A/N: For Warning and Disclaimer, refer back to the PROLOGUE
Chapter 8: Rage
Serph looked at the picture before him. He could hardly believe his eyes. It was the picture of his wife at a café with a man. Serph's brows knitted together and he immediately saw who it was. He had been correct in his assumptions and suspicions.
It was Heat O'Brien.
Serph's blood boiled. 'The nerve of this reprobate! He had the audacity to even introduce himself to me at the ball, while in reality he was the one my wife had been screwing with.'
The picture showed Heat holding her hand while she had a hopeful expression on her face. Serph's hands balled into fists. In another picture, it showed Heat kissing Argilla on the cheek. Serph couldn't take it anymore and slammed his fists on the desk, sending the pictures flying.
He ran a shaking hand through his hair as he paced around his office. He needed to stay calm. He needed to stay focused.
'I thought she…I thought it was over…' he said, shaking his head. He walked over to the window, taking in the breathtaking view of the city from his 20th floor office, crossing his arms.
Another piece of paper along with the pictures caught his eye. It was a note. Serph unfolded the piece of paper and there lay an address; 'Probably that bastard's address…'
Serph's eyes narrowed into slits as he remembered his attempt to call Sera. He grabbed his phone and dialed her number at Muladhara.
"Hello…" a soft voice received the other end of the line.
"Sera…is that you?" Serph asked curtly, albeit a bit impatiently.
"Yeah it is. Who is this?" she asked hastily.
"It's Serph."
"Oh hey Serph! What's up?" Serph could easily discern how the uncertainty in her voice dissipate to be replaced with a more relaxed and at ease tone of voice.
"Nothing much Sera. How about you; how are you doing?" he asked nonchalantly, not really caring or the least bit interested at her response to his blatant display of triviality and futile pleasantries.
"I'm fine! Thanks for asking! So, what's up? What can I do for my favorite brother-in-law?" she asked cheerfully.
Finally, back on the track.
"Well, Sera, I was wondering if you could help me with something. You see," his mind worked fast into formulating a good excuse to ask about Argilla's whereabouts during their anniversary without throwing her the least amount of evidence that there was something being awry in their relationship at the present.
After all, it would seem rather odd and totally suspicious if the husband did not know of the wife's whereabouts on the eve of their anniversary no less!
"Well, she had lost her bracelet and she was there at Muladhara and well, I thought that maybe she left her bracelet in your place. It happened a month ago. Do you remember? It's the one that is completely made out of jade that was carved as a Chinese dragon with ruby eyes. " he stated, his voice laced with feigned hopefulness.
"Oh! She was here at Muladhara? A month ago? Well, she didn't crash at my place. But I guess I understand though; there's a new mall that opened there and they have all the good shops there. But, since when was this bracelet missing? Since the last month right? Why are you asking me this now?"
Serph cursed inwardly, 'So she has some brains.'
"Well, she just remembered right now as she was looking for it when we were to attend a party and was pretty much astonished to discover that she was no longer in possession of it."
'Sly…'
"Oh I see…" Sera muttered thoughtfully, "Well, I don't know what to tell you. I haven't seen her so I haven't seen her bracelet either. Sorry…" she said apologetically, drawling the last word playfully.
Serph felt his anger boil up but nonetheless maintained his friendly façade, "That's alright Sera. I'll just tell Argilla that it wasn't with you."
"Say, Serph? Where is Argilla? May I speak with her?"
"Whoops; she's not here right now Sera. She's at work. It's my turn to be sorry."
"Oh…well, just tell her that I hope she finds it." she said, her voice seemingly disappointed before chuckling, "By the way you described the bracelet, I guess it's pretty expensive huh?"
"You have no idea…" Serph laughed humorlessly.
"Well, then, thanks Sera."
"Bye!"
Serph stared at his phone for a few seconds and he discovered that his heart was as blank as his mind. His body was numb but then, he felt something in his chest. He was seething in anger and was paralyzed with rage.
So he was right. She had lied to him.
"She and I are going to have a little talk…" he muttered darkly. It was then that he felt the urge again. It was the urge to hurt her; to make her pay, to make her suffer the way she did him.
