[Tavia’s Point of View]
The irreplaceable on her face was a sight I thought I’d never see again. Just moments ago I was wondering whether I’ll be able to keep a hold of our fading friendship, but now I find myself sorting through names and helping her with wedding invitations. Everything came so quickly, but I can say it’s for best.
“Tavia, Ray’s waiting for you to go try out your outfits with him,” Nancy suddenly interrupted as I filled out two more names. “He’s getting impatient,” she teased.
I looked up, smiling. First I saw the sight of the smiling bride, and when I turned I really did see my childish, impatient boyfriend with his hands crossed and a grin on his face. It’s been a while since we all just forgot about work and did something fun together. This sudden surprise was much more than what I asked for, and I am thankful.
“Tavia hurry up. I’ve been fighting with Ron over a tie for ages now. He thinks this looks better on him than me,” Raymond laughed. He then held up a long black tie and widened his grin.
“He’s right, it looks better on him. Ron’s outfit matches it more. You need a red tie Raymond,” I laughed as I replied. Ron immediately took the tie out of Raymond’s hand.
I don’t know if it was just me, but Ron seemed different today. Brighter than every other days before, and he wore a smile that was so natural and thrilling it was contagious. I guess a wedding does change a person. He seemed so much more relaxed and loose around Nancy, and now in front of Raymond and I. Watching him joke with us, it almost made me feel honored that Mr. Ron Ng was willing to take off his mask for us.
“Hey, your soon-to-be wife even agrees with me now give me the tie.”
“Nancy, when is the baby due?” I asked her as she straightened out a set of envelopes.
“In about two months. I think it’s a hassle he’s making me marry him a month after I give birth, I mean I’m still going to be this big when I walk down the aisle.” She smiled.
“I can’t wait any longer; waiting is very boring and sad. Also, we get to take the baby down the aisle!” Ron smiled.
I should be overjoyed right now, but a part of me was holding me back from feeling the entirety of that feeling. It was guilt. Because of my ongoing plans, I had asked Kenneth to do something for me that I ended up regretting the minute after it was done. Kenneth did everything, exactly as I had asked. Now, I feel scared.
Why was I scared though while planning my best friend’s wedding? I was scared because I was the person who thought I was so smart to play mind tricks with other people. I was the one who asked Kenneth to get the shares from Bernice, and was the one who told Kenneth to suggest a plan to Bernice involving Ron’s sympathetic side. And I was the one who requested Kenneth to inform Damian of Bernice’s new control over the shares.
If everything adds up right, I might’ve just tricked Bernice Liu into digging her own grave. She wasn’t someone important to me, but somehow I felt guilty doing every bit of it. If Bernice ended up getting hurt all because I thought I was so smart, I don’t know what would happen next. I ended up regretting everything, but there was no way going back. Kenneth knew as well as I did that something bad was going to happen after we gave the ideas to Bernice and Damian, and that was the reason he left Hong Kong. He didn’t want to witness all of it. But where could I go?
“What are you thinking about?” Nancy suddenly asked, interrupting my guilty conscience.
I looked up, a bit surprised. “Nothing, just a bit worried over a few things.”
“Like what?”
“It’s nothing, let’s get back to work. Here, I finished these sets of cards.” As I lied to her, I knew it was unnecessary. She knew I was lying, and instead of pushing me further for the truth, she simply nodded at my fake smile and went back to the pink envelopes.
“Hey, we have to clean up; someone found a file at Ron’s office archive that is related to AVC.” Raymond’s voice informed us clearly.
As I quickly gathered all the cards and envelopes into a box and gave it to the receptionist, Nancy’s arm suddenly gripped my shoulder gently and held me back. I turned around to see her smile beginning to fade.
“Can I talk to you quickly before we leave? Alone?” She asked.
I nodded.
“Ron and I will go get the cars,” Raymond announced as he and Ron left the store with Raymond leading. Nancy waited until they left and then she finally turned back to me.
“What did you need to talk about?” I asked her with an awkward tone and smile.
She hesitated for a moment, but then it came out. “I know what you’re planning, and I know what you’re trying to do. Tavia, how could you set up such a pitfall for someone?”
