 30: Chapter 30
"K, I told you, just let it go. I didn't tell you that so you can come here and make a scandal," I ask her to leave feeling uncomfortable with all the eyes prying on us from the other side of this thin glass wall with curtain blinds.
"Are you kidding Avery, you've been raped. Even spouses could go to jail because of marital rape. That fucking Seid, portraying as a gentleman, well, in fact, nurturing some seeds of Satan inside his crotch," she endlessly curses at Seid with her eyes trembling in anger. I look down and say nothing. Instead, I pull her hand asking her to stand up and leave Seid's office, but Kendra, being a best friend, won't back down.
She firmly says, "No, shut the hell up and sit tight. You, why are you being so naive, A? He took advantage of your weakness and your love for him."
"But, I-I, it's true, I slept with another guy," I shyly remind her.
"When you, two, had already broken up, remember? He no longer has any hold on you, Ava. Sue him," she argues her point with me. I take a deep sigh knowing Kendra won't stop and doesn't even have the slightest intention to leave Seid's office. So I just sit down across her, on Seid's receiving couch. Not long, Seid's finally shows up. His secretary and other of his officemates look in our direction while pointing at us. Our eyes met, and Seid thanks thanked them and went straight to us.
I see him stop at the door before pulling it and putting on a smile while greeting Kendra and me.
"Hey, Kendra, what brings you-", but even before finishing his sentence, Kendra advances to him, "-You son of a bitch," and slaps him twice, on both cheeks, really, really hard.
Pak! Pak!
The sound resonates in his whole office. I am in shock and the only thing I could do is cover my mouth with both my hands. So do the people who are staring at us. Then, they start murmuring to themselves.
Seid doesn't say any word, for he knows what he did wrong. He just takes a deep breath and looks at Kendra with sad eyes.
"Fuck you, Seid, how could you do that to Avery. I tolerated you, no, she has been tolerating your nonsensical attitude and principle because she loves you like crazy, and you have the audacity to rape her and pin it on her afterward?", Kendra keeps yelling at him loud enough to signal other people from the office to give us a little privacy.
Seid tries to recover from her slaps by aligning his jaw and tracing his, now, swollen cheeks. I, myself, wouldn't want to get hit by that.
"Did you ever ask Avery who she was with, the other night, huh?", he rebuts.
"So what? You've already broken up, Seid, you don't have any hold on her. You don't have the right to do stupid things and then blame it on her," she answers back.
"Isn't that what she wants, to have sex? The very reason why she flew all the way to Austria, to get laid, huh?", he explodes.
"Huh?", Kendra scowls at him, "Make love, wanted to make love with you, yes," she emphasizes with the words love, wanted and you, "Not to get fucked, or raped by you," again with you.
Seid slightly turns to his side and inwardly cursed, then faces her again upset, "Damn it, Kendra, instead of helping us out get back together, you are ruining us even more. Avery and I will sort this out, don't stick your nose to our business, and just focus on your own problem being Nikolai's mistress."
Without even realizing it, my body and legs move on their own towards Seid, and my right hand automatically expresses my wrath which connects to his already swollen cheeks, slapping him like a prim and proper lady.
"At least they are in love, Seigfried. The only thing that keeps them from being together is the marriage on paper, which will soon be gone. At least, Nikolai is man enough to do whatever it takes for Kendra. At least he shows how much he loves her. How about you, Seid? When did you ever make time for me? When did you ever focus your eyes on me? When did you show that you care for and desire me? In almost a decade of our relationship, where were you, when I need you most? Even when my parents died, you never give me any importance. I am done being the girl who's living to understand you. I am done with you," this is my inner monologue speaking to him, the unspoken words I've never once told him, even now.
Ironically, the only words that slip my mouth are, "Enough, Seid. You've done enough damage. I won't sue you but please, stay the hell out of my life."
My eyes, on the other hand, say it all. I look at him with the most disappointing eyes he will ever see in his entire life. My heart is crying, but my eyes stay dry, practicing my coldness towards him. Surely, he recognizes that my decision is already final, he kneels down for the second time and pleads wholeheartedly.
Kendra's in a state of shock seeing the egoistic mighty Seid kneeling in front of me. In almost a decade of dating each other, at some point, we've known each other better than anyone would, and he finally realizes that I've come to my limit, that he really did something wrong.
"Please, Avery. I can't live without you. I just can't. Please. I am sorry, whatever it is, please. I'll change. Just give me another chance," he cries and hugs my legs.
But I just look at him with the same eyes as before, disappointed and unforgiving, after what he has done, after raping me, I know he won't change. Even now, I pity him for not accepting his own mistakes. I remove his hands and throw them in the air and walk away without looking back.
"I, Avery Anderson, am finally free, Dmitri," I say.