Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Maria

The parking lot of my parents’ mansion was filled with dozens of cars and I wondered what my parents’ explanation was for getting one daughter engaged and getting the other married and all to the same man. I really didn't care. All I wanted was to go in there and show them I wasn't someone they could break. They succeeded in breaking me but they didn't have to know that.

I was dressed in a fitted, burgundy, satin dress. It had a really deep sweet heart neckline and thin spaghetti straps. The extremely high slit that stopped mid thigh was something way too bold for me but it was another reason why I picked it. I paired it with suede, matching Chanel stilletos and a clutch. My secret weapon however, was the Graff multi-shape platinum and white-gold diamond necklace gifted to me by my grandmother before she passed away. I knew Alice hated that I got it and I was going to wear it just to spite her which was why I didn't mind getting it from my safe in the bank.

Immediately I stepped into the huge ballroom where the reception was going on, conversation toned down to hushed whispers. A mixture of covert and shamelessly pointed stares filtered my way and I nearly lost my balance. Whatever lies my parents told them, these people didn't believe but it didn't stop them from playing along. Afterall they were all birds of the same feather.

I didn't run back out though, no matter how badly I wanted to. Breaking down would happen later. First, I needed to congratulate the couple.

I marched through the throng of people who willingly gave me such a wide berth you'd think I was diagnosed with AIDS. The moment you fell from grace in this crowd, you were as good as filth. Too bad I never wanted to be one of them anyway

Immediately, I spotted Lucas and Alice having a conversation with both our parents. All of them smiling and laughing like everything was normal. Like this was how it had always been. Like I wasn't the one that was supposed to be wearing the custom made Monique Lhuillier wedding dress I had gushed over for days. They could have changed the dress at the very least right?

Lucas was the first to notice my approach and the laughter died in his throat when his eyes met mine. Remember my already fragile heart, I could feel it breaking already. As if noticing the shift in his attention, all 5 eyes collectively snapped to my direction. Only their eyes betrayed their shock and alarm because the well crafted smiles didn't waver from their faces. Everyone in ballroom stilled, their attention on us.

I put on a bright smile and joined the group of six.

“What are you doing here?” My mother asked through gritted teeth.

My smile didn't waver. I simply pulled her in for a hug that was sure to make her more annoyed.

“I didn't realise I wasn't allowed to attend my own sister's wedding?” I said still smiling.

Said sister was glaring at me so I took it as an opportunity to also pull her in a bone crushing hug, making sure my jewelry of choice was in her line of sight before my body collided with hers.

“Enjoy this moment. It'd be the last one where you're happy.” I whispered into her ear. Then I let go.

“Lucas.” I said to the man whose eyes were still on me. “Congrats on your wedding. I do hope it's the same bride we see with you tomorrow. I'm sure explaining that one would be very hard.” I said conspirationally. His eyes hardened at my statement.

“Oh well family, just thought I should drop by and say hello. Wouldn't want to miss out on such an eventful moment in my sister's life. You're all I have afterall.”

Alice broke the tense silence simmering within our small circle. Her voice was as cold as ice when she spoke

“Enjoy the party sister. It's such a shame you missed the ceremony. It was as magical as you had planned.” She told me, her smile lethal. “I never did thank you for planning my wedding did I?”

“No.”

“Well thankyou. I loved it.” To a passerby her words would have sounded as sweet as candy. But I heard the venom lacing her voice. The acid intertwined with her words. Unfortunately for me, her words hit their mark. She had always been better than me when it came to hostility afterall.

So I managed one small “hmm” and fled before the dam holding my tears decided to break down.

Eyes followed me around the room, piercing my skin and waiting for me to breakdown. The air suddenly felt suffocating and I realised I couldn't stay in there any longer. I needed to leave but I refused to let my shoulders droop or let the tears fall while they watched.

I was too weak. Why did I think I could wander into a den of sharks and come out unscathed? Who was I fooling? I could arm myself with make up and designer but I was still that girl foolish enough not to notice that her fiancé and sister were cheating behind her back.

So I fled, like I always did. It was the only thing I knew. My only companion.

*****

I was in a bar. Somehow my weary heart had driven me to one of those 5 star hotels my father made his second home. All I wanted was a trustworthy bar I could get wasted in and drown all my sorrows.

Six shot glasses later, the bartender was looking at me suspiciously.

“Hit me with another round Jeff.” He poured three more glasses for me and pushed it toward me.

I picked up the first glass and tipped it down my throat in one go. I waited for the familiar sting that came with the alcohol but it didn't come. Confused, I tipped down the next one. Nothing. I drank the next and my eyes immediately snapped to the bartender who was making a show of cleaning the counter.

“Hey! Jeff!” I yelled snapping my fingers. “You gave me water didn't you?” I said narrowing my eyes.

“That is a very wild accusation don't you think?” He said, finally paying attention to me.

“I'm not lying if that's what you're implying.”

“You've had a lot to drink miss. Maybe you're just confused.”

My mouth opened to tell Jeff that I wasn't drunk when a deep, masculine voice interrupted me rudely.

“A glass of whiskey. Neat.”

Jeff happily seized that opportunity to ignore me and focus on the new customer. Annoyed, I turned sharply to give the stranger a piece of my mind but the instant my gaze collided with his face, the words died down in my throat and drunk me gulped loudly. Because said stranger was gorgeous. His hair was a lock of rich, dark waves on his head and I could barely see most of his face since his head was bent down while he texted on his phone but the little I could see sent goosebumps trailing all over my body. His face was all sharp lines and edges with a square jaw that could have been crafted from stone for all I knew. His lips, oh God his lips. For some weird reason I wanted to bite them. Hard. I blamed it on the alcohol.

Just then, he looked up. Green eyes holding mine in place. I wanted to look away from the fierce intensity in them but somehow I couldn't. He raised a perfectly shaped brow, wordlessly questioning my shameless perusal. At least that's what I thought it meant. Either way my face grew hot with embarrassment for being caught staring at another person.

But here's something I discovered in that critical moment. Drunk me had absolutely no shame or decorum when in the presence of beautiful, stoic men because my mouth was moving before I could even stop myself.

“You have a ridiculously pretty face but you know who else had a pretty face? My ex fiancé.” I blurted out.

One beat.

Two beats.

I was pretty sure someone was digging a grave for me somewhere quiet where I could crawl up and die but just when I gave up hope on any type of reaction from Mr. tall, cold and handsome, his already raised eyebrow rose even higher by a fraction. His gaze grew sharper and his face grew even colder. If that wasn't enough of a sign for me to shut up I wonder what was.

But drunk me had a different idea because I couldn't stop the next words that flew out of my mouth, no matter how hard I tried and before I knew it I was spilling my life story to a man who looked like he would rather stitch my mouth together than listen to me.