Chapter 8

Revilla’s phone rings. She checks it and sees that it’s a call from her boyfriend. Alex’s expression shifts when he notices the caller’s name on her phone. Revilla moves away to answer the call.

After about a minute, she ends the call and looks back at Alex. Despite their friendship, she hasn’t shared much about her personal life with him. After graduating, she chose not to marry and instead continued her higher studies alongside Alex and Eryx.

Revilla has been in a relationship with her boyfriend for two years and accepted his proposal in front of Alex and Eryx. After that, she moved in with him, and Alex and Eryx chose not to interfere with her relationship.

“Alex... Can you take Braylon back? I don’t think I can join you two tonight,” she says, glancing at him.

“Is he waiting for you already?” Alex asks, and Revilla nods.

“Okay, I’ll take care of him. You can go,” Alex responds, not meeting her gaze. Revilla feels a pang of guilt. “Thank you,” she says before leaving.

Now, only Alex and Braylon remain. The situation feels poignant, reflecting on how their friendship has evolved. Alex takes a deep breath and looks at Braylon, who is drinking continuously without a break.

Revilla exits the bar and surveys the area. Across the road, a black car is parked with someone inside, watching the bar. A thick mist shrouds the area, making it difficult to see clearly. Revilla hurries towards the car.

She gets in, sets her handbag aside, and embraces her boyfriend warmly.

Elijah, a 27-year-old man, has yet to secure a job to support himself and relies on Revilla’s salary. The only possessions he owns are an apartment and a car.

Elijah is wearing ripped jeans and a sleeveless t-shirt that reveals unsettling tattoos on his arms. His messy, dirty blond hair and green eyes look disheveled and bleary under the influence of drug, giving him a rough appearance. In short, he’s far from presentable, looking worse than some gangsters.

“How was your day, baby? Did you enjoy yourself with your friends?” he asks, his tone neither concerned nor caring, just fixated on her.

“Not good at all, Eli. A college friend joined my team as a senior,” Revilla sighs heavily, coughing as the cigarette smoke irritates her nose.

“Can you stop smoking? Look at you, Eli. Your lips are blackened from tobacco,” she says, touching his dry, grayish skin. He rolls his eyes, indifferent to her concern.

“Are you tired of me, baby? You seem interested in someone else. Is that why you’re so critical of me, just because you’ve found some flaws?” Elijah speeds up the car, causing Revilla to flinch.

What is he thinking? She has always worried about him, and now he accuses her of being tired of him. If she were tired of him, why would she be with someone like this?

Revilla remains silent, knowing that speaking up would only escalate the situation.

“Tonight, get ready, baby. It’s been a while since we’ve been together,” Elijah says, maneuvering the steering wheel.

“But I have work tomorrow, Eli. Let’s skip tonight. I’ll make time for the weekend,” she gently declines. Elijah hadn’t been home for a week and suddenly reappeared at the bar, calling her. She doesn’t want to question his sudden disappearance and reappearance.

This is not the first time Elijah has acted this way; it’s the third time in two months. Revilla feels a growing sense of desperation. She doesn’t want to be just a fling, which might be why she stays with him.

The only reason she remains in this relationship is because Elijah was there for her when she needed support, even though Alex and Eryx weren’t. But now, her once happy and fulfilling relationship feels worse than depression.

She tries to hold back her tears as she realizes that Elijah might already be tired of her. His treatment of her as if she were merely a sex toy is deeply painful.

“You’re acting indifferent towards me. What’s suddenly happened to you?” Elijah asks with a sneer, as though mocking or blaming her for the change in their dynamic. He has no right to place the blame on her when the issues clearly stem from his own behavior.

“I’m not indifferent. You’re the one who’s always away and now you’re blaming me. Isn’t that unreasonable?” she shouts, her frustration boiling over. Elijah slams the brakes suddenly, causing her to lurch forward and nearly hit her head.

“What the hell, Eli? I’m speaking the truth, right? You’ve been away from home three times this month and won’t tell me where you’ve been,” she continues, her alcohol-fueled courage pushing her to voice the frustrations she’s been holding in.

“Are you doubting me, Revilla?” Elijah narrows his eyes, clearly annoyed.

“You can take it however you want, Eli, but I need to know why,” she insists, not breaking eye contact. The argument has left no room for her to shy away from the truth anymore.

“You go out with your so-called friends all the time. Did I ever complain? So why are you arguing with me over this minor issue?” Elijah shouts, his anger palpable. Revilla flinches at his outburst, stunned by his harshness.

Feeling deeply hurt and disappointed, she grabs her bag and exits the car, tears streaming down her face. She slams the car door shut and starts walking away.

“Do I even care if you leave, you fucking bitch? Don’t ever think about coming back!” Elijah yells after her. Revilla’s tears flow freely now, her attempts to suppress her cries failing as she sobs uncontrollably.

She walks along the boulevard, feeling like a lost child, as Elijah speeds away in his car. The pain in her heart feels crushing, and the deserted streets, populated only by drunken passersby from the nearby bars, amplify her isolation.

She’s unsure where to go at this late hour. Even though she’s paid the rent on her apartment, she can’t bear to face Elijah anymore.

“Why is this happening to me? I’ve put up with his mistakes, and now he just blames me,” she laments.

With Alex and Braylon at the bar and Eryx having left with his fiancée, she has no one to turn to. Feeling utterly alone, she contemplates a dark thought—considering ending her life.

She pulls out her phone and dials Eryx’s number, hoping he’ll be willing to offer her shelter for the night. True to his character, he answers the call on the first ring, even though he usually hangs up on others, including his fiancée.

“Hey, girl...”

His warm voice makes her heart ache even more. She struggles to hold back her sobs as she replies.