Chapter 2 Two-Away Direction

When Elice listened to Garrett's words, she was stunned. Her eyes widened with a dimming glint, and her mouth slightly opened as if she wanted to speak, but not a single word came out. “I'm curious. How great of a man can make a woman cry like you are now.” Garrett said, waiting for Elice to respond to his words. But, in the end, she only let out a long sigh. Her eyes blinked once, then she turned her body to face forward, observing the bartender who had been busy working with his agile hands. “Don't want to answer?” Garrett seemed to show no signs of backing down from the curiosity that had taken root in his mind. He was curious. So, without feeling hesitant, he placed one elbow on the bar table. In that position, he could observe the sharp line of Elice's nose from the side. It looked so perfect, not overly exaggerated, and gave the impression that one look was not enough to satisfy the eyes. At that moment, Elice took a deep breath. She briefly thought of raising her hand again to order another drink. But, for some reason, she refrained from doing so. As if she was already feeling fed up. It made her question herself. Perhaps what she needed was not another drink, but rather a pair of ears to listen to all the turmoil in her heart. “He's not a great man.” Elice uttered the sentence, and it earned a slight twitch in Garrett's eye. He remained silent, waiting for her to continue. “He's definitely not the kind of prince you find in fairy tales,” Elice continued, shaking her head. “Definitely not.” Hearing that, Garrett nodded once, but still refrained from commenting. It was as if he truly wanted to prove to Elice that he was a good listener, and that her words were indeed the truth. “He's just a man who happened to be born into an esteemed, wealthy family, and supposedly upholds moral values. But, as it turns out, he himself doesn't even know what those morals are.” Garrett's eyes sparkled as he heard Elice's words this time. Clearly, he could sense the emotions behind the words she spoke. Something that forced him to take a breath and hold it in his chest. Instead of giving in to his urge to question her, asking why all of this happened. “He...” Elice closed her eyes. When she was about to speak further, a spark of reason in her head stopped her. It made her unconsciously clench her hands tightly, causing her knuckles to turn white, as if there was no more blood flowing there. That did not escape Garrett's eyes. He immediately reached for Elice's hand, carefully unwinding the clenched fist, one by one. With a gentle but effective gesture, he managed to release the tight grip of Elice's fingers. “Do you remember?” Garrett asked then. “I'm just a stranger. A stranger who doesn't even know your name. So... what's making you hesitate?” True. What Garrett said was true. He did not know Elice. He did not even know her name. “He completely shattered my life into pieces. There's nothing left. Nothing.” Not letting go of Elice's hand, Garrett instead held her slender fingers. Feeling the smoothness there. Then, he let go, giving Elice a chance to wipe her face randomly. “Tell me,” Elice said, turning to Garrett. “Do men like you always born without a heart? Born without a brain to remember all the promises? Do you even say all those sweet words consciously?” Garrett smiled and exhaled. Choosing not to burst into laughter at an inappropriate time, he only shook his head once. Then, he rubbed his slightly rough chin. He forgot to shave that day. “Truthfully... we, men, are born with hearts. We also have brains to remember. But the problem is... sometimes we throw away our conscience.” Elice looked at Garrett, perhaps not believing that there would be a man who would say such blunt things to her. Was not that slightly touching the ego of Adam's descendants? Garrett's smile widened. “No need to look at me in awe like that. I'm just stating the truth. That we, the male species, have a tendency for high ego. Sometimes, we feel superior by making others suffer. As if that is validation to prove that we are powerful beings.” “Unbelievable.” Garrett chuckled softly, scratching his temple with his index finger. There was a slight itch when he saw Elice's incredulous expression. “I also sometimes can't believe it. But that's what happened. There are some men who take pleasure in hurting a woman. Uh... and it seems like you've encountered this type of man.” “You say it as if this is just my misfortune. As if I wouldn't be like this if I had met another man.” Garrett seemed to consider Elice's words. Then, without any doubt, he nodded. “True. Maybe that's how it is.” “Now, I want to blame God rather than blame Ariel.” There was a piece of information that made Garrett furrow his brow. “His name is Ariel?” Not denying it, Elice nodded. Besides, there was no point for her to hide that fact. “His name is Ariel Sebastian Ramirez. Uh... you probably don't know him. But he's a man born into a wealthy family, the kind I should have avoided from the beginning.” Garrett furrowed his brow, appearing not entirely convinced by Elice's words. But he remained silent. He did not interrupt Elice when she continued speaking. “I met him during the freshman orientation. Uh... I should have listened to Mom when she told me to choose business management over law. If I had followed her advice, I wouldn't have ended up like this today.” The wrinkle on Garrett's forehead disappeared instantly, replaced by a grin he could not contain. “Your words remind me of my mother's advice,” Garrett interjected. “She said that parents' words are like prayers.” Elice looked at Garrett in disbelief. “It doesn't make any sense, does it?” she asked, shaking her head. “Because I'm sure that if I had followed my mother's advice eight years ago, I wouldn't