CHapter 21:Not Meant to Be
Tomoyo turned to the next page of the novel.
Just as Tamara and Christian were leaving a fabric store, Earl got out from his car, looking furious.
"So this is where my dear wife hangs out whenever I'm out," he said sarcastically.
Her face turned white. "E-Earl, it's not what you think.."
"Of course, Tamara," he replied with a grim smile. "That guy's arms is draped around your shoulders and you look awfully happy..happier than you've ever been since I met you. Of course it's not what I think."
Christian held his hand up. "Look,Mr.Harrison, Tamara's right. Don't start thinking maliciously.."
His eyes shot daggers at him before he shoved Christiuan down the ground. Hard.
"E-Earl!" Tamara cried, aghast.
"H-Hey, calm down, will you? We were just out on a friendly date and nothing more-"
Earl's fist landed squarely on the man's face.
"Earl, stop it!" cried Tamara as she rushed to Christian's side.
His face was a mix of disbelief and anger. "Are you taking his side?!!"
"N-No..but.." She bit her lip. "Look, Earl, you got it wrong.."
"Stop fooling me!" he yelled.
"I'm not fooling you for pete's sake, Earl!" she yelled back. She was clearly upset already ."He was only keeping me company.."
"And can I not give you that?" He paused when he realized what he just said.
Her eyes welled up with tears. "You can't.."
He felt his heart stop beating.
"You weren't really there for me. You..were never there for me.." she continued.
Pain seared through her heart. "Tamara.."
Christian sat up. "Mr.Harrison, I'm taking your wife back to Japan. She deserves much more than this."
He remained petrified.
Tamara finally understood what she just did. "I'm so sorry..I didn't mean to.."
He slowly looked at the silently suffering face of his wife.
Everything came crashing down at him. All his faults, mistakes and wrongdoings to her flooded his mind. For the first time, he saw how much pain and frustrations she kept hidden under her ever-smiling face and hushed timid voice.
"God, she was so miserable in our marriage..so lonely," his mind said silently. "Maybe the guy's right. I don't really deserve her."
But something was tugging in his heart. No he didn't want to lose Tamara.
Christian looked at Tamara. "Come, we're going home."
He smirked at him. "Tamara is heading home alright..to OUR home."
She looked down at the ground for what seemed like eternity. She didn't know what got into her, but her mind was dictating to her that she had enough. She lifted her eyes to the men. "I'm going with Christian."
That night, Earl laid himself on the king-size bed, all alone. Until now, he still coudn't believe that Tamara chose Christian over him.
"But I only got what I deserved," he told himself bitterly. "I didn't treat her well."
He ran his fingers across the bedsheet, imagining Tamara was lying on it, snuggled next to him. "Just come home to me, Tamara..and I promise, I won't ever let you go again.." his voice broke. "Come home..Tamara.."
A few minutes later, the door opened. Earl's eyes lit up hopefully.
Tamara carefully closed the door and walked in front of him, heads bowed.
He forced an unaffected facial expression. "So you finally came to your senses and came back."
"I just came to pack my things," she replied quietly.
He felt like he was slapped. Shame and anger erupted within him. "I'm giving you 2 minutes."
"Thank you." She walked towards the closet and started to pack her clothes.
"Don't you even want to consider that I'm still your husband?" he asked in forced nonchant voice.
"You weren't one."
"I..I was the first man in your life..your primal conqueror. Would that Christian love you despite the fact that you're not.."
She laughed bitterly. "You were the guy whom I had my first sex with, but Christian is not that shallow. Virginity is only a piece of hymen. You see, my heart was more battered."
"I made love with you," he insisted.
"Tell that to the marines." She stood up and faced him. "Everything was a consummation, an obligation, a pastime..and I led you to bed under false pretenses." She took her bag. "That's a ground for annulment."
"Nonsense!" he shouted.
"Perhaps if I was a woman with a higher social rank than a maid, you could have treated me differently."
He was stung by her acerbity, but he was determined not to show her that he was affected. "So you regret all of these?"
"No." She opened the door. "I guess you and I just aren't meant to be."
He wanted to protest, but he kept his mouth shut. He still had one last card. "I will sue you for adultery."
She wasn't even bothered. She smiled wearily. "I could have done the very same long ago, but I guess I was just too in love with you." With that, she left the room, with Earl stunned.
Earl laid wearily on the bed. God, what had he done? He just let her slip away!
In the depths of his heart, he knew he just made a terrible mistake, but his pride was stubbornly telling him that Tamara will come back.
He would wait for her. Wait for her apology. Wait for her to say that she made a mistake and that she wanted to be his wife again.
After all, she was only a maid.He was a lord. He shouldn't step down from his pedestal just to reach out to her.
They weren't meant to be.
He could still find another woman. Another bed partner. One more suitable for him. One sophisticated and educated woman.
He would show her.
But it didn't feel really good. He felt like he still lost.
Tomoyo placed the papers down. Now she must end the story, with Tamara living happily with her friends Christian Sanders and Lea Sharon and taking care of the couple's first child.
She was used to writing a few sad endings, but somehow, she couldn't write this one.
"I'll finish this when I arrive in Japan," she decided as she went to the bathroom to shower. In an hour, she would be checking in the airport. After emailing the story to her boss Meiling's inbox, she got dressed.
