The Substitute Husband

Chapter 4: The Confrontation

Sander's POV

"Good afternoon, Sir. Is there anything that I might help you with, Sir?"

I stood up as she came reached my table and greeted me. I can see the shock in her face as she came face to face with me.

"What are you doing here?" she said as she took a few steps and got a little closer to me.

"Good afternoon to you too, Piper. Isn't this a very nice surprise?" I said.

"I already asked you... What are you doing here?" she asked once again.

"Aren't you going to ask me to sit down first? Isn't that the proper way of treating your guests in here?" I asked her and she glared at me. "Well then, since you won't invite me in, I'll just make myself comfortable on my own."

"If this is a joke, I don't have time for it, Mr. Luciano." she looked at me with disdain and was about to walk away when I grabbed her arm and forced her to seat across me.

"Why? Don't I have the right to visit my pregnant girlfriend? Aren't you touched? This is just me being sweet." I mockingly grinned at her. "I am just reminding you, my dear lady, that it was you who put us in this current predicament just in case you have forgotten." I saw her wince as I delivered my last line, but I do not care. It was her fault why I am here looking for her.

"Shhhh..." Piper immediately put her hand over my mouth. "Lower your voice. Somebody else might hear," she said quietly. I removed her hand from my mouth so I could start talking again.

"Why? Is there a problem? What are you ashamed of? Being pregnant? I glared at her. Wasn't it you, who announced it in front of so many people that you are my girlfriend and now you are telling me that you are ashamed that somebody might hear that you are pregnant? Unless you are not really pregnant..." I looked at her questioningly.

She seemed so lost with her words for a moment but then again when she regained her ability to speak again, I realized how feisty she really is.

"Because you deserved it!" she replied to me with her pitch slightly increasing.

"And why would I deserve it? When I don't even know you at all." I retorted back at her.

"You lying jerk!" she shouted.

I put out the picture which came from the investigation that Dylan did. I placed it on the table and pushed it towards her. "I know you would not believe a single word of what I am about to say to you. Because the only thing going inside your head is that I am lying to you. But I do hope you see reason and hear what I am about to say to you..."

"And why would I do that? You..." she interjected.

"Ooops! Not a single world, honey! If I were you I would just stay still and listen to what I have to say. I know you had me investigated too. Why did you have to do that?"

Piper suddenly turned pale. "I just wanted to know where you are... I mean you left with no explanations at all then I suddenly saw you in the front page of a magazine engaged to be married to another girl when you have already proposed to somebody else."

I leaned closer to her in disbelief to what she said. "But you are very much mistaken about that, dearie. I am not engaged to be married to somebody else. Andrea is my fiancé. The only woman that I proposed to. The person that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with." I can feel my anger rising up again. "And you ruined all of it!"

Piper's POV

I feel like I want to cry my heart out. I can't believe that this is really happening. Is the world playing a joke on me? The person whom I loved the most is telling me that there is only one woman that he ever loved and it wasn't me.

"If you just didn't meddle with our lives... I could have been happily married and starting my own family," Sander looked at me with discontent.

What is happening around me? I don't know if I can take the pain anymore. I thought I was over him. But right now, the façade of a strong woman that I am trying to keep up is slowly wearing off. Everything that he is saying still affects me. I have to get out here. I have to get away from him...

I slowly got up and tried to get away, but Sander stands up and blocks my way. I try to move a little and pass by him but he holds of my arm and makes me face him once again. "Where do you think you are going?" he asks me with a serious face. "Are you trying to run away from me again?"

"What if I am? What would you do?" I asked him face to face. "What if I really can't stand seeing you in front of me? Why can't you just leave me alone, Sander? Are you really cold-hearted like this? Don't you care about the feelings of other people around you?"

"What are you trying to say, Ms. Sandoval?" he looks at me with a serious.

"Can't you see? I can't stand seeing your face anymore. Oh, sorry, I seem to have forgotten that there is nothing wrong with you." I manage to tell him with all the sarcasm that I could muster. "Of course! Everything has been perfect for you. You had the perfect family, the best job, the perfect life... You had everything laid out in a silver platter even before you were born. What would you know about pain and suffering, Sander?" Unexpected tears were starting to blur my vision as I slowly turned away from him. And then he did something unexpected. Sander pulled me towards him to put his arms around me and engulf me in a big hug.

"I may be a monster sometimes, but I certainly know when it is already time to stop," he whispered in my ears.

I continued to cry for some time while Sander held on to me. He didn't say anything. He just stood there with his arms around me.

After a while, Sander removed his arms and pulled himself away from me. He gently said, "I think you've already had enough for today. Let's just talk about this again later." Then he put his hand on top of my head and messed up my hair before he started walking towards the door and left.

I looked at him as he walked out of the restaurant. After he drove off in his car, I shifted my gaze. It was then that I realized that everybody was staring at me. Suddenly, heat crept over my cheeks. "This is really embarrassing," I whispered to myself. I started to walk towards the counter so that I can hide from the customers' curious looks.