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Chapter 7

"What did Saint do? Did he have a job?" Freen asks as soon as she settles down in the couch in her new room. Becky sits down next to her.

"He was an accountant for some rich clients. He had to travel to Phuket in the begining. Later he tried to work from here online. But it didn't work."

"If you haven't noticed this place barely have any reception." Becky jokes. "In the end, he just quit."

"He just quit? Why?" Freen asks, even though she knows the answer.

"How would you like to go away every week with all of this here?" Becky says gesturing to the outside. "It's like you said, you get addicted to the quiet here. So he quit and started doing the numbers for some neighbours here."

Freen then notices another photo of Saint and points out. “Hey, he doesn’t look too happy here. When were these photos taken?”

“Oh, five years ago I think?” Becky recalls. “I remember…we were hanging out with my friends and Saint was...rather quiet that day. I asked if he was okay but he didn't want to say it yet. After my friends left, he let out that he was uncomfortable with the idea that I was still so close with some of them whom I had an on-off relationship with.”

“He was jealous?” Freen notes aloud.

“Yeah..”

“He doesn’t have a right to. He’s married!” Freen lets out.

"Ownership isn't for me. I told him if I fall in love with him, it's not to make him leave everything behind and live with me. I liked him being here. For as long as he wanted to be here, he can and I can fuck whoever I want too.”

“So, it was purely a non-committal sexual relationship with him?” Freen had to ask.

“Well.. Yes and No. I don’t think you wanna hear it. It’s long and complicated.” Becky shakes her head.

“Try me.” Curious Freen probes with a smile. "From the beginning."

"Alright. It starts with us meeting in the middle of the road when his car broke down and we immediately hit it off. He was intrigued by me and I felt the same way. Then he popped by more and more often and we both got closer until one day he admitted to me that he was in love with me."

"Do you know how he told me that he loved me?"

"He was suppossed to go to Phuket. But he didn't get on the plane, instead he got in his car and drove here. I was out in the fields, planting. He didn't care about the expensive suit he was wearing neither the shoes, he jumped right into the field not minding the mud and ran straight for me. He told me he loved his wife so much and that he also loved me."

Freen was surprised by this. It's like Becky was describing someone else and not her husband.

"But I didn’t want us to get into anything. It was sexual at first... because it should be nothing more than sex.”

Becky pauses to drink her tea before checking. “Do you really want me to go on?”

“Yes please.” Freen nods. Becky is opening up more and Freen wants her to keep going. 

So Becky goes on. “Saint was honest with me. He loved me but he also loved his wife. And I understood it but I told him I want to see other people too. A few times he couldn’t take it and I told him that we should end it if it was too stressful for him...”

“But he refused.” Freen guesses.

“And I gave in.” Becky nods. “Guess I was weak too. I know.. it was a rather toxic relationship. But we kept it going for years by being more honest with each other. We learnt to love without expectations. It came to a point where he got used to our open relationship... but after Lyra was born I really wasn’t seeing anyone else but him.” 

"But it still isn't fair to the wife because she didn't know any of this." Freen can’t help but highlight.

"You're right. But he chose not to let her know. He didn't want to hurt her and then lose her. And I just didn't want to encourage anything. No one should get hurt." Becky explains.

Freen is also curious about something. "And you really never ever had the temptation to ask him to leave his wife?"

The brunette shakes her head. "Never. I'm the third party. I should never. Like I said ownership isn't for me. For me love and possession are entirely different."

Becky then decides to end the story and turn to her housemate. "Ok, enough about me already! What about you, Sam?"

"Like I said he left me for another woman. So there's nothing to tell." Freen tells the half truth as she sips her tea.

But before either of them could continue there was a knock from downstairs. Becky went to check.

Freen soon hears another voice greeting Becky. The voice sounds rather familiar. Freen decides to peep from upstairs and sees a familiar figure. Is that Detective Heng? Freen gasps and wonders how to hide now. The Detective will definitely recognize her and blow her cover!

“Hey Heng!” Becky greets happily and moves to hug him.

“How are you doing?” Heng then takes a good concerned look at Becky.

“I’m glad you seem...fine!" He remarks.

“I'm fine…” Becky sighs.

"I’m concerned about you Becky. Jane left this world too soon as well and I know how it feels to lose the person you loved, Bec. You sure you are fine?" Heng checks with his best friend.

Becky shakes her head as she holds his hands. “I’m really fine. I’ll be okay. You don’t have to keep checking up on me."

"Have you told Lyra yet?"

Becky shakes her head no.

"Becky..." He begins.

"I know I have to tell her and I will."

"Fine. I'm trying my best to find out what really happened that night. Just promise me you will be okay."

"Don't worry about me. We are not alone anymore. I rented the spare room to someone already. ”

“Really? When was that? Who did you rent it to?” He asks.

“I rented it out about three weeks ago. She’s a wildlife illustrator here to photograph some rare bird in the woods. Lyra already loves her. Do you wanna meet her?”

“Sure!” Heng says.

“SAM!” Becky calls out.

"Shit shit shit! What should she do?" Freen panics internally. If the detective blows her cover, Becky will hate her and she will never get her answers!