Ryan's POVWe left the mansion without talking to Mother. She didn't spare me a glance but was all smiles with Valerie.I thought having Valerie talk to her on my behalf will make it easy for her to forgive me and that will make it easy to approach her.I am desperate to talk to her and assure her that everything will be fine. I can't do anything to help her if we can't talk. We need to talk about how she feels and I need to convince her to continue the treatment.She shouldn't give up. She taught me how not to give up. Why would she give up on the treatment when she can keep it going? What confuses me more is the fact that Father isn't saying anything about it too. When I brought it up during dinner after Valerie and Mother left us, he ignored me.Should I go and visit him tomorrow? I feel sad knowing that Anita, who has always been away from home, knows more than I do. She gave me a sign to keep shut but I can't even comprehend what she meant by that.Didn't she say Father knew? If
Ryan's POVValerie is still a mystery to me and I can't seem to figure her out. One minute, she is barking out in a loud voice, making me angry and looking angry as well and the other minutes, she looks like someone who has no care in the work with her nonchalant attitude.Sometimes, I wonder if she truly loved her ex because she didn't look like one who was capable of loving and she didn't look like someone heartbroken by the one she loved.I can't say what love is, except for one thing. My Mother.She made me understand the true definition of love. It is always unconditional. If it is true and pure. She made me know that there are different types of love and there are different things that lead to love.Lust and attraction can drive you to the gates of love. Lust and Attraction can also be mistaken for love.All my life, all I had ever felt was lust for women who could satisfy my sexual desires.There was once a time when I was always frequenting clubs and night parties. The days wh
Valerie's POVThat idiot is with Brenda.He lied to me. He told me they weren't dating. He told me he had stopped talking to her yet I just saw them together in a club, holding hands.What am I supposed to think? Am I supposed to think that they bumped into each other in the club coincidentally?I guess I am at fault here.Brenda, Fred, and I go to different clubs every week to have fun, and Cart's Club is one such club. I never gave it any thought that we would meet there. We only went to Cart's Club once. We had a regular club downtown and we frequent there more, I guess that is why I never thought I was going to run into them there.I was only making an effort to cheer Ryan up and make him stop brooding over his mother's sickness.I even thought he was going to act lovey-dovey with me when I called out their names but he didn't, yet I am always making an effort to make us look real in front of everyone.He is such an asshole. We shouldn't have gone to the party in the first place.
Ryan's POVFor the first time in years, my conscience is judging me for how I acted to Valerie's accusation last night and how she expected something else from me.I am not supposed to feel bad for her because she is not a good person but I can't help not feeling bad for not being there just like she expected of me.She was right.I am selfish. She helped me but it never crossed my mind to help make her ex-boyfriend jealous and for him to realize what he has lost.This might be because I really feel that losing her is a great thing. After all, she is full of trouble and no man might want to be with her.I feel this is why he broke up with her. But on second thoughts, it is obvious they both loved each other despite her shortcomings but they broke things up because he cheated.Why do men cheat?This takes me back on memory lane and makes me sigh as I sit at the back of the car with a box in my hand.I am going home.I bought a gift for Valerie to apologize for what I said last night. I
Valerie's POVEach time I see or think about him, I feel the urge to do something rash; to hurt him for betraying me.As much as I don't want to take any revenge on him anymore, I am tempted to take back my words and do the needful, then maybe I will finally be happy.I don't like how I feel at the moment. The sinking feeling is back, probably because I am disappointed to have seen him today again, this time not with Brenda but with a different girl.That jolting is gone. All I feel for him now is pure hatred. I wish I could turn back the hands of the clock and make sure that our paths never crossed.I wished I wasn't that curious to know more about him which made me fall deeply in love with him. I wish I hadn't said yes to him when he asked me to become his girlfriend.Reluctantly, I drop my bag and take off my shoes before sitting quietly on the bed, ignoring my weak limbs.I ordered the maids to bring my bed back to my room even though it is still cold but I will manage. I heard th
Ryan's POVA candlelight dinner date is what I have planned out for the evening. Frankly, I was looking forward to this evening when I was at the office and I kept wondering if going back home to change was the best.I couldn't go back home and I am thankful I wore something good today. I am dressed in a slim-fit suit with black suede shoes.I look around the empty restaurant and finally at the table filled with candlelight and a bouquet of flowers.Valerie was right. There is little we can do to help my mother. This is why we are doing this. It won't hurt to act for a little while because Valerie and I are getting along well, pretty quickly.It will make Mother happy.It also will not hurt if we fake a pregnancy just to make her happy. I can't continue to live with this grief. The earlier I accept reality, the better for both of us. Even for Valerie.If Mother dies, I see no reason why we should continue with this marriage, except of course for the contract. We already signed it and
Valerie's POVImpressive is an understatement of Ryan's behavior tonight. First, he sent me a message for the very first time since we have crossed paths with each other and ended the text with a heart emoticon.Second, he was polite enough to tell one of the guards to drive me down here.Third, he got me flowers, apart from the necklace from last night which I haven't brought myself to try on yet.Fourth, he is being one heck of a gentleman. He is trying to make me forget Fred that easily by insisting on calling me Val. I can't help it but that name stirs up something in me that I can't figure out.It is not just anger or the remembrance of Fred. It is something unspeakable that I haven't figured out on my own yet.He was right in saying that I haven't gotten over Fred yet. If I had gotten over the idea, I wouldn't have cried last night.I didn't particularly cry. A tear actually rolled down my eyes. And I was quick to wipe it off my face because I already made a vow never to cry fo
Valerie's POVI keep tossing in bed, unable to find some sleep. The weather has suddenly become cold and I am on alert for rain, even though the forecaster said it won't fall in the next couple of days.I keep thinking about what happened at the restaurant, every single detail of what happened played itself in my head.From my anger to my laughter to the show and the cameraman.Who is he?I asked Ryan but he only smirked. He must be proud of himself for what he did.I have two answers to the question about the cameraman. He is either from his mother or one of the paparazzi who would publish that picture first thing tomorrow morning for the public eyes to see.I should be happy, right?Fred would see it and Brenda too. He might probably boil in anger when he sees the clear affection between Ryan and me and then Mrs. Lorenzo would see it too and she would be happy.For no reason, I don't feel happy or proud about what we did. I thought it was ok with me to act like we are real and in lo