Bernie has been waiting outside Pegasus Bar since he saw Mia enter earlier. He knows she will come out any moment now, and that's what he's been waiting for. He wants to talk to her again.
"I still can't accept that Erik defeated me once again," he angrily muttered and lightly punched the steering wheel.
After a few moments, he finally saw the woman he had been waiting for to emerge from the bar. He had no certainty that she would entertain him. But he needed to win her back, whether she liked it or not. Even if they called him greedy, he didn't care. The truth was, he loved Mia. Even though he couldn't be faithful and marry her.
In the end, Bernie chuckled softly as he thought about it. Why? Is marriage the only measure of love? Not everyone who gets married loves each other. And not everyone who loves each other can get married.
And as for him, he didn't know where he stood between the two. Because if he were to be asked, he loved Mia, but he couldn't commit to her right now. That's why he didn't consider marrying her.
He continued to gaze at Mia's beautiful face. And when she smiled, his longing for her intensified even more.
"I miss you so much, Mia," he whispered, waiting for the opportunity to approach her, thinking that it might be possible now.
And in his waiting, all the anger and jealousy that he had been harboring since she left him came alive in his heart.
"You're such a flirt!" he angrily exclaimed and quickly got out of the car.
Just then, he precisely saw Mia walking. She was heading towards the market. He hurriedly got out of the car, took large strides, and grabbed her arm.
"W-What are you doing here?" she said.
He immediately noticed the expression of fear on Mia's face.
And just like before, when he used to hurt her, he truly felt a sense of victory when he saw that reaction on her face.
"Didn't I tell you before that we're not done yet? That I will come back for you because you're mine?" he said, grinning.
*****
Fear quickly engulfed Mia's chest as she saw the demonic grin that spread across Bernie's lips. But just like she had always believed since returning home, she was safe because that was her true sanctuary.
So, after the thought crossed her mind, she swiftly withdrew her arm from the man's grasp. However, she was disappointed when he didn't release her as she had expected. He didn't let go of her arm but instead dragged her closer to his parked car.
"Let go of me! You are an animal! We're done!" she screamed angrily, trying to free her arm from his tight grip.
"Help! Someone help me!" she shouted.
"Just stop making things difficult for me, Mia. I'm already fed up with you!" he said, and a strong slap landed on her left cheek, shocking her.
"Hey! You son of a bitch!"
That loud and familiar voice startled Mia once again. And in the blink of an eye, she saw Erik raining punches on Bernie's face, who was momentarily stunned by the surprise attack.
For a few moments, Mia remained in a daze, observing the two men. She witnessed how Erik defended her against the man who used to harm her without any hesitation.
After a while, some people intervened to break up the fight. Mia quickly approached Erik, and he tightly embraced her.
"You idiot! Who gave you the right to hurt Mia, huh?" Erik confronted Bernie, who was now being held back by the two men who had intervened.
“None of your fucking business! She's my wife, and she's mine!" Bernie replied.
"Wife? Are you out of your mind?" Erik retorted sarcastically.
During those moments, Mia trembled with fear. She didn't know what to do, her heart pounding heavily in her chest. She attempted to pull Erik away from the scene, but she failed.
It was the first time she had seen Erik so furious, and she couldn't blame him. He caught Bernie in the act of hurting her. It was a blessing in disguise that he had arrived because who knows what else her former partner would have done to her.
"Let go of me!" Bernie shouted, managing to break free from the two men who were restraining him. "I'll come back for you, Mia! Remember that!"
"Mia, what's happening here?" Rosanna asked, accompanied by Dahlia as they hurriedly approached.
"What happened to your face, Mia?" Dahlia asked with concern, touching her chin to examine her face.
"What did you do to her? Huh? You're such an animal!" Rosanna exclaimed angrily, about to confront Bernie, but Mia quickly restrained her.
"Rosanna, just let it go," Mia said, holding Rosanna's arm and pulling her away from her former partner.
"I slapped her! She's a flirt, getting involved with other men even though she’s married!" Bernie shouted back, laughing mockingly.
"Hey, you idiotic man! How dare you speak ill of our friend here! You can dream for as long as you want! Because tomorrow, Erik and Mia are getting married, and there's nothing you can do about it! So, leave now and never come back!" Dahlia shouted in rage, pointing her finger at Bernie.
As Mia stared at Bernie, she quickly noticed the fiery rage burning in his eyes. But somehow, she felt a sense of relief knowing that he was taking action to leave and get into his car. At that moment, she looked up at Erik, who met her gaze with a nod.
"Let's go," she beckoned to her boyfriend, urging him to leave that place.
And because she had her back turned, she didn't see what happened next. She was startled when she heard Dahlia and Rosanna scream. It was only then that she turned her attention back to them. She saw Bernie holding a gun, aimed at Erik, as he approached the two of them.
"Do you really think I'll allow you to end up with that man, Mia? Huh?" he taunted, walking closer to them alongside Erik.
In those moments, Mia's entire body seemed to freeze. She never imagined Bernie was capable of such actions.
"You idiot, put down your gun!" Dahlia shouted.
"No! Someone's going to die today! If you're going to leave my life, Mia, it's better if I kill you too! But honestly, you're not my target right now. Because if you die, I'll be sad," he said, laughing in a seemingly deranged manner. After a few moments, he started crying.
Mia couldn't speak during those moments. She simply found herself crying, overwhelmed by fear. Despite the presence of many onlookers witnessing the situation, she couldn't help but feel terrified.
"Back off! Stay away!" Bernie yelled at the two men who had intervened earlier and was now being threatened with the gun.
"That's enough!" Mia shouted.
"If you want this to stop, come with me now! Or I'll kill that man!" he threatened, pointing the gun at Erik.
Bernie was still crying at that moment. But despite that, Mia couldn't muster any sympathy for him. In those moments, anger truly dominated her heart towards him.
The sound of police sirens was the next thing Mia heard. And at that moment, she felt some semblance of relief. The police quickly approached Bernie, who was no longer able to resist. One of them took the gun from Bernie's hand and proceeded to handcuff him.
Mia then decided to guide Erik away from the scene. They turned their backs, but she didn't anticipate what would happen next. She glanced back at Bernie, who, in those moments, was shouting and making swift movements. He managed to snatch the gun from the side of the police officer who was escorting him.
"No!" Mia shouted as she saw Bernie pull the trigger of the gun, which was now pointed at Erik.
And from that point on, she couldn't recall the events that followed. If she remembered anything from those moments, it was the gradual darkness enveloping her surroundings.