Nathan’s eyes darkened. “Still want to run away?”
She shook her head between sobs. “No more running. I just beg you not to bully me anymore.”
“Good girl. Drink this, and I won’t bully you,” he coaxed.
I forgot to push open the door, frozen in place.
A dull ache spread through my heart, as if countless needles were being buried inside.
I had been with Nathan for three years. He was ashamed of my stammer and never brought me into his social circle.
His childhood sweetheart Sophia had abandoned the down–on–his–luck Nathan years ago to pursue opportunities abroad.
Now that she was back, Nathan immediately introduced her to all his friends.
Sophia downed a glass of strong liquor, clearly already drunk. She clung helplessly to Nathan’s neck, looking utterly vulnerable.
The possessiveness in Nathan’s eyes grew more intense by the second.
Before things could get worse, I chose to push open the door and enter.
“Nathan, your m–medicine…”
I stood dripping wet in the doorway, my voice trembling.
On rainy days, the joints in Nathan’s fingers would ache terribly. It was an old injury from when he saved me years ago.
I had run here to bring him his medication.
Nathan’s eyes flashed with annoyance.
“It’s still raining outside. Why did you come?” he asked coldly.
D
<
“I was w–worried you’d be in p–pain-”
Nathan gestured for a waiter to take the medicine, cutting me off. “It’s too rowdy here. Go home.”
“Aww, Nathan really cares about his girl, huh?” one of his friends teased.
Sophia was curled up in Nathan’s arms, gazing at me through hazy eyes. She was wrapped in Nathan’s jacket.
Nathan was afraid she’d be cold, so he’d had the staff turn up the air conditioning.
His friends were sweating but didn’t dare complain. Now that’s what you call caring.
Suddenly Sophia tugged on Nathan’s sleeve, slurring, “Let her sing for us, okay?”
“You want to hear her sing?” Nathan’s expression softened, pleased by Sophia’s conciliatory gesture.
He knew full well that with my stammer, singing would only humiliate me.
I took two steps back. “I–I’ll go now.”
Sophia suddenly burst into giggles, mimicking me: “I–I’ll g–go now.”
Nathan’s eyes lit up, a faint smile touching his lips. He grabbed Sophia’s wrist. “Let her go. Why are you leaving?”
My face burned with humiliation. I turned and pushed open the door.
As I left, I heard one of Nathan’s friends ask: “How do you argue with your stammering girlfriend anyway?”
Sophia mumbled drunkenly:
“It takes her three minutes to say one sentence. So stupid.”
“…Last time she couldn’t get the words out, she almost cried from frustration.”
Nathan let out a derisive laugh, his eyes overflowing with affection for Sophia.
“You ungrateful little thing. You forget all the good I’ve done for you, and just get jealous of others.”
“Nathan, when are you going to break up with the stammerer? Looks like you’ll be taking Sophia to a hotel tonight, huh?” another friend
chimed in.
Nathan leaned back on the sofa and said coldly, “She’s just a stammerer. I’ll dump her when I’m bored.”
Then he looked at Sophia, a hint of something dark flashing in his eyes.
“As long as it makes Sophia come back to me, it’s all worth it.”
But he didn’t know that my stammer had already improved greatly.
I had come tonight wanting to share the good news with him.
Now it seemed there was no point.
