Chapter 11 Rain

<Mia>

We were on the road, and it was pouring rain.

"Lorena, you shouldn't have intervened between them. Their relationship is their business, and you should stay out of it," I admonished her, noticing the scratches on her arm and the disheveled state of her hair.

They got into a collision, and Teriyaki and Kieffer ended up with bruises on their faces due to their heated argument. I didn't know exactly what happened because Ethan didn't let me get closer.

Lorena told me that they also had a heated exchange. We had to pay for the damages before leaving, and Ethan ended up shouldering fifty percent of the cost because they kept arguing about who should pay.

"She's acting foolish! She's being stupid, forcing herself on Kieffer even though Kieffer doesn't love her anymore. They've been talking about signing the annulment papers, but she never follows through," she complained.

"Even so! You can't just charge in and say whatever you want! You should have known your boundaries!"

We were shouting at each other.

She's friends with Yunnie, and they both lack common sense.

"Girl, you're taking her side? You should know your limitation!" I fumed at her narrow-mindedness.

Ethan held my hand to calm me down. He's used to my daily outbursts.

"You know what? You have no idea about your own limitations either! You're quick to criticize me, but are you perfect? Do you have no secrets to hide?" She was triggered.

One of Ethan's hands remained on the wheel while the other held mine.

I couldn't respond.

"Loren, please!" I said, infuriated. "Know your place! You should have let them separate properly first!"

"Are you kidding me?! No one separates properly! And even if you know your own worth, you wouldn't chase after someone who doesn't love you anymore! Tell me, Mia?! Is it a sin to love? Did you teach your heart not to love Yunnie? Did you teach your heart whom to love?! No, you didn't! I'm the same way! Just because I'm the other woman doesn't mean you should look down on me! We're no different from each other!... It's not my fault that Kieffer and I fell in love, and it's certainly not my fault that he chose to leave behind 11 years and fall out of love!"

He's furious.

I won't back down from her. How clueless she is, mentioning something about Yunnie when Ethan is right here. What a brainless woman!

I was about to retort when Ethan tightly held my hand, looking at me with his eyes, urging me to calm down, and quickly shifting his gaze back to the road.

"Stop the car, Ethan!" I said angrily.

"Drop Lorena off!"

She's really getting on my nerves. She's really testing my patience.

She's friends with Yunnie, and because of her, I met the people around me. Lorena’s my friend too, but we don't think alike. I'm superior to her, and she's not as dumb as I am.

She claimed their relationship was still fine before she meddled, and now she says Kieffer fell out of love! A person doesn't just fall out of love if there's no one else involved.

"It's raining," Ethan hesitated.

"You're going to stop, right? If you don't stop, I won't go home!" I threatened him.

"Fine, Ethan, stop the car! I'll get off!" the idiot said.

"It's raining, Lorena, and it's late. It's dangerous; let me send you home," Ethan insisted.

Despite hearing what Lorena had said to me, he still offered to take her home, even though she lives in Quezon City and we're in Makati City, and it's raining.

Ethan is also someone who doesn't think things through.

"Or you can sleep at our house if you want. Mia can lend you her clothes. She has spare clothes."

I forcefully removed his hand from mine to let him know that I wasn't pleased with what he said.

"What are you talking about? Are you crazy?! Stop the car and drop off that crazy mistress!" I said firmly.

"Mia Zoey." I didn't take my eyes off Ethan while he kept looking back and forth between me and the road.

"Come on, Ethan, just drop me off on the side. I can manage myself, and I don't want to be near a fake friend. I'll just call Kieffer. She's so stupid! She knows that Kieffer is with his wife now, and they were arguing earlier with Quenery, and the legal wife was not backing down."

Ethan stopped me from speaking again.

His eyes make me want to shut mine.

He parked the car despite his hesitation.

Lorena got off, and she said to start the car. Throughout the rest of the journey, neither of us spoke.

Once the car entered the garage, I forcefully closed the door, almost breaking it.

I stormed into the bedroom, and he followed me. I entered the bathroom for a half-bath, and then he followed suit.

I went downstairs to check on the dog.

It was sleeping so peacefully.

It's cute, but it's a bit shy.

Teriyaki told me that Shih Tzus are like babies and that I should always make sure they have water.

I stayed in the living room for a while and threw a tantrum there. When I entered the bedroom, Ethan was blow-drying his hair, and after that, he put on his plain white shirt and sat next to me on the bed.

