?MAY
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(R0m-nce is a Meal)
By Sommy Pearl F.
Chapter 79&80.
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
“I know everything now” May muttered, crying softly with running tears
“About?” Sasha asked.
“My father… I know everything mum hid from me”
“Just tell me everything. I’m here for you,, talk to me” Sasha cooed,, not allowing her twitching eyes leave May’s.
“Okay,, this is it…
FLASHBACK***
“…Just say what you wanted to say” May muttered.
“Hmm?” He hummed.
“About him… that man,, called my father and why my mum wants me out of Korea to study law in Italy” May said.
“You remember you once stayed in Italy when you were little, right?” West asked.
May looked at him and nodded.
“I do remember but I was really young then so my memories there aren’t vivid anymore” She said.
“Oh,, I see. Anyways, your mum stayed with her aunt since she was an orphan. They lived in Italy. It happened, Sandra,, your mother was a law student. It was her dream to be a lawyer. Her results and every outcome she made in school was positive and well received”
“But everything shattered, one night after a night cl@$$ she had with few of her friends in school. It was really dark that night and it rained cats and dogs. While she was running home,, a drunk stranger who saw her alone, p@$$ing throu-gha ti-ght corner ran to her and took her for-cefully”
“What?” May whispered as her eyes suddenly began to turn red.
“She was for-ced, pulled and beaten by the stranger. Alas,, despite her
for-ce and strength to leave the stranger, nothing worked. She screamed but it was just useless. No one came”
May’s eyes released tears immediately.
“Your mother was ra-ped” His voice came.
“Ahh” May gasped aloud, and covered her opened mouth with her palm.
“Sandra doesn’t even know who that man is. No one knows. She didn’t even catch a glimpse of him that night since it was dark. After the ra-pe, she fainted… It was only a few minutes, she woke up-
“Mum… Mum…” May muttered, and stood up from her bed, trying to run downstairs,, however, West quickly held her and pulled her back to the sit on the bed.
“It best you let her be now. She has been restless and she’s resting now. Don’t you agree she nee-ds right?” West asked.
May nodded and sobbed quietly. The tears ran down her eyes like water fall.
West sighed heavily.
“Your mother really hates when you talk about that man cause he isn’t your dad,, he’s just a mere stranger. No one,, no one at all knows who he is”
May placed her face on her lap-s, crying loudly and heavily.
“Your mother managed to fall in love after all this years” West whispered and May looked up at him.
“What?” May muttered.
“She fell in love with a co worker by name,, Carlos Strongs. They were crazily in love with each other”
“Wait? Carlos Strongs?” May asked.
West nodded.
“Raymond’s surname is Strongs and his elder brother’s name is Carlos… Could he be the one or its just a coincidental name?” She asked herself.
“What’s that about?” West asked.
“Hmm… Sorry, do you have the Carlos picture? There’s something I wanna confirm. He sounds familiar. I just wanna see if he looks familiar” May said.
“Wait, I’ve one of his picture he took with Sandra for a shoot here on my phone” West said, taking out his phone.
He went throu-ghhis albums and stopped when he saw the photo shoot. He gave the phone to May who opened her eyes wi-dely.
“He’s the one” May muttered.
“Who? You know him?” West asked.
May nodded and gave him back his phone which he collected back.
“How do you know him?” West asked.
“The guy whom I told you, I really like… That’s is his elder brother”
“What? really? Carlos?”
“Yeah. Carlos and Raymond are brothers”
“That means they can’t really be together. Or would you like it if Carlos dated your mother? Would you like it if your boyfriend’s brother marries your mother”
May inhaled de-eply.
“Ever seen when a father and his own son marries a single mother and her daughter respectively. One thing about love is that it crosses all boundaries,, well, except if they’re related by blood,, then,, I think it’s absolutely wrong”
“I’ve seen when an adopted girl fall for her brother. I’ve seen when a father’s son falls for her step sister. Note this,, they aren’t related by blood”
West looked at her.
“It’s okay if mum likes Carlos. They can date, and marry. I don’t care anymore. It won’t change the fact I love Raymond, would it? I’m really wrong for telling my mum not to love despite how she suffered for me”
West sighed and ru-bbed his forehead.
“Lemme speak to mum. lemme tell her to see Carlos. They can fall in love and get married. I support them. I want my mother to be happy”
“It’s too late” He sighed again.
May looked at him.
“What? How?” She asked.
“When you asked her not to love, she broke up with him-
“They can still get back together. I’m gonna make sure they do. I’m a matchmaker,, you know”
“It’s really too late, May. Your mother was the one who matchmade him with her friend instead”
“What?”
“Yeah. Carlos is now dating Percy,, Sandra’s best friend”
“Fu-ck,, No! It’s my fault! If only I wasn’t a fool! If only I was smart! If only I wasn’t greedy and selfish,, then,, mum would be so happy” May started crying again.
