Chapter 3

A sad smile appeared on my lips when I saw my old college uniform.

I had never allowed myself to throw it away. Even though I no longer knew if I would ever be able to return to school, a small part of me still held on to the hope that one day, somehow, I would get the chance to wear that uniform again.

I even tried it on, only to realize that it had become loose on me.

I hadn't noticed how much weight I had lost over the past two years. The uniform that used to feel tight because I loved eating now hung loosely against my body. When I looked at myself properly, I barely recognized the girl staring back at me.

My cheeks had sunken in, and dark circles had formed beneath my eyes.

My hair was messily tied back, and I couldn't even remember the last time I had gotten it trimmed.

There were bruises on my arm from Gavin's painfully tight grip earlier. One side of my cheek was still slightly red from the slap his mother had given me.

All I could do was let out a tired sigh before walking into the bathroom to take a shower.

Afterward, I changed into an oversized shirt and a pair of shorts Gavin had bought for me before. He had thrown away most of my decent clothes, and I didn't even have some of the heels I had worked so hard to save money for anymore.

I was drying my hair when my phone suddenly rang.

When I checked it, I realized it was our old class group chat.

Or... their class group chat now.

They were planning a team-building trip, and I was surprised when someone suddenly mentioned me.

Kym: Hey! @Alia Aquino-Romano, stop leaving us on seen and come with us! We miss you!

Several of my former classmates immediately agreed with her.

There were hearts and care reactions filling the messages.

But apparently, that still wasn't enough for Kym.

She sent me a private message.

Kym: Girllll! When are you finally going to pay attention to me? I miss you so much! Come out with me already, pleaaassseee!

My eyes immediately filled with tears.

I missed her, too.

I missed those days when our biggest problems were assignments and figuring out which one of us had forgotten to finish them.

She was my best friend, after all.

But ever since I dropped out of college and got married, we hadn't seen each other. Gavin had forbidden me from spending time with my former classmates—and especially with Kym.

Alia: Sorry, Kamari Ysadora Montclair. I've just been busy. Gavin had visitors earlier, too. And... you know how things are, right?

I had already told her about my situation in this house.

Kym: Full name talaga?! Girl, seriously! And honestly, if I were you, I would leave that man already! He's rich, sure, but he's also unbelievably arrogant and manipulative!

Alia: If I leave, where would I even go? I'm pretty sure Dad wouldn't take me back. I don't have money to continue studying, and besides... we don't know what Gavin would do.

I didn't know what kind of anger I would face if I ever tried to run away from Gavin.

Whenever I simply went outside, he looked as though he wanted to swallow me alive. I was trapped inside his world, and no matter how hard I searched, I couldn't find a way out.

Kym: You have me, girl! Just say the word, and I'll come pick you up! Seriously, I'm tired of typing. Let's just meet up, please? Just for a little while! Your asshole husband isn't there, is he? Sneak out!

I let out a deep sigh.

At that exact moment, I heard the sound of Gavin's car outside.

I quickly walked toward the window and peeked through it, only to see his car pulling away from the house.

A small smile appeared on my face as I hurriedly started getting dressed.

I was sure he wouldn't be coming home anytime soon, which meant I had a few hours to myself.

We were also running low on supplies, so if he noticed that I had gone out or caught me leaving, I had an excuse. I could simply say I had gone grocery shopping nearby.

That was the only reason Gavin ever allowed me to leave the house anyway.

I messaged Kym and asked her to meet me at the nearest café from Gavin's house.

It wasn't along the usual route back home, but it was close enough and only required one ride to get there. I wore a simple pair of baggy pants, an oversized white shirt, and a faded denim cap.

Then I grabbed my wallet, phone, and keys before quickly leaving the house.

The moment I arrived at the café, Kym nearly jumped out of her seat when she saw me.

She was practically screaming and smiling as she excitedly rushed toward me. She couldn't even contain herself.

"Oh my God! I missed you so much, you crazy woman!"

She hugged me so tightly that I immediately winced.

Pain shot through my arm because of the bruises I had forgotten to cover.

"Shh—what's that?"

Embarrassed, I quickly covered the bruise as we sat down.

"It's nothing. I was cleaning the kitchen and being stupid... I slipped."

I laughed as I told her, but she only looked at me suspiciously.

"Oh, really? Don't tell me your disgusting husband did that to you. Just say the word, and I'll seriously file a case against him."

"It's nothing, seriously. And even if you did file a case, it would probably just get dismissed anyway."

"Why would it get dismissed? What do you think the purpose of VAWC is? Girl, this won't stop unless you fight back. My uncle is a lawyer."

She spoke angrily, but I only shook my head.

"The law is for people who can afford it. They have the money and the power to turn things in their favor. You can't fight fairly when the only weapon you have is the truth. You should know how justice works in this world. Sometimes, money is favored more than the truth."

She let out a frustrated sigh after hearing my explanation.

"I seriously don't understand your demon of a father. No offense, but what kind of father sells his own daughter like she's some object? It makes me so angry!"

"Enough. Just order something already."

She still looked irritated, but she eventually did what I told her.

We ordered drinks and pastries, and somehow, I finally felt a little peace while we were there.

Everything felt lighter when I was outside Gavin's house.

