betrayal’s Price
Friday morning made Sophia the earliest bird in school. She had not come to school for the past two days and her parents had been to the principal’s office during that time. Like the past few days, she had been avoiding any meal with her family, to desist from any conversation that would remind her of Jericho. The last moments with him were treacherously sweet, a temporary pleasure but now, forever an anguish.
Sitting alone in her first class, Enzo found her, with a face that seemed to have gone through mourning. Sophia, the very instant she saw him, felt her shoulders grow cold. She was scared to see him, had no face to show to him after her infidelity. Even though Enzo had no idea of the damage she’d done with Jericho, she felt already in flames.
Enzo joined her and waited with longing for her to speak, or at least for her to utter a single word. “You never answered my calls nor texted me back. What’s happening to you lately?” Enzo said, yearning for explanations that might not come.
Sophia’s mind was her enemy. She had no idea how to tell him.
“Hey, tell me what’s going on.” Enzo asked again. His voice was demanding now, but if she spoke up, she’d die of disgrace.
She blinked back a tear and decided to tell the truth. “I’m sorry, Enzo. But, I’m not worthy of you.”
“We’re not going through this again, Sophia. Don’t! Please!” Enzo was refusing like a kid and stopped her from leaving her chair.
Sophia hardly moved. “You will feel disgust for me. Just like I feel disgusted with myself right now.” She forced her heart to turn to stone.
“What do you mean?” Enzo gazed long and hard at her.
Her nose clogged up, and she reached for tissue paper from her shoulder bag. “I’m so sorry. I really am.” It was difficult, she didn’t want to hurt him this way.
With his queries unanswered, Enzo demanded harder, his mind in a rainstorm, and glared at her again. Then slowly, her looks gave him a hint. “This is about that Jericho again…” He mind leaped from one theory into another.
Sophia bowed down her head quickly, a sign hinting that he was right, and her eyes were filled with tears again.
“We’re back there, again…?” Enzo was given another clue, just as he saw the guilt in her eyes. “Did you sleep with him?” The very instant he said it, Sophia almost fell to her knees.
On impulse, Enzo spurned the thought. “Damn it!” He squeezed her arm so hard it left a red mark, and dragged her into the nearest women’s room. It was empty. He banged the door, and judging by his movements, Sophia knew he was going to hurt her. He had this lack of anger management.
Oh heavens, she was dying. Not from fear of him. But from the agony of her mistakes.
Enzo wanted to hurt her so badly, but somehow, he was able to hold it in. It was hard, for the only girl he’d been loyal to for many, many years had been disloyal to him in an instant. And as he watched her face awash with tears, he pressed her harder against the wall and mollified himself, thinking… She was just as agonized as he was.
“I revolved around your world, clinging to the hope that I can offer you light. But you just took away that light,” he said, not looking her in the eye anymore, and then for the last time, he looked at her. Once. Then he left, with no regrets. He despised her.
*****
Francheska was determined to get her daughter back. But considering Elizabeth’s sacrifices for Sophia, she felt herself tearing apart.
“Mom, Dad, I want Sophia in my life…” Francheska confessed to her parents when they visited Elizabeth. Somehow, it pricked Elizabeth’s heart upon hearing it. She couldn’t identify if it was her own jealousy or worry—worry that Francheska would steal Sophia away. She was acting like a fool.
“Cheska, she’s my daughter too. You can’t just decide to take her after leaving me with no choice.” Her response embarrassed Francheska. “Sophia is not an overnight rental, that you can decide to borrow and return when you’re done.”
Seeing their daughters in a serious argument, Randy and Emily made up their minds to intercede.
“Cheska, your sister’s right,” Randy said to Francheska and then looked at Elizabeth, “but Eliz, Cheska is already sorry and she’s now willing to shoulder her mistakes.” It wasn’t easy for Randy to show tenderness, but he had done it for everyone’s sake.
“And Cheska’s very determined to make up for everything, especially for Sophia,” Emily added, supporting her husband. “Let’s give her a chance…”
Elizabeth was non-verbal for a moment, silently refusing their point. She didn’t want to lose Sophia like this.
“Please, give me the chance,” Francheska responded and came towards Elizabeth, cautious about touching her.
“If that happens, are you taking her to New York?” Elizabeth rejoined, at last. There was too much trouble already, and she doubted whether her sister was trustworthy.
“No, I already quit my job but I earned a lot. And I want to buy a house. If possible, I will stay nearby so Sophia can always drop by.”
Those words were very soothing to everyone and most especially to Elizabeth. It was an agreement they were all at ease with.