As for Heat…he didn't want to see him at the moment or in the near future for it might result in him killing Heat. He needed time to think and so he walked back to his desk, stepping on the pictures along the way and opened the intercom for his secretary, "Vanessa, call my wife and tell her I shall be at Sahasrara for the weekend and won't return until Monday."
"Alright Dr. Sheffield."
Today was Thursday; three days. It was enough, he deemed, to cool himself.
xxxxx
Argilla knocked on Heat's doorstep that afternoon. The timing was convenient. Serph had been called away on a seminar at Sahasrara and won't return until Monday.
"Argi!" Heat beamed, "I didn't expect you here…Come on in."
Heat had her enter the condo and turned his back on her, walking towards the bar.
"Would you like anything to drink?" he asked off-handedly.
"Heat…"
He stopped and faced her. Her tone said all that she was hesitating to say. He waited for this day; but at the same time, feared it.
"What?"
"Heat I…I think it's for the best if we…"
She couldn't bear to look at him and turned her face the other way. Heat brought his fingers to her chin and turned her face back to meet his eyes. She gulped.
"I think that it's best if we…forget all that has happened and was exchanged between us."
Heat could feel his whole world crumble to ashes as she spoke the words that he had been dreading to hear. He knew that she would choose Serph and had even mentally prepared himself for it. But, it was then that he finally agreed that when it came to the saying that in matters of the heart, no amount of preparation or defensive barriers could deflect the pain or pleasure it brought.
"I love Serph…"
Heat said nothing and cast his face down. Argilla could literally feel her heart breaking along with his. Heat didn't deserve this. He was a good man and deserved to be happy. She tilted his face to meet hers and gave him a tight embrace, "It's going to be alright…I promise…"
"It just hurts Argi…I didn't know it would be this bad you know?" he chuckled sadly, returning her embrace.
"I love you so much…but I knew you'd choose Serph in the end. I'm happy for you…"
"…"
Argilla dared not say a word. Heat was hurting. She didn't know what to say or what to do, and so, she stood there, eyeing her fallen friend carefully with apologetic eyes. Heat's gentle voice brought her out of her trance, "You should go…"
She nodded in agreement, "Yes…you're right. Goodbye Heat…"
And with those words, she made her way towards the door. As she turned the knob, she had her breath knocked out of her as she was forcefully spun around and pinned to the wall. She only had a quarter of a second to register what had transpired before her lips were crushed into another's hungry ones. It was Heat. Heat pressed himself against her, grinding his hips to hers, binding her wrists with his firm grip.
Argilla protested in his mouth but no words came; only muffled noises.
She moaned.
It was driving Heat crazy and he felt his body began to grow hotter by the second. He didn't know why he was doing what he was doing; she had chosen Serph and here he was, ravaging her. He supposed that he wanted to feel completely alive before he would let go of her. He couldn't control his longing any longer. This was the only and last time that he would have such an opportunity. He didn't intend to waste it.
Argilla hesitantly kissed him back, knowing that she will never feel this ever again. Once she crossed the threshold of his front door, she will never come back there. Ever.
Heat's hand freed its captive wrist and found its way under Argilla's shirt. She groaned in protest but he persevered. Her hand flew to where his hand was wandering but he pressed himself tighter against her that she had no room to jam her protesting hand in between his invading one and her hot body.
Feeling her give up, Heat's hand made it way up her stomach, resting in her right breast. She squealed as he massaged her breasts. He unattached his lips from hers and began kissing her neck. Argilla sucked in the cool air, panting. She leaned her head on the door behind her, feeling lost in the ecstasy brought on by Heat's touches.
As she heard the buttons of her blouse popping from her top, she quickly opened her eyes and pushed at him, "Heat! What are you doing!?"
Heat looked at her with a dreamy look, "Please Argi…I need you…"
She hesitated for a moment and her indecisiveness was rewarded with the discarding of both her blouse and her bra, leaving her bare. "Heat…! No we can-!" She was cut off once again by his mouth on hers and now, with her hands trying to push him away. Heat bound both her wrists once again with one of his large hands and the other whipped around Argilla's waist, looking for the zipper of her skirt. She yelled and shouted in his mouth, but they all came out muffled.
Heat felt himself harden at her struggles. He knew what he was doing was wrong but he couldn't help himself. It was then he remembered Argilla's smiling face and that alone had freed him from this immoral trap. He instantly broke away from her, "Argilla…I, I'm sorry…!"
