86 TRUTH HURTS

Zoe couldn't believe what she was hearing. How can Raigon know her beforehand? She has never seen him before. Or has she?

She looked at his features, from his head to his foot. How could he forget such a strikingly attractive man? Not unless he was part of the traumatic event that her brain chose to store away in her subconscious mind so that she could survive. 

She gazed at him, wondering how she would act after this startling revelation.

"Who are you? Why are you only telling this to me now?" She exclaimed in a trembling voice and clenched fist. She held her temples as it was throbbing in confusion at Raigon's confession.

Raigon drew near her and tried to support her but she shoved his arm away. "Don't touch me," she hissed in a cold bitter voice. 

He should have told her from the start. Why did he lure her until she was getting comfortable with him before divulging this secret? Did he really intend to distress her like this? Was he also like one of them who will throw her out as soon as he gets what he wants from her?

She glanced at him under her hand on her temple. His hands were on his waist and he was clamping his lips as he clenched his jaws. His breathing was also exaggerated as he took a lungful of air before breathing out excessively. 

He does not look like a man who will intentionally cause agony to her. But why did it take a while for him to bring it out

Finally, he blurted out. "I'm sorry. Hurting you like this is what delayed me from telling the truth." 

Zoe closed her eyes and contemplated what he had just said. 'Delayed? Does that mean that he intended to tell it to her beforehand but he doesn't want her to get devastated because of it?'

She tried to recall all the times that they were together. Was he being sincere? Were there really times where he tried to tell her? And why would she get hurt? She decided to ask away.

"Why would I get hurt if I know who you are? What did you do to me before? Why can't I remember you!" Zoe responded with tears welling in her eyes. 

Raigon was about to speak up, but Zoe stopped him with a motion of her hand. "Please leave and let me control myself first. I don't want to cause a commotion here with you around. And please.." She paused before continuing. "Don't come near me until I said so." She was fizzling through her gritting teeth. She was also holding the fishing rod firmly as if she would throw it away anytime. 

Raigon was not moving an inch, as if he was ruminating if he would stay or leave as she wants. After some time, he decided to obey her and give time for her to think things through. He doesn't want to rush her, as she was only skimming the icing.

He also needs some time to think if he would admit the whole story since she was already reacting this way with just the fact that he didn't tell her that he recognized her since before. What more if she learned that his City was connected to her parents' death?

Drawing in a deep breath, he picked up his things to leave. But before he took off, he left behind just three words. "Forgive me, Zoe."

He didn't explain it anymore. Zoe was left outraged and clueless. She watched him as he walked away. Confused and angry, she wanted to ask more questions but she knew herself. She would be more hysterical if she sees him around. 

Zoe heaved out a sigh and focused on her fishing. Still, she can't believe that all these times that they are together, to her he was a stranger. He must be laughing to himself as she must have looked like an idiot to her!

She breathed out fiery air from her nostrils. Fortunately, she was in a beautiful scenery so she tried to meditate on it to calm her down. 

As she was doing so, she heard a shrill feminine voice calling out to her. "Zoe!" 

Zoe waved at her. She was running to her with her fishing gear. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to be with you. Someone asked me to help her fish so I did. Koby also taught us so we made a great catch " She beamed at her as she showed her ice bucket filled with sea creatures.

"How about you? Have you caught anything yet?" She asked her as she checked on her bucket.

Zoe shook her head. "Not yet." 

At first, Zoe didn't know if it was a good idea for Kristie to be around. She was still fuming mad at Raigon. But maybe it wasn't a bad idea after all, as she distracts her from thinking about what just happened.

Kristie grinned. "Here, let me help you." She dropped her things and tried to check on hers. "Mr. Gao probably wanted your stomach to be full." She commented as she checked on her fishing bag.

Her sentence grabbed Zoe's attention as she queried her. "Why did you say that?"

"He personally requested me to assist you in fishing. He doesn't want you to go hungry." She smiled innocently.

A corner of her lip twitched upward unconsciously. She remembered him during their last dinner where he even removed the beards of the mussels for her as they ate.

He was really kind to her, that's why she finds it hard to understand why he would disclose that issue only now.

Kristie grabbed her fishing rod and demonstrated it to her. "You should do it like this." 

Kristie ran on about how to fish as what Koby told them. Zoe tried to focus on her as thoughts about Raigon kept popping up in her mind. 

"Can I ask you a question?" She blurted out to Kristie. 

"Sure! Go ahead," Kristie answered her with her sweet smile. 

"Why do you think someone who is nice to you hides something valuable from you? Do you think he is just pretending to be nice?" Zoe inquired.

Kristie looked at her with a scrunched forehead.

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The truth may hurt for a little while

But a lie lasts forever.

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