CHAPTER 7

Maries'' Pov:

My heart raced fast as I sat across him by the lake, the tension between us could cut a knife. I had to leave the twins with my sister, my excuse was I had to do something at home, but I’d be back the next day.

When the call came in that night, she knew he was right that they needed to see, and she needed to come clean about the past she had kept hidden for a long time now.

Taking a deep breath, she began to talk and asked him what does he want to know.

“Are the twins mine?” Was the first question he asked and without hesitation, she answered and told him yes. He then further asked her what happened and also explained to her that he was beginning to have some flashbacks, and he was piecing out some memories, from six years ago.

“Michael, what part of you aren’t getting younger, you don’t understand?

You are needed to take over Evan’s enterprises and besides there are a lot of beautiful billionaire damsels out there, why can’t you just pick one for heaven's sake “. Rita, Michael’s mum lamented.

“We keep going back and forth mum, I’ve told you several times that if it isn’t Rosemarie I am not interested in any other woman “I repeated the hundredth time before I knew it my dad burst through the doors with outrage and further threatened me that if I don’t bring home a wife to produce an heir to the throne that he will disown me.

Not the first time he had said that, but then he further threatened to harm Rosemarie if I kept fooling around with her.

But I love her why can’t they just accept that fact? At that moment I realized if I didn’t do something about it, they would try every means to separate me and my girl and I won’t let that happen.

I later planned on how I would elope with my lover, I told her my plan and she agreed to it. We chose Georgia as our escape town since it was far away from home, and it was also a place she would have loved you start her family in.

The plan was to leave after a ball that my parents planned more or less to use to trap me with all the billionaire daughters in the town, so I could pick one and marry. Little did they know I was not having any of it.

After the ball, I lied to my parents that I was going after the woman I had felt a connection with at the ball, and they believed me.

In the blink of an eye, I was in my car heading to get Rosemarie at the old Rogers Bridge, so we could elope to Georgia and then the car crash happened.

I narrated everything to him in detail, and it was like the thing hindering him from remembering was lifted. Everything came flooding back. I leaned forward and said softly “You were destined for greatness, Michael.

Your parents saw you as the future of Evan’s empire, the heir to the legacy. ”But I never wanted that life, I wanted to forge my path, to find my own purpose“ He whispered.

A heavy silence settled between us and I could see clearly on his face conflicting emotions and at that moment I just wanted him to speak, I wanted to know exactly what was in his mind.” I never wanted to be defined by my family’s wealth or influence;” Michael admitted, his voice raw with emotion “I just wanted to be .... Me” he said.

I squeezed his hand gently and offered him a reassuring smile; I assured him that he could still be him and that he could carve out a future that was true to who he truly was.

His gaze met mine, a flicker of determination igniting within him.” You are right, it’s time for me to stop living in the shadow of my past and start writing my own story.”

He said. I couldn’t help but touch his face with admiration, I was glad that I had told him everything and for some reason I felt we could be together once more. Michael and I with the twins, are one big happy family.

I proceeded to tell him more, my words tinged with a mixture of pain and longing. “Michael, we were so young and so naïve, but we were so deeply in love.

We knew the odds were stacked against us. Your parents disapproved of our relationship from the start. They saw me as nothing more than a distraction, a threat to the path that they had carefully laid for you.

I said rapidly. “I remember, those nights we spent together, sneaking out to be with each other.... They were some of the happiest moments of my life.

A smile tugged at my lips as I also recall those days. We were rebels, Michael.

Two souls going against the expectations placed upon us, daring to love against all odds. You were torn between loyalty to your family or listening to your heart but listening to your heart didn’t end well. I said while wiping a test from my eye.

“But now, perhaps we have a chance to reclaim what was lost, to re-write our story together. You can explain to Cara and let her know you remember everything “. I said desperately.

But then he ruined it all when he told me Cara was pregnant. I couldn’t believe it, my breathing became painful, and I began to feel dizzy.

No, this can’t be happening, I felt heartbroken all over again. It was just like yesterday, me waiting on the bridge, waiting for my lover, but he didn’t show up. He had left me alone in this cruel world and I had to gather energy to go to Georgia all alone.

But this time around he didn’t only leave me but impregnated another woman who happened to be my friend.

I struggled to get up to my feet, but I kept on falling back. He assisted me, but I didn’t want him to do that.

I wanted to be far away from him. Stupid me, I actually thought we could be a family.

I’m such a big fool. He kept on trying to explain to me, but my head was already spiralling, and his voice began to feel distant. He realized I was restless and offered to take me back home.

I agreed instantly, and we were heading back to my apartment.

On getting there, he tried to follow me in, but I had to stop him because I didn’t want to have anything to do with him.

He then began to beg me not to tell Cara or Sam anything. He was going to find a way to tell them at his own convenient time. I just nodded and slammed the door after him.

I went to bed with a broken heart. What was I expecting? I kept on telling myself. I was interrupted by a knock on my door.

Is Michael back? I thought I told him to leave, and I didn’t want to see him. As I opened the door to confront him for coming back, I was graced with the presence of Cara.

Could I be hallucinating? Or am I drunk? What could she be doing at the front of my apartment in the middle of the night?

A lot of questions crept through my mind but no answers to them until she finally talked and what she said made me paralyzed. “ Hi Rose, surprised to see me right. And oh yes I know your secret”. She said with a wide grin.