C5 Chapter 5

Becky was adding cream to her coffee when Colin's call came the following Tuesday morning from China. She grinned wildly at her sister and swiped across her phone screen. "Hey," she whispered into the phone.

Betty was so happy that her sister was gradually getting her groove back. She prayed silently that the new guy would be the real deal, that it would be a new, beautiful beginning.

Becky had gone through a lot in the last three years. Betty had watched helplessly as her sister battled depression for months.

When her sister told her about her boss's friend, she was so happy. Becky was now eager to meet the man behind Becky's recent happiness. Betty couldn't attend the education congress, so she hadn't met Colin yet.

Betty watched with delight as Becky

chatted, giggling with Colin on phone.

"Oh congrats, you've signed the deal," Becky said when he told her they had signed the deal papers.

"Thanks, dear," he whispered. "I miss you so much. I wish I'm there with you." His voice came out breathy over the phone.

Becky said nothing. She didn't know how to respond to that.

"You didn't say anything," he retorted gently. "Don't you miss me?"

"I miss you," she whispered. "Yes, I miss you too."

"Or do you want me to come back to New York tomorrow?" he asked in a ragged voice. "I can postpone my journey to Spain."

He planned to leave for Spain the following day to check up on his dad.

"No, you don't have to do that," she replied to him. "Go and check up on your dad. It's just for a week."

"Okay I will," he sighed. "But I won't stay for a week anymore. I will spend only three days with him."

"Why?" she asked. His swift change of plans surprised her.

"Because I want to come back to see your beautiful face, my dear," he breathed raggedly into the phone. "I can't stop thinking about you. I want to be where you are."

Again, Becky could say nothing. As much as she was feeling a pull in her heart towards him, she knew she needed to be cautious.

"I will spend only three days in Spain." He broke the silence when she didn't talk. "What do you want me to get for you?"

"Anything," she giggled, "you can bring all Spain.”

"Anything is nothing," he chuckled. "But all of Spain is something. I will try to bring that."

"Colin, we are ready," Becky heard a low male voice say to him in the background from the other end.

"Hold on please," Colin said to her. And he asked the man to give him a minute.

"Sorry about that," he said to Becky. "That was my MD talking to me. I have to go now. Our host is taking us out for dinner."

"Oh. Okay," Becky said, and they said their goodbyes, with him promising to call her later.

After her phone call with Colin, she couldn't even eat her breakfast anymore. Becky was filled with apprehension as she started getting dressed for work . She had never felt this excited about a man in three years.

But she was afraid as well. She didn't want her heart to get shattered again. She wasn't sure if she could withstand it one more time. It was so bad last time. Her mind went back to thirty-eight months ago with Felix, her ex.

Becky knew she would never forget the unfortunate day her ex called off their wedding as long as she lived. It was exactly four weeks before their wedding day. They were about to leave for their photoshoot that Saturday morning. He was at her house to pick her up.

When she joined him in the car, he looked into her eyes and said, "Becky, I don't want to do any photoshoot again." He ran his hands up and down his thighs. "I don't want to get married anymore!"

"What?" Becky's heart nearly stopped. "What did you just say?" She widened her eyes in horror.

"I am sorry, Becky," Felix said in a low tone. I’m...” He blew out what seemed like a frustrated breath. "It's…, I fell in love with Reese again. We've been sleeping together. I can't continue with this wedding.”

Reese was his ex-wife. He had already divorced her five years before Becky even met Felix. So she found it difficult to wrap her mind around why he would go back to her.

"You fell in love with your ex-wife?" She shrilled. "You are sleeping with Reese?" She rubbed her forehead, with her eyes closed, and said, "oh my God, I’m such a fool, I have been a fool all this while."

"I'm sorry, Becky," he begged her. "I never planned for things to turn out this way."

"This is what you are doing to me, Felix? I thought you loved me." She smiled mirthlessly. "Four weeks to our wedding. I am in trouble!"

She looked incredulously into his eyes. She was already sweating profusely, eyes glistened with tears. If anyone told her he would be so cruel to her, she would have asked the person to examine his or her head properly.

He said nothing: he couldn't say anything. All she saw on his face was a mixture of sadness, shame, and relief, all at the same time.

"I'm sorry," Felix pleaded again. "I couldn't help myself. I fell in love with her again." He reached out and placed a hand on her arm.

"You are so wicked, Felix Morgan!" She slapped his hand away from her body. "You are a very wicked soul. So I should go on national television now and announce that Felix is not marrying me again." Tears trickled down her face. "That we have canceled the wedding. Or what do you want me to do now?"

She opened the car door quietly and walked back into the house. But she hadn't taken over four steps when she swayed and collapsed.