Please don't hate me
The repulsing stench of booze hit my nostrils as I walked into the house. It was dark, with just a little gleam from the moonlight illuminating the hallway and a bit of the living room.
From where I stood, I could see Trent sprawled on the couch with empty bottles littered on the table.
His eyes were heavy, drowsy, and squinted. His cold, inebriated gaze sent shudders down my spine. But I clouded it with an expressionless stare, before looking away and heading to my bedroom.
I took off my coat and was kicking off my shoes when he barged into the room.
“Now start talking,” He slurred. His rage, mixed with booze, made him every inch a fuming beast. A terrifying presence.
But I was so dangerously calm that I wondered exactly what had come over me. Something about all the thinking I did on my way back here had me this calm. Audaciously calm.
“Don't yell at me,” I kicked off the shoes and plumped on the bed, letting the pins out of my hair.
“What?” His eyes scorched. “That's all you're gonna say?”
I threw him a glare. “What else do you want me to say?”
“The damn truth! I need to hear it!”
“The truth, sure. Which of them? That I cheated on you? That I got fucked so good that it almost healed my broken heart? That it was the best night of my life, and you're never gonna get close to satisfying me like he did that night? What exactly do you wanna hear?”
I was goading him. It was dangerous but I couldn't stop myself.
“You miserable wretch!” He landed a brutal slap on my face, and I hit the bed.
Gosh! It fucking hurts so bad. I groaned at the pain, rubbing a hand on the stinging spot.
“You're never getting away with this.” He pointed a finger at me, speaking with so much spite. “I'll tell everyone what you did. I'll call a damn meeting with the elders and the people and I'll tell them that their “principled” Luna is nothing but a cheap slut! You're gonna regret messing with me like this, Elena. I swear!”
My face was hurting like hell but I wasn't about to swallow all that threat. He wasn't the only one with threats. I also got really good ones stashed away for him.
“I deserve that slap for what I'm about to say, so listen,” I winced, sitting up and glaring at him. “I’m never gonna tell you who the father of this child is. But you're gonna claim paternity for it.”
“No fucking way!”
“You'll tell everyone, including my family that you're the father of the child. You'll tell the Pack, too, that we're expecting an heir. You'll be so convincing that they believe that we're a happy couple expecting a child.”
“If you think I'm gonna make someone else's child my heir, then you've gone nuts, Elena!”
“No, you're not gonna do that. Because I'm not keeping the child either.”
His eyes twitched. “What?”
“I'll get rid of it and fake it to be a miscarriage. The people will sympathize with us. And my family will also sympathize with us. I'll get back the love and pity of the people that I lost to your embezzlement scandal. And we'll forget this nightmare ever happened.”
He scoffed, stepping back. “You're crazy. You're one crazy bitch, Elena. Fuck!! And all these times, I thought you were some good girl…”
I was. I am. But tonight, leaving Vince's house, I realized being the good girl won't help me in this shitty situation. For the first time, I need to save myself. Regardless of who gets hurt.
I can't let this ruin me. I can't. I'd be damned.
“What makes you think…” Trent took sharp breaths, clenching his teeth. “...what makes you think I'm gonna play along in your stupid, crazy plan?”
“Because you cheated on me. So this is gonna be your way of paying for your sins against me. If you hadn't cheated on me, I wouldn't have gone into another's arms…”
“Fine, but you're gonna have to tell me who the bastard that got you pregnant is. If you don't, then I'm not gonna be a part of your crazy plan.”
“What makes you think you have a choice?” I demanded, hardening my gaze. “If you don't back me up in this plan, I'm gonna tell my father that you slept with Tracy.” I deadpanned, staring him right in the eyes.
He went cold and breathless. I continued, sternly. “I'll tell everyone in the Pack that you embezzled the funds, not me. If you try to tell anyone the truth about this child, then I'm gonna tell my own truth too. Let's see who's gonna get more destroyed by this mess.”
He was silent. Painfully silent. Every twitching nerve around his arms and temples echoed the rage fuming inside him.
His murderous glare got more intense with each ticking second. But he wasn't lashing out. He didn't look like he had the will to. I already had him where I wanted him. Right in my grip.
“In the end, you're one toxic, pretentious bitch! At least Tracy is transparent, but you….” He scoffed. “You just showed me that your whole personality is a lie and you're even a bigger bitch than your sister. You're a big, disgusting lie. Elena. The biggest.”
He walked out of the room, slamming the door so hard.
I let out my pent-up breath, steadying my racing heart. His words echoed in my head.
The horror in his eyes when I threatened him. It was just as much horror in Vince's eyes when I told him I was gonna get rid of the child.
One night, the two men in my life looked at me with raw shock and horror. Like I was unrecognizable. Like I was everything they found disgusting. Like I was a despicable person.
Maybe I wasn't as good as I thought I was. Maybe this cold, disgusting side was the real me.
But then…if…if the situation was any different, I wouldn't wanna hurt my child. The thought forced me to tears and I curled into a ball on my bed, bawling my eyes out.
He said he was never gonna forgive me. I hope he didn't mean that. I hope he understands that I'm just left with no choice right now.
Please, Vince. Please don't hate me for this.