Love Deferred (Andrei Roxas ans Fides Mondragon Story)

chapter 24: fight

The Roxas family invited the LC family for dinner the next day, hosting a meal before everyone flew to their respective destinations.

Atty Marco noticed Andrei was busy helping with the preparations for dinner.

The dinner began when everyone arrived, greeting each other as if they hadn't seen one another in years.

During dinner, Andrei kept an eye on Fides. Fides and her family—Doc Raphael, Atty Alyza, Hera, Thyche, Erros, Kratus, and Virtus—cheerfully greeted him. The triplets banged shoulders with him in high fives, and Hera and Tyche even hugged him and exchanged cheek-to-cheek greetings. However, Fides stood behind her family with a poker face, unlike the cheerful and bubbly Fides he once knew.

After the dinner, he saw Fides stand up and head towards the exit. Andrei quickly stood up and followed her.

"Fides!" Andrei called

Fides didn't look back; instead, she walked faster, clearly trying to avoid Andrei.

Andrei grabbed her shoulder.

Fides tried hard to remove Andrei's hand. 

"Let loose of me!" Fides said

"No!" Andrei replied

"Let me go!" Fides

"No, please let us talk..." Andrei

At a distance, Marco overheard a man and woman arguing. As he eavesdropped, he felt a sense of déjà vu, but now the roles were reversed.

"So, let's get straight to the point. What's your business with me? I don't talk to strangers."

"Fides... Stranger?"

"Yes... I don't know you!"

"I am Andrei Roxas."

"Andrei Roxas? Yeah, I remember... The world must be upside down, Andrei. Now you're the one chasing me."

"Because this is the right time, Fides. I am now fulfilled in my way... I can support you without relying on anyone else."

"Really? Do you think you can decide our fate? You think you have control over everything?"

"I've succeeded now, I have something to be proud of and show you."

"Your reasons are unclear, Andrei. I was willing to wait... what's a mere four or five years, even ten, or a lifetime, as long as I had something to hold on to. All I asked for was a label... four years since I confessed to you... don't even count the times when I was the only one who knew I loved you. It's been too long. But you said you didn't want to You cearly said No when I asked you if you can love me."."

"Fides, I was just afraid of commitment while I hadn't proven myself yet."

"And what about me? Do you think I don't have dreams for myself? And I am a thorn in your journey to success  That I would rely on you to live? I have my own hands and feet... I can work hard. What did I ever ask of you? To marry me? To make me your wife? I didn't, did I?"

"Okay... just answer me truthfully, so that after your answer I will know what to do."

"Wow! You have proven yourself, so what does that mean to me now? I have proven myself too... I have proven that pain can be held onto to succeed. I hate you, Andrei."

"You can't love me now?"

"Now? Hahaha... What did you answer me back then? No, right? That's my answer to you now.--- NO!... I won't love you. Do you know what I felt back then? I felt like the ugliest creature alive? Your rejection killed Fides... So don't call me Fides, she's dead to us... Call me Faith, Faith is better... or Ms. Mondragon."