CHAPTER 4: Disastrous Night Out

I've been tossing around the bed, but I can't seem to fall asleep at all.

I sat up on the bed and let out a sigh.

I grabbed my phone from the top of the drawer and checked my messages. Once again, I was disappointed.

Why did I even expect him to text me and update me on his life?

It's already eleven p.m., and Ezekiel still hasn't come home. I know he finishes work at five, so even if he had overtime, he should have been home by nine or ten.

If he's not going home, then fine! That's why I don't want to get used to sleeping next to him because I'm the one who suffers when he suddenly disappears.

Is he getting back at me, or does he have something else going on? Not to mention, Marian?

"Shit, I shouldn't feel like this." I rubbed my face in frustration.

But in the midst of my despair, my phone, which I was holding, suddenly rang.

I looked at the screen in a panic, thinking that he had finally called. But I immediately froze when I saw Brantley's name instead of his.

I took a deep breath before answering the call.

"Ley? Why are you calling late at night?"

"Serena, where are you? I've been waiting for you to come here." There was a loud background noise on the other line, indicating that he was shouting.

"Huh? Why? What's going on?"

"What do you mean, 'what's going on'? Didn't you receive my message this morning?"

"Um?" I took my phone away from my ear to check the messages, but there was no new text. "No, Ley. I didn't receive any message. What's going on?"

"That's weird! You were the first person I messaged. No wonder I didn't get a reply," he said. "Anyway, I told you not to forget Director Sam's birthday celebration, but I know it's you, so you'll still forget! Everyone is already here, so come here! We've been planning this since last month."

"Oh!" I jumped out of bed. "Oh my gosh, how could I forget Director Sam's birthday! Argh! I don't have a gift or anything! I didn't even prepare an outfit."

"No need! You can give the gift later. But now it's important for you to show up, or else Director will be upset! We're only wearing casual clothes; you don't have to overdress."

I quickly ran to my closet to find something to wear. "Anything will do?"

"Yes, dear."

"Have you started? Text me the location now, and I'll get ready!"

"We just started. I already sent the location, but don't rush on your way here, be careful."

"Yes! Thank you. Bye now!"

"See you!"

I ended the call and started picking out black jeans, a white top, and a black jacket. Since it's a casual event and it's already nighttime, I just applied light makeup.

I still couldn't believe that I forgot about this night out. I've been so preoccupied with my personal life that I forgot to have fun.

Since almost all the maids, including Faye, were already asleep, I didn't bother waking her up and quietly left the mansion. The same goes for Kuya Pier, so I took my own car to drive myself.

In less than thirty minutes, I arrived at the reserved bar. As I entered, I was deafened by the loud music and captivated by the staff of "The Wife's Illicit Affair" dancing.

"Serena!!" Brantley quickly approached me with a big smile on his face.

"Ley!" We lightly kissed each other on the cheek and immediately separated. "Where's Director Sam?"

"Inside, let's go!" He pulled me inside.

We maneuvered through the crowd, with some people immediately noticing me and greeting me. I quickly acknowledged them and continued to follow Ley.

When we reached the VIP room, I finally saw Director Sam, along with the people behind our hit television series.

"Director Sam! Happy Birthday!" I cheerfully approached him.

"Finally, my dearest, you made it!"

I felt a bit embarrassed that I didn't bring anything except myself, but it seemed like it didn't matter to him. They immediately handed me a glass of alcohol and started talking about the feedback on our television series.

Director Sam's joy couldn't be denied, especially since the show was constantly trending. It was almost all he talked about, even on his birthday.

Before long, I got caught up in their excitement and joined in. But in the midst of the fun, my phone rang.

I looked at the screen and saw that Raquel had sent two messages.

"I can't believe my eyes! I saw Ezekiel eating at a restaurant with Marian by accident."

Accompanying the message was a photo of Ezekiel, accompanied by a familiar woman who looked eerily similar to me from that angle!

My eyes widened at what I saw. They both looked happy while eating together. It sent shivers down my spine to see how much I resembled Marian from that angle!

My heart started pounding, and I felt a lump in my throat. I stared at the photo, and I could feel my eyes burning.

I tasted something salty on my tongue, and without thinking, I downed a glass of alcohol to wash away the taste.

Unable to be satisfied, I poured another glass and drank it one after the other.

"Serena? Are you okay?" Brantley nudged me on the side, his face filled with concern.

I snapped out of my daze and looked at Direk Sam and the others, who were still happily chatting.

