Chapter 35

35 Cheater

My head felt light, and it felt like I was ready to faint right there at that moment. I told myself over and over again that Kyle broke up with me for his own personal reason. That was the lie that I had been telling myself so that I could get through the pain of our breakup. My heart was still far from healed and I couldn’t say for certain that I was completely over him. Afterall, it had only been a few days since we broke up, how was I supposed to erase all memories of the two years that we shared together?

Even thought, Kyle never got around to telling me the real reason why he decided to end our relationship, I never expected that it would be because he was going to get married to someone else. I mean, people don’t break up with their girlfriend to get another girlfriend and then marry her within a week’s time, right?

That only left one possibility and it was the one that I dreaded the most: All this time that we were together, Kyle had been cheating on me with another woman. Judging from the situation, I wasn’t sure if he was cheating on me with her or cheating on her with me. Does it even matter?

Both alternatives were just as bad as the other. If the rumors that these wonderful counter-productive ladies were discussing were true, then he had decided to choose her over me. Hence, he dumped me so that he could marry her with a peace of mind. Who cares what Karina would think and feel anyways, right?

Thankfully, the elevator arrived so that I could snap out of my ominous thoughts. After I quickly stepped in, the elevator door slid closed. I closed my eyes and let out a huge sigh. I was shocked beyond words and my chest still felt tight. Without knowing the exact reason why, I started praying for the rumors to be false.

Deep down, I probably still wanted to believe that Kyle truly loved me and that our relationship was real. I wanted to believe that what we had was real even if it didn’t last. Since the CEO’s office was located at the top floor of the building, the elevator made many stops on my way up. Once again, the elevator’s door opened at a floor. And someone needed to step out so I took a step away from the door and then I stepped deeper into the elevator so that other people could come in.

I wasn’t paying attention and didn’t realize that this floor was the planning department floor. It was already too late by the time that I realized it. The person standing in front of the elevator, along with his colleagues was none other than Kyle. If he was shocked to see me, he didn’t show it at all. He acted so natural that it made me feel like I didn’t exist.

Of course, we were not supposed to know each other at work or be close enough to exchange words of greeting. Although, I knew that I couldn’t stop the piercing pain that shot through my chest. Without a word of greeting to me, he stepped inside the elevator with his colleagues.

“Thanks for inviting us to your wedding this weekend,” one of his colleagues spoke up in a cheerful voice.

.....

“You’re like one of my best friends, so of course you’re invited,” Kyle replied casually as his friend patted his shoulder in congratulation.

'

“I’m so glad that you and Emily are finally getting hitched. You’ve been dating for many years now since university, right?” His other colleague asked.

“That’s right. I think it’s finally time that we make things formal,” Kyle replied with a bright smile.

Since university?!

But I met and started dating Kyle when we started working. This is the worst; he was already with her when he started hitting on me. An unbearable pain shot through my chest, and it started to feel harder to breathe as I realized that I was never his only one right from the start. He always had someone else that he cared about more than me, and in the end, he had chosen that person over me. He was two-timing me right from the start and I was completely fooled by his perfect-guy act.

Their conversation went on as if I didn’t exist in that small elevator. Each of their passing word made me feel small and insignificant as I tried to hide in the corner of that elevator. I wondered when they would just get out.

“Let us treat you to dinner to celebrate your upcoming wedding,” his friends suggested.

“Yeah, man, we’re so happy for you,” his other friend chimed in.

Finally, the elevator came to a stop at their designated floor and the three men got out. It was as if everything moved in slow motion as I watched Kyle and his friends exit the elevator. Through the entire elevator ride, not once did Kyle glance my way. Then the elevator door slowly closed and I was the only one left in the elevator.

I was too shocked that I didn’t know how to feel anymore at that point. The elevator arrived at the topmost floor of the building, where the CEO’s office was located, and I stepped out. The sound of the elevator door closing behind me filled my ears but my legs refused to move. I don’t know how long I stood there with that random box of my random stuff in my arms right in front of the elevator.

In that moment, I just felt so empty inside like I didn’t know why I existed. I just felt so lost. I didn’t know why I came here in the first place, and I had no idea what I’d wanted to do next. At that moment, the man that I least wanted to see appeared right in front of me.

“How long you planning to stand there?” he asked coldly.

–To be continued...