Too Late to Love Me

Even though the lighting was dim and I could only see the side of his face, I recognized him instantly. This passionate, almost frantic side of Howard was something I had never witnessed in three years.

As if sensing something, he suddenly looked towards the camera, quickly covering Megan with his jacket. He grabbed a nearby skull prop and hurled it over. "Get lost! How dare you even look at Megan? I'll gouge your eyes out if I see you looking again!"

The screen immediately went static. One of those people awkwardly rubbed its nose and muttered, "It was so dark and he covered Megan so tightly. What were we even supposed to see? Can't believe Mr. Garcia flipped out like that."

"Just a few days ago, I joked with him about letting the bros check out Freya's figure sometime and he actually smiled and nodded. Sure enough, Megan is his precious darling. The way he treats her is on another level."

I clenched my fists but eventually let them fall, weak and powerless. It turns out that your initial response to something you truly didn't want to believe was denial rather than rage.

Even though the manager had reminded me three times that I could take off my makeup and go home, I stubbornly stood rooted to the spot. I didn't believe it. I didn't think the person they talked about, who played with other people's feelings, was the man I had loved for three years.

It wasn't until an hour later that the man emerged from the private room with Megan in his arms. The bright light outlined Howard's face so clearly and handsomely, completely shattering my self-deception. Megan's neck was covered in love bites. When she noticed the cut on my forehead, she said with a hint of embarrassment. "Miss, my boyfriend has a bit of a temper. He didn't mean to hurt you just now. Don't take it personally, okay? He just gets really possessive of me. Howard, aren't you going to make it up to her?"

Howard's eyes met mine. I thought he had recognized me. I hoped he would explain, even if he just denied the 'boyfriend' label, anything to make me feel like I wasn't a joke. Alas, he just pulled out a check, scribbled a few numbers and tossed it at my feet. "Keep your mouth shut. If I hear you talking nonsense and ruining Megan's reputation, I won't let you off," he said coldly.

We had been together for three years. I could easily recognize Howard's figure in the dark, but now I was standing right in front of him, just with NPC makeup on and he was only concerned with warning me not to damage his 'girlfriend's reputation. Was it that he didn't recognize me, or had he never cared about me?

Howard put his arm around Megan and walked towards the Bentley outside. That man considerately opened the door for her, fastened her seatbelt and drove away. From beginning to end, he didn't look at me once.

Watching that limited edition Rolls-Royce with the special license plate drive away, a bitter feeling welled up inside me. Because we had debts to repay and were saving money for his mother's medical treatment, we couldn't afford a car, only a second-hand motorcycle. Howard would often gesture grandly and speak to me behind him as those fancy cars carrying pretty women drove by. "Freya, just wait. Sooner or later, I'll ensure you ride in a car like that. The passenger seat is only for you."

I used to believe I would be the happiest woman alive if I rode that tiny electric scooter as long as I had his words. Now, he did have a luxury car, but the woman in the passenger seat wasn't me.

After taking off my makeup and returning home, I pulled the photo of Howard's mother from my phone while looking at the check. The amount was enough to pay for a year's medical expenses in one go. Howard, what other secrets are you hiding from me? There was a sound at the door and I quickly hid the check.