Help Me Remember (COMPLETED)

Chapter 28 Part 1

The Philippines is starting to get cold.

Chapter 28

Recall

"Scarlett," Zachary snapped.

He called me Scarlett.

In the past week, I always thought he was calling me Red and Scarlett interchangeably for no reason.

But right now, with the way he called my name, I just knew I realized the difference between the two names. I thought he used Red when he was being serious and needed to catch my attention quickly. But that's wrong. Red was that girl he'd befriended beneath the staircase. The one he thought of as an equal by making his math skills equal to her talent in arts. Red was someone Zach was actually attached to. Red was the girl he wanted to be close with, the friend... the wife.

But Scarlett... she was a stranger. But not just any stranger. She was someone Zachary positively did not want anything to do with but was forced to interact with.

And at the moment, I was Scarlett.

His tone galvanized Mara into action. She jumped from her position and approached us, "Zachary, this isn't the time. Don't you realize what she'd just been thro—?"

But Mara didn't anticipate the extent of Zach's sudden anger.

"I do," he snarled at her, "How about you? Do you realize your role in what almost happened? I asked for your help as a friend and trusted you to see things my way! And what do you do? My wife was put in danger without me realizing it! You could've killed our child—"

"Zachary," Marcus cut in, now stepping in front of Mara protectively. His expression was stony. "Don't you think you're going too far?"

Mara's mouth hung open behind him. She was lost for words. And shocking against Mara's personality was the sudden guilt coloring her face. She glanced from one friend to another nervously.

"Guys..."

Zachary matched stone with ice, "Too far? Stay out of this, Marcus!"

He raised his voice. Zach actually raised his voice.

I just knew things were speeding down a steep slope from here.

Marcus immediately reacted to his tone. Cursing loudly, he took a step closer. "Stay out—Do you see what the hell you're actually doing? Suddenly putting all the blame on Mara—?!"

Lily, who had been quietly blending in the background, jumped in and grabbed her husband by the arm.

"Marcus—" Her hand was shrugged off without much effort.

And it seemed Marcus's attention was completely on Zach. He was furiously cursing up a storm.

"This happens every time! It's like all reason flies out of your thick head! You always become like this when it comes to her!"

I tensed, and so did Lily. Mara had the mind to react. She jumped in between Marcus and Zachary, spreading her arms as if to hold them both back. Her eyes were trained on Zachary, "Marcus, take back what you said! Now!"

But the three of them were best friends.

Was all this really happening because of me? How did this escalate so quickly?

"Why should I?" Marcus retorted, his tone taunting Zach. "You want someone to blame? Then why don't you blame your wife? You keep siding with her when we all know she's nothing but a wh—"

Everything happened in a split second. Zachary lunged and my body reacted. Mara shouted something and Lily gasped. My hand managed to grab the back of his shirt but I didn't anticipate his strength. I was pulled by the force of his movement, almost falling off the bed. The dextrose stand beside my bed crashed to the floor and that's when I felt the pain of something being ripped off the back of my hand.

The loud clatter of the metal stand managed to stop the two men. Seeing my saline bag on the floor, Zach whipped back to me and quickly grabbed my hand. A thin red line was flowing where the needle was torn off.

Zachary cursed, pressing his thumb over the wound to staunch the flow. I couldn't help but gasp at the pain.

Mara was suddenly beside Zach, stooping to take my hand from him.

"Let me see it," she said authoritatively. Mara was quickly in professional mode as if the last few seconds didn't happen.

But I was rattled by the raised voices and the sight of blood.

That all these things happened because I kept things from my husband. The things that Marcus was saying...

I tasted bile in my mouth. The tears running down faster as if it had a never-ending supply.

"Stop i-it, Zach. Attacking your friend because of me..." I shook my head. Through blurred vision, I tried to hold Zachary's eyes. "Don't do this. I'll... I'll tell you what I remember just—just don't be angry anymore, please..."

I didn't wait for his answer. I had to tell him before I lost courage and let the words out of my grasp.

Looking away from him, "I didn't tell you because you said I wasn't acquainted with Valerie before," I hastily said. "But I know we were acquainted before... I remember her." I closed my eyes, waiting for the sharp pain that might come with recalling those memories.

"It was in your office... and in my memories, I remember she was only wearing a robe and was naked underneath it. She kept calling me Mrs. Harrington mockingly. And she gave me the impression that... the two of you were having an affair."

I didn't look up, waiting for Zachary to answer. And with the waiting came the thudding of my heart.

What would you do if he doesn't deny it? My mind sneaked in.

I wouldn't know... but there was already a stab in my chest at the thought.

"Valerie..? That secretary you just fired?" the disgust in Marcus's tone made me look up, "What the hell is going on, Zach!" he was glaring at his friend. So Marcus didn't know of this either.

I was afraid to look at Zach. But it was inevitable and my eyes found his face.

What I saw there though was only confusion. Blue eyes were searching mine and his eyebrows crumpled. In an act of frustration, he ran a hand through his midnight hair, the locks getting tousled in the process.

"But I didn't lie to you," Zach stated quietly, "I don't bring my work at home if I can and I only talk to Valerie on the phone if needed. How would you know each other? And I'm sure you've never been to my office before yesterday."

Confused? Haha.

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