CHAPTER 3- The Separation

CHAPTER 3

Cassandra jolted awake when she realized there was a man lying beside her.

"My gosh!" Her eyes widened when she saw her clothes scattered across the floor. When she looked under the blanket covering her body, she realized she wasn't wearing anything at all. Her mind was in complete disarray, and she couldn't think straight. She immediately tried to get up to take a shower, but as soon as she moved, she felt pain in her legs and between them. Her entire body ached as well.

She looked at the man sleeping soundly beside her, completely naked. She squeezed her eyes shut in anger and frustration. Heartbroken because of her ex-boyfriend, she had ended up having a one-night stand with the band's vocalist. The thing she had treasured most, the thing she had wanted to give to her boyfriend, had been lost so easily.

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" she muttered to herself.

She moved carefully so as not to wake the man. Then she went to the bathroom to take a shower. Her head throbbed from all the alcohol she had consumed the night before. As she lathered her body, she noticed the kiss marks on her neck and chest. She became even angrier with herself. Even though she had been extremely drunk, she still remembered what had happened the previous night—she knew she had willingly given herself to a man she didn't even know.

What kind of foolish thing have you done, Cassandra?

She took only a quick shower, afraid that the man sharing the room with her might wake up. As she combed her hair, she studied him. He was handsome and had Chinese features. Perhaps that was the reason she had given herself to him the night before. When her gaze drifted to his reddish lips, a wave of warmth spread through her body. Fragments of the previous night's memories flashed through her mind, and she suddenly blushed as she recalled the way he had touched and kissed her.

She looked at her wristwatch.

"I've been with you for eight hours and ten minutes," she whispered to the sleeping man.

She stood up, and something compelled her to kiss him on the cheek before leaving.

"This is the first and last time we'll ever meet, Mr. Chinito."

After that, she quietly left the room and hurried out of the hotel. As soon as she stepped outside, she received a series of text messages from Luz. She immediately called her and claimed that she was already back at her apartment, even though she was actually still on her way home.

***

Cassandra frowned when she saw her ex-boyfriend, Vincent, standing outside her apartment door. He stared at her as she approached. He was still wearing the same clothes from the night before, which meant he hadn't gone home.

"Where have you been? I've been waiting for you here since last night," he asked irritably.

Cassandra shot Vincent a sharp glare.

"It's none of your business where I went."

She took out her apartment key and went inside, but Vincent followed her. He grabbed her, pulled her close, and kissed her on the lips.

She struggled against him.

"Let go of me!" she shouted.

Disgust washed over her at his kisses. She pushed him away and slapped him.

"I miss you, Cassandra. If you always dressed like that, maybe I wouldn't have left you." His eyes roamed over her body with desire.

She instinctively wrapped her arms around herself. The night before, she had desperately wanted to seduce her ex-boyfriend to prove that losing him wasn't a loss at all. But now that everything had happened, fear had begun to take hold of her.

"Pervert! Get out of here, Vincent, unless you want me to call the police."

"I want you. I've been thinking before I leave you for good, I need to get tired of you first."

He smiled at her like a demon.

She felt a surge of fear. She was about to open the door again to get out, but he stopped her.

"You're mine now," he said with a grin.

"You bastard! Vincent!" She struggled against him. But he was much stronger than she was, and he managed to trap her against his chest and force a kiss on her. She tried to break free. The warmth she once felt whenever Vincent kissed her was gone. All she felt now was disgust. When he grew tired of kissing her lips, he moved to her neck, but suddenly stopped.

"Fuck! Was there someone before me?" he demanded angrily, likely noticing the kiss mark on her neck.

"Yes! And I gave myself over and over again to a man I didn't even know!"

He responded with a hard slap across her face.

"Damn you! I never thought you were such a shameless woman. Disgusting!" He turned his back on her and slammed the door shut.

She burst into tears. Vincent's slap hurt, but the truth hurt even more… he had only ever wanted sex, and he had never truly loved her.

****

When the man woke up, the first thing he did was look for the woman who had been with him at the hotel, but her clothes were already gone. He sat on the edge of the bed and called the building's information desk.

"Hello, did you happen to see my girlfriend leave?" he asked.

"Yes, Sir. Abraham Chen."

"Okay, thank you!" He ended the call.

Running a hand through his messy hair, he suddenly felt the effects of his hangover. When he looked at the bed, he noticed a red stain on the white bedsheet.

He sighed. "I told her not to leave."

