Chapter 8

Chapter 8

“Sleep in my house from now on,” Lily captured my eyes in one snap.

Does she hear herself?

“My house is always open for you, Faith. Uh, you also have your condo. Why not stay there? Or just choose where do you like to stay—”

“Hold on,” my brows crossed while I was processing everything they were saying right after they brought me back to my shop.

I saw Elijah leaving earlier. He didn't even say anything back there.

I tilted my head and made an awkward chuckle. “I can't do that,” I said.

They both froze. Their eyes were both glued at me.

“What do you mean you can't? If you're scared of Elijah, don't worry about him.” Lucas said with no fear at all. He looks chill as if he can handle Elijah in a blink of an eye.

“I'll talk to my lawyer to help you with the divorce pap—”

“No,” that one word made them both pause. I think that was enough to cut out the thoughts filling their heads.

“No?” Lucas asked, probably befuddled.

“I'm not filing a divorce. We've already talked about this, Lily.”

“Bullshit,” Lily muttered aloud. She closed her eyes in frustration like I am a pain in the neck.

Lucas then chuckled. “Are you fucking serious?”

I stayed silent until that smile of his faded slowly. He just realized that I am damn serious.

“What the heck, Faith?” He now said after realizing that I meant what I said.

I breathed out heavily. “We just got married. How can I just file a divorce? Besides, I have no plan of doing that. I will stay with him whatever happens,” I will forever hold onto that. Even if Elijah is tearing me apart each day that I live on the same roof with him, I will not leave him. I will stay, even if it means enduring everything.

“Do you hear yourself, Faith? That bastard is fucking different women in your house!” Lily exclaimed.

“In your house?” I froze when that information slipped out of Lily's mouth. It was already late when she realized the tea she spilled.

“He's bringing them there?”

I couldn't avoid Lucas' eyes anymore. He was cornering me again.

“Everything's fine. I'm not leaving, I'll stay with Elija—”

“Bullshit, Faith!” I dropped my sketchpad when Lucas’ voice raised. I got startled, and seeing the monster waking up inside him terrifies me.

“What else do you need to wake up from that stupidity, huh? They are all fucking your life! Elijah si fucking ruining you, blaming you from Freya's death that you didn't even do! What else do you want, huh?! What else do you want him to do to leave him and save yourself from all these bullshi—”

“I need nothing, Lucas!”

I lost it all. I knew from the moment that I raised my voice, I exploded already. All the pain, melancholy, and anger that I feel inside me just bursts out. The river of tears from my eyes began to betray me again. When would I ever stop from crying even just for a day? My eyes are so tired of crying each day and being shattered every moment of my day.

“I love them all,” I uttered, losing all my strength.

“Elijah loved my sister so much, and we used to love each other as best friends. I know he changed a lot after Freya's death, but I will never forget the Elijah I used to know.”

The old Elijah who used to be so soft towards me. The Elijah who always cares for me. The Elijah Luciero who's one call away as long as I need him beside me. He might not know that I have feelings for him, but I am not doing this just because of that.

“I'm still hoping that he would come back from his old self and heal the wound Freya unintentionally left in his heart,” my voice cracked and I began to sob like a kid who is crying after a fight with the other children.

“Oh, please, Faith. Don't do this to yourself,” Lily almost begged me. She already captured my hands, trying to wake me up and pull me back to my senses.

Yeah, perhaps I am really blinded by my own love for Elijah and for all of them. However, I refuse to open my eyes if being blind will make them feel how much I do care and how much I love them that I am willing to bear all of these things that give me a tortuous pain in my chest.

“But I want to,” I smiled with a glimpse of bitterness plastered on my lips.

“Sorry,” Lucas said as he glanced at me with tiredness from his eyes. He blew out a short breath and fake a smirk.

“I can't do this,” that is what he just said before he turned his back at us—or perhaps, from me.

“Lucas,” Lily tried calling him back, but he didn't look back anymore. I watched him walk away from us as if he was giving up on me.

