Rita's mother was worried. She wanted to know what had happened. She had waited the whole night, but Rita still hadn't said a word. In the morning, she called Aunt Iris.
"Hello, Iris," Rita's mother said.
"Hello. How are you?" Iris asked.
"Rita came back home last night, and since then, she has been crying."
"Why?"
"I don't know. Come here. I can't handle this alone."
"I'll come," Iris replied.
Rita's father came downstairs to eat breakfast. He sat at the dining table, and Rita's mother placed his breakfast in front of him.
"I heard Rita came back last night. Where is she?" Rita's father asked.
"Yes. She was tired, so she is still sleeping," Rita's mother said. "I'll send her breakfast to her room."
"Okay," Rita's father replied.
Meanwhile, Gilbert sat like a confused child who didn't know what to do after making a mistake. Ray sat next to him.
"Eat this first," Ray said, pointing at the breakfast he had made for him.
"I don't want to," Gilbert replied.
Suddenly, Ray's driver came in.
"Sir, I brought the car back," he said, placing the car keys on the table.
"Thank you," Ray replied.
The driver went back to his work.
"He brought your car back," Ray told Gilbert.
Gilbert wasn't interested in the car. He was too stressed.
"What should I do?" he asked.
"Think properly before you do anything," Ray suggested. "What made her angry?"
"She thinks everything I did or said to her was a lie," Gilbert replied.
"Then try to be honest with her."
"Do you think this is a drama where, if I tell her everything honestly, she'll forgive me?" Gilbert said.
"I can tell you this from my last experience," Ray replied.
"She broke up with you in the end," Gilbert reminded him.
"Yes," Ray said, "but at least she wasn't angry with me in the end."
Gilbert picked up his car keys and got up to leave.
"Where are you going?" Ray asked. "You haven't finished your breakfast."
"I can't just sit here."
Gilbert walked out of the house, got into his car, and drove towards Rita's home.
Rita's mother took a breakfast tray to Rita's room. Rita was still sleeping. She placed the tray on the table beside the bed and sat next to her.
"Rita, wake up. I brought you breakfast."
"I don't want to eat."
Rita wanted to sleep. She thought that if she kept sleeping, she wouldn't feel any pain.
"Dear, you need to eat breakfast," her mother said.
Rita lay flat on her bed, staring at the ceiling.
"I don't want to. Let me sleep."
Suddenly, Rita's father came into the room.
"Rita, why aren't you eating breakfast?"
Both of them froze, exchanging a nervous glance.
"Dad, I want to sleep," Rita said, looking at him.
"Eat your breakfast first," Rita's father said. "And why did you come home so late last night?"
Rita sat up on the bed, trying to think of an excuse.
"Because I wanted to... I missed my room."
"What are you saying?" Rita's father asked. "And where is Gilbert?"
Rita got out of bed irritably. She didn't want to tell her father about Gilbert right now because, deep inside, she was still worried about him. She didn't want Gilbert to look bad in her father's eyes.
She picked up the breakfast tray, went downstairs, and sat at the dining table. Her mother and father followed her.
She was about to eat when her father said, "I'll talk to you and Gilbert in the evening."
"Gilbert?" Rita asked worriedly.
"Yes. I want to see him. How could he let you come here alone?"
"Dad, no. I came here on my own," Rita quickly said. "It has nothing to do with him."
Rita's mother looked at her thoughtfully. In front of her, Rita always counted Gilbert's faults, but in front of her father, she didn't say a single word against him.
"I'll come back in the evening," Rita's father said.
After her father left for the office, Rita remained seated with her mother at the dining table.
Her mother studied her face, trying to understand what was troubling her.
"Rita, what happened last night?"
"Mom, I don't think things will work out between Gilbert and me."
"Why?" Rita's mother asked. "Didn't we talk about this last time?"
Rita looked at her mother in frustration.
"Mom, I'm not asking you," Rita said. "I'm telling you that I don't want to live with him."
"If he's so bad, then why did you defend him in front of your father?" Rita's mother asked.
"Because I want to finish this relationship quickly and without any trouble," Rita replied.
"Rita, you shouldn't rush into this," her mother said. "What if you regret it later?"
Rita chuckled bitterly.
"I already regret the day I agreed to marry him."
Rita's mother tried to calm herself.
"Rita, why don't the two of you go on a holiday together? If things still don't work out, then we'll talk about this."
