TED's POV
I slumped lifelessly on the couch, my eyes glued to my phone as I anticipated Muna's call. But the screen remained blank, taunting me with its silence. My mind was stuck with a lot of emotions, still reeling from the shock of seeing Alex kiss Muna behind my back. The betrayal stung, and I couldn't shake the feeling of misery that had settled over me. I couldn't contain myself any longer. I snatched my wristwatch and bolted out the door. Before I knew it, I was standing in front of Muna's door, my finger jabbing at the doorbell repeatedly.
Mrs. Davis, Muna's mom, answered the door with a warm smile. "Hey, Ted! How are you?" she asked, adjusting her handbag on her shoulder. It was clear she was heading out.
"I'm fine, ma'am," I replied, returning her smile. "Is Muna home?" I asked, scratching my head, feigning nonchalance.
"Oh, yes! She's been moping around since morning, refusing to leave her room," Mrs. Davis said, her brow furrowed with concern. I knew exactly why Muna was hiding.
I pretended to be surprised. "Oh!" Mrs. Davis's expression turned serious. "Don't worry about what happened at the party, Ted. Leave it to the older adults to handle."
I nodded, and Mrs. Davis headed out, leaving me to my mission. I made my way to Muna's room, my heart racing with anticipation. I knocked lightly on the door, but when there was no response, I tried the handle. To my surprise, it wasn't locked.
Muna was buried under a massive blanket, her presence almost invisible. I hesitated, unsure of how to approach her. But before I could make a move, her voice stopped me cold.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, her tone icy.
I stuttered, trying to deflect her attention. "Uhm... Mun... Are you okay?"
Muna's eyes narrowed, her face a mask of anger. "I asked you a question, Ted," she demanded, her voice firm.
"It's weekend, and I didn't have much planned, so I thought I'd drop by to see you." I lied
But Muna wasn't buying it. Her expression turned even more furious. "You're here to check on me after what you did to Alex yesterday?" she accused, her voice rising. "Do you have any idea how hurt he was? His face was swollen, Ted! Why did you do that?"
I shifted uncomfortably, feeling a twinge of guilt. "I... I'm sorry, okay?"
But Muna wasn't having it. "You weren't sorry when you walked away after punching him. I was up all night worrying about him, wondering if he'd be able to sleep after taking his medication. And neither of you bothered to tell me what's going on."
I felt a surge of defensiveness. I couldn't help it, she didn't think I was hurt too? "So you were worried about Alex, but not about me?"
Muna's expression softened slightly, but she still avoided my gaze. "What...?!"
I pressed on, my anger was about to explode but I tried my hardest to remain calm. "I was hurt too, Mun."
But Muna's response only added fuel to the fire. "It was Alex who was hurt."
My anger boiled over, and I heard myself ask the question that had been lurking in the back of my mind. "Do you love him?"
Muna hesitated, avoiding my gaze before responding to me firmly.
"I love him,"
she said it with batting an eye. That alone hurt me so bad. The words cut deep, and I felt a searing pain in my chest. I stood up, my fists clenched, unable to contain the hurt and anger that threatened to consume me. I knew I had to get out of there before things escalated further.
I strode towards the door, slamming it shut behind me. Muna's voice called out after me, but I was already gone.
* * *
I hadn't spent an hour in my room trying to get over what Mun said to me. I recognized the raised voices coming from the guest room. They've been ignoring each other ever since the drama with Alex's mom. They'd been living in separate rooms, and the tension between them was obvious, I only pretended not to know. I personally have alot to deal with too.
I pushed open my door and strolled across the hall to the guest room. The argument was in full swing, with my mom's voice rising to a fever pitch.
"I don't care about your affairs, Nathan, but I won't let you destroy our home!" she blasted. "Our son deserves better than a cheating father!"
My dad's voice was calm, but laced with frustration. "Stella, we've been over this. What happened with Sonia was a mistake, but it's ancient history. You're the one who's been neglecting our family, prioritizing your career over our well-being. Nothing would have happened with Sonia if you'd never denied me of your care and___"
The insult struck a nerve, and my mom's voice turned venomous. "You should have told me you couldn't handle a successful wife! Maybe Sonia would have been content to play housewife, but I won't apologize for my ambitions."
The argument escalated, with my dad firing back about my mom's behavior at their wedding anniversary. But then, my mom dropped a bombshell.
"That woman never aborted the child, did she?" she spat, her voice dripping with accusation.
My dad's response was laced with exasperation. "We've been over this, Stella. The doctor confirmed the abortion. Why are you bringing it up now?"
But my mom's words hung in the air, heavy with implication.
"I swear on our son's life, Nathan, if that woman dares to claim her child is yours, I'll make sure they both meet a deadly fate!" My mom's voice was laced with venom, her words sending a chill down my spine.
My dad's response was calm, but firm- he was always like that. "You can't hurt her. She doesn't have a child with me. You know that so stop being a child for God's sake"
But my mom's anger was far from ending. "I don't care, you caused it!. Just keep this quiet. I won't have you ruining Ted's life with your infidelities."
The conversation was cut short as my dad announced, "I'll leave now."
The door to the guest room flung open, and I was caught off guard, standing frozen in the hallway. My eyes locked onto my dad's, and for a moment, we just stared at each other, the tension between us rose. I was dumbfounded, my mind reeling from the secrets and lies that had just been exposed. Could Alex be my dad's son? The question played in my head as I stood awestruck.