ATLAS' POINT OF VIEW

I am now at the office with my son seated on my lap. He was crying, still because of what Faith had said. "Mommy didn't mean to say that, okay? She was just tired and busy at that moment…" I tried my best to explain as I stare at him. Damn, he looked so much like me—everything, except for his eyes which he got from his mom.

He looked up at me with his big, cute, and teary eyes. "Does mommy loves me?" He innocently asked with sobs in between.

I then kissed his chubby cheeks. "Of course, mommy loves you. We love you, Leo—a lot," I said with a smile trying to give him assurance. I was so happy when I saw him smile and clapped his hands. He then crawled around the office floor.

As I watched my son play on the floor, the scene that happened earlier played back in my mind. There were so much anger and hatred in her eyes. Faith could never forgive me, and I could easily say it just by looking at her. Well, I am a complete fool and a jerk. After everything that I have done to her, I totally deserve her hate—and I didn't deserve her, but I am selfish, and I just can't live without her. Faith was still my badass angel. She still was my girl, my damn life—my world.

I don't know what to do anymore, but I know that I should do something.

I don't know how to make her forgive me, but I want us to be okay like how we used to be before.

I don't know how to get the love of my life to love me again, yet I want her to love me just like before and I want her to feel my love.

My bubbly, lively, badass angel who always had a smile on her face was now a cold, and heartless businesswoman. There was no one else to blame but me.

How can I be so stupid to believe in someone else's lies?

If only I could turn back the time, then I would—over and over—just to make these right.

FOUR YEARS AGO

"Melissa?" I asked as I come near her. "What happened? Why are you crying?" I said in worry as I gave her a tight hug. Melissa was like a sister to me. She was someone whom I wanted to protect as much as I wanted to protect Faith.

As I broke the hug, she looked at me with teary eyes. "Atlas…" She started. "Fai- Fai…" Her words were barely recognizable because of continues sobbing.

I then looked her in the eyes. "Faith? Tell me what happened. What happened to Faith?" I yelled at her face making her flinch. "Tell me!" I repeated when she didn't give me an answer.

"Atlas…" she finally spoke as she took the phone from her pocket. "You… you need to take a look at this," she continued as she gave me her phone. I first looked at her with confusion before I get the phone from her hand.

There was a video.

I gave her one last look before playing it and what I saw fucking broke me into million pieces.

It was a video of my girl having an intimate moment with someone else. The video was full of her moans and the man was hovering over her in great pleasure. This can't be real.

This can't be fucking real.

"What the fuck is this, Melissa?" I paused the video and glared at her with tears in my eyes. "Stop playing pranks on me!" I yelled at her as I threw the phone onto the floor.

"How I wish that this was just a prank, but Atlas… it isn't." She said, crying.

"No, no, no!" Tears were still falling on my face. I feel like it won't stop. "Who sent you this, Melissa? Who?!" I was so mad. I can't control the surge of emotions and pain that I was feeling right now.

"Re-remember Ben from- from our college? He- he was at the club at that time when he saw this. And he- he sent it to me…" she was stuttering so bad.

"And you believed in that shit, Melissa? Why do you even have Ben in your contacts?" I asked furiously. Her face looked pale as she looked away.

"He followed me on Instagram, and I- I followed him back but we never spoke. This was the first time." She said looking so nervous. She can't even look me in the eyes now.

"I'm gonna kill the mother fucker!" I cursed. "Fucking send me the video, Melissa," I commanded her.

"But—"

"I said send it to me!" I cut her off. She then had no other choice but to pick up her broken phone and send the video to me.

After receiving the disgusting video, I sent it over to a trusted friend and texted him if he could check if it was morphed, or edited. He was an expert at this. After a few minutes of waiting, I got a response from him.

My world completely collapsed.

According to my friend, the video was raw and there was no chance of it becoming an edit.

I unconsciously dropped my phone.

I cannot feel my whole body as tears began to fall again.

My Faith, my girl, my love cheated on me.

Suddenly, I felt warm arms wrapped around my shoulders. I looked up at her with my red and still crying eyes. "She- she cheated…" I said in such a low voice.

"Shhh," she then hugged me even tighter. "Let it out, Atlas. Let it out," Melissa whispered beneath my ears making me cry even harder. I broke down in betrayal by the woman a trusted and loved the most.

How can she even do this to me?

