Chapter 7.2: Stroll
1608 Words
She was wiping away tears when she heard the door open. She’d been awake for a while and had already spoken to Max. He was the one who helped her when she fainted on the side of the road. She didn’t know if it was just a coincidence that he was also in Bergen. He didn’t say anything.
“Eat something. You need to regain strength. The doctor said, your body’s still weak.”
“Just leave it there, Max. I’ll eat when I get hungry,” she answered, her back turned to him.
“You slept for four hours earlier, and it looks like hunger caused you to faint. What if it takes you two more hours before you get hungry again? Huh? Will you wait until you’re shaking from hunger before you take a bite? How will you regain your strength then?”
She turned to him. “Can you not, Max? I said, I’ll eat so that you can go now.”
He laughed bitterly. “This is my apartment. Why would I leave?”
“Then I’ll leave!” She was about to get up when he stopped her—and right on cue, her stomach growled.
“See? Eat. And take your meds, too.” He turned and walked straight out.
She shook her head and sat back down. Her body really was weak. She hadn’t fully recovered before visiting her father’s house, and now things just felt worse.
All she could think about at that moment was her mother. She felt so sorry for her. She saw the sacrifices her mom made just to get her through school. No wonder her mom didn’t want to find her father—because he never cared about them.
She didn’t think she did anything wrong. She just wanted to meet her real father. She even thought he might have a family by now. But it’s not like she intended to force herself into his life or his family’s. Still, she wished he hadn’t spoken to her like that. She was genuinely excited to see him, only to be told she was a mistake. And worse, that her mother got pregnant on purpose by poking holes in the condom. That explained his coldness—he didn’t even want her to exist.
But she still couldn’t understand why her mother didn’t stop her from seeing him. Why did she let her get hurt like this? She was hurting—for her mom and for herself.
Before her thoughts could give her a headache, she sat on the edge of the bed. The foldable table was there. The food was ready—she was the only thing missing.
Even without appetite, she forced herself to eat because her stomach was growling. Filipino food was served, which made her wonder. Who cooked it? Max too?
She was done eating, but Max still hadn’t come back. She glanced around. The apartment looked expensive. Well, Max did seem wealthy, so he could afford it. Too bad she turned down BK’s offer for an apartment or hotel.
She was about to lie down when she saw her phone light up. She quickly answered when she saw BK’s name.
“I’ve been calling you.”
“I just woke up,” she said. She didn’t turn on her camera in case he noticed she wasn’t in the dorm. Only audio.
“You didn’t go out today?”
“I did. I just got back.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Why won’t you turn your camera on? I want to see you.”
She paused at what he said. She almost told him she wanted to see him too. They hadn’t talked all day since he said he was busy. She missed him, probably. She’d gotten used to talking to him every day, and then suddenly—nothing. He was the only one giving her strength right now. Even if he wasn’t saying much, she knew he was there, supporting her.
“Daph?” he prompted.
“Hmmm,” was all she could reply.
“I said, I want to see you.”
“Later, please?”
“Why?” He sounded irritated.
She bit her lip. Should she admit she wasn’t in the dorm?
“I know you’re not in your dorm, Daph.” That made her freeze.
“H-how did you know?”
“I have eyes on you, even when I’m not there. I know what’s happening. Now, open your f*****g camera. I want to see you.”
She had no choice but to turn it on. But first, she bit her lower lip to bring color back to her face—she knew she looked pale. After days of being sick and even fainting, she fixed her tied-up hair too.
She saw his frown deepen when the camera turned on. “Where are you?”
“In an apart—” She didn’t finish because Max spoke from behind her.
“Are you done?” Max asked. He even peeked at her face. “Are you sure you ate? Maybe you just threw it out?”
She closed her eyes and turned to him fully. “I’m full, okay? I finished everything. It was even good—go ahead and smell my breath,” she snapped, annoyed. She had someone on a call, and he just barged in.
“Really? Let me try,” he teased with a laugh.
That’s when she realized her “smell my breath” line was a mistake.
“Daphne!” She turned to the phone—BK was still on the line. And now, with the camera on, he wasn’t just frowning—he was angry.
“I told you we’d talk later. You’re so stubborn,” she muttered.
“Go home. Please,” he said with emphasis.
“Excuse me. She can’t go home yet. She needs to regain her strength—that’s what the doctor said,” Max interrupted from behind her.
“F*ck you! I’m not talking to you, bad-mouth!” BK shouted, and she rubbed her temple. “I’ll have someone pick you up. Send me the address—”
“Enough, BK. My head already hurts. Don’t make it worse. I’ll go home later when I feel stronger. Bye!”
“Daphne, wait! F*ck!”
“Are you swearing at me?” She held herself back from hanging up just yet.
“Of course not. I’m sorry. I’ll send someone for you now.” And just like that, he ended the call.
So that’s it. He ended it. But she froze. How would he send someone? He didn’t even ask where she was.
“Looks like your husband’s mad at me.”
“Let him be. He’s just scared we’ll fall apart. He still needs me,” she said as she slowly stood up.
Max helped her. She didn’t resist because, honestly, she was still weak.
She needed to go back. Maybe her husband really did have eyes here. Maybe he thought she was trying to escape. She gave her word. Even if her visit ended badly, she would still fulfill her agreement with BK.
“Where are you going?”
“Home. My husband doesn’t joke around. He might really send someone to get me.”
“Fine. I’ll drive you. You might get cold outside.”
“No, please. You know he already gets annoyed with you—even back in Hawaii.”
“Really? Does he have the nerve to be annoyed? He’s the rude one. I found out that was your honeymoon, and yet he was with someone else? Your husband’s impressive.”
“Well, that’s life. All I’ll say is—it’s give and take. No further explanations. Period.”
He stared at her for a moment.
“You don’t love him, right?” She froze at Max’s question.
What love was he talking about? Oh, right. He didn’t know the real reason she and BK got married. But even she wasn’t sure how she felt about BK now.
“Something like that. That’s why I let him do what he wants. Think whatever you want.” She smiled. “Anyway, I’ll go ahead. I’ll repay your kindness later, not now—I’m not in the right headspace. I won’t forget what you did for me today. I just want to rest and sleep as much as I can. I need to regain my strength. I still have a few days left here—I’ll make the most of them.”
Well, she figured she should just forget why she came here in the first place. Better to enjoy the rest of her time.
She let out a deep sigh. “How about strolling when I feel better?”
She thought about it. Hopefully, she’ll feel better tomorrow. She had a mother who loved her. Her father wasn’t really a loss. If he didn’t want her, then fine. She’d just have to deal with the pain for now. She hoped she really would feel better soon. She couldn’t return to the Philippines defeated.
“Sure. I think I’ll be okay tomorrow. It’s exercise anyway, right? I already saved your number. I’ll call you, promise.” She put on her thick jacket and grabbed her bag.
She still felt weak, honestly. But she forced herself to stay strong. She didn’t want Max to notice. She just wanted to be alone today. What happened earlier weighed too heavily on her. She’d probably forget all about it tomorrow—or if not, eventually. She’d just keep herself busy and try to forget her father.
- Writer