I had a frown on my face as I watched TV, switching channels forcefully and playing with the volume.

"Are you mad?" he asked in a low voice.

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

I ignored him.

"Mia, don't be mad."

Mia? So, I'm Mia, huh?

I threw the remote at him, and it hit his chest.

"Well, what, Ethan Lee Chanx?" I called him by his full name with a hint of irritation.

His forehead furrowed.

"Calling my name gives me an uneasy feeling. Don't call my full name," he moved the remote control aside.

"Why are you so mad?" His forehead was still creased.

"You don't want me to call your whole name? But earlier, you managed to call me by my full name!"

I was really annoyed.

"Don't shout."

"Don't shout because the neighbours will hear? And I'll be embarrassed?" I raised my voice.

"I hadn't said those things," he said calmly.

He is so infuriating, it's like he's insensitive and doesn't care that I'm angry.

"Why are you so mad, huh?" he asked curiously. "I didn't do something that makes you mad."

I threw the pillow at him.

"I'm going to sleep."

"I'm sorry if I called your full name, and if this is about Lorena, I'm sorry; I'm just concerned about her safety. She's your friend. You shouldn't do that to her," he explained to me.

I stood up and faced him. "You're so insensitive, damn it! You're even taking her side over mine? Safety? What about me? Are you just going to neglect me? And you prioritize her over me?!" I was so irritated, I wanted to hurt him.

He sighed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way."

So insensitive, damn it.

"Go be with Lorena!" I said angrily.

"Hey," he tried to reach out for me, but I slapped his hand hard.

"I am just concerned for your friend's safety. It's late at night, and it's raining. She's a woman, Mia; if something bad happens to her, you're responsible. And besides, you shouldn't treat your friend that way," he explained to me at length.

I pointed at him. "You know what, Kieffer is also your friend! Why are you allowing your friend to have a mistress? It's like you don't care!"

He sighed, looking stressed because of me. "It's Kieffer's decision and life, not mine."

What a small world, Ethan is friends with Kieffer.

"Well, why did you agree to marry me then?"

"You don't want to get married to me. Do you have regrets?"

It's not like that, I'm happy that things worked out for me, not with someone reckless.

"You're not in that situation!"

"I will never regret marrying you," he said softly.

"I'm still angry. Instead of siding with me, you actually sided with her!" I vented.

Suddenly, he pulled me closer until our lips were just an inch apart. I looked at his lips, and they were wet, a deep red color.

My tongue was cut in the midst of events

He slowly leaned closer to my face. He looked at my lips.

Getting closer.

I couldn't move, I felt paralyzed, and I couldn't breathe.

Help.

Getting closer.

I pushed him away and ran out of the room.

What is he doing?

He's acting like a fool, and why is he looking at me like that? His gaze pierces through my soul.

He's going insane.

He's acting crazy.

I'm still angry with him.

I stopped walking when I noticed something.

What the fuck?!

Why is this guy here? I took a step back because I'm afraid of him.

~

<Third Person>

Mark quietly walked into his brother Ethan's house. His phone rang.

He looked at it and saw his brother Julius calling him. He turned off his phone.

He carefully opened the door and heard voices coming from the kitchen. He silently headed there.

"Oh, what? You're not going to speak again? You know I'm angry with you, and yet you don't even care," Mia's voice echoed angrily.

She sounds like a tiger.

Before he could approach, he could already hear it.

"Oh, here's your coffee! I hope you burn yourself!"

He peeked into the kitchen and saw Ethan sitting quietly while Mia's nose was steaming with anger.

What could they be arguing about this time?

"Fine, do whatever you want! I won't come home early later! I have work!" Mia glared at her silent brother, Ethan, who was calmly sipping his coffee.

She let out a laugh, as if craving for some affection, yet not receiving any.

She picked up the dog that approached her.

Glancing back, she noticed Ethan looking at her but quickly averted his gaze.

"Seriously! You've ruined my day already! Damn it!" She slammed the plates into the sink.

This woman knows how to hold a grudge. She's so tough, almost like she's not even a woman. Mia even suspects she might be a lesbian. She's tougher than Mia herself.

"Why are you so grumpy?" Ethan asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

Mia didn't respond and left the kitchen, where Mark was waiting.

"What are you doing here?" she snapped at him.

Mark chuckled. "Chill, you're so hot-tempered." He playfully messed up Mia's hair, but she forcefully removed his hand.

"Don't touch me! We're not even close."

Mark burst into laughter.

