Saving the Villain

Cosette vividly remembered a conversation she had with Asher in the past. It was something about drinking. As business people, drinking was inevitable. However, Asher rarely drinks and if he does, it would only be a sip.

Back then, Cosette teased him regarding it as they were business partners in a joint project. She wanted to have a drink with him just because she hadn\'t seen him drink. She was already diagnosed with multiple illnesses at that time, but Cosette lived her life the same since she didn\'t want to go in and out of the hospital because there was nothing she could do but prolong her suffering.

She remembered being very stubborn that time, only for Asher to admit he used to drink a lot. He didn\'t state his reason for drinking, but he said there came to a point there was not a moment he was sober. And that was at a young age, he claimed. Hence, when he got sobered after an incident, he promised not to drink no matter the pressure.

Even though having a drink with his business partners and affiliates, Asher stayed true to his promise. He would only have a glass, and that was it.

So now that Cosette was watching him enjoy a glass of wine, she slowly got a gist of the reason Asher turned alcoholic. After accepting his invitation for a drink, they both headed to the courtyard of his room. They could\'ve gone to a different place since it wouldn\'t look good if anyone knew a young lady and a young man were inside a room all alone.

However, what could go wrong? This ancestral home was owned by the Blac\'s, and Cosette, even though irritable around Asher, knew he wouldn\'t do anything silly. Still, watching him right now, was stressful.

Frustrated, Cosette took the bottle and pour herself a glass. Asher, who was obviously tipsy, looked at her in surprise as she chugged down the wine.

"Wow…" he mused, blinking. "... do you have a problem?"

Cosette scoffed as she put down the empty wine glass. "Watching you is frustrating. Do you have a problem?"

"None." He shook his head, chuckling at her miffed reaction. She still looked cute in his eyes.

"Don\'t watch me if I am that frustrating to watch," he said, pouring himself a glass and then pouring wine into her empty glass. "Close your eyes, or just look away. Maybe, stare at the flowers, they were very pleasing in the eye."

Asher placed the bottle to the side, picking up both glasses. One for him, and the other, he offered to her with a slight smile.

"Easy fix, right?" he chuckled as if the subject wasn\'t him.

Cosette remained silent for a moment, staring at him with a deep sigh. She accepted the glass, clinking glasses with him before drinking it in one giant gulp.

"Watch it," he chuckled, taking his time to savor the taste of the wine.

Since the wine he chose was just a little bit better than everyday table wine, he had to convince himself it wasn\'t that bad. It really wasn\'t that bad, honestly.

"So, why are we drinking?" Cosette asked after finishing her glass.

Having a bit of a drink would help her open up to him a bit and maybe weaken her defenses around him. She just naturally raised all her guards around him, because the last thing Cosette want was Asher poking his nose into her business. Even when she tells herself to be nice to him, she just couldn\'t help it.

"Why…? I don\'t know why." Asher drew a deep breath, facing the courtyard and stretching his legs on the grass. "Maybe… there were things to celebrate? Or forget? I don\'t know why people drink, honestly."

"Do you always drink?" she asked, sitting just right beside him. She swung her legs back and forth but kept her eyes on his side profile. "The other night, you\'re also drunk that you even called me. And then, tonight. Were you that upset this morning?"

Asher chuckled with his lips closed. "Funny, isn\'t it? When people are frustrated, they drink until they drop. But it\'s the same when they were happy and celebrating something. They drink until they drop."

"So, are you happy? Or sad?"

"Hmm…" Asher cocked his head back, looking back at her. "Neither."

His lips curled, peeling his eyes away from her.

"I feel empty, Cosette Blac." Asher lowered his eyes but was unable to hide the bitterness in them. "You know… even when I was constantly pressured to be the best, I always thought of Luke. Even when my little brother had all the freedom in the world, I felt like he was still like me."

"People approach him with ulterior motives, and whenever I figure out those kids just want the benefit, they get from Luke. Of course, that angers me and I teach them all a cruel lesson. But deep down… I wouldn\'t say it made me happy, but rather, I was relieved," he continued bitterly, blaming the drink for letting his mouth run recklessly. He knew he should stop now, but he couldn\'t.

"In the back of my head, I tell myself, we\'re both miserable. He doesn\'t have real friends, and I don\'t too. It\'s just him and me," Asher added and chuckled, unable to discern if this was funny or too ridiculous it was funny. He shook his head mildly, holding the glass with both his hands that were resting on his lap.

Asher cocked his head back, looking up. From here, he could see the moon hiding behind the thick clouds. Perhaps, the moon felt this shame, so he couldn\'t look back at them.

"But then, you came in his life. I thought Luke was just being his stubborn and reckless self when he said he wanted to transfer to the same school as you. Who would have thought?" he snapped his eyes at her, looking at her with conflict in his eyes. "That his recklessness and lack of consideration in the future will lead him to a happier state?"

"Right now, I am in this luxurious ancestral home of a family friend, drinking a not-so-terrible wine, and don\'t have any worry regarding menial things. Luke probably couldn\'t sleep in that small room apartment and is stressing over how to pay the next month\'s rent." Asher let out another short and dry laugh, looking away from her. "But I feel so miserable while he… he probably already threw whatever problem he has for tomorrow."