Am I not enough? Am I not fucking enough?

"I know you're already hurt, but I need to show you something else. You need to know everything," she said as she took her phone again. What more should I know? I feel like nothing could hurt me anymore. This was the most painful.

I then heard a recording from her phone…

It was Faith who was speaking. I knew the sound of her voice all too well.

'I only want Atlas for his money, Mr. Williams. He was going to be wealthy, you know that. Why would I even let go of that opportunity?' She even laughed at the end.

The pain entirely ate me. And even though I do not want to, I started to feel hate towards her.

I had the want of ruining her as much as she ruined me.

Faith Abdella… I will make you regret playing with my heart.

Faith's POV

Tiredness gradually crept into my body as I took my steps toward our house from work. My eyes were getting heavy, and I felt like something was sucking my soul.

I badly wanted to pass out until I heard my mother's sweet voice calling me softly, saying, "Faith, sweetheart, are you home?" And just like that, all the exhaustion I felt evaporated into thin air.

"Yes, Mom," I replied, smiling.

"Why do you look so tired today?" she worriedly asked, which I merely chuckled at. "Anyway, dinner's ready. Why don't you go upstairs first and change? I'll call your dad, and let's have dinner together."

I then nodded, kissed her on her cheek, and went upstairs.

I took a quick shower, prepped my skin, dressed in comfortable pajamas, and dashed downstairs.

I was on a full smile because dinner with my family had always been something I looked forward to after a long exhausting day.

However, what flashed before my eyes when I arrived at our dining area instantly flipped my mood upside down.

"Why are you still standing there, Faith?" asked my mother, seeing that I hadn't moved an inch from my position. "Come and sit, sweetheart. Dinner's waiting."

"What is he doing here?" I coldly asked, completely ignoring my mother's invitation.

My eyes met Atlas' wherein, unlike before, I felt no sparks — just a volt of hatred. He looked affected and hurt by my indifference, but I couldn't care any less about that.

At this moment, I had no love or sympathy left for him.

"Don't be rude, Faith. Atlas is our guest," Dad firmly said before inviting me to sit for the second time. Left with no choice, I did as instructed.

I sat down next to him, but I made sure not to make him feel like it was fine being around him.

My eyes remained focused on my plate and my plate alone. I neither raised my head to look at him nor did I join their conversation.

There were four of us at the dining table, but here I was — immersed in my own world.

"So, how's our dear Leo doing?" My mom asked with a broad smile painted on her face.

Did she just call Atlas' son dear Leo? God! Did my mom bump her head somewhere without me knowing? How could she mention that kid's name as if he was her grandson?!

"He's doing fine, Aunt," Atlas replied with a shy smile. "He badly wanted to come here with me, but I thought it was already time for his bed, so I left him with my parents."

"Oh, right!" Mom exclaimed. "How's Kate and Dave, Atlas? It's been a while since I've last seen them. I also lost contact with them when we moved," she sadly added.

"They were actually planning to visit you and Uncle Kiel soon, saying they miss talking to you both," Atlas answered, making me lose my appetite even more. I had been so close with his parents, but many things had already happened. Thinking about meeting them after so many years made me feel uncomfortable.

Uninterested, I continued playing with my food using a fork.

"Faith, sweetheart, why aren't you eating?" Mom asked in concern.

"I'm not hungry, mom," I casually lied.

However, my mother knew me better than anyone. She didn't even believe my excuse and said, "Come on, sweetheart. I know you haven't eaten anything since you came to work because you are hardworking. Now, eat up and fill your belly."

Mom didn't even let me respond as she immediately filled my plate with a serving of pasta. Not wanting to offend her, I took a bite, which I didn't regret. For me, Mom's cooking would always be incomparable!

I took one bite after another then I felt Atlas' gaze on me, making me clench my left hand under the table. Fucking bastard, can't he see that I am eating? Didn't he know that staring that intensely at someone is rude?

"Faith," Mom called, breaking the suffocating silence.

I looked at her and waited for what she would say, but Dad answered on her behalf, saying, "Your mother and I have been wanting to talk to you about something, Faith."

Sensing the seriousness in my father's tone, I put down my fork and signaled them to continue. When my parents exchanged suggestive glances with Atlas, I knew what they would say next would be bad.