Everything froze immediately. How did she know? I admit it, I admit that I was the one who secretly took the shares from Bernice and lured Damian into dealing with her while using Kenneth as my scapegoat and by doing so I could have possibly even pushed Bernice into digging her own grave, but I never thought about how I’d regret it. How could I regret it? Bernice is nothing to me. But now that I began to think and to regret my decision with my ongoing plan, Nancy suddenly knew about it. How did she know though? How could Nancy have possibly figured it out? I never said anything to her.
She sighed. “Kenneth told me, right before he left.”
~*~
[Ron’s Point of View]
Heading outside, I couldn’t help but notice this odd feeling that had been following around the entire day. The only plans for today were between Nancy and me, planning our wedding. But yet I have such a bad feeling, that something will go horribly wrong. I’m just hoping that my silly brain is thinking too much again.
My car was parked across the street, and all I had to do was get it and drive up to pick up Nancy, but then she stopped me. As I was about to open my door, Bernice’s hand held me back. I looked up and saw her expression, dead serious. She looked thinner, and stressed as if she had done a lot of thinking, perhaps too much. Her lips trembled before she spoke, and I could feel her hand shake slightly. This was the most serious expression Bernice had given me in years.
“Ron, I can’t stand it anymore.”
“Bernice, I…I’m sorry but…”
“Stop,” she commanded. “I don’t want to listen to you anymore. The past couple of days, I’ve tried so hard to forget about you, but I just can’t. I don’t understand why but you’ve left such a large imprint on me and I can’t erase it. Ron, I need you, and I can’t stand seeing you with her. In this relationship, she is the third person, we were engaged and she ruined everything.”
“Bernice please stop,” I sighed. “I never meant to hurt you, and I don’t want to hurt you any further, but Nancy is my life.”
She only nodded and backed off slightly, her grip still on me. “So if Nancy isn’t here, you and I would be together?”
“I’m not saying that. Being with you, I admit I do feel happy and fulfilled, but it’s not the same feeling as love for me. I treat you more as a very close friend or a little sister. But Nancy, if anything was to happen to her I don’t know what I’d do.”
“But what’s the difference between Nancy and me? I don’t understand, you care about her and you care about me. We’re both the same if not for the baby in her stomach.”
“It’s not because of the baby that I turned back to Nancy. It’s because I love her. To be frank, while working if I don’t see you for a day I feel alright, and if I see you work too hard I’ll just remind you to get some rest. But for Nancy, if I don’t see her or get to talk to her for an hour I feel like something is missing, I feel worried that she could get into trouble. If I see her work too hard I start to worry that she might get tired, it’s so different between you and her.”
I could see the tears fill up her eyes as she looked up at me. “So you’re saying you never loved me?” Her voice sounded so sullen and depressing, but the truth is harsh.
I merely nodded with nothing else to say, worrying I’ll only end up hurting her more.
“But I love you so much Ron,” she spoke.
Suddenly, she wrapped her arms tightly around me and pulled herself into me. She did it so fast and her grip was so tight I had no time to push away. Like lighting I felt her lips placed on mine as she lingered there for so long. She was so fast, and I couldn’t think of what else to do. Her kiss was surprising, but what was more surprising was the fact that I haven’t pushed her off yet. I don’t love Bernice, but I can’t bear to hurt her any further.
~*~
[Nancy’s Point of View]
I shook my head as I left her view. I don’t know what exactly has happened to her all this time, but Tavia is so different from how I remembered. She was willing to sacrifice an innocent just so she can climb to the top. She wasn’t like how she used to be, and sadly, none of us are.
Unable to help but look back, I only saw her blank stare as she watched me leave. Once the glass door of the wedding shop closed between us, I forced a smile to appear on my face. Looking around for Ron, I was surprised when his car wasn’t near. I looked further, and there the car was, on the other side of the street. Along with the car, so were Ron, and Bernice.
My step lingered, and I didn’t know which move I wanted to make. My heart ached and my chest tightened as I watched Bernice and Ron, kissing. It was a brief kiss, quick as lightning, but I couldn’t help the jealousy arousing inside me. I took a step, but then I stopped midway.