Abraham reluctantly got up and took a shower. He had brought the woman to his condo unit the night before so she would be safe. The entire building belonged to his parents, and everyone there knew who he was. As the water rushed over his body, memories of the previous night flooded back. He admitted that the woman had been unforgettable, and for the first time in his life, he had lost control and become unusually aggressive. He wanted to see her again and be with her once more.

"I will find you."

He quickly finished showering and headed to his friend's bar. He was the son of billionaire business tycoon Marcos Chen, whose family was known for a wide range of businesses—from hotels to BPO companies. But despite his parents' success, he had no intention of following in their footsteps. All he wanted was to play music, a dream his father strongly opposed.

"I don't know the woman you were with last night," said Dekier, the owner of the bar and Abraham's closest friend.

They watched the CCTV footage and reviewed what had happened the night before. Abraham's heart raced when he saw the woman on the screen, but he was immediately disappointed when no one seemed to recognize her.

"Show that footage to your staff," he said.

Dekier patted Abraham on the shoulder. "You seem awfully interested in that woman." He gave him a teasing grin. "Was she amazing in bed?"

"Tsss... She's naive."

"Oh? So what's so special about her? You seem way too interested."

Abraham fell silent. This time, he wasn't about to tell the truth about what had happened between him and the woman. Usually, whenever he slept with someone, he would tell his friend all about it.

"I want to see her again."

"That's something else, buddy. This isn't just lust anymore. I think Cupid's arrow got you," Dekier said.

"I want to see her because there's something I need to ask her," Abraham replied as an excuse.

"Really?" Dekier looked again at the CCTV footage playing on the screen. "She's beautiful and sexy. Anyone could lose their mind over a woman like that."

Abraham swallowed hard as memories of the intimate moments they had shared flashed through his mind again.

He stood up. "I have to go!"

"Wait, where are you going?" Dekier asked.

"Hell!" he replied.

His friend laughed loudly. “Happy trip,” his friend teased.

He got into his car and drove toward their mansion. During the past week, he had only gone home once or twice. He disliked being constantly pressured by his father to take charge of one of their businesses.

“Oh, gosh! You forgot to use a condom.”

The woman's face kept replaying in his mind after she had said those words. He had deliberately chosen not to use a condom when they slept together. He wanted to feel every part of her femininity, and now he was acting like a madman, searching for a woman whose name he did not even know.

“I hope you get pregnant with my child.”

He had not even stepped out of the car when he noticed a familiar vehicle. Its owner was one of the reasons he hated staying at the mansion—his older sister, Eladia. There were three siblings in their family, and Eladia was the eldest. Like their father, she was deeply devoted to work, especially to running her own company, something he disliked. His sister was already married and had a son. Whenever Eladia was home, she never stopped nagging him, particularly about business and marriage. He was the second child, while their youngest brother was only eighteen and studying medicine in the United States.

“Good morning, Sir,” one of their staff greeted him as they crossed paths.

“Where's my sister?” he asked a maid.

“Oh! Ma’am is asleep.”

“Good.” He breathed a sigh of relief, knowing no one would bother him for now.

He headed straight to his room, but before he could get there, his mother spotted him.

“Abraham!”

His mother approached and hugged him tightly.

His mother was already in her fifties, yet she had not lost her cheerful and sociable nature. She had fair skin and short, curly hair. Even while staying at home, she was always well-dressed.

“Mom.”

“Why are you only showing up now? I was starting to think you'd left the country.”

He sighed. “Mom, I'm not a child anymore. Where's Dad?”

“He's still at a business meeting with his investors.”

“Will he be coming home today?”

His mother frowned. “Why are you looking for your father? This is the first time you've ever been the one searching for him.”

“I need to ask for his help.”

“What is it?”

“I just want to borrow Mr. Berloda from him.”

His mother became even more suspicious after hearing that.

“Do you need him to do something for you?”

“Yes, Mom. Can you stop asking so many questions? I'll just wait for Dad. I'm going to sleep. Just wake me up when he gets home.”

“All right. I'll have your favorite food prepared.”

“Thanks, Mom,” he said with a smile.

He went to his room to rest. But no matter how he closed his eyes or adjusted his position, the woman's face kept appearing in his thoughts. It brought back memories of that night—something he had never experienced with any of the women he had been with before. Usually, whenever he slept with someone, he used a condom, and afterward he would cut off all communication with his partners. But now, he wanted to see her again and get to know her completely.

“Miss Yummy, I'll find you. And when we meet again, I'm never letting you go.”