𝐄𝐙𝐄𝐊𝐈𝐄𝐋 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐞'𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞

9

I stripped off my dress and underwear, tossing them into the bin without a second thought before stepping into the shower. As the hot water cascaded over me, I closed my eyes, hoping it would wash away every trace of last night. But when I glanced down, I saw the faint bite marks on my skin, reminders of a night that felt so wrong now, a night that left a bitter taste.

A wave of disgust hit me. I felt dirty, used. Sleeping with a man who could turn so easily to another woman the morning after—it made me feel foolish, made me question everything. The memory of him with Suzette lingered, and I had to fight the urge to gag. How had I been so blind? How could I let myself be charmed by someone like him?

Stepping out of the shower, I wrapped myself in a towel, my hair dripping as I padded over to my purse. I dug out my phone, plugging it into the charger. Otousan(Father) was going to be furious if he didn’t hear from me soon. Almost twenty-four hours of silence wouldn’t go unnoticed, and I could already imagine his voice, concerned and full of questions.

🤍

I slipped into a fresh pair of jeans and a soft t-shirt, letting the comfortable clothes settle around me like a small shield from the weight of last night. After drying my hair and doing my best to smooth out the frustration that lingered in every strand, I returned to my phone, which had finally come back to life. The screen lit up with five messages from my father, each one as caring and predictable as I knew they would be.

Akira-san, how was the wedding?

Akira-san, don’t drink too much.

Akira-san, meet someone there and enjoy.

Akira-san, are you enjoying too much? You forgot your father already?

Akira-san, are you alright?

With a sigh, I clicked on the last message and typed out a quick reply, my fingers moving more slowly as I thought of what to say. I told him I’d had too much to drink last night, adding a small apology for not replying sooner. It wasn’t the whole truth, and as I sent the message, I felt the guilt settle in even deeper, weighing me down.

Yet I couldn’t tell him everything—not how I’d let myself get caught up in a moment, nor how I’d believed, just for a night, that there could be something real with someone like Ezekiel. I didn’t want my father to know I’d been so foolish. So, for now, this small lie would have to do.

As I looked at his last message again, a hollow laugh escaped my lips. He’d joked about me meeting someone, and he’d been right, in a way. I had met someone. I’d met someone who had made me feel, just for a moment, that I was more than a passing thought. But now, that memory felt tainted, like something I was desperate to forget.

I leaned back, clutching the phone as if it could somehow give me the answers I needed. I wanted to call my father and tell him everything, to let the warmth of his voice wash over me and make this feeling go away. But I couldn’t bear to hear the disappointment in his tone.

🤍

I booked a flight back to Japan for the afternoon. I couldn’t bear the thought of staying here any longer, not with the possibility of bumping into him again. The thought of facing Ezekiel, after everything that had happened, made my stomach twist in knots. I couldn’t even bring myself to message Suzette—too embarrassed to admit I’d snuck out of his yacht like a coward. And to make matters worse, I had no idea just how close she was to him. Last night, she’d introduced me to him, and now... now I was wishing I’d never met him at all.

After confirming my flight, I quickly packed my things. I just wanted to get out of here, leave the pain and confusion behind me. I was almost done when I heard a sudden knock on the door. My heart skipped, a wave of panic washing over me. It was too soon. Was it him? Had he come to find me? The thought sent a chill down my spine.

But the knock was followed by Suzette’s voice, a welcome relief though I wasn’t sure how to feel.

“Akira, it’s me.”

I hesitated, still unsure of whether I wanted to face her right now. But I knew I couldn’t avoid this confrontation, so I finally opened the door. She stepped in with that familiar confident stride, her eyes scanning the room before landing on my packed luggage.

“Running away?” she asked, her tone a mix of curiosity and amusement.

“Yes,” I answered truthfully, not bothering to sugarcoat it. There was no point in pretending otherwise.

She raised an eyebrow, clearly entertained by my reaction. “You sure about that? You don’t seem like the type who runs away from anything.”

“Don’t judge me, Suzette,” I said, my voice tight, a bit defensive.

“I’m not judging you, Akira. It’s just... I didn’t expect it. You’re not exactly the type to fall for someone like Ezekiel. I mean, I introduced you to him last night, but I didn’t think you’d fall under his charm so quickly. I guess no woman could resist him, huh? God, even I got wet just thinking about his body. And that scent of his—delicious.”

I raised my hands, cutting her off before her words made me gag. She had no idea how much her comments were making me sick.

“I don’t want to talk about him,” I snapped, the anger building in my chest. “And don’t you dare give him my number or my full name. If you do, I’ll curse you to death.”

Suzette let out a loud laugh, clearly amused. “Oh my God, Akira, did you actually fall for him?”

“Hell no!” I shot back, my voice rising. “Come on, you need to leave now. I need to get ready for my flight.”

She chuckled again but seemed to understand that I wasn’t in the mood for more of her teasing. As I  walked her toward the door, I couldn’t help but feel a mixture of relief and dread. I needed to get away from this place, from everything that reminded me of him.