"Oh, I think that's ours. I'll get it."

"No, I'll get it!"

I didn't even give her the chance to stand.

I got up first, but just as I was about to walk away from our table, I bumped into someone passing beside us.

I completely lost my balance and fell straight into him.

Startled, the man quickly wrapped an arm around my waist, holding me tightly enough to stop me from falling completely. If he hadn't caught me, we probably would have both ended up on the floor.

My face immediately turned red from embarrassment.

I flinched at the feeling of his hand around my waist and quickly stepped away from him while Kym watched us in complete shock.

I looked at the man.

He looked like a foreigner.

The kind of attractive foreigner Kym and I used to jokingly hunt for whenever we went to MOA.

He was wearing a formal suit, as though he had simply stopped by the café on his way somewhere else.

"I'm s-sorry, sir."

His stare was heavy and dark.

I couldn't hold his gaze for long, and instead of saying anything, he simply gave me a small nod.

"Zane! Over here, babe!"

We both turned toward the voice calling for him.

A woman sitting at a nearby table was waving excitedly in his direction.

The man cleared his throat and looked back at me.

"Excuse me."

I gave him a small bow in return and watched as he walked toward the woman, whose face immediately lit up when she saw him approaching.

They shared a quick but passionate kiss, and only then did I notice the bouquet of roses he had been carrying.

He handed them to her.

I couldn't stop the small feeling of envy that crept into my chest when I saw how happy she looked.

And the way he treated her...

Like she was something precious.

"That girl is so lucky. She got herself a handsome foreigner," Kym laughed, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Then go find one at MOA. There are plenty of them there."

I laughed and quickly fixed myself.

"I'll go get our drinks before the ice melts."

Kym burst out laughing at that.

"Seriously, it's been two years, and you're still as clumsy as ever."

"Sorry! I guess I don't have enough blood in my system anymore."

I joked as I walked toward the counter to get our drinks.

On my way back, however, my eyes drifted toward the man and his girlfriend again.

The woman was happily telling him stories while he listened to every single word with complete attention.

Compared to his appearance—stoic, reserved, and almost intimidating, as though he couldn't care less about the world around him—he looked genuinely captivated by everything that came out of her mouth.

His eyes never wandered.

And the faint softness in his expression revealed something his guarded exterior couldn't hide.

It was almost funny how the strongest walls a man built around himself could melt when the woman he loved stood in front of him.

The same man who seemed cold, unreadable, and almost emotionless to everyone else could suddenly become gentle, attentive, and willing to listen to every little thing she had to say.

Maybe love didn't always change a person.

Maybe it simply revealed the side of them that only the right person was allowed to see.

Were there really still men like that?

As if sensing my stare, the man's eyes suddenly glanced in my direction.

Our eyes met.

His face remained expressionless, but his eyes seemed to carry a thousand words he would never say aloud.

It only lasted for a moment before he turned back to the woman and gave her a small nod.

I hope I find that kind of love someday.

If it's still meant for me.

If there's still someone out there meant to love me that way.

"Hey! Stop staring! Just a reminder, handsome has a girlfriend, and you already have a husband."

Kym laughed as she teased me, making me shoot her an annoyed look.

"Oh, please! I wasn't planning anything. And you know Gavin is the only man I've ever been crazy about."

"And because of that, you'll probably end up dead if you don't get away from that man's grip."

She shook her head while I simply sat back down and sighed.

"Uncle Gab has always been good to me. I couldn't just leave."

I finally admitted it.

Gavin's father had always treated me kindly.

The old man was sick, and I didn't want to break his heart by suddenly disappearing from his life.

"Fine, I understand that. But what? Are you just going to let yourself stay imprisoned with your cheating husband forever? Alia, you're a smart woman. You were always at the top of our class. Don't waste yourself—your opportunities and your career—for one man."

She had a point.

I wasn't ignoring her advice.

I just didn't know how to begin.

Or when.

"Look around you, girl. The world is too big for you to become a slave to one man. He'll drain the best years of your life."

After she said that, my eyes unconsciously drifted toward the couple again.

The woman looked radiant.

Her clothes were beautiful, and her smile was full of life.

Then I looked down at myself.

I was painfully thin.

Baggy jeans and an oversized shirt.

Bruises and scratches.

The difference between us was almost embarrassing. Even standing beside Kym, I looked more like someone's maid than her best friend.

I was only twenty-two years old.

Yet I looked like I was already in my thirties and raising five children.

"Just give me time, Kym. I'll get out eventually."

"I'll pray for that, Alia. To every saint if I have to."

I smiled at her and quickly forced myself to change the subject.

After talking for a while longer and finishing our drinks, we eventually decided it was time to leave.

She offered me a ride, and I agreed, but I told her I needed to stop by the grocery store first.

She came with me, and afterward, she drove me home.

"I'll go now. Don't forget to message me whenever you need help, okay?"

I nodded and smiled at her.

"Thank you, Kym."

"Of course. Come here."

She pulled me into another hug.

Afterward, I stepped out of the car and watched as she drove away.

I didn't waste any more time and immediately went inside the house to prepare dinner once again.

The bread I had eaten at the café had taken away some of my hunger earlier, but I was starving again.

After all, I hadn't eaten a proper meal the entire day.