Chapter 24 Lively
ALYSSA’S POV:-
Don’t you think you look pretty?- Yes, now I do.
Smiling at my reflection in the mirror, I got ready for work. Vince’s words were echoing in my mind, enhancing my confidence.
I failed to realize how mindlessly I obeyed Ken. I did what ‘he’ wanted without questioning, even if it was unfavorable for me.
If he said to not wear red lipstick, I stopped. Although I loved red lipstick.
“Vince was right, just what did I do to myself?” Mumbling, I checked my reflection for the last time, satisfied with my look.
I came down after getting ready for work, to greet the man who was reviving my lost emotions.
He just woke up, hair messy, having breakfast as he leaves for work after me.
“Morning,” I greeted.
“Morning,” He replied, eyes affixed on his phone.
“Vince,”
“Hmm?”
I wanted to ask him how I looked, to hear his opinion but I was going to work, not to a party. I doubt it should be appropriate and shook my head.
“Nothing, I am leaving for work,”
“Okay, take care,” He flashed a feeble smile, waving me goodbye as I left for work with a lifted mood.
I came and Wick greeted me politely as usual, “Good Morning, Ma’am,”
“A very good morning to you as well, Wick,” I responded in a cheerful resonance that made him raise his brows, grinning at me.
“Well, you look lively today,”
“Do I? I guess, I don’t know,”
Shrugging my shoulders nervously, unsure what to feel at his comment, I went back to my cabin and continued working wholeheartedly.
After a tiresome day at work, rubbing my shoulders, I entered the parking lot and to my astonishment, I saw Vince there.
In his gray formal pants and waistcoat, the sleeves of his white shirt rolled perfectly upward and two buttons opened.
Leaning against his car, one hand in his pocket, the other using his phone, looking undeniably handsome.
“Vince? What are you doing here?” I asked, mood brightening when I saw him.
“I noticed you were working too hard so I thought we should go out and relax,” He smirked, opening the door of his car.
“Let’s have dinner outside. I will tell the driver to take your car home,”
“Sure, I am starving anyways,”
Sharing a balmy evening together in a nice, fancy restaurant, I couldn’t help but to smile sheepishly, munching on my food.
“So, how’s work?”
“Thanks to you, everything is easy for me to handle,”
“Glad I could help,”
Pointing my fork at him, forcing the bite down, I mumbled.
“I will take this company to the top and Papa will regret throwing me away and when he will come to me, I will show him nothing but pride,”
He asked in amusement, “So you are not going to forgive him?”
“Of course not! You have seen twice what he did to me. I can’t handle humiliation any further.” I enunciated sternly.
I would never forget how heartless my own father discarded me.
“And what was my fault? That I married the wrong man? I don’t want anyone to laugh at me again,” I growled, clutching the cutlery in a fist.
The humiliation I went through had inflicted a scar on my soul.
Now that I have decided to rise, I won’t accept loss, I won’t fall nor let anyone else take advantage of me again.
Curling my lips down, I mumbled, twirling the fork around the food, “My heart won’t be able to handle it,”
“Don’t worry, none of this will happen,” He whispered, reassuring me.
Vanishing my slightest hesitation, lifting my gaze, I noticed his nonchalant features as I wondered what must be going behind those inscrutable clouds.
Moving my hand across my neck, I called him vaguely, “You know what, Vince?”
“Hmm?”
“Wick said that I look lively today.”
Forming a beautiful smile, he lifted his head, “Really?”
“Yes,”
Averting my gaze out of wretchedness, cursing my own choices for falling for the wrong man, I trailed off, telling him honestly.
“In these months, since Ken revealed his true nature after marriage, I stopped smiling. Anything bright in my life vanished,”
He listened carefully, feeling compassion as I continued.
“And this induced an eerie feeling because I started believing- ‘There is nothing left in this world for you anymore.’”
But, ending with a sincere smile, I slowly placed my hand over his to express my gratitude. His presence had become a strong pillar. I had found a reason to step forward.
“Thanks to you, Vince, I have reached this point,” I whispered.
He glanced at my hand and back to my face, slightly confused about what to do but eventually relaxed and abruptly intertwined his fingers with mine.
Now I was surprised.
My heart skipped a beat. Blinking, maybe he got my gesture wrong and locked our finger and… it didn’t feel wrong.
His hands were warm, they provided me with comfort instantly which magnified when he enunciated with determination.
“This is the start, you will gain much more in life, trust me,”
Tilting my head to the side, I had many questions, his blue eyes were beyond my comprehension.
No one does this much for a stranger but he did more than my family, my friend, anyone could have done.
“Why are you helping me so much, Vince? What is it that is providing you solace?”
His brows knitted together, breaking the eye-contact with tentativeness brimming, probably debating if he could share with me or not.
After a brief contemplation, his lips parted, “... You remind me-”
But, before he could complete those words and I could hear the true reason, we heard a distinctive sound in the background which made us turn.
“This party is for my marriage, enjoy it guys!”