I like hiding.
From hiding things from people, avoiding interactions, to hiding my mistakes.
So far in my life, I've been able to keep hidden a lot of things. That was because of one person. A person whom I loved most, someone who allegedly cherished my every part.
He was the one who exposed me to these things.
So, how should I feel after he walked away from me?
***
It was the year 1997, the time I lost my mother. It was devastating. We weren't particularly close, but I think losing their last family member would hurt most people--and I was one of them.
All my relatives had either passed or lost contact, and my friendship list couldn't even fill half a book's page. Not to mention, I never got to introduce my special someone to my mother.
Long story short, the news got me down. Maybe the fact that so little people even went to the funeral killed a part of me led to this downfall.
If only more had come, would I not have lowered my guard so much?
.
November 3rd, 1997 - Lovita Residence
The door creaked open.
A small woman in her early 20s slumped inside, plopping herself onto the red sofa in the cozy living room.
The man in a suit followed behind her, closing noisy door.
He slowly lowered the bag he carried and opened it.
Then, facing the young woman, he whispered in her ears, "Don't be so down now, Marie. Your mother would not have wanted you to grieve for so long either."
The woman, Marie, kept silent, her eyes on her lap, not letting the gaze faze her.
The man sighed before patting the floor softly. "Come sit with me, darling. Let's ignore our problems and save it for another day."
'Am I grieving for too long? The people I know cry about this for a month long at least...' Marie thought, seemingly frustrated.
Seeing his lover upset, the man gently took her hand and pulled her down the floor.
Marie willingly sat, properly facing him this time.
She thought for a while before exhaling a pointy breath.
"What did you buy, Jared?"
The young man named Jared smirked and grabbed a bottle of alcohol, proudly showing it to Marie.
Marie's face paled as she looked at the brand. She didn't know her alcohol well, but something this strong is general knowledge. Heck, even people who don't drink knows about this.
Marie looked at her lover as if she'd seen a ghost. Her eyes shaking almost comically.
"Jared, you know I'm a light weight, how could I drink something like this when I can't even handle some light beer?"
Marie panicked, but Jared kept calm. He seemed to know she would have reacted like this since before.
Even so, Jared shrugged it off and poured the woman a glass.
"Everything's going to be fine. It's not the first time I'll be tending for your drunk tendencies, no?" He offered as a solution.
Marie wanted to bite back for a bit before retreating. She knew there was no winning when her boyfriend is up to something.
So, Marie bit her bottom lip before chugging down the barely poured drink.
Her darling of eight years said he would take care of everything, and all the pent-up struggles in her life needed to open up. So, there wasn't a need of worry, right?
.
November 5th, 1997
Jared left.
.
November 21st, 1997
I'm pregnant.
.
November 30th, 1997
My friends had left. They found out.
.
November 31st, 1997
My neighbors shunned me for being a young, single mother.
***
Where? My house.
When? November 1997.
And who? Jared. Jared Manthus.
I remember. I remember it all.
From his trickery to my stupidity, everything that happened--I was conscious all through it.
But...
One thing I couldn't answer. One I didn't know. Something I was never exposed to was...
Reason.
Why? What did I do to deserve this? Why did that man trick me?
Just, and only what if...
What if I'd been tricked my whole life..?