He knew that if he carried on what he had wanted right there and then, Argilla would hate him forever. He had just wanted to see if she felt anything for him in that aspect. But her protests, verbally and physically told him what he needed to know. She didn't love him enough to choose him.
He turned his gaze to her now watery eyes and then quickly cast his face down. Argilla locked his gaze for but a moment but she was still able to decipher the mixture of emotions that plagued them-shame, apology, regret and fear.
"Goodbye Argilla…"
Argilla remained speechless, putting her arms in front of her to preserve her dignity. Without another word, Heat made his way to the staircase and went in his room leaving Argilla by the door.
Wordlessly, she began to pick up her discarded clothes on the floor. She put them on with no sense of urgency or haste. Once she was done, she debated with herself whether or not she would see him one last time before she left.
She, however, remained indecisive but it was her feet that made the decision for her as she returned to reality, away from her thoughts, being dragged by her feet and legs up the staircase and in front of his bedroom. She hesitated for a moment before softly knocking on the door.
"Heat…I'm sorry…Goodbye."
She pressed her ear upon the door, in an attempt to discover what it was he was doing in there. She could hear nothing save for a few heavy sighs. She knew that he needed time alone. And so, she took her leave.
xxxxx
Serph looked on to the city of Sahasrara. He had left that morning and won't return until Monday. What about the Embryon Project? His head was screaming for an explanation for the sudden and abrupt departure. A part of him wanted to tell his head to 'screw the project' but the better part of him knew that that was not possible.
What he told Argilla was a half truth anyway. He was at Sahasrara on business; he simply would neglect a part of it to give himself the space and time he needed to sort out his own problem. But that doesn't mean that he would abandon his project; on the contrary!
In the prior week, he had been asked to speak at Sahasrara Karma University for the topic of bioengineering. He was also scheduled to meet other scientists later that evening. He planned to go of course, but in the mean time, he felt that he could use the current time to gather his thoughts.
He thought back to when he had first met Argilla up to the time that he had proposed to her. He remembered her innocent eyes; how pure and true she was.
'She still is…' he reasoned with himself; she had just made a mistake-a bump on the road. Hadn't everyone else done this too? He would be the biggest hypocrite if he were to state that he had never done a sin as grave as hers.
But he still couldn't deny the hurtful feelings that he was currently experiencing. It hurt him; his heart ached at the thought of her being with another man. It devastated him when he imagined her being happy with him. It sickened him as he imagined her choosing Heat over him. He gritted his teeth in frustration.
He was doing so well in calming himself, until that last bit when he let his imagination run away with him.
'I need to do something…otherwise I'll go crazy.' he thought hopelessly.
xxxxx
"Stupid! Stupid!" Heat yelled at himself, groaning, while beating his head on the wall. "Why did I do that to her? She trusted me…and I exploited that trust…"
Heat didn't exactly know why he had done the things he had to her. All he knew was that he felt an extreme urge and pull to take her right there and then. The repercussions? All but forgotten. In that moment, nothing had mattered to him; only she and he existed and the world seemed to freeze. Heat felt himself lose a battle of morality as his inner, repressed desires for his friend overwhelmed his sense of morality, friendship and law.
"If I had done that to her…she would hate me. Just the fact that I felt that way about her…that I would and could have done that to her…then, I don't deserve her…God damn it Serph! You son of a bitch!"
Heat had no particular dislike for the man. Serph Sheffield had been courteous to him; he was anything but a 'son of a bitch'. His dislike for him was the fact that he was married to the object of his affections. He was envious of Serph. Heat had worked a lot to achieve what he had. But, no amount of hard work had fetched him what he wanted most-the love of the woman he desired. Serph Sheffield had everything; a good amount of fame and recognition, fortune, intelligence, physical appearance and Argilla. 'This is just pathetic,' Heat thought disgustedly of himself. 'I'm actually comparing myself to Serph…How low can I possibly get?'
He sighed at his pathetic and lethargic state.
"There's no use debating over this. I have to get out of here…"
His contemplation was interrupted as his phone rang. It was the hospital. His request for transfer had been granted. But, it wasn't in Lokapala as he had hoped. It was at Sahasrara.
"Well, it's better than being here…" he grumbled.
