Guides for the Pre-Engagement Life

Like any other couple, Michael and I argue, and even the little things could stir it up. We weren't perfect, people thought we were, but we weren't. We had minor disagreements around the house or each other's habits, but it never really got as bad as that. I didn't know what got into me, I was just hurt when I saw the picture of his arm swung over another girl, and I knew very well that it was my jealousy that turned me into a bitch, but I really, really didn't know I was that crazy.
It got me worried. It must've been a big turn off for Michael.
I mean, I have expressed my jealousy before, especially when I felt insecure about my figure whenever we went to events where gorgeous women were around and I felt like a random third wheel when they struck a conversation with my hunk of a boyfriend. And Michael was guilty as well! He hated Kenneth, and just a mere mention about Kenneth made him frown or go silent. He also had moments where he would randomly get mad at me whenever he heard I was with someone else that he felt was a threat, like when I got along too well around another journalist in New York or even Fulton's son.
See, we weren't perfect.

Let Loose

Michael's Mom and my Mom arrived at the same time and they were both worried that when I opened the door, they both dragged us to the sofa and sat us down, right next to each other. And if you were there, you should've seen how tense, distance and uninterested our body language were towards each other. We hadn't spoken to each other at all, though we ate together, watched TV and basically did our routines together, no words were said.
Hilary joined in an hour later followed by Lia.
There were four women in front of us that were all worried and looked like they were pulling some kind of intervention or a therapy session. I wasn't sure.

"Whitney wasn't able to be free because her son is sick," Hilary spoke up. "But she made sure that I would tell you, Michael, to be honest."
"Alright, why don't we start?" Lia clapped her hands together and briefly glanced towards the other women in the room before returning her attention to us. I sat there with my posture prim and proper, my hands on my thighs as I was afraid to relax in that situation. I noticed Michael had leaned back, and he had his head leaning against his hand as his eyes were closed - I saw his reflection on the TV screen. He didn't look interested, though I saw his eyes that morning and he seemed to have let his tears loose.
"We'll start with Anne," Michael's Mom beckoned towards me. "Why don't you tell us how you feel?" She asked me. I bit on my lower lip and knew that I had a lot to say, but I really wasn't the type to open up unless forced upon. Lia and Mom knew that, they both glared at me and gestured for me to speak up, and it was Mom who cleared her throat and muttered, "Pumpkin, your chest won't hold out as long as you want it to."
She was right. All the emotions and thoughts clogged in my chest were waiting for a way to escape. I gulped and nodded. "Well," I began. "Honestly, I am jealous. I was jealous. I feel insecure every time another woman that is far more attractive than I am comes along and mingles with Michael, and I know it's bad to have insecurities show, but I guess the photo of Michael and the other woman in each other's arms pushed the limit and I couldn't handle it anymore. I don't know how to explain myself, but all I can say is that it's my insecurities."
"Why would you be insecure? I-" Michael spoke up, but he was cut off by one wave of his Mom's finger. She shook her head and signalled for me to continue.
I began to fiddle with my fingers. "Um, I asked Michael last night about what happened, and he wouldn't tell me straight away what was going on. I got frustrated that he wouldn't tell me, so I walked out on him. I got back home yesterday and saw a video they showed on the television of Michael at the bar and interacting with the woman. It was too close for just harmless fun and laughing. They looked like they were cuddling." I clenched my fingers into a fist as I looked down and mumbled, "I don't want to say anything else."
"Fair enough," Hilary agreed as she crossed her arms and turned to her younger Brother. "I guess it's your turn, MP."
"First things first, Anne, I didn't cheat," Michael started off. He repeated that line constantly yesterday. "Whatever I did could be backed up by Derek, because he was there with me for most of the time I was in London. We even bunked for the hotel room there. But what really annoys me about Anne is that no matter how many times I told her that she'll always be the one for me, she doesn't get it through her head. Last night, I couldn't handle it. I got angry because she wouldn't stop, and I tried to explain, but she wouldn't listen."
"Well, why don't you explain then?" I growled.
My Mom furrowed her brows. "Pumpkin, it's Michael's turn to talk, don't interrupt."
"I feel that Anne won't listen because she's so stubborn and full of pride. I love her, but I don't know how she feels about me anymore. I just want her to trust me." He ended. He didn't want to say anything more, and it bothered me that he didn't explain what he did.
"Michael, do you trust Anne?" Hilary asked and he nodded.
"Anne, do you trust Michael?" Lia asked the same question and I also nodded. "Then do you remember the Stephanie Rice incident?" She reminded me, and I still nodded, but my fist clenched tighter as I felt my eye twitch and my heart about to burst inside my chest. I don't think anyone else in the room but Lia, Michael and I knew about the little clash we had in Beijing during the Summer Olympics because of a particular Australian Swimmer, although I was certain their rumoured affair was all over the tabloids throughout the time that the Swimming Event was on.
Hilary slightly frowned. "Wait... Was this the Australian Swimmer that everyone said had a real chemistry with Michael during the Speedo after party?" She clarified. "What happened, Anne? Did something happen?"
I shook my head. I denied on whatever happened that day, well, because nothing happened. I was sure nothing happened.
"She got angry and refused to talk to me, so then she ran off with Ryan Lochte," Michael revealed in an instant. Of course, he hated what happened. "Then the tabloids began to print things about the two of them hitting it off throughout the whole time they were together in Beijing. And that time when she ran off with Ryan, they partied and drank together and she didn't return to the hotel until six in the morning. What they did, I still don't know."
"What about a fair trade? Anne, tell us what happened, and in return, Michael will do the same," Debbie instructed as all eyes focused on me.