"Faith, sweetheart, you're not getting any younger," Mom said, making me frown inwardly. "You're already twenty-seven. Atlas is now a single parent, so your father and I thought that you two —"

If there were was a skill I had mastered throughout my twenty-seven years of existence, that was to pick up through my mother's odd gestures. She was yet to finish her sentence, but I already knew what she wanted to say.

Not wanting this conversation to drift further, I rose from my seat, causing a screeching sound they didn't like.

Still, I stood unfazed and said, "I'm full." I prepared myself to leave, but mom spoke again.

"You can't keep avoiding this conversation, Faith," she said with a sad voice. "You and Atlas have known each other since you guys were young, so if there's anyone who knows you better than yourself, that would be each other."

Mom paused for a while and looked at me with a pair of pleading eyes. She said, "Leo loves you so much, sweetheart. He even thinks that you are his mother. Like you, we are not getting any younger. Faith, we also want to see you get married and be happy."

"Be happy?" I sarcastically repeated before chuckling and giving them a stern look. "Mom, do you think I'll be happy if I marry the person who has ruined my life?"

"Fai—" Atlas called from the side, which I immediately cut off when I yelled, "Shut up!"

"I'm not talking to you, so don't you dare intervene," I added while pointing my finger at him, unable to control my rage.

"You're being disrespectful, young lady," Dad scolded, making me sneer in disbelief. "We didn't raise you to be rude," he added.

"I'm not being disrespectful, Dad. I'm just stating the truth," I scoffed as I approached them. Then, I looked at Atlas and said, "Besides, didn't you teach me that respect is to be earned, not to be given?"

"Stop wasting your energy trying to put together something that has long been broken. Our relationship will no longer be the same," I firmly stated despite my parents' unhappy expressions.

"But Faith, Leo is—"

"What about Leo, Mom?" I asked, cutting her off. "I haven't even spent a minute with that kid, so I don't get why he thinks I'm his mother. Well, it's obvious who has been brainwashing him."

"Faith, I know what she did couldn't be more painful, but her last wish was for you to look after Leo," Dad said, making my blood boil even more.

"Her last wish? Dad, do you think I give a damn about her fucking last wish?" I asked in disbelief.

"Hell no! She could've left this world without causing trouble to others, but she still had the guts to leave a burden to me."

"Faith!" Atlas yelled, which I didn't like. Why the hell was he yelling at me?!

I glared at him, and he did the same. He walked toward me and said, "Leo isn't a burden, Faith. He's my son."

Of course, he was. He was yours and that traitor's son.

"I'm glad you know that he's your son, Atlas," I sarcastically remarked. "He's your responsibility alone, not mine. I have nothing to do with him, so find someone else who wants to be his mother, and stop bugging me!"

After that, I walked away and didn't bother to look back.

"Fuck you, Atlas Williams," I whispered in anger.

Faith's POV

I was in my room when my thoughts drifted further to what happened three years ago. Even though I had been trying to erase this memory of betrayal in my mind, my heart had always remembered.

"What the fuck is this, Mel?!" I screamed in anger after forcing Melissa to face me. I tried not to roam my eyes around her room, which was obviously Atlas' room, because I knew it would trigger waves of memories.

"Don't touch me!" she yelled back, making me dumbfounded.

Melissa used to embrace me whenever I was at my worst, but now —she was brushing the part of her cloth that I touched as if I had some contagious disease.

She used to be the first person I went to for comforting words whenever I needed reassurance, but now — she was screaming at me as if I was the person she hated most.

She used to be my best friend, but now — I wasn't sure if she was still the person I once knew.

"Are you pretending not to understand, or were you merely dumb, Faith?" Melissa asked as she walked closer to me. Her eyes had traces of wickedness, which I had never seen before.

When did my best friend change so much?

"If you really don't get it, let me clarify things for you. I am now Atlas' wife, while you? You are no longer part of his life," Melissa mockingly said.

"Tell me you're joking, Mel," I pleaded as tears slowly formed in the corner of my eyes. "You're my best friend, and I know you wouldn't do such a thing to me. I missed you both, and God knows how much I wanted you guys to return."

I was yet to finish my sentence when I felt like my energy was gradually dissipating. I knew what I wanted to say but struggled to let the words escape my mouth.

"You two came back, but how could you come back — married?" I uttered in a breaking voice.

"How could you guys do this to me?" I asked, and this time, I failed to stop my tears from falling.

