Encounter

All eyes were on Matthew when he entered the KTI building. Almost all of them were giving him a what are you doing here look? They were expecting that he’ll spend a few days off for his honeymoon.

But, here he is, reporting for duty after the night of his wedding. Nothing special happened except that he woke up with a new status this morning. He is now a married man.

He did everything to tease his wife to give in and surrender to him, but knowing Aleia was strong like a rock. She even gave him a fair fight like they were playing tug of war.

Aleia did not know how hard it was for him to control himself and not touch her. Especially, when her delicate skin touched his and when he got to smell her feminine fragrance. He could not stop to imagine himself ravishing her.

He had all the right to claim her but he chose not to – not after all the arguments they had and not after seeing her cry for how many times. He wanted to get back to her but he could not deny that he has a special spot for his wife.

His secretary was more surprised to see him when he entered the office. Yana froze for a while looking at her boss. Matthew smiled at her and even waved his hand in front of her.

” Sir!” Her eyebrows furrowed.” I thought-” But Matthew cut her off.

“Ssh! I know what you are thinking and I don’t want to talk about it. Hmm?”

Yana nodded, smiled, and zipped her mouth.

He heard the door open but he didn’t bother to look at who came in.

“Bro!”

Matthew glanced at David and saw the same expression that others had. David was smiling while looking at him. He just gave him a death glare and David burst out laughing.

“What are you doing here this early?” he asked as he continued to scan papers on his table.

David sat on a chair in front of Matthew. “I am a businessman so I’m here for business. I thought that you were on your honeymoon. Anyway, sorry about last night. I just wanted to know her more. She is my best friend’s wife,” David said smiling.

Matthew looked at David with remorse. “Huh! You wanted to know her. But you were looking at her like you wanted to eat her,” Matthew said firmly with gritting teeth. He started to feel heavy and something was choking him but he did not know why.

David chuckled. “What the? Are you jealous, bro? But you were accusing me of something. It was a foul, bro.”

“I’m warning you, David. Stay away from my wife. You like Nathalie, right? Then you can pursue her, now.”

David leaned closer to the table. “Now, you sound in love and concern to your wife. I remember you were just marrying her because you want to get even,” David said but he silenced him.

“Watch your words. Whatever issues we have at home should remain there. I don’t want to humiliate my wife. She is still my wife.”

David laughed sarcastically. “Indeed, the wife that you loved dearly but you just kept on denying your true feelings. Can I have dinner at your house tonight?”

“What? Why? No way! Are you insane?” Matthew hissed. “I just told you to stay away from her, idiot,” he said and left David in his office for some appointments who was laughing like crazy. He sure loved to tease his friend.

Matthew attended all meetings that were set beforehand. He thought of going home early to surprise Aleia and make it up to her for being so cold sometimes. He did not even touch the breakfast she made this morning.

His employees teased him before he left. Telling him that he was excited to see his wife. He just laughed with them. At some point, they were right. He kinda misses her.

He dropped by a flower shop to buy flowers for her. But he was confused, he doesn’t know what flowers does she like. It made him realize that there are still many things that he needs to know about her. They are still a stranger to each other, and he does not know even her favorite food.

On the way home, he ordered food so that she won’t need to cook. He also thought of hiring a maid for her so she won’t be obliged to wake up early in the morning and prepare something for him. The thought of having a meal as a married couple made him excited. It would be their first meal as husband and wife.

He felt excited to see her and he kept on smiling like an innocent child who longs for her mother. All this time, he wanted her to live in misery but how come he was thinking of making her life easier.

The guard opened the gate for him when he arrived home.

“Is Aleia there?” he asked the guard after parking his car in their garage.

“No, sir. She went somewhere a few hours after you left this morning,” the guard replied.

Matthew started to feel uneasy.” Where did she go? She never told me she’ll be away.”

“We also don’t know, sir,” the guard answered and lowered his head. Guilt was visible on his face for not doing his job well.

“So, you just let her off without knowing where she was going? Unbelievable!”

He left the guard as he ran immediately to their room upstairs to see if her things were still there.

What if Aleia realized that she was not in love with him anymore after his treatment of her? What if she ran away and left him?

He did not know why his heartbeat is abnormal. It beats slowly but painfully that he wanted to cry. A thorn was being removed when he saw her things still intact in her closet.

He sat on the bed and tried to call her but she was out of reach. He kept on messing his hair, stood and sat again, walked back and forth, looked out the window, and repeated the same gesture.

“She’ll come back. She loves me. She loves me. Urgh! I’m insane!” he reminded himself like a crazy man.

Until he decided to go back downstairs to wait for her. The food he ordered on the way was delivered already. He lost the energy to set the table so he just put it there.

He went back to the living room and pretended to watch something on TV to kill the time. He dozed off to sleep and when he woke up the show was already over. What’s sad is that Aleia is not home yet.

The house was still silent and twilight started to invade the day. He was sure that the food is now cold. He sighed and glanced at his watch. It’s 6 pm already and his wife is still nowhere to be found. His effort of going home early was a waste.

He ran to the door when he heard a car stopped at their gate. His jaw dropped when he saw a man who opened the door for Aleia. He clenched his fist and wanted to punch that man.

The two talked for a while and looked so happy that it broke his heart. He was jealous. His eyes widened in shock when he saw him kiss her on the cheek and Aleia was okay about it. She even tapped his shoulder before he went back to the car.

Is she cheating on him in front of their house? Where has she been? She was wearing sports attire that matched a jacket and sports shoes?

Aleia was not aware that he was at the door. She took off her jacket sexily while walking and was left was her sleeveless top that hugged and sculpted the perfect curve of her body.

She also raked her hair and wiped her forehead. Matthew was like watching a celebrity coming near to him. Something deep inside him was awakened but the reality struck him.

The fact that he waited for her for a couple of hours and caught her being kissed by someone else right in front of him.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

Aleia was shocked to see him standing there, waiting.