I felt a knife pierced on my chest again, but I knew that I can't do anything either. It's the decision I made, and I will stand for it even if it hurts them, too.

“Do what you want,” Lily said. “I got your back, Faith. I just hope that you don't regret your decision. Gotta go,” she left me her tiny smile before she left as well.

I had to pull myself back together as I was still working. I gave all my best to focus and drown myself with all the work that I have to do. It was a good thing that my brain was able to function and think of ideas for the designs that I will do for my clients.

“Ms. Faith, it's already 11 pm. Aren't you going home?” My secretary asked.

My lips parted when I saw the time. I didn't even notice it.

“Sorry, I didn't see it.” I quickly packed all my things to leave.

“Do you need a ride? I can give you one,” I even offered to her when we both came out.

“Thanks, but my boyfriend is already here to pick me up. See you tomorrow, Ms. Faith.” She said and waved her hand at me as I heard her boyfriend's car beeped towards us.

I found a little smile on my lips as I watched her. Mirth is invading her and it warms my heart to see her with joy. I sighed as I headed to my car and drove back home.

Now, I can feel the extreme exhaustion invading my entire body. What a long tiring day. A lot of mess and things happened today. It still weighs me and I had to distract myself by working my fingers to the bone.

“Where have you been?”

I paused as soon as I sat foot inside the house and found Elijah in the living room. My eyes landed on the alcohol that he was drinking. I could smell the reek of it from him. He looks already drunk, but I couldn't help to check the bruise on the side of his lips came from Lucas' fist.

“Work,” I replied shortly as I do not feel the need to explain further.

Has he gone mad? We even caught him with a woman at the mall where he knows I work. I already took some steps, until I felt his hand on my arm and pulled me closer to him.

“Elijah, you're hurting me.” I uttered, bit my lower lip with his hand pressing my arm a bit much. I glanced at him and his eyes were dark, which gave me goosebumps swiftly.

I gulped when he didn't listen to me.

“Elijah,” I said firmly.

“Did you spend your time with Lucas, huh?” He smirked unbelievably.

“What now? You're flirting with him? You're seducing him by being so weak? Is that your new technique, Faith?”

I never once thought that I would hear these words from Elijah. It shatters my heart entirely. With my remaining strength, I pulled my arm back from him.

“You're drunk,” I said, controlling myself. I quickly turned my back to him before this scene worsened.

“Why? Is it true?! Did Lucas fucked you, Faith?!”

My hand landed on his cheek. It was already late when I realized my sudden action. But then, I was too stunned by what he brazenly said. I was shivering—not because of fear, but rage. How can he think of me that little? How can he think of us like that as if he didn't know me and Lucas at all?

“I'm not you, Elijah.” I said with the coldness from my voice that couldn't be hidden anymore.

A tear slipped out of my eyes while looking at him. It seems like the slap I gave him sobered him a bit.

“And what if I do, huh? Why do you care? Did you think of me when you brought all those women in our house and fucked them in the same room where you forced me to do that damn sex, huh?”

I might look brave by telling those words to him, but inside me, I was breaking. Here I am again, ending my day with tears that I couldn't even dry.

“If Lucas fucked me, what is it to you? I didn't say a single word when you fucked different women right in front of me, Elijah. So, don't give comments about mine—Elijah!”

He pulled me closer to him again, pressing my arm that it felt like breaking.

“You're hurting me!” I exclaimed again.

“No, Faith. I married you, and you only belong to me. You don't get to do what you want because you are mine.”

“S-Stop,” I said. “Let go of me!”

“Didn’t I tell you? I married you to punish you for what happened to Freya. And I swear, Faith, I will do everything to tear you apart until you can no longer stand.”

“Ms. Faith!” The maid exclaimed when Elijah threw me on the floor like a damn trash.

I became feeble at that moment. No words came out of my mouth and I couldn't even pick myself out of the floor. For countless times, I cried in silence again while watching Elijah leaving me there.

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