To cut it short. Michael Phelps and Stephanie Rice were all over the newspapers and tabloids and whatever, and because people didn't recognize me and thought I wasn't at the Olympics to support him, they made comments and remarks in front of me while I was out and about in Beijing. People said that Michael was better off with a swimmer girlfriend and that the "ordinary" girlfriend was just distracting him from his future, but the most hurtful remark I overheard was that they claimed I had used Michael for his fortune.
I was the type of person who wouldn't speak to people about my problems or my feelings until it clogged up and I would burst if something poked it. So I didn't tell Michael what had bothered me, and to add insult to the injury, he was busy promoting and attending events with the Australian Swimmer for Speedo. I was agitated by it that the only person who happened to be there for me was Ryan Lochte and Aaron Peirsol, though Aaron came and go as he pleased, and eventually, went away with a woman of interest, so I ended up all alone with Ryan for most of the night.
What did we do? We went to bars, night clubs, and tried exotic meals while intoxicated, we puked at a Gymnast's hotel room and collapsed in his hotel room. We didn't sleep with each other, but throughout the whole night, there were moments where we actually wanted to kiss each other. Our phones were both turned off because we didn't want anyone to disrupt us. When I turned my phone on the next day, there were a lot of missed calls and text messages from Michael, and when I got back to the hotel room. He wasn't pleased.
He only heard through that Gymnast that we bothered passed midnight that I was with Ryan, and it was the tabloids that posted images of my night out with Ryan. Michael was unhappy, and I swear I eavesdropped on him complain that he wanted to be as fun and spontaneous as Ryan so that I wouldn't be bored with him and our relationship.
He then followed the complaint with a rule that I wasn't allowed to be alone with Ryan.

"I was actually angry about that," Michael confessed.
"That's how I feel about our situation right now!" I added.
Debbie and Hilary seemed surprised by my actions in Beijing, my Mom's expression looked as though she knew it was coming, and Lia was disappointed because I was the type to flirt when intoxicated. I was actually embarrassed and I probably placed a bad impression on Michael's Mom and Sister.
"Michael, tell us what happened in London," My Mom quickly said to clear the sudden awkwardness that began to take over.

