Chapter 46 Being Detached
With a scar emerging on my heart, my steps were frozen to the ground and I stood where he left me for an hour.
Tears glistening on my cheek, the echoing crash of Vince’s hand hitting the table still vibrated in the air, frightening me too much.
He was gone, demanding that I "think about what I just said." I had nothing left to think about.
I had offered him my vulnerability only to find myself retreating back to darkness.
Was he going to abandon me too? Was I right all along? Did I end up depending on him too much?
“Maybe…”
My voice trailed off, wiping my tears, I didn’t go back to our room, instead the one he first assigned to me.
I had no strength to confront him anymore. The next morning, I quickly got ready for work and finally left without any restriction.
“Good Morning. How are you, Ma’am?”
“Hmm. Send the weekly reports I missed on my table and schedule a meeting with our investors. We don’t have time to waste,” I ordered strictly, going straight to my cabin.
Wick was taken aback at the coldness but I had to mask my ache somehow. Placing my attention to work, I ignored Vince’s call too.
“Are you alright, Ma’am?” Wick asked, noticing my dead stare.
“Hmm.”
“If you are still not well, you can go back. I will handle-”
“I want to be well, Wick, that is why I am here so let me go and go back to yours,” I sighed in annoyance.
“Okay…”
After work, I had dinner outside, alone. Well aware his mother couldn’t be wrong about starving me and entered with a dead expression.
“Oh-”
“Fuck off.”
Her maid was about to come and mock me but I showed her my middle finger and rushed back to our room where to my surprise, Vince was already present, emitting endless gloom.
He had freshened up, sitting on the edge of the bed, rubbing his temples with visible remorse that couldn’t affect me.
The moment I entered, his head shot up, his expression strained and etched with guilt.
“Alyssa, listen, I… I didn’t mean to shout,” He started, his voice rough, rising from his seat desperately.
“I am sorry. I just… I got defensive. You know how much my mother means to me.”
I walked past him coldly, went to the dresser, picking up the small perfume bottle he had gifted me, and placed it back neatly in its box.
“Hey, talk to me, please,” he insisted, approaching me steadily.
He tried to place a hand on my shoulder, but tensing them, I took a step away, creating a fair distance between us.
“I am exhausted,” I stated, emotionless.
“Wait,” He urged, blocking the bathroom door, appearing right before me that made me jump back with agitation.
“Don’t shut me out. I know you are upset. Look, let’s talk about this. I know you have been through a lot.” He whispered desperately, trying to convince me.
Losing his breaths, his composure and I no longer knew how to prove myself right when the bruise itself failed to bulge him.
“Maybe it’s the stress from Ken, and you are projecting some of that anger onto my mother, subconsciously.” See. I was right.
“Projecting.” I chuckled dryly, rolling my eyes, folding my arms at my chest.
The word settled in my chest, heavy and infuriating.
“Is that your sophisticated way of calling me hysterical like your mother?” I taunted him with an emotionless smile.
“Don’t say this, please, I am only trying to help you,”
“And you have, you have a lot for me. Thank you,”
I met his eyes, and for the first time, I looked at him without desperation, only cold, hard disappointment.
I didn’t blink. I didn’t raise my voice.
“Now, move, Vince, I need to use the bathroom,” I said, my voice barely a whisper, yet carrying the weight of finality.
He flinched, recognizing the complete emotional shutdown.
He dropped his arm and moved aside, watching me carefully, with dejection as I walked into the bathroom and locked the door.
Washing my face, I exhaled loudly in frustration, hitting the sink in order to reduce the blazing ache.
It was not the first time I was not trusted, not the first time I was treated badly, it was NOT the first time.
‘Then why does it hurt like it never did before? Why did ‘Vince’ refuse to believe in me or help me was gut–wrenching for me?’
Pushing my hair behind, I got out after changing into my nightwear and sat on the couch when the room was empty.
I was rubbing my temples to lessen the throbbing pain only to have it enhanced when Vince entered with a cheerful look along with his mother.
“Hey, we got you dinner,”
“I am not hungry, Vince, I had dinner before coming,” I replied coldly, not bothering to open my eyes.
“Already?”
“Hmm.” Opening my one eye, I glared at Mrs. Lysander, waiting for a mock or something and it came instantly.
“Oh, sorry, I made it for you and you…”
She ended up faking a sad chuckle too which I closed my eyes again and replied coldly, no longer in the mood to play friendly.
“I had dinner outside. Sorry. Should have told me before,” Yet I tried to be polite because of Vince, unable to rupture his mood.
“But-”
“It’s alright, Mama, I will have it. Thank you,”
“Okay son…”
“Goodnight.”
“Goodnight,”
Oh? She left so quietly? Without shoving it down my throat? I smiled emptily, sensing Vince sitting beside me.
I waited for him to say something, to scold me but he started eating and groaned after one bite, placing the cutlery down.
“Terrible as always,”
“Hmm?” Intrigued, I opened my eyes and saw he had taken a single bite and left the food be and was ordering food online.
“Mama’s cooking. She doesn’t know how to cook. Taste’s horrible,” He smiled feebly, adding two fries to his cart.
“Is this one for me?”
“Of course. YOu love fries. Even if you are full, you will have space for it,” He hummed, placing his phone back.
Forming my lips in a thin line, I hugged my knees close to my chest.
“Alyssa, come on-”
“Don’t, Vince,”
Extending his hand out to hold my shoulder but flinching I didn’t let him by placing my hand in between.
He narrowed his eyes, closing the gap between us, grabbing my hand nonetheless gently, brushing his thumb over my knuckles.
“I defended you against my family before. Why are you acting like I have abandoned you?”
Because you have, this time.
I simply stared into his soul, stealing words from his tongue, pulling my hand back eventually, rising from the couch.
“Alyssa, please… don’t,”
Flashing a hint of exasperation, I groaned, “What did I say now? I am silent and tired. Can I sleep?”
His mouth gaped but lowering his head in defeat, he whispered, “...Yes,”
Without exchanging further words, I forced myself to sleep as well, not even eating the fries he ordered for me.