Chapter 103 - Eros et Psyche 6: Back To Korea (1/2)

In a dark room inside a luxurious office, a man sat as memories from a distant past replayed in his mind.

”Let me go!”

A woman screeched as a man carried her and threw her slender body on the huge bed.

”What do you think you're doing?” she cried demanded as she got up and tried to escape but the man stopped her. She struggled but he did not let her go. ”Let me go! I don't want this!”

”I can't!” the man cried his answer, his anguish apparent in his voice.

His usually stoic face reflected all the hurt he had been keeping inside. He was breaking. He couldn't bear the loneliness anymore. He couldn't. Using his strength, he overpowered her, mȧkɨnġ ŀȯvė with her so desperately. He held her as urgently as if she was his life.

But she was indeed his life. His heart. His everything. Without him, there's no point in living.

An hour after, two bodies lay entwined on the huge bed wearing nothing but shadows and the soft light coming from the bedside lamp. One body held the other, his heart filled with regrets as he cried silent tears into the night.

The memory ended and he shifted on his seat and stood up. Rain cascaded incessantly outside the huge window. A pair of solemn almond eyes watched the downpour as he leaned over the transom, looking below the thirtieth floor where his office was. In his hand was an almost consumed cancer stick, its ash falling idly on the carpeted floor.

”You're smoking again,” a voice spoke from behind, and yet he didn't turn around to look. ”I haven't seen you smoke for a long time,” the voice added as its owner trod the steps that would close the gap between them. ”Are you alright?”

For the first time, Charles Wong's face didn't have its mischievous aura. Instead, there was a genuinely worried frown marring his youthful feature. He hadn't seen his cousin this…dark for a long time.

Well, not since…

”Ria already knows I am married.” Michael's statement made Charles' brow rise, his lips opening in surprise.

”Oh…” was the only thing he was able to say for a while before the two of them ŀȧpsed into a thoughtful silence.

”That's good…I think,” Charles commented more to himself than to the other as he nodded, still deep in thought as if he himself was still unsure with his own answer.

In all honesty, he was a little…surprised. He never thought Michael had plans on letting her know about his wife after all, though he somewhat agreed that it was a good idea to do so his cousin could keep his marriage.

”Have you introduced her to your wife then?” he asked lightly and watched as anguish surfaced from within his cousin's orbs so suddenly that he had to turn his face away, unable to bear seeing the vulnerability Michael had never let anyone see before.

”I tried…but mother came to ruin everything,” he snorted in disgust, remembering the predatory woman who gave birth to him. ”It's impossible now, I think. Ria…” his voice trailed off as he remembered how she had retreated from him.

Since that night he took her out to dinner, Ria had made sure to stay away from him. It's already been two weeks since that time and until now he was never been given a chance to redeem himself.

How could he explain something if the other party's not willing to listen?

The worst was that after the project, Ria suddenly asked for a month's leave and took off somewhere he had no idea where.

It had been days since she had gone. Until now he hadn't heard a word from her which meant one thing.

”Charles…I think…I think I've lost,” Michael stated in half disbelief, his brows shifting as his eyes stared far, far away as if he'd just been hit by that realization himself.

Moisture filled the edges of his almond-shaped orbs, his nose turning red as he swallowed hard, fighting with difficulty the urge to keel over and weep. ”I think…I think my wife's gone now…”

”What are you saying? Don't tell me you're giving up?” Charles couldn't believe his ears.

Over seven months ago, when the tragedy happened, he had seen how his cousin fought tooth and nail to keep everything he held dear. He had witnessed how in spite that his wife wanted to leave him, Michael had held on tight.

Then after the incident months ago, when the doctors told him that he should give up, Michael didn't. His cousin had been strong through and through. But then now…

And now Michael Chen had broken down.