Michael revealed that every night, he and Derek wanted to go back to the room and just sleep, and they didn't want to stay out late because they both respected their significant others, who were left in Baltimore. But then again, Ryan and the newbie swimmer were single and very prepared to mingle, so the two were dragged to bar-hopping and club-jumping activities. Ryan and the Newbie met two girls, but because Ryan was the more popular one between the two, he went home with them. And it got creepy because the two women were there every time they were out, and the reason Michael ended up touching one of them was because she wanted to "hook up" with him, but he only held onto her so she wouldn't get anywhere near his lips. He was actually nauseated by the woman's easy advances and really wanted to get away from her, but Ryan wouldn't let him go anywhere because he was interested in the blond one more than the other and needed the other one distracted. He needed a wingman. And because the two were the only ones who lasted for most of the night as Derek lapsed passed two in the morning and the Newbie disappeared at roughly around midnight, Michael was forced to stick by his rival-slash-friend.
Now, how did they get sick? Derek was called in to explain because Michael had no idea how they did get sick, and Lia's husband revealed that Michael and Ryan had gone for an intoxicated swim in the Hotel Pool - a day before they were expected to go back to the States - and because they weren't bothered to get dressed for their final night out, they sat on the beach chairs and dried themselves out without changing out of their soaked clothes. Derek swam too, but he wasn't as intoxicated as the other two, and he was fussy, so he got changed out of his soaked clothes. Newbie did the same. And because Ryan had a girl over, Newbie went to sleep in Michael's Agent's room, which explained why they both had a fever. Derek took medicine before he went to sleep, thus he only had a blocked nose.
The morning before their flight, the hung-over Swimmers showed signs of getting sick.

What I noticed that recurred in our stories had involved Ryan Lochte. Not saying that he's a bad person or a bad influence, he was a single man with a lot of ladies lined up for him and he took advantage of it before he settled down. I guess he was very fun and spontaneous as what Michael said, and I supposed partying alone got boring.

"You two basically experienced the same situation as what the other did," My Mom wisely pointed out as she turned to the other women near her and suggested, "I have a close friend who had a struggle with her husband since they dated mostly throughout their teenaged and University years, and they had this trial separation and tried out the other fishes in the sea to see whether or not they were meant to be."
"Are you suggesting these two should date other people?" Debbie sounded rather doubtful of the idea. However, she crossed her arms and asked for my Mom to continue.
"They set up a time limit, so their one was about two weeks, and every day, they returned home and would always wrap their arms around each other when they went to sleep. The catch was that they weren't allowed to talk to each other about anything, not even what they did when they went out on dates with other people. After that, they got back together and had a heart to heart talk about what they learned throughout the time they were apart, and now they've been married for 20 years with three children. They seem to be a lot stronger than when they started." My Mom continued. "So what I think these two should do, since they're already talking about marriage at this age, is to see whether or not they're making the right decision on spending the rest of their lives together by going on dates with other people. But you two have to always return home, do whatever routine you do and always sleep in each other's arms every night - without talking."
Michael and I exchanged unsure looks before we looked back to my Mom. The other women also had a deep thought. Hilary then spoke up, "I think that'll be a good idea."
"Maria, why don't we let them talk it out," Debbie recommended as she motioned for the other women to follow her to the kitchen to give us space.

The two of us were quiet for a while, we both had our heads down, and if I was correct, Michael was probably in deep thought about the suggestion like I was.
"So, what do you think?" He broke the silence.
I leaned back on the sofa and turned to him, it was the first time I fully turned my attention to him since our fight. "Mom said that the two got back together and were a lot stronger," I muttered as I bit on my finger. "Um, it's not really a bad idea."
"If we go through this and we don't get back together, what then?"
I simply shrugged. "We'll just have to wait and see, I guess?" Even I wasn't sure.
"If it's what you want, then I'll test it out."
"I just want us to work..."
"Anne," He sighed. "We'll try it."
"If I listened properly, Mom said two weeks." I tapped on my lip as I looked over my shoulder and asked, "Mom, what are the conditions?"
My Mom leaned over the counter with the mug of coffee in her hand. "For two weeks, you two go on various dates with other people, but every night for those two weeks, you must come back here and sleep in the same bed. That means no frolicking about, just wrap your arms around each other and go to sleep, and that also means that there will be no talking to each other," She explained.
I returned my gaze to Michael. "So, will we go through that?"
"If it'll fix us," He sounded really uncertain. "When do we start?" He asked my Mom.
"Once we leave," She answered. "But you have to leave the house every day and make an effort to test out what's out there, because it won't work if you're staying home."
The two of us nodded, we were agreeing to something that sounded really ridiculous.
"To make sure it works, I suggest that Lia sets Anne up on dates. Hilary, you set Michael up too." Debbie suddenly advised out of the blue.

So it was really going to go through.
A trial separation and testing out the other fishes in the sea...
Oh boy, it sounded so complicated already.