"Let's go inside the house; I'll help you," Briana said.

Sean mumbled something incoherent once more before obeying Briana's command. Carefully Sean got up from the wooden porch floor, then Briana took one of his arms and placed the hundred kilograms on her shoulders.
"Damn," Briana cursed, feeling how heavy Sean was to carry.

Briana carefully carried Sean into the house and laid him on the bed. She chuckled softly and again muttered something about a woman named Anastasia. About how beautiful her long brown hair was, her sweet smile, and her soft voice.

Briana helped him take off his shoes and shirt even though she was annoyed by Sean's endless babbling. Briana thought Sean would do better to shut up. She regretted ever complaining about his reticence.

"Anna, baby..."

For God's sake, Briana wanted to stuff Sean's mouth with her pants. Her heart burned at all the affectionate calls Sean had made to the girl named Anastasia.

After she finished, she wrapped her arms around Sean's body up to his chest and got ready to leave the room, but suddenly Sean grabbed her arm and said, "Anna...."

Her eyes opened a little wider than before. "You're Anna."

"Sean, let go," Briana said. Her tongue trembled. For the first time, Briana said Sean's nickname right to his face.

"Anna."

Briana's heart broke apart, and she couldn't explain why, because she didn't know why. One thing was for sure: Briana hated hearing Sean say another woman's name so intimately in front of her.

"Don't leave me, Anna. Please not again," he whispered.

Briana was stunned to see a drop of clear liquid that fell through the corner of her eye. Sean took the opportunity to pull her, then he held Briana's body tightly as if he would not let her go.

Briana was swept away and enjoyed the embrace. The hug was very tight, but then she realized that all this was wrong; this hug was not for her but for a girl named Anastasia.

"I kissed her, Anna. I'm sorry. I promise I won't do it again," he murmured.

Something sharp tore at Briana's heart.

"It's hard for me to help myself; she's got the same hair as you, the same smooth skin, and a voice that even reminds me of you."

Curse you, Sean, if you remember her when you kiss me! Briana whispered.

Briana's tears flowed unstoppably. She cried silently while Sean was too drunk to notice. "Anna. Anastasia, where are you? This bastard loves you so much, but you let him get stuck with me."

***

The melodious chirping of birds greeted the morning. Briana woke up with bones that felt crushed and broken from sleeping all night on the sofa. As she stretched her body, Briana winced at the sound of her own bones. Uh, how could Sean have spent the whole night on the couch? His body was even bigger than Briana's; obviously, this cramped sofa must have been tormenting him all day.

Stop thinking about Sean! She scolded herself. Briana took a seat and was surprised to find him right across from her. Sean, with his cold face, sat on the other couch with one leg folded. He was disheveled, not wearing a top, and his face looked so cold and tense.

"Why don't you go with Sarah?" he asked.

Oh, the arguments will start this morning, Briana thought.

"You can't boss me around," Briana snapped.

"This is my home, Miss Clooney! Don't forget that," he said in a high tone.

How stupid. Of course Briana knew whose house this was. "I haven't forgotten," she snapped. "If you really want to kick me out, then I'll leave, but say it to my face, Sean Brosnan! And you also have no right to send me around without my consent."

Briana's breathing was ragged with anger. Her chest heaved up and down. Sean was wrong if he thought that Briana was a shameless girl who would beg to live in his house. Briana's courage was small; she was weak and had nothing to rely on, but if Sean attempted to trample on her pride, Briana would not be silent.

"Don't get cocky; if I kick you out, your only hope is Sarah!" she cried.

"I have God, Mr. Brosnan; don't forget that. Without a roof over my head, I'll live if God allows it."

Sean snorted but didn't say anything afterwards. Seeing Sean's silence, Briana decided to get up and was about to leave this house, but before that, she walked over to Sean and stood right in front of him with the remaining pride she had.

"I'm leaving; thank you for your generosity over the time, and I don't expect more than what you've given me."

Including the pain.

Briana turned around and was about to head for the exit, but Sean immediately blocked her way. Sean stood right in front of Briana with his angry face.

"Don't be crazy; where do you think you're going?!" he snapped.

"Don't worry, I'm not your responsibility anymore," Briana replied sarcastically.

Briana was about to pass Sean, but he caught her arm and forced her to stay where she was.

"I will let you go if you are with Sarah; other than that, then you will continue to stay here with me," he said stressfully.

Briana stared into Sean's dark eyeballs. This complicated man, she was tired of dealing with him and herself. He had no stance, no decision, and was playing Briana as if he had no feelings. If Sean was trying to drive Briana away, then why was he preventing her from leaving?

"Stop bossing me around Mr. Brosnan," Briana snapped.

"I did my best for you; who do you think will help you out there? You'll starve and freeze," he said.

"Let that be my business; let fate decide how I will live; you don't have to bother thinking about it."

Sean was silent with a hardened jaw. His palm gripped Briana's arm even tighter. Briana felt pain, but she ignored the pain because she didn't want to look weak in front of Sean. Not after what he had done to her.

"Forget it; I'm not kicking you out. You'll stay here," Sean said lightly.

Briana wanted to explode like a bomb right then and there. She wanted to add more scratches to Sean's face. Let his face be like a monster. Briana wanted to cuss over and over again and scream that she wasn't some piece of trash that Sean could just throw away and pick up again at his leisure.

"You...jerk!"

That was all that came out of Briana's lips, because after that, her tears flowed unstoppably along with the sobs that slid from her lips. Briana's heart was broken and deeply hurt by Sean Brosnan's arbitrary behavior.