"You're so grumpy. Still unsatisfied from last night?" He raised an eyebrow.

"You're just the same! You ruin my day! Both you and your brother!" Mia took the dog away from him.

"This isn't yours, so don't touch it!"

"Why, is it yours?"

"Yes, it is. Any problem with that?" Mia clenched her right hand, her frustration evident.

There's something about this woman.

"That's what I thought," Mark conceded, a mischievous smile forming on his lips.

"No problem with that?" Mia retorted with annoyance.

"I said your dog is beautiful. Just as beautiful as Ethan." He made an excuse.

Mia walked past him, holding her dog.

"I thought you didn't like dogs? Why is there a dog here?" Mark finally entered the kitchen.

Ethan didn't answer, engrossed in his iPod.

Mia knows that Ethan doesn't like dogs because he was bitten by one when he was a child.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, without looking at her. His attention was still on his iPod.

Mark peeked to get a better look.

"Isn't it finished yet?" Mark saw that he was examining the laboratory being built.

"You're not even married to Mia yet, and you're already having this made, right?" She sat down beside him to take a look.

Mark took hold of the iPod he was holding.

"Wow, you've had a lot of work done, bro," Mark commented.

"How many years has it been under construction?" Mark further inquired.

Ethan took a sip of his coffee and ignored Mark.

"Damn, you've got so much space. You should expand your parking lot," Mark suggested.

"Why isn't it finished yet?" Mark asked, puzzled.

Ethan took his iPod back from Mark.

"Do you have money? If you have money, it's fine with me if you want to lend me some. So that I can finally complete this laboratory," Ethan turned off his iPod and set it aside.

"Oh, come on, bro! You? No money?! You have so much money. You were even able to build something like this," Mark teased.

The banks may go bankrupt, but Mark brother will never run out of money.

Ethan looked at him for a few seconds, contemplating his brother's request. He knew that Mark had a tendency to take advantage of his kindness, but deep down, he also couldn't help but feel a sense of responsibility towards his family.

Finally, Ethan let out a sigh and spoke, his voice filled with a mixture of frustration and concern.

"Mark, you know I've been working hard to finish this laboratory. I can't keep lending money to everyone who asks. I need to budget my resources wisely. Besides, I've already invested so much in this project, and it's almost complete."

Mark's smile faded, and he realized that his brother was serious about his decision. He knew Ethan well enough to understand that he valued careful planning and didn't want to rush things.

"Okay, bro," Mark said with a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"I understand. Just thought I'd give it a shot."

Ethan nodded, appreciating his brother's understanding. He knew it was difficult for Mark to accept rejection, but he also believed it was necessary to set boundaries.

"I appreciate your understanding, Mark. Let's focus on completing this project first. Once it's up and running, we can explore other opportunities together," Ethan suggested, trying to offer a glimmer of hope to his disappointed brother.

Mark nodded, realizing that Ethan had a point. He decided to support his brother's decision and help in any way he could without relying solely on financial assistance.

As they continued their journey, the two brothers shared a silent understanding, both knowing that their bond went beyond monetary favors and that supporting each other's dreams was more valuable than any amount of money..

Ethan's eyes widened in shock as he saw the amount Mark mentioned. He quickly glanced at the check he had just written, and his heart skipped a beat. It was indeed a check for five hundred thousand pesos, far more than the initial amount he had intended to lend.

"Eh, Mark!" Ethan called out, his voice tinged with concern.

"I think there's been a misunderstanding. I wrote a check for a hundred thousand pesos, not five hundred thousand!"

But Mark, who had already exited the car, turned around with an ear-to-ear grin on his face.

"No, bro! You heard me right!" Mark exclaimed, excitement and gratitude evident in his voice.

"I appreciate your generosity. I promise I'll pay you back."

Ethan couldn't help but smile at his brother's genuine happiness. He realized that, deep down, helping his family was one of the things that truly brought him joy.

"Alright, Mark. Just make sure you pay it back when you can," Ethan said, his tone warm and filled with love. "And remember, take care of yourself and find a job soon. I believe in you."

Mark nodded enthusiastically, his face still beaming with gratitude.

"I will, bro! Thank you so much. You're the best!"

With that, Mark walked away, clutching the check in his hand, his heart full of appreciation for his brother's unexpected act of kindness.

As Ethan watched his brother disappear into the distance, he couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction and contentment. Sometimes, sharing one's blessings with loved ones was worth more than any monetary value. And at that moment, he knew he had made the right decision.