Chapter 8: Sadness hit her

DAPHNE was about to knock when the door to BK’s room opened.

“Have you eaten? Maybe you’d like to join me,” she offered.

He stared at her again before nodding. She smiled sweetly at him before turning away.

She fixed the table and the plate her husband would use. She didn’t even realize she was smiling while preparing BK’s dinnerware. But that faded when she noticed her husband staring at her again.

“Sorry about earlier. I hope you understand my point. I was right, wasn’t I? Keep in mind that we’re at a hotel owned by my parents.”

She smiled and nodded. “I understand. I’m sorry, too. Let’s forget about it. I’ll just go sightseeing somewhere else, like you said.”

“I’ll give you an itinerary later if you want. Just avoid places where Filipinos hang out.”

“Okay. Let’s eat,” she said, which made him smile. She smiled back. His smile really made him look more handsome.

Their dinner went well. They talked a lot—random things, like where he went earlier. He said he met a lot of people. He even mentioned he had a date tomorrow.

Lucky him, he already found someone to date. Meanwhile, she had no one. Anyway, she wasn’t into guys.

She couldn’t help but laugh to herself. They just got married, and he’s already thinking of dating. Well, she had no right to stop him. That was part of their deal. They weren’t supposed to meddle in each other’s lives.

Most of the conversation was about his life and interests. She didn’t really have much to share. They were poor. She hadn’t experienced what he had. He was born with a silver spoon, while she had nothing. He probably wouldn’t relate if she talked about her and her mother’s hardships.

She realized her husband was the carefree type. He only cared about his own happiness. He said there were still so many things he wanted to try in life. He even had a bucket list. She asked what his parents would say if they found out, but he said he didn’t care if they got hurt. They’d get over it. What mattered was he followed their wish to get married.

She couldn’t really say anything about his mindset. It was fine since she wasn’t serious about the marriage either. So it didn’t matter to her if they separated early.

The topic shifted to her. She said she wanted to go to Scandinavia. That was all she had to share. He promised to help her leave soon so she could find her father.

Just like he said, BK gave her an itinerary. But she didn’t follow it. She kept herself busy with her phone and laptop. She was really preparing for her dream trip anyway, and her husband had promised to support her.

She and BK were just going to survive the honeymoon without anything actually happening between them. They weren’t like newlyweds who stayed in the room together. They acted like tourists on their own trips.

On the sixth day, she thought about swimming by herself. It was still summer, so there were many tourists around. Most were Filipino because the Hernandez family’s hotel was well-known among Filipinos. She had spoken to many of them. They said it felt like being on vacation in the Philippines. Even the food was mostly Filipino dishes.

She wore a trikini top, one of the things BK’s mom bought for her. She just wore a cover-up at the bottom. A T-shirt felt awkward. Everyone else was in Bikinis. She’d be the odd one out. Then again, Hawaii was more liberated. And it was normal since they were at the beach, unlike in the Philippines, where people talk too much when they see someone in a bikini.

The hotel staff had set up a bench for her, so she placed her things there.

She looked around. She was the only one alone. Everyone else had family, partners, or friends. She suddenly felt jealous. Maybe she should’ve brought Amelie so she wouldn’t feel so alone. It was kind of sad.

Wearing stylish sunglasses, she decided to lie down on a wooden beach chair. Her legs showed a little on the left due to the way her cover-up was tied. The wind blew it, so she sat up to fix it.

She was about to lie down again when she heard loud laughter from a group. Her mouth opened in surprise when she saw her husband, BK, with a woman. They were surrounded by the noisy group. He had many companions, and most of them were couples.  BK’s right arm was wrapped around the woman’s slim waist, which made her raise an eyebrow.

She let out a bitter laugh. Her husband must have forgotten they were at Hotel De Astin. What if someone took a photo of him with another woman while she sat there alone on the bench? She shook her head.

She eyed the woman from head to toe. So BK liked brunettes. Why not her? They looked pretty similar. She was beautiful, too. The only edge the woman had was her confidence in a two-piece. But maybe she was even prettier.

Is it really bad to hype yourself up?

BK might have noticed she was staring, so she looked away. But it was too late.  Her husband was already looking at her. His handsome face frowned slightly. But she ignored it. Her eyes were fixed on his chest, partially exposed from his unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt. Her husband was good-looking but not fun to be around. He wasn’t into her. She grimaced at the thought.

When she saw him staring at her body, she looked down. It felt like he was undressing her with his eyes. His brows furrowed as his gaze landed on her exposed thigh.

“Honey,” said the woman with him.

BK shook his head and turned to the woman. He smiled at her and pulled her closer. Probably to get away from her.

Well, wow!

A sudden wave of sadness hit her. They were supposed to be together. They were the ones who got married.