Chapter 52 - Confrontation

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The next morning, Ariel was relieved when no news or pictures popped up exposing the kiss Leon forced on her. The kiss had caused her a sleepless night where she oscillated between feeling upset and worried,  to being repulsed and jittery with butterflies in her stomach. When she arrived for work, she pretended nothing had happened.

Today, Fujita's in-house film crew came over to the restaurant to film for their weekly YouTube cooking videos. Ariel, Hong and Han were present for the shoot.

"Once the gravy is done, pour it over the grilled fish...see how it shines? Just like my bald head!" joked Han as he poured the gravy on top.

"And place these curly green onion garnish over the fish," Hong placed some garnish over its head. "Now it's got hair, sorry Han," Hong laughed that contagious ticklish laugh of his.

Since the introduction of the two chefs to the channel, the number of subscribers had grown exponentially. Fans nicknamed them Hi-Ho-Ha from the first two letters of Hinata and their names, for they love the comedic vibes that these two chefs brought to the videos. They were so natural with the camera that they did not really need to rely on the script, unlike Ariel who preferred to be well-prepared. While Ariel presented herself as classy and professional, Hong and Han took a more casual and jovial approach. Even Ariel noticed they enjoyed filming more than she did.

After their shoot ended, a waitress approached Ariel, "Ariel, someone's looking for you."

"Who? Another fan?" asked Ariel.

"This lady refused to pay the bills until she sees you. Said you two met at the park last night."

Ariel knew who the waitress was referring to, and immediately followed her out to the table where that said lady was sitting.

"Hello," Emily waved her fingers at Ariel with her dimply smile.

Ariel sat down across her.

Emily took a last bite of the avocado tomato salad, "Leon's favourite salad, right?"

"What do you want from me?" Ariel narrowed her eyes at her.

"Simple. I want Leon back."

"Ask him yourself. Why bother me?"

"I can't anymore."

"Then what has that got to do with me?"

"Everything. You're the reason he can't come back to me," Emily played with her fork.

"Me?" Ariel raised her eyebrows. "I'm his ex-employee, not his girlfriend."

"But you have his heart," Emily's smile became broader.

Ariel was pricked by the same words that Leon mentioned last night. That uninvited kiss still felt raw on her lips. "Look, I'm not interested in discussing this."

"Do you know why he likes you?" Emily continued. "Because you remind him of me. Why do you think he thought I was you when we talked on Instagram?"

"I don't believe you," Ariel shook her head and squeezed her knees with her hands beneath the table.

"Trust me. You and I have more in common than you realise. We're both mothers, we have failed marriages, we both beautiful women, with long hair that we almost look alike, 'cos we're both Asians-"

"You're part-Asian," Ariel corrected. "And I look nothing like you."

Emily simpered and continued, "And we both love the same man. I'm after all, his number #1, his very first love. His debut single, "Be Thou Mine" was a song he first serenaded to me at Forest Cherry Hill Park, when asked me to be his girlfriend. Gave me his first kiss and his v-card."

"I'm don't wanna know," Ariel stood up to leave.

"Oh, but you must. He's repeating history with you. I'm sure he introduced you to stargazing, didn't he? It's his favourite pastime."

Ariel swallowed hard at the remembrance of the stargazing time with Leon at his parents' mansion, "Don't you've anything better to do, like focusing on your kids?"

"My kids?" Emily shrugged. "They'll be fine with their dad without me. How 'bout your son? Where's his father?"

Ariel shut her eyes without a word. Andy was still feeling sore about the revelation of his biological father and for Emily to bring it up, she was intruding too far into her personal space.

Emily took great delight at striking a nerve in her. She crossed her arms, "Seems that your son's fond of Leon and he's fond of your little boy too. I can see what a great father he'll be to my kids."

"But your kids already have a father."

"Oh, they can be with their dad in Norway. What I mean is, my own kids with Leon."

Ariel sucked in a deep breath. Was she deluded?

