Doctor's Fee Incident 42

LAURA'S POV

He didn’t answer my call… Why not?

A thousand thoughts raced through my mind as I sat there, heart pounding. I wanted to talk to him today because I had to confess the truth. I was going to tell him that I was leaving since Paul had returned, and we would go back to our old life together. I didn’t hesitate to go with him because I—still loved him.

Yes, he left me. But should I forget everything we had? Yes, he was cruel before, but deep down, he was the one who made my heart race. I still love him to this day.

But what about Clyde? What would happen to him if I completely abandoned him? I admit I was confused—did I truly feel something for him, or was it pity? I had leaned on him, and I had returned his love in the only way I knew how. We had shared such passionate moments, more intimate than most couples, and whenever he called, I was there for him. I couldn’t deny the thrill those moments gave me, but now?

I felt guilty about last night when Paul was in my arms. I was excited, but why did it feel so different when he was holding me? Why did Clyde’s touch linger in my mind during those moments? The thought of him dimmed my mood, and I felt myself slipping away from Paul’s grasp.

Do I love Clyde? I don’t know… I don’t know anything anymore.

CLYDE'S POV

My head throbbed from crying, each beat echoing my heartache. I had downed countless bottles of beer, desperately hoping to drown my sorrows and finally drift off into sleep.

Mom had been keeping an eye on me, knowing my pain. She knew me too well; she could see the dark cloud hanging over me, the abyss I was on the verge of falling into. But no! I wouldn’t let it end this way; I knew Laura wasn’t coming back to me—not with Paul waiting for her.

“Laura… I love you, but—”

I took another swig from the beer bottle in my hand. Maybe if I drank enough, I could forget her, forget the dreams we had built together.

Today was supposed to be our eighth-month anniversary. I had planned to propose to her, to prove the life I wanted with her. But she was nowhere to be found, and the truth I had long feared crashed down on me.

“Laura! Ugh! This is all my fault!”

I buried my face in my hands, muffling my cries. I was trying to brace myself for the words I dreaded most.

Opening the small box that had sat in front of me for hours felt like ripping open a wound. Inside lay the ring I had picked out for her, a symbol of my love and commitment.

“Laura… Haaah…”

As I gazed at the ring, tears flowed uncontrollably. Each drop felt like a knife twisting in my heart, ripping away the last sight of hope. The pain was unbearable, suffocating.

“Laura, I love you so much…”

And then I shattered, my heart breaking under the weight of my despair.

LAURA'S POV

The next day, I called Aunt Chari. I needed to set things right before I left.

We met at a restaurant in a secluded area, away from prying eyes.

“Laura…” Aunt Chari grasped my hand, her grip both comforting and heavy.

Uncle Clint was with her, both of them looking at me with a mixture of concern and compassion.

“I’m sorry, you know what we agreed upon,” I whispered, my heart aching.

Aunt Chari held my gaze, her eyes pleading. “Laura, are you sure? You’ve been apart for so long— you haven’t heard from him, right? And—”

“Chari!” Uncle Clint interjected, trying to hold back his own emotions.

Aunt Chari looked at him, torn between her worries and her love for me. “I can’t bear this…”

I felt a lump in my throat, watching their pain. I wiped away the tears that threatened to spill, unable to hold them back any longer.

“Laura, thank you.” Uncle Clint nodded, his voice thick with emotion. “Thank you for respecting us, for saying goodbye properly before you leave.”

I smiled, but it felt hollow.

Aunt Chari was fighting back tears, and Uncle Clint handed her a tissue.

“I don’t want to leave with a heavy heart. I know that— that—” My voice broke, and I struggled to continue. “I’m sorry, Aunt Chari. Uncle Clint— I’m so sorry— but we had an agreement.”

“I understand you, Laura. Thank you for everything,” Uncle Clint said.

Aunt Chari continued to cry, her heartbreak unbearable.

“I’ve been with Clyde for so long; he helped me when I was lost, and I’ve tried to give him everything in return. I’m sorry, but that’s all there is to it.” My heart felt like it was being crushed as I spoke those words.

“Laura, can we meet him?” Aunt Chari asked hesitantly. “Is he here— is he around? Is that Paul of yours here? And— does he know that you have a Clyde?”

I glanced behind me, where Paul was waiting in the corner. “He’s over there, on the right. He doesn’t know about Clyde; please don’t— accidentally let it slip.”

Uncle Clint nodded, a grave expression on his face.

“Is he the one in white? The— the guy with the tousled hair?” Aunt Chari asked. “God… He's— he's a very good-looking guy.” She said in whispers.

I nodded again, my heart racing.

“Can we meet him?” Uncle Clint asked.

Taking a deep breath, I stood up. “I’ll call him over.”

As I approached Paul, anxiety gnawed at my insides.

A moment later, I turned back.

“Aunt Chari, Uncle Clint— this is Paul,” I said, my voice shaky.

Paul smiled. “Hello! Are you Laura’s employers?” he asked, extending his hand.

The couple exchanged tense glances, and the air around us thickened.

“Thank you for taking care of Laura.” Paul’s voice was calm, but there was an underlying tension. “I’ll take Laura home; I’ll pay for everything you spent on her, ma’am, sir…”

The silence was deafening. Aunt Chari suddenly covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face as she clutched Uncle Clint as if she saw a ghost. I felt my heart race, the weight of the moment pressing down on me.

And then, I turned to see Clyde standing there at our back, hands shoved deep in his pockets, his expression unreadable. He was dressed sharply in a black long-sleeve shirt and matching pants, the formality of his attire matching with the chaos of emotions swirling in the room.

“Doc?”

My heart dropped when Aunt Chari mentioned him.

“Ugh! Doc?” I gasped, covering my mouth as I looked down, trying to hide from his piercing gaze.

He looked at me with a seriousness that made my heart race.

“Are you not going to introduce me to him, Laura?” Clyde’s voice cut through the air like ice.

I could feel the tension thickening between the three of us. Paul and I exchanged worried glances, both of us caught in the middle of this emotional storm.

“Ah… Paul, this is— this is Doc Tuason, he’s the one— who helped me in the hospital,” I stammered, unable to look Clyde in the eye.

Clyde remained still, hands in his pockets, his eyes locked on me as if he could read my very soul.

As the weight of the past hangs heavy in the air, will I choose the life I left behind, or will I confront the reality of my feelings for Clyde? In this moment of reckoning, the future hangs in the balance, teetering on the edge of heartbreak and hope.

“Doc, thank you so much…” I simply wiped my eyes.

“Are you really leaving?” He almost whispered. “Tell me, Laura?”

I raised my face to look at him; one last time.

June_Thirteen