Chapter 56 Time to wake up.
CHAPTER 56
Time to wake up.
SCARLETT – POINT OF VIEW
I don’t know how long I stay in the tub.
Time fades in and out. At a point, I fall asleep.
Eve is standing there when I wake. “Get up.” She orders calmly, but also firmly.
I no longer have the strength to argue. Exhaustion has long set in. My joints feel like cotton candy, but I steady myself. I can’t afford to get injured in the shower. It would be stupid, and he would think I did it for his attention.
She helps me put on the robe, then leads me to bed. Elena is still there, but at least my bed is made, and my room is not in the mess I left it.
She kicks off her shoes and gets comfortably on the bed. She pats the space beside her, and I sigh audibly. They don’t know what I did. That’s the only reason they are still kind to me. I cling to the kindness and get into bed. Eve sits on my other side, and they wait.
My tears are gone, but the headache remains. A heartache that might last forever.
“What happened?” Eve asks tenderly, reaching for my hand.
I hold on to her firmly, and the words pour out of me like heavy rain. The guilt I feel wants to swallow me whole. I don’t think I can survive this, but it could be worse. I’m still here. He hasn’t handed me over to the cops or sent me packing. I don’t delude myself into thinking he still cares. The only reason I’m still here is because of the contract I signed.
They’re silent when I finish telling them everything.
Eve finally speaks, “You didn’t tell me anything.”
“I didn’t want to drag you into the chaos. I wanted to protect you.” I whisper, chest heavy.
“Protect me? I don’t think that's it. You didn’t tell me because you wanted me to find out, get angry, and leave - leave you. Once again, you tried to sabotage our relationship because you have this deranged idea that you’re supposed to be alone. You punish yourself every time. You could have told Roman. He’s an asshole, but he would have protected you. You could have told Rick, and he would have protected you, too. There are countless ways this could have gone, but you chose to bear the cross alone.” She articulates calmly.
She doesn’t mean to be cruel, but it hurts either way.
“You’re not alone anymore, Scarlett. You’ll never be alone.” She rasps thickly.
I inhale shakily, my hands trembling.
“Maybe you’re right. Maybe I self-sabotage, but you have to know I was trying to protect you. I didn’t want to make any more enemies. Marceline is still there, lurking in the corners, waiting to strike. Dante is a big bad wolf; he’s a bastard, he’s manipulative, and powerful. I was making too many enemies, and I was tired of it. I just wanted to protect you.” I confess, tearfully.
“Who’s Marceline?” Elena asks with a frown.
She looks so confused, so Eve explains to her, telling her about Elite Companion.
“I’ll look into her, but I doubt she would come for you. She sighed an iron-clad contract. Damian is good at what he does, and also vicious when he needs to. My point is that Dante won’t dare to come near you anymore, and now that Roman knows, he can give out the appropriate punishment. I don’t think you need to worry about anything for now.” She expresses softly.
I am taken offguard.
“What? What are you talking about? Of course, I need to worry. Everything has changed. Our relationship is over. I lied to him. I made him lose a significant amount of money. He’s never going to trust me again, or even look at me. He hates me now. He looked at me with such disdain. I was cruel to him, hurtful, and he was, too, but I ruined everything.” I ramble, head pounding.
Why are they being so kind to me despite everything?
“You didn’t ruin everything. You should have spoken to someone about it, but what’s done is done; there’s no point crying over spilt milk. Dante is a strategic bastard, and he’ll be watching for flaws and mistakes. He planned this, knowing that when Roman finds out, everything will be ruined, but we can’t let that happen.” She shakes her head, gesturing as she speaks.
“You both signed a two-year contract, and this is just month two, so strap on your big girl shoes and get the job done. Roman still needs you to get the deal he needs. So, just smile, dress up, look nauseatingly in love. Do your part and get your money. He’s not going to let you go because that would jeopardise everything he has been working for. This deal is crucial.”
“But, one fifty million dollars, though. I don’t have that kind of money. I’m not even going to make it, no matter how hard I work.” I whisper, shame clinging to me.
Eve nudges my shoulder lightly, “We can stay here crying and talking about it, but what’s done is done. It’s late, and we need to sleep. Roman is a billionaire, and he will make more money. You can help him make more money by playing your part to perfection and eradicating emotions. He probably expects you to fail and act broken. Please don’t do that. Retain some of your dignity. He needs you more than you need him”
I nod, chewing on my lip.
I am heartbroken, but I don’t need him to know that.
He was cruel to me. He called me a failed asset; he called me compromised. It had been a few hours, but my heart is still so broken. The words we exchanged are ringing loud and heavy in my head. The spite in his words, the anger, the barely contained restraint, the way he shook as he spoke, the way he refused to look me in the eyes when he took my phone, like he couldn’t stand to see my undoing.
He claimed I was moralising my betrayal. How does that even make any sense? I don't want absolution. I want him to go screw himself.
“Mourn whatever you had for the next twenty-four hours, but in two days, you have a brunch date with Marjorie and some other DOE Agents,” Elena informs me, brows furrowed.
Roman and I had nothing. We hid from each other and pretended to be perfect. Love sees all, and what we had was nothing. He’s nothing to me. What we had was a dream, and now, it is time to wake up.