"It is not important to me Mia no matter what you want to believe, as long as I know you are mine and if you persist," he said in a threatening tone.
Mia was quickly horrified by Bernie's words. "Get out and don't ever come back here!" that's what she answered instead.
At that point, Mia bravely met Bernie's sharp gaze. Where she got the courage to do that, she didn't know. But if she was sure of anything, it was the fact that a part of her personality had been rebirth since she was with Erik.
At the thought of the young man, the corners of her eyes quickly warmed up.
If only she could admit to this man's face now who she really wants to be with. But she can't do that. She cannot harm the person who she knows is the sole owner of her heart before and until now.
"Leave, please?" now she said more calmly then pointed to the open door.
That's when she saw the man move. But not to go out but to step closer to her. When he got close, he immediately grabbed her face tightly. Mia's chest heaved because of that. But she knew she didn't have to give in to fear.
She doesn't even know what Erik's true feelings are for her. But the fact that he cares about her is enough to make her have enough courage and determination that she didn't know before.
"You are brave now, huh? This is what you will have to remember Mia, you are mine. No one can claim you because you are only mine. Do you understand? And I'll get you back because I can't let someone like you leave me just like that after everything. Anyway, no man will accept you. That's what you have to plug into your cunt, because you are nothing but a bowl of leftover rice. You have nothing left to be proud of because I've taken everything a long time ago, have you forgotten already? So if you're dreaming that you'll see someone more than me, well think again!" he said emphatically and violently dropped her face.
Mia was speechless at everything she heard that was actually true. Then, as she watched Bernie leave, it was as if her hand has a mind of its own that caressed her now painful cheek.
She knew, and she was sure that what the man did would leave a mark on her face again and that's when she burst into tears. But that was only for a moment, she knew she didn't need to be emotional, not this time. So she hurriedly wiped her tears and left the house after making sure that Bernie had already left with his car.
*****
Quickly, Mia's eyebrows met when she saw Erik's car in the garage.
Did he get home and get ahead of her?
That's when she hurriedly opened the gate to enter. And as expected, the young man was at home. He even greeted her with a sweet smile that was immediately wiped away as his eyebrows met, staring intently at her face.
"W-What happened to your face?" he asked carefully holding her chin and then turning her face right and left to examine it.
Mia's chest immediately revived the intense fear that had been lurking there for a while.
"Huh?" The only thing she said was to avoid the young man's scrutinizing gaze.
"I said, what happened to your face? Why it’s red? Just wait a little longer and it will end up bruised," he said in a worried tone.
"A-Ah, it’s beca---," she said trying to meet the young man's eyes.
She did that, but something else happened to her when their sight finally locked. And that was because of the warm feelings that caressed her heart after she read the intense concern in the young man's dark eyes.
"I-It w-was---," she said controlling her sob but eventually her tears fell.
"Hey, what happened?" asked the young man who bowed to her.
"W-What I was afraid of has happened," she began in between unstoppable tears. "H-He came to a while ago, he wants to take me with him," she said as she burst into tears and buried her face in her palms.
"He hurt you again?! That stupid asshole! Where is he?”
Erik's angry question made her look up. She caught the young man just as he was about to step out of the door, but she quickly hugged him from behind, stopping his steps.
"Please, don't, let him go," she begged in a whisper as her tears continued to flow. "Erik, I don't want you to get involved in my problem with Bernie. Please, don't do anything that could harm you, I can't handle it when something bad happens to you," she continued while in her heart she could feel her overflowing love for the young man
They stayed in that position for a while. And she was secretly grateful that Erik had let her hold him like that. She didn't know what was going on but it was as if in those moments she felt nothing but to stay by his side for the rest of her life.
"Mia," the young man carefully released himself from her embrace and then took her hand and guided her to sit down.
"H-He told me he'd get back to me," she began.
She didn't look at Erik and kept her eyes focused on her hands which the young man didn't let go of. But she knows and feels that he is staring at her.
She also knew that Erik made her sit there because he wanted her to tell a story. He wants to know what happened and the young man doesn't need to voice it or ask her because that's what she feels.
“H-He said that he wouldn't allow anyone else to benefit from me. Because he already took everything that I can be proud of," at that point, she looked up at the young man. "H-He said that I am nothing but a leftover rice so no sane man would love and a-accept me more than him," the last thing she said made her cry again.
"That's not true," Erik promptly corrected what she said.
"Erik, what he said is true. Even if we turn the world upside down, that is true. I'm not an acceptable type of woman, that's why he didn't marry me either," she said.
"He didn't marry you because he was afraid of being tied down. Because he doesn't love you. Because he's a coward," Erik's tone of speech showed intense hatred and that's what she saw drawn in his black eyes.
“B-But---,”
"I am more than willing to accept everything about you, Mia," said the young man without hesitation.