Lester was still, his expression hard and his emotions spiraling out of control.
Ring. Fiance.
The words struck him fiercely, making him unable to keep himself placid.
Those words held weight. Connecting it to their past made it even more painful.
He had once swore to give her her first ring, to give her her first proposal but now he had missed them all.
To another man. To the man named Herman no less.
His knuckles coiled.
Her words hurt, perhaps because of the undeniable solemness she had emitted when she uttered them but what hurt more was the look on her face when she mentioned them — Herman, their relationship and his unwanted presence interfering.
The pride in her eyes, the content, the joy.
All for a man who wasn't devoted. Who was definitely toying with her.
Lester felt an itch.
He had wanted to confess to her, to make her aware of Herman's two-timing but now he knew he couldn't, not when she had showed such look, not when her heart would break.
But yet he wanted to clear it all, to try, to give her a hint at least.
Seeing the bastard play with his person was infuriating and his patience was beggining to snap.
"Do you trust him enough to believe what he says?"
Rena glanced at him, her eyes squinting. "What do you mean? He proposed to me openly Lester, he made his intent clear."
"Are you sure he wants to marry you? Have you even met his family? Did they accept you?"
Something in the way he spoke was odd.
He didn't seem interested in the topic, he wasn't probing, that made it weird.
Rena felt a bit of confusion but soon flushed it off.
He must be trying to place a doubt in her mind. Although he spoke impassively, the anger in his gaze was plain.
Rena wasn't going to let herself be strayed.
Yes, she had met his family. They hadn't accepted her yet but Herman had promised to work on it.
Besides he was going to meet her family this weekend as he himself requested.
His intent on her was overly clear, it left no room for doubt.
And she would certainly not let the words of someone like Lester whom she despised stick to her head and put problems between her relationship with Herman.
That must be what he wanted anyway, how could she let that happen?
"Why does that concern you, Lester? If you think or want to create trouble between us and cause me to desert Herman, you must be mistaken."
Lester sighed. Deep and weary. And then with a low voice, asked.
"Do you love him?"
"...."
The question was so low she almost didn't hear it.
"Wh..."
"How much do you love him, Rena?" He stared at her.
His expression now bode a facade of apathy but Rena had a feeling it was all a deception.
Rena knew this man was after her so how could he be calm asking such query? Hearing someone he wants want other?
It was impossible and Rena decided to ride on it.
She had to make her stance more apparent and more hurting as it should be.
Because she knew as long as he was here, as long as he keeps presenting himself before her, her and Herman relationship wouldn't last cause he would certainly interfere.
It would be best to continuously declare to him, to make him more knowing that she was long done with him. That she would never be his.
"I love him..." She deadpanned. "More than I had ever loved you, Lester."
His eyes flickered.
Her breath ceased, uncontrolled.
She didn't know why but her whole being screamed it to be a lie.
Rena bit her lips lightly as she resumed. She had to be as harsh and convincing as she could be.
"You should know by now, we only dated for two months after a month of friendship and we were even just children then, how could it compare to now? It's been eight years, am an adult currently and more sensible than before. Herman and I have been on it for nine months, conclusively it's not the same."
Lester's hand flinched slightly. If Rena wasn't staring directly at his face, she would have caught it.
"Besides when you left then, that was when my love ended. Even now as I told you before, I had considered it — it was only just a fling, a fling that ended when you left."
"Rena..." Lester's voice didn't wobble but it sharpened with hurt.
He regretted. He shouldn't have asked her such.
He only wanted to know how far her feelings went for Herman.
Who knew she would lead him here? Make him listen to this?
"I don't know why you still claim... you love me, Lester but I don't. It's been years, if you haven't shown up in my life again, I would have forgotten you ever existed."
"..."
"I only want a stable life now and I have planned for my future with Herman. The most thing I would wish right now is to never see you again, for you to leave my life completely and never come back."
Silence.
Lester, shaken locked eyes with Rena's.
Hers were steady, unwavering, bold.
He laughed, a quiet one but humorless. One chiefly directly at himself.
Rena looked confused and surprised but Lester didn't let her think much.
He cleared the silence.
"Rena..." He called. "How much do you hate me?"
The stark contrast to his former question was thorough.
Rena shivered slightly.
She didn't know why. Was it his tone or perhaps the ache in his countenance? But her heart felt pained and she lost her composure completely.
"...."
She wanted to respond but couldn't, cause she well didn't know what to say.
He was right. She hated him and somewhere deep down didn't want to deny it.
"It's true." An unreadable emotion blanketed his face but the bitter laughter from earlier was still there.
"The pain — now I know it, it's hatred and something else. Your words are always angled to hurt me, Rena. You want me to feel pained, why? Is it because I left you without notice back then or is it something more?"
Her stomach turned at those last words.
She gnashed her teeth and stated. "It's night. I need to rest."
With those solid words, she unlocked her door and went in, closing it right after.
Lester didn't stop her, his mind was too occupied.
He had known Rena didn't like him now but hatred? He had never thought of it until he recognized it just moments ago when she spoke, when she as usual tried to push him away.
It was subtle but for a second it blazed. He couldn't miss it.
He sighed roughly.
His chest felt tight.
He knew Rena, her character before and current.
She wasn't narrow-minded. She definitely couldn't be just angry because of his abrupt departure.
There was something he didn't know about and he had to find out.
Perhaps knowing could help repair the thick cracks in their relationship.
Cause even though she persisted that he didn't matter, the pain in her heart proved otherwise.
Cause if he didn't, she wouldn't hate him. She wouldn't constantly try to get him away.
His lips thinned as he sat in the car, his mind still wandering.
The exhaustion he had earlier hidden sprouted obviously, his eyes half shut.
"Wallace." He called to the man who just got into the car.
Wallace responded readily. "Boss?"
"Investigate Rena's past. Dig out her every movement, activities in the last eight years. Leave no windows unchecked, do you understand?"
"Yes Sir."