Stranger in our midst

" Henry! Henry!! Henry!!!" May called angrily as she stormed into Henry's room.

" What is it? May, are you ok?" Henry asked, looking scared.

" How dare you!" May said aggressively and slapped him.

She slapped him hard, Henry was shocked because he didn't know what the problem was, he stuttered;

" What... what... did ... ...I.....do? "

" You son of a gun, so you've been playing with my feelings all this while," May said angrily.

" May, what are you talking about? What did I do?" Henry asked, looking confused.

" I thought you loved me. Henry, you told me you love me, so you've been deceiving me all this while." May said, hitting him.

" Stop! Stop! What are you saying? I meant it when I said I love you, I'm not lying or deceiving you." Henry said, holding his face.

" You bastard! Toby just left your place, right?" May asked, looking into his eyes.

" Yes, I told you on the phone earlier that he was here with me. May, what's the problem? You're getting me scared." Henry said.

" I overheard all your conversations, I didn't hang up the call before you dropped your phone. I heard everything, Henry!" May yelled.

" Fuck! May, it's not what you think, I can explain. Please hear me out." Henry pleaded, trying to hold her but she pushed him.

" Explain what? What explanation do you have to make? Tell me!" May yelled and she burst into tears.

" May, I swear it's not what you think. I meant it when I said I love you. Just calm down and hear me out please." Henry said calmly.

" Hear you out? Ok, I'm listening. Tell me how you and Toby had a bet on me. So, all this while that I thought I'd found true love, I was only a bet? Really?" May asked tearfully.

" Yes, sorry, I mean no; please let me explain. May just calm down and I'll explain everything to you." Henry said.

" Ok, fine! I'm calm, explain." May said and sat on the bed.

" Ok, here is the thing, you know we both started on the wrong foot; we never liked each other, and you hated my guts so much.

So, one night during one of the guy's hangouts, Toby was the only one who knew about you amongst my friends then, so he dared me to have a fling with you, trying to get on my nerves, knowing I would get irritated at the mention of your name. When the other guys also realized that it would be a difficult task for me, they decided to make it a bet, and I was given just two months maximum to carry out the bet." Henry explained calmly.

" And you decided to go a step forward by making me fall in love with you so that you can leave me heartbroken in the end, right?" May asked at the top of her voice.

" No, a fling was what I planned initially but I fell helplessly in love with you in the process. May, I didn't lie when I said I love you; I genuinely love you, May. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me; you made me a better man, and I don't take that for granted." Henry said, almost tearing up.

" You liar! I can never believe what comes out of that gutter you call a mouth anymore. If you could deceive me into falling in love with you because of a bet, what else can't you do to me then?" May said, holding her head.

" May, I'm sorry. I didn't know I was going to fall in love with you in the process. I should have told you; I'm so sorry you found out this way; I'm sorry, May.", Henry pleaded.

" You lying bastard! I'm done with you. I'm calling off the wedding, there's no more wedding. I can't be with a liar; I don't even know the man I'm about to walk down the aisle with; I thought I knew you so well; I guess I was so wrong all along. I never knew it was just a bet all this while, I'm done!" May yelled, and she removed the engagement ring from her finger, and she threw it at him.

" No, May, you can't call off the wedding like that. What are we going to tell our families? My parents will be heartbroken, your uncle and his wife will be happy, you know they never like to see you happy. Please don't do this to us, May; I love you, I love you so much; I didn't lie when I said I love you, believe me." Henry said tearfully.