It was then that an idea struck him. May, his younger sister studied at Sahasrara Karma University. He hadn't seen her in a year. It would do him good to reunite with family. He smiled at the thought of his sister; he smiled and a bit of worry crossed his mind. May had always been a little sickly. And at this time of year, at fall, Sahasrara could be awfully chilly.
Heat wondered how much May had changed.
'Well, she would have undoubtedly grown taller. I wonder if she still kept her red hair short? Or did she grow it long now? Did she have a boyfriend?' he frowned at the last question. He supposed that it was all but natural for brothers to feel uncomfortable with their sisters having relationships.
'Or worse,' he thought, suddenly finding it difficult to breathe, 'having a live-in partner?'
Well, there was only one way to find out.
He picked up the phone once more and held it to his ear while he rummaged through the phone number list which lay beside the phone.
"Hello?" a weary voice answered.
"May? Is that you?"
"Yes it is…who is it?"
"Guess who…"
"Heat?!"
"Yeah. It's Heat. How are you May?" he asked, a smile gracing his lips.
"Just great! Hey! Why have you decided to suddenly give me a call?" she asked indignantly. "You big jerk! You haven't called me in months!" she yelled.
Heat's smile widened; well, she was spirited and there was no hint of sickness in her voice.
"What about you May? You haven't contacted me either…"
"Hmph! I would if I could get a hold of you! I called the hospital at Lokapala but they said that you moved to Karma City! They wouldn't give me your number! Besides, it's my second last semester here…so I was very busy."
"I see."
"Well, what do you want?" she asked; somewhat impatient.
"Well, May, I was thinking of moving there at Sahasrara."
"You serious?!" May exclaimed; flabbergasted.
"Yes I am. I got my transfer clearance recently and so I thought that I could come see you."
May smiled, "That's great Heat! I miss you; you know?"
"I miss you too…Listen, I gotta go but I'll call you tomorrow. I want to leave here ASAP."
"Okay. I'll be waiting tomorrow. Bye Heat."
The phone went dead.
It was for the best, Heat decided. First thing tomorrow, he'd leave for Sahasrara. Well, if he'd make the trip, he'd better make the necessary preparations-he'd have to pack and call the airport. He immediately went for his closets and retrieved his luggage. He had quite a few items to pack. It was a good thing that he wasn't completely settled into the condo; for if he had been, it would be hell to pack and organize everything in the short time that he had in mind.
Twenty-four hours. 'Whoah…when you really think about it…isn't it a little bit over-dramatic?' he chuckled to himself.
xxxxx
Argilla touched her quivering lips as she stood in front of her mirror at her vanity table. She took off her blouse and stared at herself; as sure as day, there lay a bright red mark on the left side of her neck. Heat's teeth had really done damage on her sensitive skin. She inspected her body for further evidence of their indiscretion and was glad to find nothing else-save her swollen lips. But that, she reasoned with herself, was easy enough to explain should people ask.
She ate something hot. It was just lipstick. She bit her lip out of frustration at work.
'How sad…I'm looking for ways to lie to him and to the people whom we know…This isn't how I envisioned my married life…'
She felt relief however, as Serph won't be coming back until Monday. That would give the bite sufficient time to heal and disappear; eradicating any evidence of her affair.
'It's over now. I love Serph. I've made up my mind and my heart. I don't belong with Heat…'
She felt a mixture of emotions as she repeated that statement in her mind. She felt happy yet sad as well. It was a double-edged sword; her decision. In order to gain one, she must lose one. She had been dragging this decision as a great burden to her mind and heart because she still believed that she could keep both. But, as she stood there at Heat's condo, she realized and accepted that what she desired was not possible.
There could be only one.
Heat made it perfectly clear; he wanted her to choose. And choose she did. Now, Argilla had to live the rest of her life with such a decision. She could never ever return to the past on where her relationship with Heat was better. No, regretful as it was, it just wasn't possible.
She stared into her reflection once more and saw a tear roll down her cheek. She didn't even realize that she had been crying. Not wanting to see this any further, she forced her face to turn away from her own horrid image and dashed for the lavatory.
xxxxx
Serph looked at the documents before him with outmost attention. It was the recent evaluation on the subject's mental state and mental capabilities. The readings were acceptable. With any luck, they can proceed to test the subject once more using the EGG capsule. The success of their experiment would mean the dawning of a new era for science. They would be able to unlock the secrets of the mind, unlock the door to a possibility of a new realm of existence-the spiritual world or the third dimension.
