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Matt met his wife, Roselyn Maddock, while he was in graduate school. Tonia didn’t know Roselyn, but she seemed kind and friendly.
“Nice to meet you, Roselyn,” Tonia said.
Roselyn graciously said, “Nice to meet you too, Tonia.”
Tonia said, “Congratulations on your new baby! He’s so cute.”
Matt was quite happy. “Hey, why are you by yourself? Where’s Raph? Why didn’t he come with you?”
“He’s busy.”
“Then how did you get here?”
“I got a cab.”
Matt said, “That’s not okay! Raph is doing very well now. How could he ignore his wife? He should have sent a driver for you.”
“Maybe he forgot because he’s busy.”
Matt felt that something was wrong. “Uh, did you two get into a fight?”
“No.”
“Then why—”
Roselyn softly pushed him, telling him to stop talking about it.
But Matt was the type of person who couldn’t help but snoop. “You don’t know; they’ve been through so much together in the last ten years. Their relationship is different.”
He looked back at Tonia. “What’s going on? If he’s bothering you, let me know and I’ll talk to him.”
“It’s really okay…”
Roselyn couldn’t stop Matt from talking, so she took Tonia away from the argument that was getting out of hand. Tonia was thankful.
Roselyn took the baby home for a nap as the event came to an end. Matt took a bunch of his old classmates to karaoke. Tonia didn’t want to go, but Matt was so excited that she couldn’t say no.
But after she got to karaoke, she wished she hadn’t gone.
Raph was there.
Raph affectionately patted Matt’s round belly and put an arm around his neck. “Did you get really drunk tonight? Are you still able to drink?”
Matt smiled and swayed a little. “Just wait. I’m going to drink more than you tonight!”
Raph said, “Just make sure your wife doesn’t yell at you when you get home.”
“Hey, you shouldn’t be talking! Isn’t Ton going to yell at you when you get home?”
Raph’s smile faded. “Come on. Sit down. You’re heavy. You weigh about 200 pounds.”
Matt fell into the couch and said, “I don’t weigh 200 pounds! You’re lying. Raph, you better be nice to me, or Ton will leave you. I’m not going to help you out.”
Tonia wanted to escape, but Jane Scot had a hold on her.
Jane had been abused at home after marrying into a rich family. She knew about the rumours about Raph and felt a connection with Tonia because they were both going through hard times.
Jane grabbed Tonia and started telling her about all of her problems as soon as she saw her.
“It’s dark in here,” Tonia replied. “You should take off your sunglasses.”
Jane said, “No way!” without thinking, “The bruises around my eyes haven’t gone away yet.”
“Why do you stay with him if he’s hitting you that hard? Aren’t you afraid he’ll kill you? Just go.”
Jane huffed. “It’s easier said than done. You haven’t left Raph, even though he’s been cheating on you.”
Jane’s idea was really clear and to the point.
“Make sure you marry a rich man. There’s always a price to pay. You’re holding onto your feelings and I’m holding onto my money, so we’re pretty much in the same boat.”
Tonia didn’t say anything.
Jane leaned in and whispered in Tonia’s ear, “But just so you know, you need to keep your money close. He can sleep with as many women as he wants, but you can’t let him spend all of it on other women.”
“Not long ago, I read on the news that the woman Raph is with now is wearing Bulgari from head to toe. And look at you…
“So what? It’s not like it’s made of gold threads.
“Don’t be so naive. Raph will just spend the money on someone else if you don’t.
Tonia remembered the last time she met Ayra at that fancy restaurant. She could sum it up in three words: fancy and expensive.
After her parents divorced, she and Ayra were separated and given to other parents. Their mother took Ayra to another country and changed her last name to cut links with their father.
But after their mother got married again and had more kids, she paid less attention to Ayra and sent her less money.
Ayra used most of the money she made washing dishes overseas to contact Tonia long distance, even though she was living on a tight budget. Eventually, Ayra came home, stopped going to school, and started working to make ends meet.
Tonia was trying to assist Raph launch a business in Busta City at the time. Both Tonia and Ayra were having a hard time, but going through terrible times together made their relationship stronger.
When Tonia found out that Ayra was Raph’s mistress, all the agony she had kept inside for years came out like a volcano, pushing her to a point of no return.
“Tonia. Matt said, “Hey, Tonia.”
Tonia didn’t want to go over to them, so she took her hand away from Jane and stated, “I have things to do.” I had to leave.
“Don’t go,” Jane said again as she grasped her arm. “We don’t get together like this very often. You can’t just leave.
Then Jane pulled her over to where the others were. When Tonia saw Raph, he gave her a polite nod, as if he were meeting an old friend. He was polite, stiff, and aloof.
Matt saw the awkward conversation and swiftly dragged Tonia over to sit next to him. “Why are you alone in the corner?” Join us! ”
“I have things to do.” Tonia said, “You guys have fun.”
