CHAPTER TWELVE

“Get me a drink!”

Luca said to one of his servants.

He threw his suit jacket on a sofa and began pacing restlessly round the room.

Him and Arman had just gotten back.

“You're not going to disfigure your face in time for your wedding are you?”

Arman asked

“You know I am”

Arman took out his gun from his pocket, then he sat down.

“You can always talk about your feelings instead”

“You know I've never been one with words. Frankly I don't think there's anything to talk about.

I hate her, that sums up all my feelings”

A bottle of liquor was brought and set on a table

“What if, in the long run—”

“What if what?”

“What if she falls in love with you?”

“With the way I plan to treat her, I don't think that will happen”

What if you fall in love with her?

Luca poured himself a glass and drank it down.

“Arman, you know me better than my brother does. Have you ever seen me in love?”

“No

But I also haven't seen you hate someone

Knock yourself out Luca, just make sure you get a makeup artist to conceal your bruises before the wedding

You don't want to traumatise the poor girl any more than you already have”

Arman picked up his gun, stood up and left.

Luca was left alone, to stare into space and drink away his misery.

It started with a punch to the side of his face, then he just kept doing it till his vision was blurry

He didn't know how long he did it for, but he was on the floor, and someone was holding him. She smelled familiar

He knew her too well

“What the fuck are you doing here Sandra—”

****************

Sharon stared at the small pregnancy test stick she held in her hand

The single vertical line stared back at her.

She was releived she wasn't pregnant, but the stress and mental pressure she had to go through to get that info was too much

Her period came that morning, and convinced her some more.

Her mind was in a mess.

Her tornado of thoughts swirled inside her head.

Luca, Claire, Donald, her wedding, her father, her—

If she turned out to be pregnant, would he have looked at her differently?

Did her father look at her mother differently? The answer would always be no

Sometimes she felt like she wasn't the daughter of Hillary Gray.

He didn't treat her like he would treat a child whom he loved dear

So if ever she was going to bring a child into the world, she would make sure it was wanted, loved by both parents. Or she wouldn't have children at all.

Sharon's phone rang, it was Claire calling.

She had earlier sent a series of text messages, trying to apologise to her, but she didn't mention why she showed up at her front door.

“Hello Claire, I'm so sorry, I was supposed to be the one to call—”

“It's fine”

“Can we meet, I really want to talk to you”

“Sharon I'm kinda in the middle of something—”

“Oh, that's okay”

“My bridesmaids dress was delivered this morning, Donald suggested somewhere else for my make-up so—”

“You won't need to see me until the wedding day, thats—okay”

“But you and your fiancé could do it together, you'll be alright”

Sharon was silent

“Sharon?”

“Yes Claire”

“Donald asked me to be his girlfriend and I said yes”

Sharon saw it coming, but the news hit her hard. At that moment she felt their bond sever a little bit.

Claire had made up her mind, and there was no stopping her.

“I'm happy for you Claire, I really am.

Congratulations”

There was a long pause, then Sharon hung up.

She felt something heavy in her throat.

Claire had always been there for her, but now she felt completely alone.

But Sharon couldn't complain, Claire seemed happy. And if Claire was happy,she had no right to ruin her happiness.

Sharon just didn't want her best friend to get hurt.

“Maybe I'm just being paranoid”

“Maybe I'm just jealous that he cares for her and Luca treats me like shit”

“Maybe Donald Pavilochenki wants the best for Claire and I'm a bad friend”

Sharon picked up her phone.

She was going to go with the flow.

Maybe, just maybe Luca could accompany her to grab her wedding dress. She just didn't want to go alone.

“I'll give him a call, then I'll thank him for yesterday, and I'll make my offer”

For the first time, Sharon Gray dialed Luca Pavilochenki's number—

Sandra moaned Luca's name as she tightened her grip on his hair

Luca was silent, only his breathing could be heard

Sandra's screams echoed through the house.

It wasn't her fault. Luca was half drunk and angry, and having him fuck the life out of her was her way of calming him down.

Of course if he was sober he would've kicked her out of his house—

To Luca, women were objects, mindless pieces that could be used and thrown away.

Sandra was more than happy to be his object. But for some reason he was more violent than usual.

There was a phonecall

Luca looked at his phone, ignored it and kept fucking her senseless

Why- ah

Why won't you pick?

It's not important

Sandra stretched out her hand until she grabbed the phone

Luca barely conscious didn't realise it in time

Sandra picked the call

“Hello Luca — it's me Sharon”

Sandra moaned into the phone

“Thanks for picking up and sorry for bothering you, I —

I was thinking if

“Fuck me Luca!”

Sandra screamed

Sharon's voice cracked, but she continued talking

“I just wanted to thank you for —”

“For what!’

This time it was Luca's voice, unmistakably

“Yesterday, I'm sorry —”

Sharon cut the call, it was too much for her to bear.

A tear slipped down, then it flowed to her mouth

And the only thing she could taste

Was bitterness

And resentment —