The Lover in the Closet

On the day of my birthday, I'm burning with a fever that almost hits 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Because of that, I've called Tristan Graham more than a dozen times. He never picks up any of them.

In the end, my dad has to take me to the hospital. When we walk past a corridor, he suddenly stops in his tracks.

"Mr. Graham? What are you doing here?"

I raise my head to see Tristan and Madison Franklin walking from the OBGYN department. Their fingers are tightly laced together. Tristan is even carrying a bag of medication. Birth control pills as well as ointment meant to be used on private parts can be seen in that bag.

My mind goes blank at that moment. All I can do is stare at Tristan.

As soon as our eyes meet, Tristan frowns slightly at me, though his gaze only lingers on me for a second before he turns to look at my dad.

"I'll be hosting a banquet in the garden tomorrow night. Remember to decorate the garden nicely."

Dad quickly accepts the order. "Don't worry, Mr. Graham. When Luna's fever breaks out, I'll deal with this task right away."

Tristan is momentarily stunned by Dad's words. When he notices my unnaturally flushed cheeks, he instinctively takes a step toward me.

But that's when Madison tugs his sleeve.

"Stop wasting precious time on a gardener's daughter, Tristan. Let's go. I'm still in pain, you know."

Tristan stops in his tracks instantly. Then, he leaves with Madison.

Later on, he pays for my hospital bills. Our seven-year underground relationship that's considered a taboo is also paid off as well.

Dad sighed as he looked at the medical bill, saying, "Mr. Graham normally looks like such a cold person, but he actually footed your entire medical bill. He also made sure that the doctors gave you the best medicine."

I looked down at the signature on the receipt. Tristan Graham's signature was refined and elegant.

I smiled and said, "I guess he's a good man."

Dad didn't seem to pick up on the underlying meaning in my words. He continued, "Right? Men of his standing don't usually care about their employee's well-being.

"Meanwhile, not only did Mr. Graham sponsor and help you enroll in a prestigious college, but he also leaves flowers at Mom's grave every year."

Dad was right. From everyone else's perspective, Tristan was a good man.

I first joined the Graham family when I was 18 years old. For the next seven years, I slept in the same bed as Tristan.

However, since Tristan's father, Patrick Graham, placed a great deal of importance on securing a good match for him, we had no choice but to keep our relationship a secret.

Tristan would always promise me that he would find a way for me to openly stand by his side after we shared a night of passion. It was why I waited for seven years.

My phone suddenly started ringing while I was lost in my thoughts.

"Have you recovered from your fever?" Tristan asked in a low voice.

"Yes."

It was silent for a moment on the other end of the line before Tristan continued, "Don't visit that hospital if you're sick in the future. We should avoid running into each other."

My throat tightened as I gripped my phone. "Are you that scared of seeing me? Or do you think that I'm too unpresentable?"

"Stop overthinking, Luna Collins," Tristan hissed coldly. "I'll meet you at our usual spot."

Dad suddenly snatched my phone from me and shouted into the receiver, "Are you Luna's boyfriend who keeps disappearing on her? Why weren't you by her side when she was sick? Since she cares about you too much to tell you this to your face, let me do it in her stead—she wants to break up with you!"

He tossed my phone to me after he was done ranting. He was probably too blinded by anger to notice the name on the screen.

Dad then patted my shoulder and said earnestly, "Don't worry, Luna. I'll introduce someone better to you."

My heart twisted painfully when Tristan remained silent even though the call was still connected. An idea that would hurt me as much as it would provoke him began taking shape in my mind.

I intentionally raised my voice and said, "Sure. Be sure to let me know before you introduce him to me. I want to buy some new clothes so I can dress up."

The call disconnected at that moment.

It seemed that I had successfully angered Tristan.

…

I came across a photo on my social media feed some time later.

Tristan and Madison Franklin were spotted together at a golf course. He stood behind her as he guided her hands and taught her how to swing the golf club. He looked so relaxed as if we hadn't just fought earlier.