“Do you really hate me that much?”Raph enquired out of the blue.
“Nice to meet you, Roselyn,” Tonia said.
Roselyn graciously said, “Nice to meet you too, Tonia.”
Tonia said, “Congratulations on your new baby! He’s so cute.”
Matt was quite happy. “Hey, why are you by yourself? Where’s Raph? Why didn’t he come with you?”
“He’s busy.”
“Then how did you get here?”
“I got a cab.”
Matt said, “That’s not okay! Raph is doing very well now. How could he ignore his wife? He should have sent a driver for you.”
“Maybe he forgot because he’s busy.”
Matt felt that something was wrong. “Uh, did you two get into a fight?”
“No.”
“Then why—”
Roselyn softly pushed him, telling him to stop talking about it.
But Matt was the type of person who couldn’t help but snoop. “You don’t know; they’ve been through so much together in the last ten years. Their relationship is different.”
He looked back at Tonia. “What’s going on? If he’s bothering you, let me know and I’ll talk to him.”
“It’s really okay…”
Roselyn couldn’t stop Matt from talking, so she took Tonia away from the argument that was getting out of hand. Tonia was thankful.
Roselyn took the baby home for a nap as the event came to an end. Matt took a bunch of his old classmates to karaoke. Tonia didn’t want to go, but Matt was so excited that she couldn’t say no.
But after she got to karaoke, she wished she hadn’t gone.
Raph was there.
Raph affectionately patted Matt’s round belly and put an arm around his neck. “Did you get really drunk tonight? Are you still able to drink?”
Matt smiled and swayed a little. “Just wait. I’m going to drink more than you tonight!”
Raph said, “Just make sure your wife doesn’t yell at you when you get home.”
“Hey, you shouldn’t be talking! Isn’t Ton going to yell at you when you get home?”
Raph’s smile faded. “Come on. Sit down. You’re heavy. You weigh about 200 pounds.”
Matt fell into the couch and said, “I don’t weigh 200 pounds! You’re lying. Raph, you better be nice to me, or Ton will leave you. I’m not going to help you out.”
Tonia wanted to escape, but Jane Scot had a hold on her.
Jane had been abused at home after marrying into a rich family. She knew about the rumours about Raph and felt a connection with Tonia because they were both going through hard times.
Jane grabbed Tonia and started telling her about all of her problems as soon as she saw her.
“It’s dark in here,” Tonia replied. “You should take off your sunglasses.”
Jane said, “No way!” without thinking, “The bruises around my eyes haven’t gone away yet.”
“Why do you stay with him if he’s hitting you that hard? Aren’t you afraid he’ll kill you? Just go.”
Jane huffed. “It’s easier said than done. You haven’t left Raph, even though he’s been cheating on you.”
Jane’s idea was really clear and to the point.
“Make sure you marry a rich man. There’s always a price to pay. You’re holding onto your feelings and I’m holding onto my money, so we’re pretty much in the same boat.”
Tonia didn’t say anything.
Jane leaned in and whispered in Tonia’s ear, “But just so you know, you need to keep your money close. He can sleep with as many women as he wants, but you can’t let him spend all of it on other women.”
“Not long ago, I read on the news that the woman Raph is with now is wearing Bulgari from head to toe. And look at you…
“So what? It’s not like it’s made of gold threads.
“Don’t be so naive. Raph will just spend the money on someone else if you don’t.
Tonia remembered the last time she met Ayra at that fancy restaurant. She could sum it up in three words: fancy and expensive.
After her parents divorced, she and Ayra were separated and given to other parents. Their mother took Ayra to another country and changed her last name to cut links with their father.
But after their mother got married again and had more kids, she paid less attention to Ayra and sent her less money.
Ayra used most of the money she made washing dishes overseas to contact Tonia long distance, even though she was living on a tight budget. Eventually, Ayra came home, stopped going to school, and started working to make ends meet.
Tonia was trying to assist Raph launch a business in Busta City at the time. Both Tonia and Ayra were having a hard time, but going through terrible times together made their relationship stronger.
When Tonia found out that Ayra was Raph’s mistress, all the agony she had kept inside for years came out like a volcano, pushing her to a point of no return.
“Tonia. Matt said, “Hey, Tonia.”
Tonia didn’t want to go over to them, so she took her hand away from Jane and stated, “I have things to do.” I had to leave.
“Don’t go,” Jane said again as she grasped her arm. “We don’t get together like this very often. You can’t just leave.
Then Jane pulled her over to where the others were. When Tonia saw Raph, he gave her a polite nod, as if he were meeting an old friend. He was polite, stiff, and aloof.
Matt saw the awkward conversation and swiftly dragged Tonia over to sit next to him. “Why are you alone in the corner?” Join us! ”
“I have things to do.” Tonia said, “You guys have fun.”
“Do you really hate me that much?”Raph enquired out of the blue.