"I-I'm fine, Ley. I need to step out for a moment." I excused myself, holding the bottle of alcohol.

"Huh? Hey!"

I didn't want to disrupt their fun with my ruined mood, so I quickly went to a bar table to be alone.

I don't fucking get it! If Ezekiel is still in love with Marian, why didn't he wait to marry her instead of hurrying it up with me?!

According to Raquel, Ezekiel and Marian have been together for years, and their families were sure that they would end up together.

She didn't tell me why they broke up, but Marian suddenly went to the U.S. and lived there for many years, while Ezekiel focused on growing his family's wealth and his own business, which kept them apart for a long time.

But out of nowhere, Ezekiel announced that he was going to marry me all of a sudden. Of course, his parents didn't want him to marry a cheap actress like me, especially my mother-in-law!

But when his family saw how much Marian and I looked alike, they dropped the topic and let him do what he wanted.

"Huh! Aren't I a perfect substitute?"

"I closed my eyes as tears welled up. What did I do to deserve a loveless, unhappy marriage?

I have given everything to my mother since I was a child. I gave up my education to focus on acting and support her needs.

I followed her request to marry that man for money and to pay off all her debts. Now, I'm carrying the burden of being Ezekiel De Silva's wife!

"If you can't love me, why not annul me, marry her, and be done with it!" I indulged in alcohol while watching the staff dance on the dance floor.

"I wish I could be that happy and free."

"Why not?" I was surprised when Brantley sat beside me. There was concern on his face. "Serena? What's wrong? Is it because of your mother again?"

I sighed. "Ley, please don't mind me and have fun with them. I don't want to share my bad mood with you and ruin your fun night."

"Come on!" He lightly nudged me. "You know, I could never enjoy myself while seeing you like that."

"You shouldn't sympathize with me too much. It will only make you feel tired."

He smiled sadly, and he tousled my hair. "Don't think that way, please? How can I ever be tired of you? I'm so willing to lend my ears when it comes to you. We've been together for years, what don't I know about you?"

I guiltily avoided his gaze. "A lot... there's a lot you don't know about me." Like marrying for money.

"Well, I don't want to force you to tell me everything. But I also don't want to see you bottle up things you could have let go of instead."

I felt like crying at his comfort and the tenderness in his voice. I really do need someone to talk to right now, but I'm afraid my secrets will be revealed.

"Can I... Can I lean on you for a moment?" I asked tearfully.

A look of pity flashed in his eyes. He moved closer to me. "Sure, anytime you want."

"Thank you." I rested my head on his shoulder and took a deep breath.

Even though tears didn't fall from my eyes due to my strong control, it felt like my heart was crying. The heaviness inside that I couldn't explain.

"Ley, do you believe that the more you suppress your feelings, the worse it gets?"

"I think so too. Why?"

"Because that's what I've been feeling for a year now. No matter how I suppressed it, no matter how I faked it and played pretend, even fooling myself over and over again, it's just not working."

I fell in love with Ezekiel the moment I saw him at the altar. That's the truth I don't want to face.

With his looks, demeanor, and wealth? Who wouldn't fall for him? Only someone numb wouldn't feel this way about him.

Especially the first time we had sex together. It's like I'm playing with fire, and I was so fascinated that I let myself burn.

"So you're in love," Brantley whispered. I heard him swallow and the roughness in his voice. "Do I know him?"

"Maybe," I mean, who doesn't know a billionaire named De Silva?

"Is he the one hurting you now? Is that why you're feeling bad?"

"Yes."

"Then forget about him."

"I wish I could."

"Why not?" I was taken aback when he held both sides of my face and looked into my eyes intently. "If you want it hard enough, you can!"

I sadly laughed. "It's complicated, Ley. Everything is complicated between us."

First, I can't stop my heart from beating for him, and second, I don't have the right to leave him and forget about him when he's the one holding our marriage.

He brought his face closer to mine and determinedly stared into my eyes. "I'll help you. I'll help you with every means I can so as not to see you like this!"

My eyes widened at his words and the closeness of our faces. "W-Why... Why would you do that for me?"

"Isn't it obvious... how much I care about you?"

"What, what?"

"Serena, why aren't you taking hints? I like you—"

"What do you think you're doing?!" A loud and familiar voice interrupted us.

I froze in shock. My eyes widened, and I nervously turned to look behind me.

Indeed, my hearing didn't deceive me. I saw Ezekiel standing nearby. He was wearing the suit he wore this morning and looked exactly like the picture I saw.

I stood up in surprise. "What are you doing here?!"