Evening had rolled around by the time I was done getting my drips. Instead of going home, I strolled aimlessly along the streets, stopping several times even though it was a short walk.

Tristan and I had our first date at Heavenly Delights, a dessert parlor. He had wiped the cream from the corner of my lips before leaning down to kiss me.

His hands were covered in scratches after he carved a wooden boat for me at the crafts store. He had hoped that the boat would help me sail toward a bright future.

"Luna."

I stiffened before turning around.

Tristan was standing nearby. He pulled his cap lower as he approached me.

"I thought I might find you here," he said as he pressed a hand to my forehead. "The fever's gone. Good."

I took a step backward and moved away from his hand. "What are you doing here?" I asked.

"To catch you," he answered, grabbing my wrist. "I couldn't let you meet your new boyfriend."

He blatantly tightened his grip around my wrist at the mention of my so-called new boyfriend.

I was about to shake my wrist free when a voice sounded out behind us, "Tris?"

Tristan immediately released me, causing me to stumble backward.

Madison approached us with her best friend, Violet Langley, who I had only seen on my social media feed. She frowned as she looked at Tristan and asked, "Didn't you say that Mr. Graham was looking for you? What are you doing here?"

She then looked at me and asked, "You're Tristan's staff that we ran into earlier, right? I thought you would still be at the hospital."

I smiled and said, "It's my boyfriend's birthday today. I have to meet him even if I'm on my deathbed."

I glanced at Tristan before continuing, "My boyfriend has similar tastes with Mr. Graham, so I asked him if he could help me pick out a birthday present for him."

Silence descended around us.

Tristan slowly curled his hands into tight fists as he glared at me. His lips moved, silently mouthing at me to stop speaking.

I was suddenly reminded of the past at that moment.

Patrick had suddenly returned home when Tristan and I were sharing a kiss. Tristan had shoved me into a closet before Patrick spotted me. I had then watched him shake his head at me through the gap between the doors, silently telling me to be quiet.

I had always been a shameful and unpresentable existence from Tristan's perspective.

I barked out a laugh and said, "I'll take my leave for now since Mr. Graham seems to be busy."

Tristan sighed in relief. He was about to lead Madison away when Violet suddenly stepped in front of me.

"What do you mean they have the same tastes? Your boyfriend must just be a nobody, no? How dare he consider himself to be on the same level as Mr. Graham?"

She poked my shoulder before saying haughtily, "Also, who do you think you are, asking Mr. Graham out like this? You're lucky that Maddie is his girlfriend. If I were in her shoes, I would have driven you out of Aventura."

Although Violet was poking my shoulder, I couldn't help but feel like she was stabbing my heart with blades instead.

My throat tightened as I looked at Tristan and asked, "Someone like me?"

My heart immediately quieted down when Tristan averted his gaze. I then turned around and prepared to leave.

"Why don't we drop you off, Ms. Collins?" Madison asked gently. "It won't do to keep your boyfriend waiting since it's his birthday."

"No need," I retorted coldly. "I can just get a cab. Besides, he's willing to wait for me."

I had only taken a few steps forward when Tristan grabbed my wrist.

"I'll drop you off. It's getting late. You shouldn't make your father worry."

I scoffed to myself, wondering if Tristan was genuinely concerned about Dad worrying about me or if he just wanted to set Madison's mind at ease.

He pulled me toward his car, leading me toward the front passenger seat as always. He suddenly paused before pushing me toward the backseat door, driving home the fact that the front passenger seat no longer belonged to me.

When he leaned down to buckle Madison's seatbelt, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

Violet giggled and asked, "Do the two of you ever get tired of flaunting your love? Don't forget that there are people in the backseat."

She paused to look at me before continuing, "I mean, one person and a maid."

"That's enough, Violet," Madison scolded quietly before she handed a blanket to me. "You should stay warm since you just got drips."

I couldn't tell if Madison's kindness was real or fake as I ran my hands across the warm blanket.

Suddenly, a check slipped out from the blanket. A note was attached to it.

"The money is yours if you stay away from Tristan."