Chapter 9

Marionne spends most of his at the Rothschild mansion to help Sophia prepare for their wedding. In the first days, Sophia won't even talk to him, but now, she willingly participates in their wedding preparations. Ava's starting to worry about her sister's perspective about the marriage. Marionne is starting to get under her skin.

"Hey, pretty. How's your morning?" Marionne asked Sophia when he arrives bearing a bouquet of red roses and a box of her favorite cupcake.

"It was okay, you?" Sophia asked back in a more civilized tone.

"Great, I slept well last night and woke up feeling great," Marionne answered enthusiastically. "I guess getting married will make you feel that way." He looked at Sophia's eyes intently.

"Really?" Sophia smiled and blushed.

Ava was just a few feet away from them and can hear their every conversation. She can feel Marionne's every effort to make Sophia fall in love with him. And her sister is like a willing victim biting his every word.

"Uh-huh. I think you're going to be an awesome wife, and a wonderful mother." Ava saw how her sister blushed when Marionne tucked some of the loose hair behind her ears. "I've got an idea, why don't we go out?" Marionne said in an excited tone.

"But we have a lot to do," Sophia answered, trying not to laugh with Marionne's childlike attitude.

"Come on, just for a few hours, love." He continued to act like a child.

"Stop acting like that." Sophia can no longer contain her laughter. "You look like an idiot," Sophia added.

"That's okay, at least only for you. Do you want me to act like this in front of another woman?" Marionne asked like he was about to get pissed.

"Of course not," Sophia answered and she laughed even harder when Marionne smiled like a child who was given a box of his favorite candies.

"Are you sure? I can do that, you know." Marionne asked as if daring her.

"Shut up. Wait here, I'll just change clothes." Sophia pinched Marionne's nose before ascending the stairs. Marionne was left smiling but when he saw Ava looking at him, his expression changed.

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"What are you doing?" Ava asked him frankly.

Marionne stared at her like she said something weird. "What do you mean?" Marionne asked innocently. Even his eyes show nothing but confusion.

"Don't play dumb, I'm not my sister." Ava angrily stated. "I'm not gonna let you use my sister."

"Use her on what?" Marionne responded. Still maintaining his innocence. "I don't understand you, Ava. I'm just doing what a soon-to-be husband is to supposed to do. I thought it's right for us to know each other more before we get married." Marionne scoffed as if what Ava is saying doesn't make sense to him.

"Stop acting like you don't know what I'm talking about!" Ava can no longer contain her frustrations. "You're using my sister to get back on me!"

"What? Are you saying that I'm here because of you?" Marionne responded like he couldn't believe what Ava was trying to say. "I knew you think of yourself as someone very important but I never imagine for you to be this narcissistic. You're not the center of the universe, Ava. Maybe you're the one who's trying to connect yourself to me. I'm sorry Ava, but I'm not interested in you anymore."

Ava couldn't speak. She felt ashamed and humiliated. It made her question her real feelings and her intention for trying to come between her sister and Marionne. Now, Marionne is thinking that she still has feelings for him.

"What? No witty come back?" Marionne said. "Move on, Ava. It was a long time ago."

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When Sophia came downstairs, she's looking so beautiful in her light pink sundress and flat sandals. She also wore little makeup to let her natural beauty stand out. Marionne knows that Ava is watching so he smiled like he was so mesmerized by Sophia's beauty. Making Ava believe that he really has feelings for her sister, even just a bit.

"You're so beautiful." Marionne praised Sophia.

"Thank you," and Sophia was so quick to believe him.

"Let's go?" Marion's asked Sophia.

Sophia smiled as a response and take his hands. Ava noticed her sister's mood lighten up for the past few daw. She no longer cries and gets mad easily. Maybe Marionne is a good thing for her. Maybe she should let them be happy.

She was about to leave for work when she remembered one specific memory when Marionne was doing all those things to her.

- Flashback-

"Hi, Ava! I brought you breakfast. I know you're cramming for your thesis tomorrow, so I thought bringing you food would help you concentrate." The eighteen-year-old Marionne announced the moment he approached Ava.

"Thanks, just put it there." Ava said without even looking at him.

"Won't you eat first?" Marionne asked Ava sweetly.

"I said, just put it there. Can't you see I'm busy?" Ava said, sounding frustrated.

"I'm sorry, I just—I don't want you to get sick because you're not eating in time," Marionne answered in a sad tone.

"I'm fine, okay. I'm just busy, so please leave me alone." Ava demanded she saw her friends coming.

"Okay," Marionne replied before leaving.

"Hey, Ava. Come on." One of them called her.

As she was getting her things, the lunch box that Marionne brought fell on the ground. The spaghetti that he cooked for her making him late for the first time, scattered on the ground. Ava didn't even throw a second glance at wasted food. She just kept walking but what she didn't know was that Marionne was still nearby when everything happened.

He watched how Ava had time to come with her friends than to be with him. How she didn't even care about the simple thing he did for her. Marionne saw everything. But chose to ignore them. Because he loved her. He chose to think that there's a future where he and Ava are together.

- End of Flashback-

It was too late when Ava realized how much he hurt Marionne. A friend of hers back in college told her everything he did for her. All the wasted effort, those long hours that he would wait for her but she's already gone. She realized he was not stupid because he didn't see the truth. He knew everything but he chose to believe in what they have.

He hurt him, from start to end, but he chose to love her. He was there when she failed and helped her stand up. He was her biggest supporter. He cheered for her in every competition. He sacrificed his happiness for her. But she hurt him. She hurt the only man who showed her real love and respect. He loved her but she denied and shame him.