Chapter 11 Sunday
Vince. Is. Engaged.
He belongs to another woman. His heart, his feelings, his faith, it was Astrid’s, and I stole it from her.
I feel bad, absolutely horrible for taking away the woman who could be the love of his life from him.
‘-Wait, he married you. Not you. Not your fault,’ My mind convinced me, killing the compassion before it could brim.
Yeah, of course. I didn’t ask him to marry me either. Uncle was right, it was HIS mess… right?
“I have made my decisions. I can’t go back on them, just help me stall it at least,” He sighed again.
Holding his forehead and not wanting to interrupt, I went back to the room, placed his phone away and sat on the couch again, falling into my daze.
His actions were indeed a result of his purpose, else he and I were never the part of the same picture.
This marriage means nothing to him as well.
‘Maybe things will never get better for me and I will be stuck in this loop of misery always,’
As I was lost in thoughts, the door knocked and Vince returned. I felt a strange tightness which I was unable to comprehend.
“Hey, I forgot my phone,”
“Yeah, there, I was in the bathroom when it started ringing. Someone called,”
“Not important,”
He glanced at the screen before turning it off and placing it back nonchalantly, placing his attention on me to which my heart picked pace.
“So…” I licked my lips, sparking a conversation, “Um, aren’t you late for work?”
He sat on the couch again, “It’s Sunday, Alyssa, so I thought about paying you a visit,”
“Then why are you in your work attire?”
When I asked innocently, he curled his lips upward sheepishly which he attempted to cover by his hand over his mouth and looked away.
“Auntie said… wear something nice,”
“Oh,”
Shifting my eyes away as well, I twirled a strand of my hair between my fingers, recalling Auntie’s attempts to win my favor.
“I always knew she wanted me to marry into her family, either their son, you, Draven, she just want me to the part of it officially,”
He was taken aback, “Really?”
“Yes,” I nodded but soon the comfortable silence was replaced with discomfort, the single fathom about the consequences made me worried.
“I became a part of it but the way it happened, I doubt I will be acceptable to anyone now. Your Mama is going to resent me, Vince,”
“You don’t have to be vexed about them. You already have a load of troubles to deal with,” He sighed.
His one hand moved over the headrest as he gestured to me to relax with his other hand.
My lips formed a thin line, unsure how to react while observing how dominant he looked with this posture.
Come to think of it, I had ‘never’ noticed Vince before.
We met so many times, we have been together since childhood but never close.
I wonder what he saw in me to marry me to help me. And I doubt anything good would come out of it anyway.
“... They will hate me too, like everyone else. Nobody wants me anymore,”
He stared at me for the next few seconds as if I had spoken something but swallowed his statement and exhaled slowly, tone laced with disappointment.
“... If that’s what you think,”
Before I could ask what he meant, he simply got up, grabbing his phone and left.
What did he want to say? Did I say something wrong?
Not thinking deeply about it, we spent the rest of the day monotonously. It ‘almost’ didn’t feel like we were married, more like we both were staying at Uncle’s and minding our business.
Until-
In the evening, I was in the garden, staring at the flowers, contemplating life and its hardships until Vince joined me.
“Alyssa,”
Turning, I faced his tall form before me.
“Yes?”
Hesitation emerged, hands resting his hand in his pocket as I tilted my head to the side, waiting for him to say something.
“I know the way we got married is very sudden. We were both unprepared. But, whatever, however it is,”
And he took a moment to collect the right words as he stepped forth, creating minimum distances between us, hastening my beats.
“We are legally bound in this relationship and…”
Pausing, he took out a box to reveal a delicate sapphire ring with white gold, twinkling my eyes because this was the exact ring I wanted for my wedding.
But it was one of a kind and was already sold.
Never thought ‘that’ was how I would get it.
“This is your wedding ring,” He whispered, offering his hand to me.
My throat dried, glancing at the ring, back to him like a loop. For a moment, it was an eerie sparkle which died the moment I remembered he had another woman in his life.
And took it as a chance to ask about his fiancée.
I asked tentatively, “Are you sure you want to give this ring to me, Vince?”
He responded without a single hint of waver, “Absolutely, it was made for my bride after all,”
“Not for the woman you love? The one you would truly want?”
Mindlessly, I placed my hand in his, a questionable tingle traveled in me. His grip was firm as he slid the ring on my finger.
“There is none, not anymore,"
“I have destroyed your life along with mine, right? You helped me for the sake of humanity, for your peace but-”
His grip tightened, freezing my whole being at the assertiveness plastered on his face.
“When did I ever say that?”
“Hmm?”
“Did I say something like this?”
He brought me close unexpectedly by holding my chin, linking his eyes sternly with mine that shut down my functions.
“Did I?”
“No…” A whisper was all I could release, unsettled by his intense gaze and hands locked on my skin.
He saw a flinch traveling in me, leading him to let me go while softening his tone.
“Then don’t mention it. Okay?”
“Hmm… sorry,”
“Let’s go and have dinner,”
Tugging my hair behind my ear, I glanced at the ring on my finger and back to his brooding shoulder.
But, shaking my head, not talking further, we went to the dining hall.
As we were having dinner, my phone rang and to my astonishment, it was Ken. Me and Vince exchanged glances, I was unsure whether to pick up or ignore.
His jaw clenched, tightening his grip on the fork, “What does he want?” He growled.
“I don’t know,”
“Pick it up. Let’s hear what he wants to say after cheating,”
“But-”
“It’s alright, I am here,”
Flashing a gentle smile, he picked the call and put it on speaker from where I could hear the noisy laughter that enhanced my misery.
“Hah, I knew you would pick up! You know why I called you? I have good news to deliver.”
How felicitous his laugh sounded brought a tear in my eyes, it pierced when all the years I devoted myself to him turned to dust.
Lowering my head in shame, to not create a fool of myself before everyone, I was about to cut the call but he spoke up first, shattering my heart in an irrecoverable way.
“I am going to marry Sadie, the love of my life, with the money ‘you’ gave me!”