Chapter 5.

Celine's POV

Morning came quicker than I expected and to my disappointment, Abel wasn't on the bed with me.

I recall last night where I had stayed up all night waiting for him. I even skip dinner because I wanted to have dinner with him and maybe we could talk.

But he didn't return until I finally gave up and fell asleep only to wake up and find his space empty.

The thought of him spending the night with Taylor brought fresh pain to my heart. There was a part of me saying that Abel would never be mine as long as Taylor was there. But I held on to hope.

One day he would love me.

I got out of bed and went through my normal morning routine of taking a bath, brushing my teeth and putting on fresh clothes.

I walked out of the room and immediately the scent of food assaulted my nostril causing my stomach to growl.

Consequences of not having dinner.

I fixed my glasses properly and walked down the stairs towards the dinning hall.

It was quiet difficult to find cause the place was huge and I haven't been given a tour yet. I was way to tired for that yesterday.

"Good morning Celine"

I turn around startled but calm down when I realized it was just Martha.

I gave her a polite smile "Good morning Martha. I- I was just looking for the dinning hall"

She nodded still smiling "Please follow me. Sir Abel is already there waiting for you"

That got my heart pounding fast in anticipation and hope. Does that mean he slept here last night.

I couldn't help my curiosity "when did he get back?"

"At midnight" she answered "he was so drunk and reeked of alcohol and I couldn't wake you up with him in that state" her voice was like that of a disapproving mother and I knew she must not have expected Abel to go get drunk on the night of his wedding.

A part of me was relived that he didn't spend the night with Taylor. I had faith in Abel. I knew he won't cheat on me with Taylor even though he hates me. He wouldn't do such a cruel thing.

Martha finally stopped at a door and she pushed it open to reveal the biggest dinning room I have ever seen.

The table could fit more than twenty people and beautiful paintings decorated the walls.

I couldn't stop looking around and soon, my eyes landed on Abel, he was already dressed for work and having his breakfast.

"enjoy your breakfast Celine" Martha smiled and shut the door and I was left alone with Abel.

He sat muching on his toast while staring at his cell phone, totally ignoring my precense.

I took a sit before him, I was shaking nervously. This is the first time me and Abel were sitting together so civil, and I was desperate to say something, to at least start a conversation just like husband and wife do but before I could say anything, he stood up.

"There's going to be a party tonight and it starts by six. I want to find you fully dressed and ready when I get back, okay" he said in a commanding tone but I was too stund by his words to fully comprehend what he said.

Did he really want me to go to the party with him?

"What?" I asked dumbly, hoping he would repeat his words so I would be sure I heard correctly.

He rolled his eyes in annoyance "believe me I don't want to take you with me but many of our investors know i'm a married man now and they will be expecting me to be there with my wife, so look your very best"

"Y... Yes"

He walked out of the hall, leaving me alone to my thoughts. Now that he had decided to take me with him, I must look my best, I would try very hard to please him from now on, so he would see that I am the perfect wife for him.

The thought of going to a party with me by his side and as his wife made me so excited, he was willing to take me to a party as his wife, that's a start right.

I finish up the rest of me breakfast and cleared the dishes. Martha was cleaning up the house and I offered to help but she firmly refused.

I asked her for the whereabouts of her daughters cause I haven't seen them all morning and she replied "I sent them on an errand cause they were giving me a headache, a heartache and an ear bleed with their constant argument and i'm sure they won't be back any time soon cause they will be arguing their way back here"

After that, I was left to myself and I ended up giving myself a tour of the house. It was a very difficult task cause the house was extremely huge and I didn't know my way around, but thankfully, I was able to find the rose garden at the back of the mansion.

It was beatiful and the air smelt fresh around here, different colours of roses adored the place, making it colourful and absolutely beautiful.

I breath in the scent of fresh flowers and suddenly felt a need to dance right there and then but the sight of the white rose dismissed my thoughts as I recall a past memory.

It was a warm afternoon and my dad had taken us to a flower shop, he had asked Lauren and I to choose the flower we loved best and we immediately raced in the direction of the roses. Lauren took a white rose and I took a red one.

"Why red?" she had asked me with curiosity shinning in her dark brown eyes.

"because it's pretty" I answered childishly and looked over at her own choice "what about you, why did you choose white?"

She smiled brightly at me "cause it's pure and pretty like my little sis. I love anything that looks like my little sister" she ruffled my hair and I giggled.

Lauren and I were the same age, but she loved being the older one among the two of us and I let her cause I loved it even more.

She was way too mature for her age and she treats me like i'm the only person that mattered to her in the world.

If only she hadn't love me so much, maybe she wouldn't have shielded me in that car accident, maybe she wouldn't have died.

"Celine" I looked away from the white rose and at the source of the voice who just called my name.

Carin stood there, smiling at me but the smile vanish to be replace by a concerned look when she got closer to me.

"Celine, are you crying?" she asked in a soft voice filled with concern.

I touched my cheeks to find them wet; I didn't even realize that I was crying. I always get like this when thinking about my family, those happy days were gone forever, now i'm stuck with a life I never thought would be mine.

"I'm fine" I told Carin, wiping away the tears from my cheeks "I just got something in my eyes that's all"

She didn't seem to believe me and I hope she wouldn't pry cause I wasn't ready to open up the wounds of the past.

Thankfully, before she could say anything, my cell phone rang and I quickly hit the answer button and place ot against my ear, not even bothering to check the caller ID.

"Hello"

"Celine come over quickly" Maria's voice rang out "your grandma collapsed" 

My eyes widen and I cut the call quickly "I have to go" I said and rushed past Carin.

"Is everything okay?" she asked after me but I was too much in a hurry to reply.

My grandma has been sick for a few months now, but anytime I go over to see her, she always ask the maid to throw me out. but I never gave up going over to see her and the maid, Maria, was touched by this, which is why she promised to keep me updated about grandma's health.

Jerry was no where to be found outside the mansion and I didn't bother calling him for fear of wasting too much time.

I took a cab and asked the cabby to speed up in the direction I just gave him and he oblige.

I got to my once family mansion and quickly got out of the car after paying the cabby.

Maria must have been watching through the glass window cause she opened the door before I even got closer to it.

"Where is she?" I asked panicked yet hopeful that she was okay.

"She's resting in her room, the doctor said she just had a minor stroke and will be fine soon"

I heaved a sigh of relief "thank you Maria"

She nodded and I rushed upstairs to go check up on grandma.

She lay on bed, deep in sleep and breathing heavily. Her wrinkled face was filled with sadness and pain even in her sleep.

The sight haunted me cause I knew I did this to her, it was all my fault. If I wasn't so selfish back then, she wouldn't have lost her family, the Graysons wouldn't have lost their daughter and maybe my life wouldn't have been this difficult.

Tears rolled down my eyes as I realize something. Not only was my life ruined because of what I did but I also suceeded in ruining other people's life and happiness.

Maybe I deserve what was happening in my life afterall.

I deserve all the misfortune that has befallen me over the years.