But, as he reached for his drink, while his eyes were still glued to the readings, he spilled the contents on the floor. Serph cursed silently. He hated to make a mess of things.
But as he moved to pick the glass up, his eyes caught a glimpse of the picture of Argilla that lay on the bedside table. Serph, suddenly losing interest on the fallen glass or the test readings, made his way towards the bed and took the picture frame in his hands, gazing at it.
He missed her. He wanted to be with her, but with the recent development in the Embryon Project and the divulging of her affair with Heat, he deemed that seeing her would further complicate things. He wanted to get back in his car and drive to the airport to get back to Karma City, but for some reason, his feet wouldn't move.
So, instead he reached for the phone and dialed home. No one answered his call. A gush of blood went to his head; his mind playing tricks on him once more. He shook his head to remove the dirty images of Argilla and Heat together.
'This is sick…and it has got to stop!' he thought angrily. In his angry state, he had taken the picture frame and threw it hard against the wall. The sound of wood splintering and glass shattering filled his hotel room. He looked at the remains of the picture frame with contempt. She was his; and he was just going to have to remind her. He knew that it was his fault, but he didn't care. Call him a hypocrite or whatnot, he didn't care. All he cared about was getting even with both of them.
He wanted to hurt her.
xxxxx
Argilla walked through the hospital halls mustering all her cheerfulness and all her professionalism her mind and body would allow. Truly, she performed greatly. It had been an easy morning at the hospital. It was nearly lunchtime and she still hadn't seen Heat. Not that she would want to, but in general, she was curious as to how he was doing.
She sat on one of the cushions at the front desk when a finger poked her gently on the shoulder, "Stop pouting like that! People might think you're trying to seduce them!"
Argilla whipped around her to see Sam, "Hey Sam! How are you?"
"Better than you I suppose." she mocked, "So, are you alright?"
"Of course I am!" she said defensively, "What makes you think I'm otherwise?"
"Nothing much, just rumors…" Sam had said her statement in such a way that it baited Argilla and challenged her defensive barrier.
Argilla raised her eyebrow, "What rumors?" she asked darkly. Well, it would seem that Sam's plan worked; she took the bait.
"That you and Dr. O'Brien and Dr. Sheffield had a brawl! And that you and Heat broke up."
Argilla nearly choked in her own saliva, "Where the hell did you hear that?"
Sam smirked, "Well, I'd tell you, but not here. Come on, let's get lunch."
Argilla took the hand that Sam was offering and the two women went to the Maribel Café. They seated themselves near the window, with Sam across from her.
"So," Argilla snapped rather impatiently, "Where did you hear the rumors?"
Sam looked at Argilla, "They're just rumors. So why pay attention to them?"
Argilla rolled her eyes. Sam often did this. She would often dangle the information right in front of Argilla's face; like a donkey being led by a carrot stick.
"Just tell me."
"Chill. Okay, well, the nurses heard from the front desk that Serph had been in the hospital; seen with you AND Heat. They couldn't get the exact picture but then they said that after the conversation, you and Serph left and that Dr. O'Brien was depressed throughout the day…Well, they say that Heat's been depressed ever since. He would often gaze out the window and not speak a word when he's without a patient. He no longer goes out with the guys for basketball like he used to. He basically turned into a vegetable. And the rumors say it's because you dumped him."
Sam took a break from her narrative and took a sip of her coffee, "They're calling you a ahem, a bitch you know? Saying that you corrupted Dr. O'Brien."
Argilla remained silent and cast her head down. Sam held her hand sympathetically, "Forget about them Argilla. I trust you. I know you've done right. Heat's choices were his own. Not yours."
"Thank you Sam."
The two friends stared into each other's eyes and laughed.
"By the way Sam, where is Heat today?"
"Hm? Oh, you haven't heard? I heard he had filed for a transfer last week. I suppose it was approved and he's probably preparing to leave." Sam cursed herself for lacking the tact to break this to Argilla gently. She was perfectly aware of her friend's disposition at these kinds of news. She had the tendency to be hysterical. Actually, hysterical was quite a strong word; overly dramatic or major depressive was more like it. 'Wait, isn't that similar to being hysterical?'
