Chapter 5 – THE AFTERMATH

Nigel wept silently as he buried his face to his hands. Why does everything turned into this? It's already hard to accept when he found out about Elaine schemes and wickedness, he knows that she might be imprisoned, but at least, she's still alive. But now in this discovery, aside from that he had loved a wrong woman, the sad part is that, he can no longer correct his mistakes since Nathalie is now gone, he will never see her again.

A few hours had passed but Nigel still in daze at the operating room. Luckily, no one needs to use it at those time. He look at the crampled letter on his hands, he noticed that the letter was quite long and he could not read much of it. He stretched out the letter and read it again:

"When we got out, we were both taken to the hospital because my hand and hair were also burned. But I didn't thought you would be transferred to another hospital, when I looked for you, you're already gone."

As they were taken to a public hospital, Nigel's parents moved him to a better and private hospital for his full recovery.

"When I got news about you, I just found out that you and my best friend Elaine are getting closer to each other. According to our friends, she always visited you, maybe that's a reason why she didn't have a time to visit me even just once."

Although he knew that it was a woman who saved him, Nigel didn't see who it was because he almost lost his consciousness from the incident, he even thought it was the end of him. Despite of that, he fell in love with that person who had saved him even though he didn't know her yet. And so, he fell in love with Elaine.

As Nathalie knows that Nigel and Elaine are getting better to each other, she dismiss the idea to tell him that she's the one who actually saved him. But she doesn't know the thing about Elaine claiming the credit for her, that's why she kept in the dark and she can't do anything but to secretly gave her blessing for the two.

Nigel is handsome, rich and smart so he became popular in many girls during their college years and one of those were Nathalie and Elaine. That's why Nathalie was really surprised when her bestfriend managed to get him.

But a year later, after their graduations, Nathalie and Nigel's parents had an agreement regarding business, and so the two of them got into an arrange marriage. Nathalie was very happy and in the cloud nine at that time, she thought Nigel and Elaine broke up amicably as her bestfriend was there on their wedding day and her friendship with her also continued.

"When I learned that the two of you developed a relationship, it hurts me so I intended not to introduce myself to you anymore and not to tell you that I was the one who had saved you."

Nigel started to cry again, how blind and naive he was back then. Why didn't he thought to ask Elaine for proof that she's really the one who saved him? Because of that, he missed the chance to meet Nathalie earlier. But what's even more painful is that, it's his own wife who really saved him, the woman he truly loves but he didn't cherish her at all. He wiped his tears and continued reading:

"Marrying you is what I considered to be the happiest thing that happened to me. The three years is enough, I know that no matter what I do, you won't be able to love me as much as you love Elaine. But you never know, in those years, I was hoping one day, you would somehow give me some importance and consideration, unfortunately, you didn't."

Nigel began to wept loudly, he's really a bastard. How he wish he could turn back in time. If it will be granted, he will not only give his consideration and importance to Nathalie, he will also give all of his love to her.

"I don't blame you for everything, I married you in my own risk and this is my own decision. Now, I just hope you will finally live a happy life with Elaine. But I wish, if there's really an afterlife, I hope that God allows me to love someone else, a man who will cherish and loves me back..... that's all I wanted to say, until the next time of our lives, if there is...... goodbye."

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The sun had set when Nigel left the hospital. His eyes are red and a little swollen, his clothes are wrinkled and his hair is messy, he seems to have just woken up. He walked like a zombie as if he had no directions. He stopped and sat down on a stone bench while his mind was empty. 'Nathalie, Nathalie is gone.... I hurt her.' he kept mumbling on his mind. He didn't even bothered of catching Elaine that he left on her room. If asked if he still have feelings for that woman, the answer is-no.

Nigel's countenance turned grim. If it wasn't for her, he wouldn't have hurt Nathalie, he wouldn't have let her go. 'B*tch, I'll make sure you'll pay.' He took out his cellphone and call his lawyer to consult on filing a case against the woman. He then thought of calling his mother, but was hesitated. He thought, maybe it would be better if he just spill everything in person.

"Nigel! It's good to see you, wait..... A-are you alright? What's happened to you?" Nigel's mother greeted in surprise, but was shocked to see her son in disorderly state.

"Can I get in? I have something important I should tell you." The man asked in all solemness.

The three sat at the wide living room of the villa, including Nigel's father. "Hump! What are you doing here? is your head's clear now? Are you going to break up with that mistress of yours? who actually is that woman? She has no morals! how flirty and dirty she was to attached herself to the married man!"

Nigel's mother appease him. "Honey, stopped blabbering for once okay? I've been hearing that from you for the past few days. Besides, we could only see our son today since we got back. Let him talk first, maybe what he's here about is really important."

Nigel was silent while his head kept down, after a while: "Nathalie's gone."

His father's snorted with disgust. "Of course she's gone, what do you expect? Did she divorce you? Well, serves you right! Who told you to cheat?"

Nigel's mother glared to her husband, she then turned to her son. "Did she leave the apartment?" She sighed. "By the way son, maybe you want to move to a villa? I told you before that Nathalie didn't fit in there, I just don't understand why you insisted to live in that messy place."

Nigel clenched his fist. "Yeah, it's my fault. I didn't give her the best...... But she's gone now, she won't come back and I don't have the chance to make up for her."

"Son..." Nigel's mother caress him on the shoulder. Do you regret cheating on her? Although I haven't met Nathalie frequently before, but from what I heard from Lucille, Nathalie was understanding and considerate girl. She may forgive you if you could only show some sincerity."

"That won't happen anymore, because she's dead."

The living room turned silence all of a sudden. It took a while for Nigel's parents to come back to their senses. "Son, w-what did you say?" His mother's asked in a trembling voice.

"Nathalie's dead."

Nigel's father seems to received a shock, he suddenly have difficult breathing while clutching his chest.

"Honey, honey, calm down." Nigels mother quickly took her husband's medicine and immediately give him two pills. When she saw him finally settled down, she turned to Nigel frowning. "Son, make it clear, what really happened to Nathalie? We, the Sarmiento's are afterall responsible for her, what can we say to her family if something's happen to her?"

"She's dead." Nigel stood up. "Don't worry, I will be the one to tell her parents. You are not at fault to this, it's I. I will accept whatever punishment they impose on me, I deserve it." He leave while her mother's agaped, unable to absorb the truth.

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"Bastard!!"

A heavy punch landed on Nigel's face, athough he can dodge it, but he chose to accept it.

"What's gotten to my sister to make such a decision, what did you do to her?"

Nathalie's parents were just silent, but their eyes are wet and red.

Nigel wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, he kneeled infront of his ex mother and father in-laws. "Mom, dad, please say something, it's all my fault. Blame me, scold me, hurt me, whatever you wanted do to me, I won't refuse."

Nathalie's death spread to their friends, they mourned although her remains haven't found. Though it was questionable, but they didn't doubted the fact that she's passed away in regards of the doctor's testimony who made the surgery to Nathalie.

Nigel didn't leave his condo, it seemed as if he suddenly lost interest in everything. He spend his time drinking all day and this worried her mother, so she often visits him, and cooks for him.

Elaine on the other hand had disappeared like a popping bubbles. Eversince that day at the hospital, there has been no news about her and she seems to be hiding.

Three years have passed quickly and a lot of things has changed....