C7 Chapter 7: Shackled

Veronica

"Do you usually do this much shopping or are you just wasting my money?" Aaron asked while following behind me in the shopping mall.

"And are you usually this inhumane or are you just mean to me?" I fired back, shooting him a glare.

I was carrying more than ten shopping bags, yet that jerk didn't offer to help me and was casually walking with his hands in his pockets.

Like I didn't answer his question, he didn't as well and entered a watch shop. I huffed and trailed behind him. I placed the bags in a corner and stood beside Aaron as he was looking for a suitable wristwatch.

"Can you show me the most expensive wristwatch you have got?" I asked the man on the counter.

"If you think you can make my credit card decline by buying useless expensive things, then you are dead wrong. Even if you buy everything in this mall, you still won't be able to make me go bankrupt," Aaron stated.

"I know. It's just fun to waste someone else's money for a change," I responded, and he rolled his eyes.

"Ma'am, would you like to see a couple's wristwatch?" offered the shop manager.

"We are not a couple," Aaron and I spoke up at the same time, scaring the manager slightly.

"Right. I apologize." With that, the manager disappeared from our sights.

"But you know…" I trailed off, twitching my lips thoughtfully. "Maybe we can buy one pair and wear it to the interviews. My fans will find it so cute."

Aaron leaned close to my ears and whispered, "We are going to get divorced. Why bother flaunting our relationship?"

"I don't want people poking in our relationship for updates. It's easier to have them think we are happy with each other for now," I told him while checking the couple's wristwatch, and he hummed in response. "Put your hand forward," I ordered.

He rolled up the sleeve of his dark green shirt and held out his hand for me. I took off his earlier watch and made him wear the new golden Rolex watch, which matched mine.

I placed my hand beside his, our fists bumping with each other, and smiled in satisfaction. Maybe I was the one who found our couple watches the cutest, rather than my fans.

"Perfect." I took out my phone and clicked the photo for posting on a later occasion. "We will take this."

We made the purchase of those watches and roamed around for another hour. I decided to stop my shopping spree and have lunch in a restaurant with Aaron, which was very awkward since none of us talked.

As I got into the driver's seat, I glared at Aaron in the passenger seat. "What am I, your chauffeur? Why am I driving you everywhere?"

"Because you are the one in charge today," he said, and I narrowed my eyes at him. "Okay, I will take you sightseeing tomorrow." He sighed.

Stopping myself from grinning in excitement, I started the car and played the music, letting it occupy the strangling silence.

Aaron didn't talk much. He was kind of introverted. On the other hand, I couldn't stay without talking, but I was too mad at him to make a conversation.

Having nothing in mind, I decided to keep driving aimlessly, feeling the ocean breeze. The sun was starting to set on the horizon when I pulled over the car near the beach and stepped out of the car, leaving a sleeping Aaron inside.

I took off my heels and started walking on the white sand, my hair flying all over my face. Tired, I sat down on the sand and pulled up my knees to my chest. I looked around to find many couples around, so I set my eyes on the orangish sky and the sun.

My heart felt heavy and so very upset. I wasn't acting like myself. Everything was so messed up. I was missing my dad immensely. If he was here today, I wouldn't have had to get married like this.

I was so perplexed about my marriage. On one side, I had accepted Aaron as my husband. On the other side, I didn't accept him.

He married me, then he wanted to divorce me the same day.

To be honest, sometimes it felt like if Aaron told me that we could work this out between us, maybe I would be willing to give this relationship a shot— what am I thinking? I will never give this relationship a chance. He betrayed me.

Still, I couldn't help but wonder that in the bar, he was completely serious about not getting married, then what made him change his mind?

Wait… Did he start to have feelings for me?

My eyes widened as realization sank in. "Does he love me?" I let out.

I shook my head at the thought. "No, no, he doesn't. He's too mean to me for that." I ran a hand through my hair. "Or would he be even more mean if he wasn't in love with me?"

"Ugh, it's so confusing." As I was about to bury my head in my hands, I noticed a familiar figure sitting on the sand a few feet away, looking at the sunset, an upset expression on his face.

He was biting his lips as if he was trying not to cry. Something was hurting him inside, and it made me feel bad for him too.

I scooted closer to him and called out, "Mr. A?"

Aaron snapped out of his trance and looked at me blankly with no trace of his previous sadness.

"When did you arrive here?" I inquired.

"Just a while ago."

"Why didn't you call me?"

"You seemed like you wanted to be alone," he said, and a small smile evolved on my face at his rare consideration. "And that you would snap my neck if I disturbed you," he added.

I couldn't help but chuckle lightly. I sighed deeply, gazing at our knees, brushing against each other occasionally.

"Can I ask you a question?" I started.

"If you're going to ask me why I married you, the answer is off-limits," Aaron responded.

I pouted. "Fine. I will ask another question. Why didn't you want to get married in the first place?"

Aaron was silent for a minute before a sigh escaped his lips. "Because I have seen what happens and how much pain one goes through when the marriage starts to have cracks in it," he told me, his voice softer than ever before. "Everyday arguments, abuse, cursing, misunderstandings, and many more bad things keep happening."

I rested my chin on my knees, gazing at his green eyes while listening to him intently.

"Most importantly, love doesn't last. It changes and fades away with time. And without love, marriage is just a shackle. Just like it's in our case." He pointed at our feet, making me picture a shackle that connected the two of us.

"It's because you didn't have anyone that you love, you didn't want to get married?" I asked, and he nodded. "Does that mean you love me?" I blurted out.

Aaron looked at me as if I had grown two heads. "As if." He scoffed incredulously and stood up, dusting off the sand. "Let's go back."

"Are you avoiding the question because it's true?"

"No, it's not. It will never be," he hissed.

"Are you sure you don't love me? Don't worry, I won't blame you for falling for a sexy woman like me."

"Ms. Sexy woman, can we go back if you are done with your nonsense?" Aaron glared at me.

Huffing, I followed him to the car. Before he could get in the passenger seat, I ran in. I clicked my tongue at him and said, "I will let you drive."

"I'm honored," he said sarcastically and sat in the driver's seat before driving off.

Once again, the car ride was awkward and silent. Getting to the resort, I dashed upstairs to the bedroom and locked the door from inside.

Aaron knocked on the door and hollered from outside, "Hey, Ms. V, why did you lock the door?"

"Because I'm sleeping here." I knew he wouldn't let me sleep in the bed since there was only one big bed in the whole damn bungalow.

"Where will I sleep then?"

"The couch in the living room is very comfortable," I said, diving into the soft bed.

"I won't sleep there."

"You owe me a lot of apologies. The least you can do is to let me sleep on the bed."

"But I have the same right as you on the bed," he reasoned out.

"You also have the same right over the couch. It's all yours."

"How will I even fit in that small couch?" he exclaimed in irritation.

"Chop off your legs," I fired back.

"You are cruel, woman."

"If you don't like the couch, you are free to sleep in the pool," I suggested.

"Fine," he let out. Soon, I heard his footsteps fade away. Was he actually going to sleep in the swimming pool?

Whatever. Not my concern.

I let out a sigh in relief and changed into my nightwear, which was a thin tank top and shorts. I turned off the lights and pulled the duvet over me.

I was ready to sleep without having dinner when, all of a sudden, I felt some shuffling come from the direction of the balcony. I was alerted when I felt a figure was coming near me.

I clutched the duvet for dear life, feeling an ominous presence right behind me.

Shit, I should have let Aaron inside. Oh, my God, what will happen to me now?