Chapter 19 The Heartache
Natalie’s POV
Rafael didn’t act or move for a moment. Just staring at me blanking. Then, without hesitation, he placed his tightened lips on Debbie’s while his furious gaze studied my face.
The shooting cameras sound washed over the place. And I felt my heart shattered into pieces.
I was on the edge of collapse. My heart was bleeding. But I deserved it. I was the one who entered myself in the middle of this hell.
I was like a snowball from outside, but the volcano inside me was about to erupt. I helped them in several positions while Debbie’s friends gathered around to shower her with their blessings.
Among this small crowd, Rafael’s hands and mine accidentally collided several times. But I ignored him as he stalked me with his eyes the whole time.
When we finally finished, I was emotionally exhausted, so, without a word, I went straight to aunt Tobi. My tears were threatening to fall. I was on the verge of a breakdown. Why did all this happen to me!?
‘Don’t play the victim now. You knew from the beginning that he was engaged to her!’ I held back my tears, preventing them from falling as I forced myself to be strong.
But this feeling of jealousy was burning me and killing me. Like a sharp knife cutting me from the inside. The pain was all over my body. It was a physical pain, literally physical.
“What’s wrong dear?” Aunt Tobi asked with a motherly voice.
“I want to go home” I stammered.
She held my hand and said with a tender voice, “my dear, don’t let anyone spoil your mood. You look gorgeous tonight. Look at all of those handsome guys over there! Have a good time. Enjoy yourself dear. If I were your age, I would meet someone”
Meet someone? I didn’t do that even once. I’ve never dated. My eyes didn’t see any men but Rafael my whole life.
“Hello ladies”
A handsome man appeared before us. He smiled cocksly, extended his hand and added while staring at my face, “I’m Okberj. David Okberj. Debbie’s cousin.”
I just stared at his outstretched hand without any reaction, thinking that it must be Debbie who encouraged him to come over and introduce himself. Ever since she met Raf, she had been trying to find me a boyfriend.
A light red color tinted his cheeks and he was about to take back his outstretched hand when aunt Tobi reached out her hand and said politely, “Hello, Mr. Okbej. Nice to meet you. I’m Tobi and this is Natalie”
“Yes, I heard about you both. Debbie has told me a lot about Natalie” he replied, saying my first name as if he knew me before. Then he looked at me and added, while his eyes examined me boldly, “But she is more beautiful than I had imagined”
I didn’t like the way he was staring at me, but I smiled and nodded politely at his flattery.
Raf’s gruff voice came from behind us, saying, “David, David! Are you still searching for a wife?” He was wrapping one hand around Debbie’s waist, and with his other hand, he tightened his grip on David’s shoulder. He was pretending that his movement was spontaneous, but I could see the glimpse of pain crossing David’s face.
The latter avoided Rafael’s hand, stared at me with shiny eyes and confessed,
“If Natalie takes pity on me, I will please her by all means. She is a beautiful and delicate woman who deserves to be satisfied and pampered.”
David’s words were padded, and had other flattering meanings.
His boastful tone changed when he noticed my lack of interest in him.
I stared at Rafael’s burning gaze. He was clenching his fists and tightening his jaw, warning me with his eyes.
It felt good, though. He deserved it. It’s his turn to suffer and feel what I felt a few minutes ago.
Debbie clapped her hands and cheered, cutting the tension, “How romantic! You’re so lucky, Nat! David is a great man”
“Didn’t you tell me that you would like to meet the Minister of Economy? Come, I’ll introduce you to him” Rafael said, urging David to follow him.
When the two men left, Debbie whispered to me, so aunt Tobi couldn’t hear, “No man can satisfy a woman more than Raf.” she was pretending that she was just having a little chat with me.
She blushed and opened her phone, showing me some photos of lingeries, “Raf bought them for me. He wants me to wear them tonight.”
“It’s going to be a long, wild night,” she added with a long, dreamy breath. “By the way, thank you for the great pictures. They’ve made us feel even more excited about tonight.”
I narrowed my eyes at first. Then, I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t blink. Her words burned me. My legs were like jelly. A shiver of pain ran through my cells. They have an affair? He told me he never touched her! Was he lying to me? He planned for tonight to be our first night together! Did he abandon me for the sake of her?
I felt insulted. I loved him for a long time, yet I never hinted about it!! He was the one who asked for the physical relationship.
It’s true I was the wife, but a temporary wife. He wouldn’t replace a billionaire’s daughter with a poor girl that he married for pity.
But I never asked him to make things permanent between us. I knew it was going to be an in-bed relationship for just six months.
A flash of knowledge hit my head. Was she lying to me?
Yes, that is still an option until he proves the opposite. I will confront him and ask him about it. I have the right to know.
For the rest of the time at the party, I avoided meeting with them. I decided I would ask him when I found him alone.
I was chatting with some clients when I heard a commotion. I turned back and saw Raf hugging Debbie and her friends clapping and asking him to kiss her: “kiss her, kiss her….”
Like a dagger lodged in my ribs, the pain had spread there.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.
I didn’t have the nerve to witness their intimate actions any longer. I took my purse and left immediately. My heart was hurting.
My phone started ringing while I was driving. Through my foggy eyes, I saw Rafael’s name. I hung up on him. I didn’t want him to hear my sops.
I didn’t know where I was going, I just couldn’t stay there any longer. I was driving without any specific destination.
I wiped off my tears with my palm and wrote a message, I didn’t want him to feel that I was insulted. I will keep my wound to myself.
[Sorry Raf, I take my words back. I’m going to meet my boyfriend at a hotel. You can cancel the marriage if you want]
My phone never stopped ringing though, and I didn’t answer at all.
Ding, Ding.
A new message received!
[Please don’t] he sent.
[Let’s talk first. Where are you?] He sent again.
Then, he called again and again and again….
I didn’t answer his calls even once. I was weak. Broken. I didn’t want him to see me in this state.
I was sobbing and whining loudly. The pain was unbearable.
Another message received:
[Just watch Nat. I’ll make you pay, I swear!]