LA CANDIDATE

PAUSE

Keri knew the Lafarge were wealthy but didn't expect to see such opulence. At least half a mile separated her driveway from their house, which was a manor for Keri. Faryil left them in front and drove off to park the car.

"So you live here?" Keri asked in the vast hall they entered.

"As you can see," Severine said.

"Bonsoir, Madame."

"Bonsoir, Louis, pouve- vous nous apporter des refraîchissments dans mon bureau"

"Et pour le diner?"

"I'm not hungry, and Mr. Khalifa won't be staying long."

Thanks to Severine, Keri knew he wasn't staying for dinner. The man followed Severine to her study. He avoided embarrassing himself with comments such as Wow; your office is more significant than my apartment when they entered what he considered a library. Each minute proved the distance between them and reminded Keri why she left him.

"So, are you going to tell me what happened?"

"Does it matter?"

"What do you mean? Of course, it does. I mean, Cara and I found your hand in a pool of blood. It's obvious no one came in. So?"

"So what? You want to know if I harmed myself. I did, and now what?" Severine said, falling back on her desk chair. Why couldn't Keri be like the rest of the people around her, who followed her orders without asking questions?

"I want to know why. Severine. Something must have triggered the motion. What happened before Cara and I entered the room? "

Cara, Cara, Cara, what happened before Cara? Severine thought.

What frustrated Severine then was knowing she still had an ounce of love for Alexis, for she redirected all her resentment toward her sister. Severine couldn't believe it. Part of her wished to reach for her bag to look at the photos again. Maybe she would accept it, but she couldn't look with Keri in the room.

"Tell me, Severine. Why did you do that? You know you can talk to me."

It was either that or I killed someone else; Severine thought and said, "Perhaps I need attention."

Keri opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again, "I can't believe Faryil left you alone."

"I told him to leave me."

"Severine, are you okay? I mean, this campaign may be too much. If you need a break, I can take you away fromㅡ."

"I'm fine, Keri," Severine interjected. "I just needed to remember I was human."

Keri scratched his forehead. It made no sense. No matter how he twisted the events in his mind, he saw no logical explanation for Severine's self-harm act.

Suddenly, Severine got up and walked up to him, "Hug me."

"Severine."

"Just hug me, hold me in your arms like you used to. It hurts, it hurts so bad. Hug me and make it go away."

Keri naively thought she spoke of her hand. His hands left his side of their own accord, ready to wrap Severine in his embrace when Louis entered with what she asked for. He left the drinks on the table without even batting an eyelid at Severine's and Keri's proximity.

Uneasy, Keri took a few steps away from Severine, who immediately went to open a chest and served herself a glass of scotch, "want some?"

"You know I don't drink," Keri replied.

Severine raised her glass in his direction, drank, and stood at her window. "Thank you, Keri, for accompanying me. I'm feeling better now."

"You said your hand hurts."

Severine looked at her hand, turned to face Keri, and laughed, "You seem so lost."

"Your behavior is bewildering. I want to understand."

Keri was concerned; he was that kind of manㅡthe kind who genuinely cared. For Severine, he wasn't the one who got away but the one who escaped. She would have spoiled the innocent human he was, but still, she needed to keep him beside her. He served as a pacemaker. Even there, he gave her heart a beat.

"You must hate me."

Keri frowned," why would I hate you?"

"I left you behind."

"You had your reasons. It was a shock to hear I wasn't enough, but when I look at you now and see where you live and what you've accomplished, I can only say you were right. I could never have given this. I didn't deserve you."

Severine took a deep breath, "I think you should go now. Faryil will bring me painkillers. I'll be okay."

"Are you pushing me away because I told you the truth?"

"No, I needed to hear that to remember what I gave up and why I must continue to push forward. Your words helped me, Keri. Thank you."

She uses people, Keri, you told me yourself.

Sherifa's words rang in Keri's head like a wake-up call. Despite this, Keri had difficulty accepting that Severine would go to such an extent for attention. He wanted to ask if everything was okay with Alexis. The couple looked happy on paper, but the coldness of their manor told no lie. The house lacked warmth. It was spacious but hollow, almost soulless. The thought of leaving Severine alone there made Keri shiver, but he had no choice. Severine wasn't his to save.

Alexis didn't call. He wasn't supposed to be aware of her injury. Thus, he pretended he wasn't.