Chapter 12 Take Responsibility
VINCE’S POV:-
“How can you still not want revenge, Alyssa!? Didn’t you hear what he said?”
To say I was angry was an understatement. How dare that asshole called shamelessly and announced his wedding and here she was.
Sitting quietly in the lounge, hugging her knees close to her chest with nothing but emptiness surrounding her.
None of my words were shifting a bone in her, she was simply staring at the floor while I was more infuriated than her.
“Why are you silent? Do something about it,” I growled, stopping right before her to stare at her defeat form for a few seconds.
Waiting for a single, a sign of wrath to make them pay but to no avail.
It wasn’t working… Shit.
“I am talking to you, Alyssa, speak,”
Placing my hand on the headrest, unintentionally leaning dangerously closer to her face to which she flinched.
I waited, losing my breath, clenching my hand in a fist, and finally she dared to link her dispirited eyes with mine.
“What do you want me to do?” A weak, barely audible whimper escaped her plump lips as they ended up quivering.
“Go out and let everyone make fun of me? To laugh at the failure of my love, Vince?”
Holding her dress, she reflected all her anguish that pricked me immensely. But, these words weren’t enough to soothe me.
My jaw clenched, whispering so my tone won’t startle her, still attempting to rile her up.
“Still, he is using YOUR money, YOUR mercy, to HIS advantage and here you are… staying here miserably,”
“Vince…” Closing her eyes, a tear rolled down her cheek, curling her lips in a heartbreaking smile with words that stunned me.
“Have you ever been humiliated in a way that your own existence becomes a burden for you?”
“What…?”
Blinking, my fury vanished for a moment, knitting my brows together in confusion, I tilted my head to the side.
She chuckled at my reaction, removing my hand from the headrest with a piercing statement.
“That is what I am going through.”
My eyes went wide as compassion emerged instantly. She wasn’t the woman I saw growing up, the one who remained mighty.
Alyssa was 24, I was 30. With the six year difference, I saw her upbringings myself.
She wasn’t this weak, she never was.
Betrayal from Ken had completely shattered her.
Clutching her heart, she sniffed to not break into a sob and continued expressing her grief.
“To breathe is difficult for me, I-I feel so ashamed to go out. If you hadn’t offered your hand, I would have ended my life,”
I replied immediately, tenderly, “Don’t say this, Alyssa, I haven’t done this all just to increase your suffering,”
“I… I think I need time, Vince,”
“Alyssa, what is the fear when we are with you?” Uncle added, hoping to encourage her.
She retorted, “You are, my own father isn’t. The same father who held me before I could fall.”
Wiping her eyes, unable to bear the agony, she rose from the seat, failing to discuss further and wave her hand.
“I can’t… I just can’t. Not now, Uncle,”
“Alyssa-”
Not giving me a moment to call her back, she left for the room.
I was about to go after her to convince her and teach them a lesson but Uncle stopped me.
“Leave her be, Vince.”
“But-”
Auntie added softly, placing her hand over my shoulder, “Her pain is more than we can realize, son.”
“Exactly. Alyssa has been thrown wretchedly to the ground. By the very people she trusted more than anyone. She is impotent to lift herself from the ground for now,”
I wanted to argue but they were right. Pressing my teeth together to control my distress from not doing anything else mindlessly again.
I clenched and unclenched my hands, plopping on the couch angrily while pushing my hair behind.
“Then what should I do?”
“All you can do for now is comfort her.” Uncle suggested, sitting beside me.
“And you cannot do this here. By just popping on a holiday, take her to your home, accept her, respect her,” Auntie added, doing the same gesture as they advised me softly.
“Yes, Vince, marriage is no joke. It wasn’t the agreement you signed, it’s the vows. You have taken the responsibility to aid, to adore, to protect her on your account.”
I frowned, “I do, and I understand this very well hence why I married her,”
I tied that fact to my core as well the moment I married her, just the situation was unstable so I had to do this.
“Vince, don’t you think you should… take her to your home? She is your bride, your presence will help her recover quickly,” Uncle suggested.
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose, “I know but I have a stack of troubles I need to clear before… letting her in,”
“And what is that?”
“Mama and Papa are returning tomorrow. They called me and Draven for dinner… to discuss the rumors,” I trailed off, already feeling that it was not going to go well.
Especially with my younger brother Draven, he was two years younger than me, we were extremely close.
And I hadn’t told him about my actions too but he would force the truth out of my throat, that I knew for sure.
“See,”
“I will take care of them first before taking her with me. I hope you guys won’t mind.” I spoke quickly, rising from the couch to leave for my home.
“Sure. We just pray the best for you.”
“I know,” forcing a smile, I lifted my head down so they could pat it to give their blessings and turned to leave.
Only to hear what I least wanted to hear.
“Exactly. When two souls who has given up on love collides- they learn to love each other,”
I stopped in my tracks.
Finding this statement highly unfavorable.
Love, and me? Never a chance.
It never had any place in my life and that’s the best favor of marrying Alyssa- There won’t be any expectation of love.
But, not wanting to hurt them with my remark, I just hummed and left.
Okay, Vince, you had taken this mess on your head without thinking about the consequences, you better be prepared for what is about to come.
‘This’ is what I wanted after all…