The First Clam's Unladylike Wife

Trip 13: Breakdown (part 1)

Trip 13: Breakdown (part 1)

...

Giotto stares at the empty envelop in his hands for a while before putting it down on the table.

Silence.

He then looks in my direction.

My heart skipped a beat as I distinguish the expression on Giotto's usually soft feature. His jaw is tensed, his lips are forming a severe straight line. His eyes are stone hard, void of all emotion, glaring at me coldly.

"Where is the document." Giotto asks me in an icy tone so cold that I feel all heat leave my body in an instant. It is as if I suddenly felt in North Pole.

"Where is the document?" He asks me once again in the same freezing tone accompanied of a hard glare.

It wasn't a question. He is sure that I took it.

Why... why does he doubt me?!

"I didn't take it!"

"Oh?" He makes out a smile instead of a frown at my statement, "You are the only one who knows where it is. If it is not you, then who is it?" He pauses a few seconds to contempt my bewildered expression, "Or do you want me to believe that it flew away on its own?!"

I tremble at his harsh words. They are sharp blades, piercing right trough me.

"You... don't believe me...?"

"Give me a reason to believe you."

"I... promised... that I won't lie to you... Don't you... remember...?"

His calm facade wears off, replaced by an almost murderous grimace.

"Promise?! If I didn't make you make that promise, you'll still be lying to me even now, wouldn't you?!" For the first time, I see Giotto having such a furious reaction. And ironically, it is toward me.

Preserving a last small hope in me, I manage out a faint expectant smile and reach for him, "G-Giotto... I didn't lie to you... really... y-you have to believe me."

He let me grab his sleeve and his eyes soften a bit, before hardening them again, "You lied to me before."

I let go of him and step back in shock. Shaking my head wildly, I step further away, "A-aren't we... Husband and... Wife...?"

"This is an arranged marriage. I thought you knew it," Giotto stares at me coldly before pronouncing those cruel words, "Fake Elleira Roven."

No...

No!

NO!

"Ahhhh!" I hold my head in my arms and scream out loud.

"You lied to me since the beginning! How do you want me to believe you now?! Do you think really think I should believe you even if I know it is a lie?!"

"Stop it! Please stop!"

He knew it! He knew everything!

"But still! Why can't you tell me?! Aren't you a victim of Roven too? All this time we spend together, don't you know me well enough that I will protect you?!"

"Stop it!"

"I won't stop!" He advances and pulls away harshly my arms to stop me from holding my head, "You are the one that didn't believe me first! You are the one to blame if you are at where you are now!"

"No..."

"Elleira... No. I don't even know what your name is. You didn't believe me first, so don't even think that I will believe you back."