**to be continued**
Tomoyo turned to the next page of the novel.
Just as Tamara and Christian were leaving a fabric store, Earl got out from his car, looking furious.
"So this is where my dear wife hangs out whenever I'm out," he said sarcastically.
Her face turned white. "E-Earl, it's not what you think.."
"Of course, Tamara," he replied with a grim smile. "That guy's arms is draped around your shoulders and you look awfully happy..happier than you've ever been since I met you. Of course it's not what I think."
Christian held his hand up. "Look,Mr.Harrison, Tamara's right. Don't start thinking maliciously.."
His eyes shot daggers at him before he shoved Christiuan down the ground. Hard.
"E-Earl!" Tamara cried, aghast.
"H-Hey, calm down, will you? We were just out on a friendly date and nothing more-"
Earl's fist landed squarely on the man's face.
"Earl, stop it!" cried Tamara as she rushed to Christian's side.
His face was a mix of disbelief and anger. "Are you taking his side?!!"
"N-No..but.." She bit her lip. "Look, Earl, you got it wrong.."
"Stop fooling me!" he yelled.
"I'm not fooling you for pete's sake, Earl!" she yelled back. She was clearly upset already ."He was only keeping me company.."
"And can I not give you that?" He paused when he realized what he just said.
Her eyes welled up with tears. "You can't.."
He felt his heart stop beating.
"You weren't really there for me. You..were never there for me.." she continued.
Pain seared through her heart. "Tamara.."
Christian sat up. "Mr.Harrison, I'm taking your wife back to Japan. She deserves much more than this."
He remained petrified.
Tamara finally understood what she just did. "I'm so sorry..I didn't mean to.."
He slowly looked at the silently suffering face of his wife.
Everything came crashing down at him. All his faults, mistakes and wrongdoings to her flooded his mind. For the first time, he saw how much pain and frustrations she kept hidden under her ever-smiling face and hushed timid voice.
"God, she was so miserable in our marriage..so lonely," his mind said silently. "Maybe the guy's right. I don't really deserve her."
But something was tugging in his heart. No he didn't want to lose Tamara.
Christian looked at Tamara. "Come, we're going home."
He smirked at him. "Tamara is heading home alright..to OUR home."
She looked down at the ground for what seemed like eternity. She didn't know what got into her, but her mind was dictating to her that she had enough. She lifted her eyes to the men. "I'm going with Christian."
That night, Earl laid himself on the king-size bed, all alone. Until now, he still coudn't believe that Tamara chose Christian over him.
"But I only got what I deserved," he told himself bitterly. "I didn't treat her well."
He ran his fingers across the bedsheet, imagining Tamara was lying on it, snuggled next to him. "Just come home to me, Tamara..and I promise, I won't ever let you go again.." his voice broke. "Come home..Tamara.."
A few minutes later, the door opened. Earl's eyes lit up hopefully.
Tamara carefully closed the door and walked in front of him, heads bowed.
He forced an unaffected facial expression. "So you finally came to your senses and came back."
"I just came to pack my things," she replied quietly.
He felt like he was slapped. Shame and anger erupted within him. "I'm giving you 2 minutes."
"Thank you." She walked towards the closet and started to pack her clothes.
"Don't you even want to consider that I'm still your husband?" he asked in forced nonchant voice.
"You weren't one."
"I..I was the first man in your life..your primal conqueror. Would that Christian love you despite the fact that you're not.."
She laughed bitterly. "You were the guy whom I had my first sex with, but Christian is not that shallow. Virginity is only a piece of hymen. You see, my heart was more battered."
"I made love with you," he insisted.
"Tell that to the marines." She stood up and faced him. "Everything was a consummation, an obligation, a pastime..and I led you to bed under false pretenses." She took her bag. "That's a ground for annulment."
"Nonsense!" he shouted.
"Perhaps if I was a woman with a higher social rank than a maid, you could have treated me differently."
He was stung by her acerbity, but he was determined not to show her that he was affected. "So you regret all of these?"
"No." She opened the door. "I guess you and I just aren't meant to be."
He wanted to protest, but he kept his mouth shut. He still had one last card. "I will sue you for adultery."
She wasn't even bothered. She smiled wearily. "I could have done the very same long ago, but I guess I was just too in love with you." With that, she left the room, with Earl stunned.
Earl laid wearily on the bed. God, what had he done? He just let her slip away!
In the depths of his heart, he knew he just made a terrible mistake, but his pride was stubbornly telling him that Tamara will come back.
He would wait for her. Wait for her apology. Wait for her to say that she made a mistake and that she wanted to be his wife again.
After all, she was only a maid.He was a lord. He shouldn't step down from his pedestal just to reach out to her.
They weren't meant to be.
He could still find another woman. Another bed partner. One more suitable for him. One sophisticated and educated woman.
He would show her.
But it didn't feel really good. He felt like he still lost.
Tomoyo placed the papers down. Now she must end the story, with Tamara living happily with her friends Christian Sanders and Lea Sharon and taking care of the couple's first child.
She was used to writing a few sad endings, but somehow, she couldn't write this one.
"I'll finish this when I arrive in Japan," she decided as she went to the bathroom to shower. In an hour, she would be checking in the airport. After emailing the story to her boss Meiling's inbox, she got dressed.
**to be continued**
