NICHOLAS POV
I pushed Harley off me as I saw Monica standing behind us. "Monica, it's not what you think," I blurted out, desperation lacing my voice.
I tried to reach out to her, but she had already turned and bolted out of the hall. My heart sank as I saw the devastation in her eyes.
Thankfully, the rest of the party continued, the guests too engrossed in their conversations and the soft music to notice the drama unfolding. I rushed outside, my mind racing, following the trail of Monica's hurried steps. "Monica, wait!" I called out, my voice echoing in the cool night air, but she didn't stop. Her pace quickened.
"Monica!" I shouted again, this time with more urgency, increasing my steps to catch up with her. My heart pounded, each beat a reminder of what I just did.
She finally stopped, her back to me, her shoulders trembling with silent sobs. The sight felt like a dagger was on my chest.
"Please, just listen," I begged as I approached her. She turned slowly, her face a mask of hurt and pain. I felt a pang of guilt so intense it almost brought me to my knees.
"Listen to what, Nicholas? That you are passionately kissing your plaything on our wedding day" Her voice, was barely above a whisper, each word dripping with pain. "I saw you Nicholas so you can't lie about it. How could you do this to me on our wedding day? Of course, I know all this is fake but what if someone had seen you"
"It wasn't what it looked like," I said, my own voice cracking. "She came onto me and started kissing me, and I didn't-" I felt mute as I suddenly started realizing I was apologizing. For what exactly? I had no idea
"And how does all this concern you? I remember saying that I still had things to do with my playthings, or didn't I? All this is fake, Monica, so stop behaving like someone whose husband just cheated on her because I'm not your husband. Keep that in mind." My voice was icy, each word a dagger aimed at her already wounded heart.
Her eyes widened in shock, the pain in them deepening. For a moment, she looked as if she had been physically struck, her body trembling from the harshness of my words. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead, she just stared at me, disbelief mingling with the sadness in her gaze.
Tears welled up in her eyes again, and she turned away, hugging herself as if trying to shield her heart from further harm. The sight broke my heart but I didn't let it show in my expression. She recoiled, taking a step back, and her hand fell uselessly to her side.
"Why, Nicholas?" Her voice finally broke the silence, weak and trembling. "Why would you say something like that? I thought…?"
I kept my back to her, not trusting myself to maintain my cold demeanor if I saw her face. "Thought what?" I said, my voice hard and unyielding. "This was never going to be anything serious. You should know that Monica."
There was a heavy silence, broken only by the distant sounds of the city.
"I thought we were getting to know each other. I thought this could be something more because I feel sparks whenever I touch you Nicholas and I know you feel those sparks too" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
I closed my eyes, the weight of her words pressing down on me. "You thought wrong," I said, forcing the words out through gritted teeth. "Love was never part of the deal."
A choked sob escaped her lips, and I heard her footsteps retreating. Each step she took felt like a nail being driven into my heart, but I remained still, my hands clenched into fists in my pockets. I had to do this for our sake.
With a heavy heart, I turned and walked away, leaving behind the remnants of something that could never be. Walking back to the hall, I took a glass of wine and gulped it in one go. "Where is your bride?" I heard Greg say behind me as I dropped the glass of wine back onto the tray, my patience already wearing thin. Without acknowledging him, I started to walk away.
"Did you two fight?" he pressed, and I instantly paused, my fists clenching at my sides.
I turned slowly to face him, my eyes blazing with anger. "Get lost," I muttered coldly, each word dripping with rage that was about to explode.
Greg smirked, unfazed. "Congratulations to you, son," I heard Elena say as she walked up to us, her smile warm but tinged with concern. "I'm finally happy you've decided to settle down with one woman and not with those whores of yours."
Greg's smirk widened. "Oh, Mum, you didn't know?"
"Didn't know what?" Elena, my stepmother, asked in confusion, her eyes darting between us.
Greg kept his gaze locked with mine, a cunning gleam in his eyes. "That Nicholas' bride was one of his whores."
"What?" Elena looked at me, shock and disappointment clouding her features. But I was too angry to even meet her gaze.
"Don't ever call her that," I growled, stepping closer to Greg and shoving him hard in the chest. The force of my push caused him to stumble back, his serious face emitting fury.
"Alright, boys, this is not the time to fight," Elena said, trying to position herself between us. "We are celebrating something huge today, and everyone-"
Greg pushed her aside roughly, his attention solely on me. Without warning, he swung his fist, landing a hard punch on my face. Pain exploded through my jaw, and I staggered back, tasting blood.
The room seemed to freeze for a moment, all eyes on us. I wiped the blood from my lip, the crowd's whispers grew louder, the once joyous celebration turning tense and uncomfortable.
"Is that all you've got?" I taunted, stepping forward again, my body tense with adrenaline. Greg's eyes narrowed, his fists clenched, ready for another strike.
"Stop it, both of you!" Elena shouted, her voice trembling with desperation. She grabbed Greg's arm, trying to pull him away. "This is not how we solve things."
Greg shrugged her off, his glare never leaving mine. "I'm not done with him," he hissed, his voice low and dangerous.
Before another punch could be thrown, several guests rushed forward, pulling us apart. The room buzzed with tension, the earlier festive atmosphere changing instantly.
Monica walked to me, her eyes filled with a mixture of worry and tiredness"Nicholas, what is going on?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "Ask him," I said, nodding towards Greg, who was being restrained by two other guests. "He's the one causing all this."
Greg sneered, struggling against the hands holding him back. "The truth hurts, doesn't it, Nicholas?"
I tightened my fist once more as I aimed to hit him again but my fist ended up landing on someone I didn't expect.
Fear gripped me as I saw Monica fall hard on the ground as she held her stomach tightly. "My stomach" she groaned in pain as she tried to stand up but couldn't. I began seeing blood flowing through her legs and it seemed like my heart had stopped beating.
"Monica oh my GOD what happened to you. Anthony call the ambulance now" Aunt Ella screamed with urgency in her voice.