The CEO's Painted Skin

John and Alice discussed a lot of random things in general. They bonded well together, they have many things in common.

"John, do you have a girlfriend?" she asked, she can no longer wait.

"Yes. I do have a girlfriend that I love very much!" he replied.

"Ohh," Alice was very disappointed, she wasn't expecting this. She thought John was single that is why she agreed to the blind date.

"Do you want to see her?" he asked.

"Yes, may I?" she replied in a bland voice.

John retrieved his phone from the pocket of his jacket and swipes it open. He was shocked to see 30 miscalls from Catherine, he ignored the calls. He clicked the gallery of photos and he showed Alice several pictures of him and Catherine together. Then he put his phone back into his jacket.

Alice shook her head several times as if confused...

"I...I don't understand why you still agree to this blind date, John when you already had a girlfriend?" she asked her voice was cold as if she was betrayed by him.

John sighed, he began explaining...

"Way back, I and my girlfriend had a misunderstanding and my friend thought that we won't be getting back together so he suggested that I should meet other women. I and my girlfriend just recently settled our differences, I'm so sorry about this," he apologizes.

Alice realized that this is just a blind date, she mustn't take this seriously. A blind date doesn't always end well. She sighed. She has to go now, what is the purpose of talking to him for a long time yet they won't be seeing each other again. She doesn't want to waste her time on him anymore.

"John, I need to go home now," she said and gathered her belongings.

"I will give you a ride. I will drop you at your house," he offered.

"Okay, thanks," she said. They stood up and starts walking towards the entrance of the cafe. Ramon followed them in the parking area.

Catherine also got out of the cafe and followed them into the parking area at a safer distance to avoid being noticed by John or Ramon. She saw John and the woman got inside the passenger area, he even opened the door for her, how sweet! she said furiously.

She sighed deeply. The tears from her eyes already dried. She can't cry anymore, no more tears to cry tonight.

So John is capable of entertaining other women behind her back to the point of lying!

She finally saw it today with her very own eyes.

He is a liar!

A cheater!

Her eyes followed the rear of the vehicle fading away from her vision. She hired a taxicab and gave the driver her address in Quezon City.

Inside the taxi, she felt the silence choking her...

It's like a thick wall collapsing around her.

She suddenly felt a vast emptiness suffocating her heart. She closed her eyes and calmed herself. She picked up her phone and muted it, it's the only revenge she can do to John because she already promised him she will not run away again. She has to endure this pain as long as she can and fulfill her promise to him.

>>

John arrived back at the Infinity Jade Tower after dropping Alice into her residence. He has been trying to call Catherine in her cell phone but her phone just keeps ringing, she's not answering her damn phone! Was she angry that he was not able to answer her call earlier? he sighed.

Maybe she was upset.

If she won't answer his call for the next fifteen minutes he will go to Quezon City to see her. He can't allow this small misunderstanding to grow between them and affect their relationship. He has to settle this tonight with her. He won't be able to sleep if he can't hear her voice and know that she is alright.

That was it...fifteen minutes of calling her and she's still not answering, that means something is wrong!

He called Ramon to ready the car.

A few minutes later, they were already traveling heading to Catherine's place.

>>

In Catherine's room...

She was just staring at her phone until it finally stopped ringing.

The last time she cried was inside the cafe. But she prevented herself from crying again it won't even help her feel better, she will only feel more miserable.

In spite of seeing him tonight in the company of another woman she still love him so much and it hurts so painfully because her love for him didn't fucking go away!

She prepared herself to sleep and turn off the light in her room.

Twenty minutes later she still can't sleep, she was just tossing and turning in her bed.

Then she heard the doorbell rung. Somebody is outside the door, who could it be at this hour?

Her phone rings suddenly, it's John calling her. Although she hesitated at first to answer his call, she answered his call anyways.

"John..."

"Open the door, Cath, am outside!" he said.

Damn! He's here but she doesn't want to see him, yet! Not now...the pain still so fresh!

What to do?

She took a deep breath and composed herself, she must pretend that she is okay. She hasn't decided yet if she will confront him tonight or not yet.

She combs her hair and tried to look presentable to him, she planted a fake smile on her face wanting to feel good for his coming, deep inside she was feeling awful! Dammit!

She's now ready to face him...

She went downstairs and didn't bother to wear a bathrobe over her sleeping attire. She opened the door and meet his penetrating gaze...she dropped her vision on the floor.

John entered and closed the door behind her.

"Are you okay, Cath?" he asked worriedly cupping her face.

She smiled sweetly at him. "I miss you, John!" She then hugged him tight burying her head into his chest. She still loves him so much in spite of what she just witnessed earlier in the cafe, it hurts!

"I miss you too!" he returned her hug and they were locked in a tight embrace.

"We're you upset that I wasn't able to answer your call earlier?" he asked again.

She smiled sheepishly at him. "Yes a bit," she lied.

"Oh, don't be upset anymore, I'm already here by your side. Lets go upstairs in your room, I want to cuddle with you my love," he said smiling at her.

They climbed the stairs together holding each other's hands.

They sleep together that night, their arms and limbs were intertwined with each other.

Catherine kept everything hidden inside her heart, she's willing to suffer in silent just to fulfill her promise to him not to run away again. She was afraid that if she starts asking him questions about those women they will have an epic quarrel and he might leave her cause this time he has no difficulty finding other women to replace her. Now, she was the one feeling insecure, it hurt so deep! The jealousy she keeps to herself is making her miserable inside. Now she had witnessed for the first time how capable he is in entertaining other women, she knew she can be replaced anytime and she was terrified losing John to other women.

It's something she was agonizing over and over again, she must pretend that everything that happened earlier was just a bad dream.