Sam's contemplation of her own silliness was interrupted as she heard her friend speak.
"Leave?" Argilla gasped and then muttered an understanding, "Oh…"
"I see…"
Well, that went better than Sam previously anticipated. Argilla was calm; too calm. But nonetheless, Sam inwardly congratulated herself.
Sam knew that she had been right. Argilla and Heat were having an affair but she chose Serph in the end. That would explain why Heat was leaving. Her friend had done right.
Sam bit her lip in regret. She should have been gentler. Now, across from her, Argilla became deathly silent, her eyes fixated on her cup of tea. In a futile attempt to alleviate the melancholy air, Sam sparked a conversation; a conversation she knew neither of them cared for. But, she still had to try, "Come on Argilla, forget about him. I want to ask you about something. I saw this real cute guy at the mall and he…"
Argilla looked straight into Sam's eyes, trying to concentrate on what she was saying, but she found it blank. It was as if her hearing and vision had become impaired. It was as if, Sam didn't have a face at all and that she was staring at an unknown person. She saw Heat's face and she shook her head. Sam stopped, "Hey, are you even listening to me?"
"Yes, yes. Continue."
Sam stuck her tongue out, "No you're not. But I forgive you!"
Argilla smiled. This was just what she needed, someone else to strangle and Sam just volunteered for the job.
xxxxx
It was just coincidence that Argilla had missed Heat by a few minutes at the hospital. Heat had entered the building ten minutes after Argilla and Sam had left for the café. Heat needed to sort out his final business at the hospital before he left. He didn't want to think about Argilla and just focus on his intention but the halls of the hospital just reminded him of her.
'Crap.'
After a few minutes of agonizing reminiscence, he reached his office and vacated the premises. He received a lot of thank-yous from the staff and many heartfelt goodbyes. Had it been Argilla who said that, it would have driven him crazy. Hearing one goodbye from her was more than enough. He didn't need to hear it again.
He made his way up to his nearly packed condo. He was leaving Karma City that evening and the rest of his things would be shipped out to Sahasrara in 24 hours. He already rented a condo, with the help of browsing through the ads in the newspaper. All that was needed was to get on a plane that led out of Karma City.
He took his cell phone and dialed May's number; a cheerful voice picked up, "Hey Heat! When are you going to get here?"
Heat smiled, "I'll be there, most probably, tomorrow afternoon."
"Oh!" May beamed, "Then could you come to my University?"
"Why?" Heat asked, using his poker-face. Only, it was a face that she couldn't really see.
She snorted, "So that you could pick me up!"
"You're a big girl now." he taunted her.
"So what?" she growled, "Besides, I miss you! Please, please, pretty please?"
He laughed; he used that trick on Argilla. It worked most of the time. May probably got it from him, he mused.
"Alright, alright."
"Okay! I finish my schedule tomorrow at five in the afternoon."
"I'll be there May."
"Thanks Heat. Bye Big Brother."
xxxxx
Argilla watched the television that night wanting to focus her attention on it, but she couldn't as she kept fidgeting with her wedding band. She missed Serph and was worried about him. She also missed Heat and was worried about him. But Serph came first. She reached out for the phone and dialed his number.
"Hello?" a solemn voice spoke.
"Serph…hi…I just wanted to see how you were doing."
"I'm alright Argilla. Don't worry about me. If anything, it's you I should worry about."
Argilla couldn't put her finger on it but his last statement sounded bitter and ironic. She was in a sensitive situation right now. But she didn't want to press it on.
"I'm fine Serph…I'm just…I miss you. Please come back soon…"
Serph, being silent for almost five seconds, made Argilla nervous, and finally, he spoke, "I miss you…I'll talk to you later. I'm in the middle of something. I need to prepare my speech material at the University tomorrow. I've just been so busy, I nearly forgot all about it."
"Oh!" Argilla exclaimed, "I didn't realize you were busy. Well, take care Serph…I love you."
"I love you too…"
xxxxx
Heat had been surprised to say the least. May had changed. She was no longer the young and naïve girl he knew years ago. She was now nineteen years old. He looked her up and down. He was very proud, to say the least. May grew from her 5'4" to 5'7". She no longer kept her wavy red hair long like a schoolgirl, which included it being long and kept on a ponytail or in pair of pigtails, but kept it short, with some of its tresses framing her face and emphasizing her blood-red eyes. Her skin was unchanged though; still fair and unblemished. Her body had easily matured as she developed her womanly characteristics.