"Mom, I don't want to."
"Rita, this time you should go," her mother suggested. "Last time, I know you made an excuse."
Rita frowned.
"What last time?"
"When your father sent you honeymoon tickets," Rita's mother said. "You said you couldn't go because you were unwell."
Rita stared at her mother, trying to process what she had just heard.
When did this happen?
Her mother continued, "But at your mother-in-law's party, you didn't look sick at all."
Rita tried to control her emotions, but suddenly, all the memories from last night came rushing back.
It must have been fun for him all this time to bully me. And just like before, nobody cares about me.
Rita furiously stood up.
"Where are you going?" her mother asked.
Outside the house, Gilbert was waiting nervously. He didn't know whether he should call Rita first or simply go inside.
After thinking for a while, he entered the house. When he saw Rita going upstairs, he called out to her.
"Rita."
Rita's mother was happy to see Gilbert. She thought everything would be fine now.
Before Gilbert could say another word, Rita grabbed his wrist and pulled him outside.
The moment they reached the garden, she let go of him and turned around.
"What are you doing here?" Rita asked.
"I came here to talk to you," Gilbert said.
Rita stared at him in disbelief.
Does he really think I'm that easy to fool?
Gilbert waited for her to say something, but the silence only made him more nervous.
"My feelings for you are genuine," he said.
"How stupid do you think I am?" Rita asked.
"I don't think that way about you."
"Then what is this?" Her voice rose. "Another one of your games? Is this some new way to bully me?"
Gilbert froze.
"No." He shook his head. "Rita, I—" He stopped, struggling to find the right words. "I'm sorry. For everything I've done to hurt you. Just... forgive me this once."
Rita stared at him coldly.
"Apologize to everyone you've ever bullied. If they forgive you, then I will."
She knew he wouldn't do it.
Gilbert had too much pride. He would leave, forget about this, and eventually stop pretending that he cared about her.
"Rita, I'm serious about you," Gilbert said.
Her chest tightened, but she refused to let it show.
"I don't want to hear any more of your lies." She stepped back. "And I don't want to see you."
Rita walked back inside the house, leaving Gilbert alone in the garden.
He stood there, wondering what he should do now.
Rita's mother hurried towards her.
"Rita, what happened?"
But Rita didn't respond. She went back to her room.
Rita's mother went outside to see Gilbert, but there was no one in the garden.
Gilbert drove his car without knowing where he was going. Only Rita's words ran through his mind.
Apologize to everyone you've ever bullied. If they forgive you, then I will.
Old memories started coming back to him.
He remembered the blurred face of a boy he had bullied—someone other than Rita.
Gilbert opened his phone and checked the school reunion group invitation he had received three days ago. He accepted the invitation and searched the group for the boy he had bullied, but he wasn't there.
Gilbert didn't want to talk to Ava, but since he couldn't find any other option, he messaged her.
Do you know where this guy is now?
Ava replied almost immediately.
Wait. I'll ask someone.
Gilbert waited eagerly for her reply.
Twenty minutes later, Ava sent him another message.
I got information about him, but I'll only send it to you if you tell me whether you're coming to the reunion or not.
Gilbert irritably typed a reply.
Fine. I'll come.
He knew that if he said no, she would keep bothering him until he finally said yes.
Ava sent him the information. The boy lived in a different city, six hours away by car.
Thanks, Gilbert replied.
He immediately started driving towards the city.
During the journey, he couldn't stop thinking about what he had done to that boy.
Daniel had been in another section. Gilbert used to order him to bring things for him at school. Daniel never said a word.
Then, one day, some other students framed Daniel for stealing.
Gilbert hadn't said anything, even though he knew the truth.
If I hadn't started using him in the first place, maybe none of this would have happened to him. Because of me, they started bullying him.
Gilbert tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
I don't know if he'll forgive me after so many years. Maybe it's cruel of me to suddenly show up and ask for his forgiveness.
He was still thinking about Daniel when Ray called him.
"Where are you?" Ray asked.
"I'm going somewhere," Gilbert replied.
"Where exactly?" Ray asked. "And what about Rita?"
"I'm going to apologize to an old friend."
"Why all of a sudden?"
"I bullied him too."
After everything that had happened, Gilbert no longer had the energy to worry about his image.
"Good, but what about Rita?" Ray asked.
"This is for her," Gilbert said.