“I really still can’t get over the fact I’m a product of ra-pe. A child of a total stranger” May said.
“Your mother wanted to ab-ort you then,, on various occasions but that heart of a mother stayed with her. She loved you to fight for you, stay and stand by you and take care of you despite all the critism she had… Her aunt had to even stop her from going to law school because she was angry that Sandra refused to ab-ort you”
May looked down with tears rushing down her eyes.
“The only thing you can do for her now, isn’t to match make her with anybody. It’s to make her dream come true. What she couldn’t complete, what she wished for… What she wanted. To be a lawyer..”
“But…” May stuttered.
“I know it isn’t your dream. But why don’t you close your eyes and make her happy?…Got to ltaly and be a lawyer. You might love it later on”
May sighed.
“I don’t really know but I might think about it. I’m not sure I want that. Anyways, I’ll talk to her”
West nodded.
“Good. Since I’ve talked to you, Let me take my leave. Goodnight” He said, and stood up.
He was already at the door, trying to turn the knob when May called him.
“Sir,, Who’s this Sandra friend, you called Percy? She sounds familiar but I don’t know her,, strange huh?”
West smiled and turned to her.
“Percy and Sandra has been close friends since Italy. She stood by Sandra and helped her in times of nee-d and trouble. Percy’s brother is your childhood sweetheart”
“What? Wow! I do know my childhood sweetheart but I’ve forgotten his name” May for-ced a smile.
“He’s Ryder Hart”
The for-ced smile on May’s face vanished and a neutral sullen look interfaced.
“Wh…at?” She stammered.
“Ryder Hart,, that’s his name” West said, and left.
“Ryder? That Ryder?” She muttered to herself.
“What the h*ll? What sort of coincidence are all these?” She thought.
May remembered what West told her about her mother and she started crying once again.
Prese-nt time***
Sasha inhaled de-eply after she heard May’s words. She pulled May and hu-gged her for some minutes.
May hu-gged her ti-ghtly,, not wanting to leave her any moment soon cause she’s crying on her body.
“It’s fine,, I’m here” Sasha said, and broke the hu-g.
May wiped her tears and looked at Sasha’s face.
“How did you find out I was here though?… I’m sure mum didn’t tell you anything”
Sasha hung her head low.
“There’s something I must tell you”
“What’s that?” May asked.
30 Minutes Later**
Sasha had finished explaining and confessing. She looked at May who seemed sad and disappointed.
“I’m sorry for betraying you”
May sighed.
“Its fine. My mother was bound to know one day” She said.
“There you go again,, you never tell me when you are hurt. You just hold everything and feign ignorance,, just because you don’t want our bound to crack. It’s okay,, you can tell me anything. I’m gonna take it all” Sasha said, sobbing distinctly.
May looked at her. Tears were sli-pping down her cheeks.
“Sasha… I’m disappointed, angry and sad. Why didn’t you tell me before jumping to accept Marcus?! Why did you allow me to catch you guys ki-ssing instead?! I felt really bad, trust me. Even now,, I’m still sad and pissed,, that you betrayed me. The reason I’m not gonna push you away is because you are now remorseful about your wrong doings. I’m glad you confessed and apologized” May said.
Sasha broke down in loud tears and May hu-gged her ti-ghtly.
“Hey,, I should be the one crying and not you”
“You are also crying too” Sasha sniffed.
May sighed de-eply.
“May…I’m really sorry. Please forgive me. Marcus is also sorry” Sasha kept begging in tears.
May tapped her back gently.
“It’s fine now” She whispered.
“By the way,, I met with Raymond and he badly and seriously missed you. He wants to talk to you” Sasha said.
“What? Really?” May almost screamed, and quickly broke the hu-g.
****
“Raymond” Coral called.
Raymond slowly turned to her. He looked at her from head to toe and noticed her bag,, her things with her.
“What are these?” He asked, slowly.
“I’m leaving. My stay is finally over” She said.
“Aiiish!” He screamed.
“I said I wanna talk” He added.
“I don’t wanna listen to you. Its a waste of time since I know exactly what you want to talk about. Sasha,, that tattle mouth” Coral scoffed.
Raymond watched her with his glaring eyes and she slowly walked away, past him. She suddenly stopped and looked at him.
“Ryder left… I ain’t sure he’s coming back. Since, I can’t have him… I’m gonna have you. May shouldn’t be loved this way! Why two guys for her and none for me?!” Coral yelled painfully with tears.
“Cor-
“Ray?”
Raymond eyes opened wide. She called him Ray,, again.
“I’m coming back for you. If I can’t have you or Ryder,, May can’t have any of you. Call me selfish and greedy,, I don’t care”
“What are you thinking?!”
“I’m thinking of terminating May or that person who would like May at the ending of all this”
“What are you-
“That enough spoiler for you, Ray. I’m off… Goodnight” She said, and walked away from the scene.
Raymond rou-ghed his hair and hit his fist on the tree in rage which kind of hurt.
TBC