His sister was endowed.
His smirk widened, and from the looks of her record, she was as intelligent as she was beautiful.
"I can't believe that you're really here Heat…" her soft voice echoed through his ears, breaking his trance.
"Me too…"
"Say, let's get some dinner. I'm hungry."
He smiled at that, "Sure thing princess."
"Besides," she said sourly, "you still have to tell me what you're doing here and what you're planning."
"What?" he asked, shocked, "I came here to keep an eye on you."
"Don't give me that crap Heat." she sneered.
Heat smiled; she really had changed.
"Alright, I'll fill you in after we get dinner."
Her face lit up once more, "Great!"
xxxxx
Serph walked out of the University; exhausted. Although it was exhausting, it was fun. He rarely had time for these sorts of things, but it was the students who would become the next prodigies and geniuses who would lead the country. All in all, it was worthwhile.
As he was walking by his car, he saw a familiar face. It was nearly sundown and the visage of the person had begun to blur, but Serph knew who it was. It was Heat walking with a girl.
He stared at them; a blank expression on his face. He only caught a moment of their conversation when Heat met his eyes. The smile that adorned his face immediately vanished. The two men knew that they had matters to settle. The poor girl in between them switched her gazes from Heat to Serph.
"Big Brother, who is that man? He looks like Dr. Sheffield."
"He is Dr. Sheffield, May." Heat spoke, never breaking eye contact with the stoic man in front of him.
Heat tore himself from his piercing silver eyes and looked at the girl, resting both his hands on her shoulders, "Why don't you get to the car and I'll be there in a second. I just have to talk to Dr. Sheffield."
The girl hesitated for a moment before nodding her head, "Okay. Hurry back."
Serph saw the girl disappear and Heat began to walk towards him. He remained unfazed and as stoic as ever, never releasing the other man's gaze.
Neither men spoke until Serph decided to break the ice, "I should kill you right now." he seethed.
Heat's face was as expressionless as his, "I won't pretend to not know what you're talking about Sheffield. But, I'll tell you this; she chose you. You're the one she loves. I meant no offense when I met you at the ball. You asked for my name so I gave you a name. I just came here to live with my sister."
Serph said nothing but threw a powerful punch on Heat's face. It hit him square in the jaw and he fell onto the pavement. Heat groaned in pain, "I deserve that. But she doesn't."
Serph's eyes widened slightly at his comment and Heat continued, brushing his clothes of the dirt from the ground, "Treat her well or I will claim her."
Serph narrowed his eyes, "I never want to see your face again. Come near my wife again, and I'll make sure your career is finished."
Serph left the scene without delay and caught a glimpse of May's pained expression as she ran to Heat's side.
As far as Serph was concerned, he was through with Heat. But he wasn't with Argilla. He still hurt from what she had done, and it was yet to be discussed. He quickly dialed the airport's number and requested a flight to Karma City. It had to be resolved tonight. It was driving him crazy for the last month. It needed to stop. Up until now, he thought that he could control his feelings until he got back to Karma City on Monday, but seeing Heat here and now had proved to be the catalyst for the unleashing of his pent up frustration.
xxxxx
It was a relatively quick trip. He arrived back at Karma City after four and a half hours. He glanced at his wristwatch. It was nearly a quarter past nine. She should be home. Serph called a cab and hurried home.
He arrived a good half an hour later. The lights at the living room were out; only the bedroom lights remained on. Serph made his way through their massive garden, their very tall trees and hastily unlocked the door.
"Who's there?" an alarmed voice yelled from the staircase.
"Argilla, it's me."
"Serph?"
Serph watched her as she ran from the staircase and into his arms. She was clad in her silk robe and it hung loosely on her petite form. She buried herself in his chest and held him close to her but her affections, she noticed, were unreturned.
"Serph? What's wrong?" she trembled slightly, noting the blank expression on his face.
He opened his mouth to say something but was silent. The air grew stale between them and Argilla decided that he was probably tired from work and so she took his hand and led him through the living room into the sofas.