"I'll tell you why," said a familiar voice from behind.

I didn't have to turn around to check who spoke because I already knew. How wouldn't I, though? It was the voice of the man I loved, which used to be music to my ears.

Still, I looked back.

"A-Atlas," I whispered as I faced the man I treasured more than my life.

I cupped his cheeks with my trembling hands and stared closely at his face, but he only pushed my hands away and looked at me in disgust.

"Don't touch me, bitch!" he yelled, making my eyes widen in shock.

Bitch? Did he just call me a bitch?

"W-why are you calling me like that, Atlas?" I asked, utterly confused.

"Why? Do you have a problem with that?" he provocatively asked back. "I called you bitch because it suits you!"

I would be lying if I said I didn't get hurt by his words. However, the confusion I was feeling now was far greater than the pain I had received.

"Faith, did you think I wouldn't find out? I know you have always been a badass, but what gives you the right to play with my feelings while I am away?" Atlas asked in anger and frustration, which made me even more confused.

"W-what are you talking about, Atlas?"

I waited for him to give me a clear-cut answer, but he only glared at me in response. He pushed me aside, and I watched him walk closer to Melissa.

I wasn't ready for this.

My heartbeat instantly accelerated seeing my man and best friend together, and it even went mad when I saw what happened next.

Atlas held Melissa's face and unhesitatingly pressed his lips on hers. They kissed hungrily, not minding whether I was still here or not.

Was I too evil in my previous life for the heavens to punish me like this?

Unable to watch them any longer, I strode forward and separated them from each other. Furious, I asked, "How could you do this to me, Mel?! I treated you like a sister. How dare you steal my boyfriend?!"

"What did I do to you for you to betray me like this?!" I cried, unable to conceal my emotions.

I then looked at my man and felt even more betrayed. I gave him nothing but love. I stayed pure for him. I never kissed another man beside him, but he? He kissed my best friend.

"Don't you dare raise your voice at my wife," he warned, making me feel numb.

"What about your promises to me, Atlas?" I whispered as my gaze fell to the ground. "You said you'll come back for me. You promised to marry me. And most importantly, you pleaded to stay pure for me."

"You don't deserve to be my wife," Atlas coldly said while holding Melissa's hand.

I raised my head to meet his gaze, only to see him staring at my best friend. He didn't even glance at me when he said, "Now, get out of our room. I want to spend time with my wife."

Then, he kissed her from her cheeks down to her neck, making me feel betrayed.

I had only been here for a few minutes, but seeing them together had constantly stabbed my heart a hundred times.

"M-May I ask why you chose her over me, Atlas?" I asked in a breaking voice.

"You already know why," he coldly replied. "Don't pretend like you didn't do anything wrong, Faith. You won't fool anyone here."

Confused, I cried, "Tell me what I did, Atlas, because I don't know what you are talking about!"

I pleaded for answers, but all I received from him was rage, which I wasn't sure where it was coming from.

"Get out of our room, you whore!"

What happened to my man?

What happened to the one who had never talked back to me?

What happened to the one who had never called me names?

What happened to the one who had never had the guts to curse on me?

What happened to the one who had always been afraid to hurt me?

And what happened to the one who had always loved me?

Where was he?

"Were you with her during the days you were avoiding me?" I bluntly asked with all the remaining courage and energy I had.

"Were you so preoccupied with her that you forgot that someone was waiting for you back here?"

I honestly didn't know where I got the strength to say such things because this matter had already drained me to my core last time I checked.

"Shame on you, Atlas. Shame on you," I said as I sneered. "I thought you're not like other men, but maybe I expected too much from you."

"Likewise," he scoffed.

He kept giving me vague answers, and my patience couldn't hold on any longer. "Just tell me directly what your problem is, Atlas! What do you mean?"

However, he only firmly said, "Get out of here before I drag you out myself. I want to spend time with my wife, and you are disturbing us."

After that, he wrapped his arms around Melissa's waist and gave her a peck.

I was only in the room next door, so I could hear them moaning non-stop. They didn't stop wailing in pleasure while I didn't stop sobbing in pain.

Unable to take it anymore, I ran out of his house and returned to ours. Furious, I threw everything my hands laid on, including my pillows, books, vases, and all. I threw everything on the ground until I calmed down.

My best friend betrayed me while my man cheated on me.

Why couldn't life be simple and easy?