Loving You Too Long

“I swear. I won’t let you near Haisley. I swear that you will regret treating her the way you have. And I swear. When someday your muddled mind clears, and you desire Haisley for yourself, I will be the first one to stand in your way,” she declared vehemently.

“You’ll beg, not to me, but to Haisley. And before you do that, I will never let you have her. Remember that!” threatened Mrs. Monica, casting a cynical glance at Loretta and Mr. Samuel before storming back into her room and slamming the door shut.

Mr. Samuel looked at his son, as did Loretta. The girl trembled in fear, witnessing Mrs. Monica’s outburst, although she didn’t comprehend all of her words.

“Nath?” Her hand lifted to touch Nathan’s shoulder.

“Stay silent!” Nathan snapped, causing the girl to freeze and remain still where she stood. His father also fell silent upon seeing the rage on his eldest son’s face.

With a rage he couldn’t contain, Nathan walked towards his room and did the same thing his mother had done earlier. Damn! What could that girl have said to his mother to make her act so harshly? Haisley! Nathan seethed in frustration.

***

“Why have you been silent all this time, G?” Haisley asked softly as the car driven by Gilbert stopped at the red light.

“I’m sorry, H,” Gilbert replied softly.

“You know, I feel like a ball being played between you two right now,” she continued sadly. “I came here hoping that I could get my first love, even though I know it sounds childish. But the encouragement from Aunt and you made me even more enthusiastic.” Haisley chose not to look at Gilbert and instead focused on the scenery in front of her. “I thought everything would be fine,” she said with a grimace on her face. “I still hoped that I could be the one to heal Nathan’s heart.” She spoke again. Haisley blinked her eyes quickly to ward off the tears that were about to fall. “But the enthusiasm I felt all this time. The encouragement I got from you all this time. I feel like a beggar, G.”

Gilbert shifted his body to face Haisley. “I truly am sorry, H. I messed up by hiding the fact that Nathan is already with Loretta. Initially, I just assumed it wouldn’t last long. That everything would end without us realizing. I didn’t know Nathan was thinking way ahead of that.

“You know we never talked about it. I had no idea when he suddenly decided to get engaged to Loretta. I swear, H.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me the truth after you found out?” Haisley then averted her gaze and looked at Gilbert with teary eyes. “I feel like a fool, G. I tried, I worked hard to get to this point because I wanted my first love. If only I knew Nathan was engaged to Loretta from the start, I would have never come here and fought for something I couldn’t have.

“Yes, I would have been heartbroken over the fact. But I would have accepted it gracefully. And at least, if I chose not to come here, my heartache would have healed faster. If I didn’t come here, at least I’d have my mother to hug me when I cried at night. But now?

“Even to tell the truth to my family, I’m embarrassed,” Haisley whispered.

The traffic light had turned green, and Gilbert started his car again to move forward before other vehicles honked impatiently.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

“H,” Gilbert whispered. “I truly am sorry,” he said, sounding genuinely remorseful.

Haisley forced a smile and shook her head. “It’s okay, G. It’s all over now,” she said softly. “Ever since the incident on the ship, I haven’t had any hope for Nathan. But hearing your confession just now, I was truly shocked.” Haisley grimaced again. “I felt like a cheap woman in Nathan’s eyes. Maybe when he took advantage of me, he thought I was awake but pretending to sleep, choosing to enjoy his actions.” From the corner of his eye, Gilbert saw Haisley roughly wipe her face. “I don’t even have the face to meet Nathan anymore.”

“H. That bastard is Nathaniel. He’s the hypocrite, saying something that doesn’t match what he feels,” Gilbert protested.

But Haisley shook her head. “I won’t care about what’s in Nathan’s mind anymore,” she said softly. “I’m going back to America,” she said with determination.

Gilbert turned the steering wheel and stopped his car at the side of the road. “H?” he asked, panicked.

Haisley looked at Gilbert and placed her hand on his arm. “I have to move away. I have to avoid it to forget. Even though this is a big city, the possibility of us meeting is still there. Whether intentionally or not, we could meet. And before my wounds truly heal, it will just continue to hurt me, G.”

“But H.”

“I will apologize to my parents. I’m at fault. From the beginning, everything was wrong. My intention to come here, it was wrong.”

“But you’ve worked hard to get to your current position, H,” Gilbert said again.

“I just need to work hard again, G. It won’t be difficult,” she replied gently. Like the usual Haisley. “I can’t endure loving someone who only gives me pain and humiliation,” she said sadly. “But I also can’t accept the presence of someone else. Even though I know that Dean truly loves me, I don’t want him to experience the same as me. Feeling toyed with.”

“But someday, if Dean still loves me after my love for Nathan fades away, I will accept him, and I promise I will love him back as much as he loves me,” Haisley said earnestly. “Besides, Aunt Monica is right. I just have to enjoy my life. And I just need to fall in love with the man who will be my husband. That’s it. Right now, I just need to spend my time studying harder and hopefully succeed in the future.”

Gilbert nodded, extending his right hand and gently stroking Haisley’s hair. “You will be a successful and intelligent woman. More than that, you are someone very easy to love, H,” he said, earning a nod from Haisley.

Gilbert then took a deep breath and drove his car again, resolute in his intention to take Haisley to her workplace.