Chapter 2: Lies

 ‘ I just hope he's okay before I get there.’ She prayed in her mind, dialing his secretary's number to confirm if he was at the office. 

 After the second ring, the secretary picked. 

 “ Hello..”

 “ Hello Celine, it's Skyler Sterling.” She quickly introduced herself.

 “ Skyler… Mrs. Sterling?”

 “ Yes please,”

 “ Oh my God, so sorry ma'am, I didn't save your contact.”

 “ It's alright, please is my husband at the office? He forgot his medicine at home.” 

 “ No, ma'am, he's at the family house.”

 “ Family house?” Her brows knitted. 

 “ Yes, ma'am, today is Miss Sophia's welcome party.” 

 ‘ Wait, Sophia is back?’ Skyler leaned back into the seat, looking surprised.

 Sophia is Nathaniel's best friend, but then, it wasn't so surprising that no one informed her about anything going on in the family. 

 “ Thanks so much, Celine.”

 “ You're welcome ma.”

 Skyler hung up and urged the taxi driver to take her to the new address. 

 ********

 A few minutes later, Skyler arrived at the house. Her breath quivered the moment she stepped out of the car, just looking from outside, she could tell a whole lot of people had been invited. 

 But that's not what worries her, meeting the family that never truly liked her because she was from no background is a whole lot to deal with. Unlike Sophia who is loved and accepted by the family. 

 “ Well, let's just give him the medicine and leave.” She muttered to herself, clenched her fist around her purse before walking into the house. 

 Music blasted her ear the moment she stepped in. 

 Her brows drew tight together. There was so much noise. She subconsciously touched her stomach as she looked around to see lots of unfamiliar faces, but Nathaniel was nowhere in sight, neither was Sophia. 

 Her chest skipped when she sighted Mrs. Fiona, her mother-in-law laughing and chatting with someone she didn't recognize. She quickly moved to stand behind someone.

 “ God, I really do not want to deal with her, any of them.” She sneaked a look around but he was still nowhere in sight.

 “ Is Celine sure he's here?” She began to doubt but then pulled one of the ladies walking past her. “ Hi, please, have you seen Nathaniel?”

 “ He's upstairs with Sophia.”

 “ Oh, thank you so much.” She appreciated it, turned around, and quickly headed upstairs. “ I should have known they'd be together.” 

 But then, she was glad he didn't have any attack yet. 

 Skyler started searching through the rooms, but just as she was about to check another room, she heard something that made her stop abruptly.

 “ I still can't believe you spent all these years looking for me.” She heard Sophia's voice saying. 

 Then Nathaniel replied. “ You have no idea what that meant to me. I thought I would never find the person who saved my life.” 

 Skyler's brows furrowed. ‘ Saved his life? Was Nathaniel in danger? What are they saying?’

 She wondered, looking confused. 

 “ I was afraid you would hate me for not telling you sooner,” Sophia said again. 

 Nathaniel responded. “ How can I hate you? You were the reason why I survived that fire, the reason I did not die twelve years ago.” 

 Skyler froze. ‘ Wait..’ Her shoulder loosened. ‘ Is it the same fire I'm… thinking of?’

 Her heart began pounding, cause if it is the same fire, then it was Sophia that saved his life. 

 She was the one. 

 She heard Nathaniel speak again. “ You have no idea how many times I wondered about you, how I spent years thinking about that moment.”

 A ridiculous scoff nearly slipped out Skyler's mouth.

 “ Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell me you were the one?” 

 “ I didn't know Nathaniel, I know you were looking for someone but you never told me it was the woman that saved you. And when I found out, you were already getting married.”

 “ That's because I gave up. I did not believe I'd ever find her so…” he inhaled shakily and said in a soft voice, the softest Skyler had possibly ever heard. “ But I'm glad, even though it was on my wedding day you told me, I'm still glad you told me.”

 “ I just couldn't take it, watching you marry another woman, when I love you. But I don't want to ruin your marriage, Nathaniel.” 

 “ Shhh.. you're not ruining anything, no one deserves my love like the person who saved my life. If I had known it was you, Sophia..." He laughed bitterly. "I would've made very different choices.”

 Skyler's mouth opened like she wanted to say something, but no words came. Just a mild laugh, broken, surprised. 

 Now it all made sense, why he changed the moment they got married. But what hurt her wasn't Sophia's lies, it was how easily he switched from being the loving man she fell for, to the man who was ready to abandon her without blinking an eye.

 Though, Nathaniel had once told her he was grateful to someone who saved his life, that he would never forget her, even though he doesn't remember her face due to the heavy smoke and fire that day. 

 But he remembered she was wearing a necklace. And that's what he's been using to search for her.

 She has been so tempted many times to tell him that she was the one, she was the one who ran into the fire that day to save him and his cousin, but the reason why she never did, was because she did not want his love out of gratitude.

 Tears brimmed in her eyes, her fist clenched so hard against the medicine, she could expose Sophia, she could walk inside that room and tell him the truth, show him the necklace.

 But no. 

 She touched her stomach. Took a step back.

 “ It's not going to change anything, and I don't want a man to choose me because of a debt.” She said to herself, turned around, and left. 

 But just then, Sophia caught sight of her leaving and immediately knew she had heard their conversation.

 ‘ I would drop his medicine to his family and leave.’ Skyler told herself, but she had only gotten to the stairs when she heard her voice. 

 “ Look who is here, Skyler?” Sophia's tone was filled with mockery that halted Skyler's steps mid-way.

 She turned, swallowing down empty lumps as she tried to look like she wasn't breaking seconds ago.

 “ Hi, Sophia, heard you're back from the state.” 

 “ As you can see.” She walked down the stairs, gracefully. “ But I don't remember inviting you to my party.”

 “ Yeah, sorry about that, I only came to give Nathaniel his medicine.” 

 She said, bringing the medicine out of her purse.

 “ Cut the diligent wife's act, it's so disgusting. Coming to bring his medicine to a party, why? So everyone would know you're loyal or devoted?” Sophia countered, looking disgusted.

 Skyler let out a soft exhale. For every reason, she doesn't want to stand in the same space with her or even have any bicker with her.

 “ Please, give him this for me.” 

 Sophia's face twisted in utmost disgust, everything about Skyler always gets on her nerves.

 Her beauty, how she always acts innocent, how she has nothing but yet managed to marry the man she's always wanted. 

 Like who does she think she is? 

 “ You heard him, right? How he spent years searching for me, and all this time, he was stuck with you.” 

 Skyler’s fingers curled, her lashes fluttered. 

 "If I hadn't left two years ago, do you really think he would've married you?” She chuckled in mockery. 

 “ Was it really you that saved him?”

 The chuckle stopped as she quickly eyed her. “ Who are you to question that?”

 She sighed. “ Enjoy your lies while it lasts.” 

 “ How dare you call me a liar!” She fumed, as she 

 snatched the medicine from her, but just then, she heard Nathaniel's voice call out to her.

 “ Sophia.”

 In the blink of an eye, before Skyler even knew what was going on, Sophia's body came crashing down against hers, pushing them both down the stairs.

 “Ahhh.” Skyler yelped out loud in pain as her waist hit the stairs hard.

 Her back slammed hard against the stairs causing pain to shoot up her body. 

 Her vision went fuzzy in an instant, she heard Nathaniel shouting and calling out to Sophia.

 Music died that instant. Murmurs rippled out of the guests. 

 And the next thing Skyler heard was Sophia crying and pointing at her.

 “ She pushed me.”