WHAT IF???

Chapter 52: Bounded by Desire

As Kirk and Nita walked through the dimly lit parking lot, their footsteps echoed against the cold concrete. Kirk glanced around, ensuring they were alone before he spoke.

"You told Mon too much," Kirk hissed, his frustration palpable. "Do you realize how much damage that could do? They can use it against us in the annulment."

Nita rolled her eyes, her patience wearing thin. "Why do you care so much, Kirk? If you're not happy with Sam, why are you fighting so hard to keep this sham of a marriage?"

Kirk’s expression darkened. "You know why," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

Nita stopped walking and turned to face him, her gaze piercing. "If it’s only for the position in the company, you don’t need to stay with Sam. You could have an even better position with my company. We could be co-owners, Kirk. Think about it."

Kirk looked away, the conflict evident in his eyes. Nita stepped closer, her voice softening. "Sam doesn’t love you, Kirk. But I do. And the baby growing inside me needs his father."

Kirk’s eyes widened, shock and confusion etched across his face. "Nita…"

Nita’s eyes welled with tears as she placed a hand on her stomach. "Don’t let this baby beg for your attention the way I’ve had to. Be the father he needs, Kirk. Be with us."

Kirk felt his resolve waver, the weight of his decisions pressing heavily on his shoulders. He reached out, gently touching Nita’s hand, his voice filled with a mix of regret and uncertainty. "Nita, I…"

Nita squeezed his hand, her eyes pleading. "Please, Kirk. Don’t make us go through this alone."

As Kirk's thoughts swirled in turmoil, a voice pierced through the haze, pulling him back to the present. "Kirk!"

Before Kirk could even turn around to see who it was, a powerful force slammed into him with breathtaking speed. The impact sent him staggering backward, his senses reeling as pain exploded across his jaw.

Nuea, what the hell?” Kirk sputtered, wiping the blood from his mouth.

Nuea's voice was a growl, filled with barely controlled rage. “You bastard,” he hissed. “I heard everything. Nita's pregnant? You've been cheating on Sam this whole time, and now you have the nerve to talk about manipulating the annulment?”

Nita stepped back, shock etched on her face. “Nuea, this isn’t what it looks like—”

Nuea shot her a scathing look. “Stay out of this, Nita. This is between me and Kirk.”

As Kirk lay on the ground, his body throbbing with pain, he couldn't help but let out a bitter chuckle. Despite the agony coursing through him, there was a cruel irony to the situation that he couldn't ignore.

"Between you and me, Nuea?" Kirk's voice dripped with sarcasm, his laughter tinged with bitterness. "Is that what you think?"

Nuea's fists clenched at his sides, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. "You think this is a joke, Kirk?" he growled, his voice low and dangerous.

Kirk's words cut through the tense silence like a knife, his sarcasm dripping with venom as he turned his gaze to Nuea.

"And why, pray tell, are you investing yourself so deeply in Sam's personal issues, Nuea?" Kirk's voice was laced with disdain, his eyes narrowing as he awaited Nuea's response.

Nuea met Kirk's gaze head-on, his expression unyielding despite the accusation in Kirk's words. There was a fire burning within him, a fierce determination to stand up for what he believed was right.

But Kirk wasn't finished. His voice dripped with mockery as he continued to taunt Nuea. "Ah, I see," he sneered, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "It's because you have feelings for Sam, isn't it? You want to help her so you can continue pining after her. You want to have Sam for yourself."

Nuea's jaw clenched, his fists trembling with restrained anger. Kirk's words were like a dagger to his heart, a painful reminder of the unspoken truth that had haunted him for years.

But he refused to let Kirk's taunts break him. With a steely resolve, Nuea squared his shoulders and met Kirk's gaze with unwavering determination.

"You're wrong, Kirk," Nuea replied, his voice firm and resolute. "My feelings for Sam have nothing to do with this. I'm here because she's my friend, and she deserves better than the likes of you."

Kirk leaned in close to Nuea, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he locked eyes with his adversary. "You can never have Sam like I did that night," he sneered, a smug grin playing at the corners of his lips. "Sure, she may not have agreed to it, but let me tell you, Nuea, I thoroughly enjoyed myself."

Nuea's fists clenched at his sides, fury blazing in his eyes as he struggled to contain his anger. "You didn't respect Sam, you bastard" he seethed, his voice trembling with rage. "You had no right to treat her like that."

Kirk scoffed dismissively, his arrogance on full display. "Wrong, Nuea," he retorted, his tone dripping with disdain. "I can do anything I want. Anything," he emphasized, his voice laced with malice. "Because Sam is my wife. She belongs to me."

The words hung in the air, a chilling reminder of Kirk's twisted sense of ownership over Sam. As Nuea stood before him, seething with righteous anger, Kirk's smug demeanor faltered ever so slightly. But beneath his facade of arrogance, a dark and sinister truth lurked—a truth that threatened to consume them both in its relentless pursuit of power and control.

As Kirk sauntered away with Nita in tow, leaving Nuea standing in shock, a wave of disappointment washed over him like a torrential downpour. In that moment, he was transported back to a simpler time, back in high school, when Sam had clung to him with unwavering trust.

Her voice echoed in his mind, her words a solemn promise of protection and care. "You'll always take care of me, won't you, Nuea?" she had pleaded, her eyes searching his for reassurance.

And Nuea, with all the sincerity in his heart, had vowed to protect her, to shield her from harm and shield her from the cruelties of the world.

But now, as he stood there, feeling the weight of his failure pressing down upon him, Nuea couldn't help but feel a deep sense of remorse. He had promised to protect Sam, to keep her safe from harm, yet he had failed miserably.

With a heavy heart, Nuea murmured his apology to Mon, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry, Mon," he whispered, his words tinged with regret. "I wasn't able to protect the woman you love."

As the reality of his failure settled over him like a shroud, Nuea knew that he couldn't undo the past. But he also knew that he wouldn't give up without a fight. He may have failed to protect Sam and Mon once, but he was determined to make things right. With a renewed sense of determination, Nuea vowed to do whatever it took to ensure that they found the happiness they deserved, no matter the cost.