"Let me warn you...Miss Beautiful. Don't try to come between me and my man, else I won't be nice. Keep those lips of yours away from what's mine," Emily cautioned with that creepy smile.

Ariel widened her eyes when she called her by her nickname. How did she even know? Did she also know that Leon and her kissed?

"Here, keep the change," Emily tossed big notes on the table and walked off with a coy smile.

Ariel massaged her headache spot, her stomach feeling queasy all of a sudden.

—————

Leon struggled to keep his sleepy eyes open after being rudely awoken by the noisy ringtone of his phone. He had slept so heavily after suffering from insomnia throughout the night because of the recollection of his past with Emily. Being in no mood, he ignored the call until the ringtone stopped.

After a few minutes, a text message came.

Rubbing his eyes, he felt like he needed to give that person an earful. His eyes popped when he realised the missed call was from Ariel. He'd never ignore her call if he knew!

He opened her message and read:

Ariel: Leon, I need to speak to u, really impt

His heart raced. Something important? Was she desiring him now after that kiss?

Leon: Now? Sure

Ariel: I can't now, just got called for a meeting. Can only do so tonite after work

Leon: At my place?

Ariel: Sorry, can't be at your place. Just a call will do

Leon blew out his cheeks. He was not going to accept it even if it was ordered by the Fujitas.

Leon: Then I won't talk unless you're at my place

Ariel: Oh com'on! Do u have to make it so difficult for me?

Leon: U know me. I prefer face-to-face if it's somethin impt

Ariel: Fine, but after midnight

Leon: Not a prob 4 me. Cya!

Realising that it was now in the afternoon, Leon quickly got up and went to do his workout with his dumbbells. The distress he suffered from last night was now replaced with anticipation.

—————

"Emily? She came to see you?" Leon was astonished. He was hoping that Ariel would surprise him with something romantic. Instead, she looked disturbed and troubled. Because there were no paparazzi this late past midnight, Ariel was able to sneak to Leon's house. They were both seated across each other at the dining table.

Ariel nodded.

"What did she say to you?" asked Leon.

"A few things. Like how you guys dated. Then, she told me not to come between you and her else she won't be nice to me."

"Oh, empty threats ," Leon swiped his hand to the side. "I wouldn't worry since Emily's not capable of doing something extreme. Besides, I'm not interested in seeing her again. Got her blocked from my Instagram."

"Really?"

"She was the one who left me after all," Leon angled his head downward towards the ground as those painful memories resurfaced.

Ariel noticed how glum he looked. He never looked this way when it came to the other ladies he had dated. "Must be some painful memories," she speculated.

"Yeah, very painful. Seems like you're the only one who can read my mind."

"Seems like we were both traumatised by our first loves."

"Tell me about it," Leon let out a heavy sigh and looked away.

"Well, I did share with you about the history with my ex. I just haven't heard your side before. But of course, if you don't wanna share it, you don't have to. I'll understand."

"No, I want to. I did tell you I won't withhold information from you, remember?"

Ariel was moved by how he was keeping to that small promise he made.

Leon went on to explain, "Emily was a cheerleader in my high school whom I had a crush on since my freshman year. Back then, she was so beautiful that she was considered the "hottest girl in school". She was sweet and polite as well. I looked worse than an average bloke then, with my braces and glasses and my scrawny frame. I was constantly bullied, especially by this big guy named Johan Olsen, who was a rich kid from Norway and he was the high school's sports star in American football. My only gifts in school were to sing, play the guitar and act. I even composed songs inspired by Emily and published them on my fledgling YouTube channel. My debut single, "Be Thou Mine" was originally for her."

"She told me that, go on," Ariel continued to listen attentively.

"Emily stood up for me against Johan, and that made me fall in love with her even more. Gradually, she fell for me which I couldn't believe how. I mean, I managed to get the girl of my dreams, the hottest girl in school to fall for a nobody like me. You know, first time having a girlfriend in my life? At such a young age, it was such a big deal. Even though we were so young, we had discussed having a family together in the future. Then, things changed when I was discovered by Avon. Emily couldn't handle my fame and jealous fans made death threats to her. She wanted a normal life. But I begged her to stay and she promised she'd do so only if I slept with her." Leon swallowed hard. "So, less than a week after I gave her my virginity, she left me and began dating Johan, that high school bully she stood up against for me. They married and had two kids."

