Chapter 3

AT THE BACKSTAGE

Diane’s P.O.V.

“Claire, can we talk?” A familiar voice asked.

“Oh! It’s just you, Leandro. You’ve startled me.” I smiled… half-anxious, and half-surprised. Even Leandro did not know my real name, and I had no intention of revealing that to him.

Although I didn’t like him, I still tried to be nice to him as much as possible. For me, he was still a friend that I had to properly deal with. After all, we had been friends for two years. But I couldn’t deny the fact that it was awkward for him to just grab me without a word and pulled me into this dark corner.

“When will you give your ‘yes’ to me?” He asked me straight to the point and as if his eyes were glued at me.

My forehead creased into a furrow. Wait, what?

That made me avert my gaze because I did not know how to look at him. In the first place, I never allowed him to court me. Right from the start, I already made it clear that all I wanted to do with him was entirely friendship—nothing more and nothing less.

But why would he bother to ask such a question when he already knew the answer?

Leandro was only making it hard for me because he was very enthusiastic and persistent in pursuing me as if giving up would never be an option. That alone made me feel sick about him.

Suddenly, my head hurt so I closed my eyes and heaved a deep sigh. This was one of his qualities I truly disliked about him. He always had this manipulative attitude that was not easy to get along with. He was undoubtedly possessive, and there was no question to that.

He was almost perfect, but what made him a major turn-off was his obsession and controlling attitude that suffocated me whenever I was with him. He was choking me, and if it was already the worst part, how much more if he already became my boyfriend? He might lock me up in the house.

And the way how he was grasping me right now? He looked like someone who would never accept any defeat. He seemed to be owning me when I didn’t want to be owned by anybody. For Leandro, everything he liked was something he could surely own, and no one could ever take that away from him. I wasn’t a thing he could possess anytime he wanted.

“Wait, Leandro…” I appealed.

As I gently removed my hand from him because it quite hurts due to the intensity of his grip, I sweated with fear. He would like to hold me again, but I backed away from him.

“Right from the start, haven’t I declared that you don’t have to expect anything from me? I don’t want to be rude, but what I could only give you was entirely friendship. I’m sorry,” I apologetically told him.

There was a hint of sadness in his eyes, but his ego was screaming more. Besides, it would be better for me to slap him with the truth than for him to expect a lie. I didn’t want him to rely on something that would never happen. I didn’t want him to assume that what we have was mutual understanding because it wasn’t.

“I’ll go ahead. I have to time out early,” I bade him goodbye.

I turned around and started to step away from him, but I felt that he still followed me until he grabbed my left arm—causing me to face him again. It was a bit tighter compared to the previous one, and with my rosy-white skin, I was sure that my arm would turn red from his grip. It made me bite my lower lip.

“Leandro!” I fidgeted. He was almost crushing my bones.

“Why don’t you like me, Claire? What is it that you dislike about me, and I will soon change it? I just don’t get it. You know what? There are so many girls out there who are prettier and more professional than you, but I only want you. I could date lawyers and even the highest-paid celebrities, but I still keep on thinking about you. It was still you.”

He seemed to swallow a lump on his throat as his Adam’s apple went up and down before he continued, “Please, Claire… please! Allow me to be your boyfriend, and I will take you out of this club right now. I will support you financially to the point that you no longer need to work your ass just to earn money. I will pay for your siblings’ tuition fees and even for your Mom’s medication needs. I promise to do anything, Claire. I will love you until the end, just say yes!” He pleaded with frowns all over his forehead.

But the way he said those words was telling me that he commands more than he pleases.

I shook my head out of frustration. “It’s not that easy, Leandro… and I especially do not have to depend on anyone for me to put food on the table. I don’t need someone who will pay for my family’s needs because it was indeed my responsibility. So please, just let me go.” I tried to be at ease as much as possible.

Trying to pull my arm away from him, he did not even want to loosen his clutch on it. My legs were wobbly with fear about what he was doing to me, but I couldn’t show him my fragility.

So, I used that as an opportunity to continue what I wanted to tell him even though it might break him in the end. “What you are doing to me right now makes me want to hate you, Leandro. For the umpteenth time, I’ll tell you this—I only liked you as a friend.”

“And just like what you have said, you’re right! Many girls outside this club are way much prettier, sexier, more educated, and some were even rich like you. So why me, Leandro? Why bother to waste your time with a dancer like me when you can have a lawyer girlfriend in just a snap of your fingers? You can even choose between an actress and an elite businesswoman—the kind of girlfriend that you can be proud of in front of everyone! So please, let me go… you’re hurting me,” I said the last three words meekly.

As I begged for him, he finally let go of my arm. I worriedly looked at it because I was sure that it became reddish, even though I could not see it clearly due to the darkness lurking around this place.

Leandro fixed his necktie first, then looked at me straight in the eyes. “I will try to kill my feelings for you, Claire… but I can’t promise not to follow you ever again. I have eyes and ears everywhere. That way, I’m going to protect you whether you like it or not!” Those were his last words before he turned around and finally left.

What is he talking about? So, he follows me wherever I go?

Dread crept me up as my heart hammered inside my chest. I could not help but become nervous about the last words he declared. Leandro had been my friend for two years that I had been working here at Lucy’s Club, and I didn’t want that friendship to go to waste just because of his one-sided feelings.

Treating him as a friend, I let him see my face underneath the mask and also shared with him some personal matter about me. It includes how I was working damn real hard in order to provide for my family’s needs. He was nice and understanding at first, but he was a lot different now. I couldn’t imagine how his selfish love, or should I say, his obsession made him such a monster. He had his own definition of love and affection, which was far from the true meaning of those words.

Ever since he realized that he doesn’t only think of me as a friend, the realization also hit me that I was no longer comfortable every time I was with him. It would sometimes make me think about what he was capable of doing, especially when we were just the two of us together.

Well, I quite didn’t know the meaning of his last words, and I didn’t want to give a big deal out of his actions, but his words just gave me the creeps. I just closed my eyes trying to dismiss everything that he confessed to me.

Not in the mood to take away the mask on my face, I still removed it. I was on my way to the corridor where the dressing room could be found when suddenly, my attention was caught by the mysterious shadow of a man who seemed to be looking in my direction.

I narrowed my eyes trying to figure out who that man was.

“Leandro?”