I have already though this through, and now gripping the engagement ring in my hand only made me stand firmer on my decision. I’ve already been hurt by him, so being hurt again won’t pain as much. If Bernice wants Ron, she can have him. If Ron loves Bernice, I’d rather let him go to her than create any more trouble between us.
Step after step I walked towards them, my eyes on Ron. He looked up and noticed me as a surprised yet sullen expression came to his face. I felt the tears gathering in my eye as I walked closer to him, and her. She turned around and faced me, then she took slow steps towards me, seeming like she wanted to say something. Ron held her back, but she resisted. I guess this will have to come sooner or later.
“If you want Ron you can have him,” I mumbled but I doubt she heard me. By saying that, it doesn’t mean I love him any less. I feel torn apart to see him leave me again, but I’d rather only one person get hurt than two.
As Bernice came closer, she stopped for a short second in front of me. It wasn’t until now that we were in the middle of the street with cars waiting to pass. I stopped to listen, but instead of hearing Bernice’s voice, I only heard the rumble of a car engine. Something in me acted automatically, and I gripped Bernice’s arms pulling her to the side with all the strength I had. I turned around and all I saw were bright white headlights.
The next thing I knew was pain, just lots and lots of pain. It hurts so bad but I don’t know what was hurting. All I could see was darkness, not even a speck of light.
~*~
[Ron’s Point of View]
Flash and everything happened at once. Time stood still for me as I watched her fall to the ground. Immediately I felt the pain that struck me hard, and as fast as I could I rushed over to her. I got to the ground and held her limp body up as I pulled her closer to me.
“Nancy,” I kept calling her name. “Nancy open your eyes,” I pleaded, but no reaction.
I held her hand and I could still feel her pulse and breath. I just wish she would open her eyes, look at me, and tell me she’s alright. I picked her up and searched the crowd. Raymond ran over to help, and so did Tavia.
“Call the ambulance,” Raymond spoke as Tavia had already dialed the numbers.
“Nancy hang in there,” I pleaded by her ear, hoping she heard me.
“Ron what happened?” Tavia asked.
“I…I…” I couldn’t answer her. “I don’t know. She must’ve saw Bernice kissing me and rush over to us and then this…”
Tavia turned from me and she held up Nancy’s arm, her tears rushing and falling from her eyes. I saw her mouth tremble and she was saying something to Nancy but I couldn’t hear. I held Nancy’s body close, and slowly I could feel her getting cold. My heart raced constantly as the ambulance finally arrived. I still stayed close to her, and I couldn’t hold my tears back as I watched her struggle to merely breathe. She was the one in pain, and yet I pained when I look at her this way. It was my entire fault.
~*~
[Bernice’s Point of View]
Hours have passed, and I felt like someone had pressed the fast forward button on my life. As I sat here on the cold waiting seat, I kept trying to think but no thoughts could process straight. Looking up, I saw Tavia dropped to the ground, her head in her hands as she hid in Raymond’s arms, crying. I turned to my right, and sitting closest to the operating room was Ron. His head was down, but I could still see the tears fall from his eyes. Could Nancy be really worth so much to him?
I loved Ron so much, but through all the times we’ve been together, I’ve never seen him display emotions as real as what he showed me now. I’ve never seen him cry for me, and worst I’ve never seen him smile to me like the way he does to her. Is she really so important to him? It can’t be. No, I can’t be. I can’t be the third person in their relationship, Ron was mine. He had proposed to me first and if so many things had never happened we would’ve been happily married by now.
The doors opened, and out came a lady dressed in all white.
“Nurse, is my wife okay?” Ron asked quickly, the hope waiting in his eyes.
The nurse seemed to be in a hurry as she shook her head. “I’m sorry, both mother and baby are in great danger right now and we can’t talk much. We’ll do our best,” she comforted him quickly and then ran towards the end of the hall.
Ron fell back down onto his chair, his hands digging into his hair in frustration. I sat there, almost invisible and watched as Raymond and Tavia walked up to Ron, comforting him and also themselves. Right now, I too have to hope that nothing happens to her. In reality, she did just save my life, and if she hadn’t pulled me out of the way, I would be the person lying in there, not Nancy. Do I really owe her so much?
“Please be alright,” I mumbled to myself.
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