Chapter 88 Infidelity

Chapter 88 Infidelity
Sitting by the window, Leia watched the rain fall, her expression blank. Today was the day Violet and Casimir got married, and she was trying to numb her feelings. If she was correct, they should have been done with the mating ceremony by now and moving on to the consummation of the marriage. Since she woke up, she hadn’t seen him, but she also felt it was for the best.

That way, she wouldn’t have to worry about keeping her emotions in check. She reminded herself that he didn’t belong to her, and that he would still marry many more women. Instead of sulking, she could as well focus her energy on something else. She needed to punish her family for their wrongdoing and ask for a divorce from him.

“Boom!”

“Ahh!” Leia screamed, breathing heavily as she clutched her chest, completely frightened.

Aria, who had startled her, immediately felt sorry when she saw how shaken her friend was.

“Hey, are you okay?” She asked, kneeling in front of her and staring at her with genuine concern. The Leia she knew wouldn’t react this strongly to a simple scare. Why was she so out of it today?

“No. I am sorry, it’s not you. It’s just…”

“The bomb,” Aria finished for her, understanding where the fear came from.

“I am sorry I wasn’t there for you,” Aria said softly, pulling her into a hug as she sobbed quietly.

“You are here now, aren’t you?” Leia replied, smiling faintly as she patted her back.

“I am never going to leave you like those unfaithful men,” Aria joked, and Leia burst into laughter.

“Aww, I feel so safe,” Leia said, and Aria released her, taking a seat beside her.

“Okay, so I sneaked something in. Guess what?” Aria asked, picking up the small box on the table beside them and raising her brows playfully at Leia, who laughed.

“Hmmm! Chocolate?” Leia guessed. Aria shook her head, causing Leia to pout.

“Condoms?” Leia asked.

“What the fuck?” Aria exclaimed, making Leia burst into laughter.

“I have changed. I am not always horny anymore,” Aria scolded, frowning as Leia’s laughter only grew louder.

“I know, I was just teasing you,” Leia said, and they both laughed.

“I am glad you are laughing,” Aria said as she opened the small box.

“Tada! Your favorite snack, straight from your nanny. No mixing,” Aria revealed, placing the box on Leia’s lap.

Leia’s laughter faded. Her expression turned serious as she stared at the butterfly-shaped cookies inside the box, her hand reaching out to pick one.

Flashback

“Why do you like butterflies so much?” Leia’s nanny asked, dusting off her stained gown.

“Because they are beautiful and loved by everyone. I want to be loved by my parents too, so if I treat butterflies well, my parents will also love me,” little Leia answered, smiling as her baby teeth shone.

“Your parents do love you. They just don’t show it,” the nanny said gently, trying to comfort her as she looked at her with pity.

“No, they don’t!” Little Leia protested, frowning as she folded her arms in disagreement.

“Okay. I will make butterfly cookies for you from now on. If you don’t stop eating them, you will become a butterfly too,” the nanny said, and little Leia burst into laughter, nodding her head in agreement.

The laughter faded.

Back to the present.

Tears slipped from Leia’s eyes, staining one of the cookies in the box. Before she realized it, the tears multiplied and she began to cry, unable to hold back her emotions.

“Oh, Leia, I brought it to make you happy,” Aria said, pouting sadly, her heart breaking at the sight of her friend in tears.

“I am just so happy that I can’t stop crying,” Leia said between sobs, crying nonstop.

“I miss Nanny Aria,” Leia whispered, and Aria nodded, understanding.

“Me too,” Aria replied, pulling her into a hug as both of them began to cry, pouring out all the emotions they had bottled up.

“I don’t want him to marry her, Aria. I like him,” Leia confessed, finally admitting the words she had kept buried.

“I know. I know, Leia. I wish I could drag him here and stop that wedding too,” Aria said, her own tears flowing even harder than Leia’s.

“I don’t know why, but I can’t stop thinking about it. Maybe I’ve always liked him and only just realized it. But it hurts so much. I want to tell him to cancel the wedding, but I can’t be selfish. What do I do, Aria?” Leia sobbed.

“Let’s just cry it out until it doesn’t hurt as much anymore,” Aria said softly.

“It will always hurt when I see them together,” Leia murmured.

“It will get better. I promise.”

…

In a room some distance from where Aria and Leia were, a woman dressed in a lavish red gown sat with a veil covering her face, nervously fidgeting with her fingers.

“You can go to sleep first. This room will be yours from now on,” Casimir said, dressed in a red robe with his hair parted to the side, as he moved toward the door.

Sensing something was wrong, Violet removed the veil and tossed it aside. “Where are you going? We haven’t consummated our marriage,” she said.

“Making you my wife was the real deal. I never said consummation was part of it,” he replied, taking a step forward but stopping when she threatened, “Have you forgotten why you agreed to marry me? Without me, my father won’t lend you his men, and all I have to do is complain to end this alliance.”

Scoffing, Casimir turned to face her and walked back toward her. When he reached her, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, making her smile, convinced the threat had worked.

“Go ahead and make the complaint,” he said calmly. “I wonder how your father will feel when I request a divorce and turn you into the laughingstock of your pack. Many will question the reason for the divorce, and while some rumors may be dismissed, you know the one people will enjoy the most.”

Her smile faded, fear creeping into her eyes.

Leaning in, he whispered, “Violet was caught sleeping with her lover on her wedding night.”

Her brows knitted in terror.

“You will never be able to kill rumors of infidelity. They are the most dangerous of all.”