"Oh no," Ariel gasped "That was awful!"

"As much as I couldn't forgive her for leaving me, eventually I could not bring myself to blame her. Living a life of fame is not something that everyone can handle."

"Yeah, tell me about it," Ariel hugged herself and looked down. "I really miss my old, simple life when I could walk down the street without being recognised, and not being cyberbullied to the point of madness."

Leon noticed her downcast eyes.

"But I'm stuck with it and I'll have to accept it," Ariel sat up straight, "At least, I can now provide Andy a life that I never was able to give when we were poor and struggling. But I don't know why I'm not...not..." She struggled to say the word.

"No, I'm happy....I'm resilient....not crazy...not crazy..." she mumbled to herself and rubbed her headache spot.

"Ariel, you okay?" Leon noticed she was talking to herself and out of focus.

"I'm fine," she snapped out of herself and forced a smile.

"I don't think so," he worried.

Ariel looked at Leon in the eyes, "Seems like you're the only one who can read my mind." She repeated his earlier sentence.

Leon wanted to stretch out his hands towards her, but resisted when he remembered not to touch her without her consent.

"Anyway," Ariel cleared her throat, "back to Emily. She told me you liked me because I reminded you of her. That's why you thought she was me on Instagram. Is that true?"

Leon let out an embarrassing laugh and shook his head, "Not true! As I said, I mistook her for you because of miscommunication with her and I even called her your nickname. She was very deceptive throughout the conversation."

"Oh.." Ariel realised how Emily knew her nickname.

"Besides, if I needed someone like her, I would've gone straight for her rather than poor imitations."

"Poor imitations? Am I one of them?"

"Absolutely not!" Leon was adamant. "I couldn't bring myself to fall in love again after her. Until you came along,"

Ariel felt her heart flipped, but quickly shut down his suggestion, "lf so, then those women-"

"When I did it with those women, I was always drunk. You know why?" Leon cut in, knowing she would bring up that subject again.

"Why?" Ariel got curious.

"So that I won't remember all the details of what I did with them in bed."

Now it made more sense why he refused to respond to the intimate allegations in the media during the scandal. Still, it was no excuse for the pain he caused her.

"I'm so sorry, Ariel," his eyes pleaded with her. "I can't change what happened in the past. I wish I could."

Ariel blinked a few times, speechless at what looked like remorse.

"Erm...anyway," she changed the subject.  "I've got a very bad gut feeling about your ex's threat towards me."

"Just ignore her. What's there to worry about since you've bodyguards?" Leon waved off with his hand and suddenly winced at the pain of his elbow.

"You okay?" Ariel went forward to help him, but Leon stretched his arm out to stop her from coming near to him.

"Please don't come near me. You've impressive Kung Fu moves! I'll be fine," he rubbed the sore areas of his arm where she locked him, and she could see some faint bruises.

"Oh..." Ariel rubbed the back of her neck with an uneasy smile. "It's Krav Maga, not Kung Fu. Hiroshi trains me real well."

"Hiroshi?" Leon narrowed his eyes at his name. "I see that he comes to your house frequently. Are you falling for him?"

"I'll admit I did try," Ariel confessed.

Leon was visibly upset.

"You think I should try harder?" she teased in a non-teasing way, just to test his reaction, just so he could have a taste of his own bitter medicine.

"No, I don't want you to!" Leon protested. "I just," he sighed and looked away. "Never mind. It's your life. It's soo late now, you should go."

"But Leon, I-"

"Please Ariel," he was clearly not in the mood to continue.

"Alright. Good night," said Ariel and she left.

Unbeknownst to her after she walked out of the door, Leon began to weep.

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