As she took the first step, she found that he wasn't walking at all and remained where he was. She immediately knew that there was something amiss. His voice, his low and menacing voice made her skin crawl.
"How long has it been going on?" he asked gravely. She flinched at the question and attempted to pry her fingers from his, but this only led him to tighten his hold on her hand and grab her other forearm with his other hand, spinning her around to meet his steely gaze, "How long has it been going on?"
"I don't know wha-"
Argilla's sentence was cut off as she was painfully slammed to the wall. She stood there, her eyes showing uttermost fright and her lips quivered.
"Don't," he warned dangerously, "LIE TO ME!!" he thundered.
She gasped and squealed at both the pain and fright that Serph brought.
"I'll not ask again. How long?!"
Tears brimmed in her eyes and she forced herself to speak, "T-two weeks since our a-anniversary…!"
Serph said nothing but looked into her eyes, probing her.
Then finally, he spoke once more, grasping her arms tighter, "Did he touch you?"
She knew what he meant. He wanted to know if she had slept with him. Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks as she shook her head slowly, "No…I…he didn't…"
He slammed her again into the wall, "Are you lying to me?"
She sobbed uncontrollably, "No! I'm not lying! Please Serph…you're hurting me!"
Serph drew his face close to her ears and whispered, "It hurts does it? Well, it couldn't even begin to compare to what I felt when I found out about your little escapades."
Argilla remained silent and he continued, "Why did you do it? Was he better than me? Huh?"
She closed her eyes and continued to cry and he yelled, "Tell me!!"
"I DID IT BECAUSE YOU TREATED ME LIKE GARBAGE!!"
Her sudden outburst had caught him off guard and she managed to break free from his grip and she quickly dashed towards the staircase.
Something in him snapped when he heard her words. It haunted him and when he blinked his eyes, he saw that she had run from him. He quickly ran after her. She managed to reach their bedroom and was about to slam the door closed when he managed to wedge himself in between the doorframe and the door and forced himself in, sending her stumbling backwards on the floor.
"I'm not finished with you…" he said menacingly as he advanced on her cowering and retreating form.
He knelt in front of her and grabbed her forearm once more. She groaned in pain, "Serph…" she whispered, pleading, "Please…"
"Tell me everything Argilla…"
She feebly nodded.
"Heat was…a friend from college…I never mentioned him because…I didn't think there was a need to. He was ancient history…he met up unexpectedly six months ago at the hospital…but I paid him no attention, thinking that we had grown apart over the years…" her voice was hoarse from crying, but she continued, "W-we met up finally at a bar…"
"You went to a bar?" he growled, his mind in disbelief.
She winced at the additional pressure he put on her arm, "Yes…it w-was on the night of our anniversary…I was…depressed and needed time alone…As I was leaving, he spotted me and offered to drive me home…He did and…we became friends again…but then, rumors about us circulated around t-the h-hospital…and h-he confessed to loving me…"
Serph looked at the woman before him; beaten and broken. Her eyes showed a sense of longing in them as well as sadness, "W-we were having problems…you wouldn't speak to me…and ignored and insulted me…I thought that I could find a friend in Heat…but he told me he loved me…I don't know what happened next…I-I suppose I always loved him…ever since then in our college years…but I never told him…the timing was perfect and we…fell…"
"That's enough…" he said slowly, rising and walking over to the bed, not uttering a sound. Argilla slowly collected herself from the floor and looked at her distraught husband. He said nothing and continued to stare at the wall. After moments of silence, he rose from the bed and stared at the random wall, "I'm sorry…"
Argilla clutched her heart, and looked at him, "Serph…I…"
Serph's mind was at a loss of what to do. He didn't know what to say. He didn't want to give her up but if he did treat her in the way she described, then, perhaps, they would be better off apart.
He stopped at the front door and looked into her eyes, "I'll send you the divorce papers in two days."
With those words, he closed the door slowly and proceeded to walk down the stairs. Argilla crumbled onto the floor. She had been selfish. She had wanted to keep them both, and because of her selfish heart and weak mind, she had lost them both. She buried her face in her hands and cried harder.
Serph trudged along the foyer, not even taking any notice of his briefcase. He wanted to leave right now. Where? He didn't know. All that he knew was that he needed to get away. Seeing her would melt his heart and break it.
xxxxx