be shattered like this.” “But, there's no point in regretting it. Anyway, I'm sure that during these eight years, it hasn't been only misfortunes that happened in your life.” “Maybe yes. Maybe no.” Garrett decided not to argue about it. He did not want to reveal facts that could be an indication that his words were true. That during those eight years, it had not been all misfortune for the woman. He was certain, even though he did not know, he was sure. “But, even if during these eight years it wasn't only misfortune I experienced, it seems that it's not worth it compared to what I'm going through now. All the happiness I once felt is gone. Disappeared without a trace.” “That bad?” Elice let out a long sigh and then turned her head, looking at Garrett with an empty gaze. She seemed to smile, but it lacked any emotion. Once, Elice nodded, with an assumption in her mind. That the man before her was nothing more than a stranger. A stranger she would never meet again. And at that moment, Elice realized it. That what she needed right now was just one thing. A place where she could vent all the pain, anger, and disappointment that almost drove her crazy. “That bad,” Elice answered bitterly. “To the point where I sometimes want to end my life.” Garrett's expression changed suddenly. There was no trace of amusement in his face anymore. It disappeared instantly when he heard that sentence slip so effortlessly from the lips painted with red lipstick. It was smooth, as if there were no burdens or considerations from the owner. “You?” Elice bit her lower lip, her face immediately lowered as she looked at her fingers. It was just a diversion. She tried to hide her eyes that were starting to well up again. “I'm really worthless now. I've become a woman with no value at all.” Though not entirely sure, Garrett seemed to guess the source of Elice's problem. No woman would be this desperate if it were not related to a man and... her honor. “He told me he loved me. I believed it. And for some reason, even after all these years, I still truly feel it.” Elice closed her eyes, trying to push away the memories that immediately surfaced in her mind. The beginning of her encounter with Ariel. How they fell in love and entered a relationship that made other women envy her. Then, their love deepened over time. And it was not strange that eventually, Elice completely surrendered her life to Ariel. Not just her heart and love, but everything about herself. “I got pregnant.” Garrett held his breath. His guess did not miss the mark. It hit its target precisely. “Then? He didn't want to take responsibility?” “Hahaha.” A faint laugh escaped from Elice's throat. Her face lifted, looking at Garrett with teary eyes. Her smile seemed poignant. “Worse than that,” Elice replied, taking a deep breath. “He forced me to abort our baby. Even though a week before that, he promised to marry me.” Garrett would not be surprised if Elice was contemplating ending her life. Truly. He never expected that this would be the reason why a beautiful woman like Elice was crying alone in a club, accompanied by alcoholic drinks. His eyes widened suddenly. “You drank.” Elice snorted with amusement. She looked at Garrett with her hand resting on her stomach, and the painful expression became evident. It was something Garrett had never seen before. Elice nodded once. “Sorry. I mean, I was pregnant. Now, my baby is gone,” she whispered softly. “He's gone. I couldn't keep him. Ah! I still often feel like he's still inside my stomach.” There was a visible lump in Elice's throat as she tried to hold back her sobs. Her beautiful face appeared hardened in the effort to suppress her tears. “I thought I could be strong. I could keep him. But all the reality overwhelmed me, and in the end...” Garrett reached out and grabbed Elice's hand, holding it tightly, then letting her take control of the grip. He willingly allowed her to squeeze his hand with all her might. “But you know what makes me even more devastated?” “Tell me.” Elice needed a moment. She took a deep breath, trying to strengthen herself. Because when she decided to answer that question honestly, it meant reopening old wounds. “He was grateful. He thanked me. And he even laughed so happily in front of me.” Elice would never forget that. No. The image of Ariel being so joyful while she was in despair on the hospital bed flashed in her mind. It made her feel nauseous instantly. Garrett raised his hand, signaling the bartender for a glass of water. He handed the cold drink to Elice. Of course, it would take more than a glass of water to ease the tightness in Elice's chest. But, at least, she could breathe a little easier now. “But, if you think everything ended there, you're clearly mistaken.” Elice looked at the empty glass in her hand, realizing that her life was no different from that glass. There was nothing inside it anymore. Now she was exactly like a person with nothing left. “A few days later, Ariel's family came to my house.” Garrett noticed how Elice's fingers tightened around the glass again. Her body tensed. And he knew that this was the point where Elice was truly shattered. Which... was true. “They said many things that made me unable to look at my mother's face again. Th-they...” Elice's eyes suddenly closed. The memory was vivid in her mind. How Ariel's parents came and offered her money as compensation for leaving their son alone. Then they said other things she had never imagined before. Doubts about herself, as if she had been involved with several men before finally ending up with Ariel. Their only son, who was adored by many. Elice was truly broken. She might have endured losing her child and her dignity. Being abandoned by the man she loved. But when she saw her mother crying, she knew. She had loved the wrong man. *