Chapter 9: She Was The Villain

It felt like a slap in the face—harsh, undeniable, and cruel.

The words Lucas had uttered echoed relentlessly in Lara’s mind, piercing through her already wounded heart like shards of glass.

She stood frozen in place, staring at him in disbelief. He was barely conscious, his drunken state rendering him oblivious to the weight of what he had just said. Yet, his voice had been clear—clear enough to crush every last bit of hope she had been holding onto.

Tears blurred her vision as she turned away, unable to bear it any longer. Without another word, she rushed to her room, slamming the door behind her. As soon as the lock clicked, her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the cold floor, her arms wrapping tightly around herself as if that could keep her from falling apart completely.

A strangled sob escaped her lips. Then another. And another. Until the quiet of the room was filled with the sound of her broken cries.

Her fingers curled into fists as she pressed them against her heart, as if she could physically hold the pieces together.

She had been so blind. So foolish.

All this time, she had fought for a marriage that was never truly hers. She had held on, believing—hoping—that if she just loved Lucas enough, someday he might return even a fraction of that love.

But the truth had been staring her in the face all along.

From the very beginning, Lucas had loved someone else.

Not her. Never her.

And she had been too much of a fool to see it.

Was that why he resented her? Why he never forgave her for agreeing to this marriage? Why he couldn’t even look at her without disdain?

Riah.

The name played over and over in Lara’s mind like a cruel taunt.

That must be her. The woman he truly loved.

A fresh wave of guilt crashed over Lara, making her tremble.

She had never even met her, but the guilt was suffocating. She could only imagine the pain that woman must have felt when she lost Lucas to an arranged marriage. How devastated she must have been, knowing that the man she loved was forced to marry someone else.

“Oh, God... What have I done?” she choked out, her voice barely above a whisper.

She felt vile. Despicable.

She was the villain in someone else’s love story.

She had stolen another woman's happiness. She had taken away the future Riah and Lucas were meant to have. She had wrecked a love story that was never meant to be hers.

Was this her punishment? Was this why Lucas couldn’t love her—because in his eyes, she had ruined his life?

A gut-wrenching sob escaped her lips.

Lucas was right. She had ruined everything.

She had ruined his life, his future, his happiness.

And now, she was the only one left in this mess, desperately clutching onto something that was never hers to begin with.

That night, she cried herself to sleep. She didn’t even remember when exhaustion finally took over. All she knew was that she had curled into herself, drowning in her heartbreak, desperately wishing that when she woke up, this would all turn out to be a terrible dream.

But deep down, she knew.

It wasn’t.

...

The Next Morning.

The shrill ringing of her alarm clock pulled Lara from unconsciousness.

She blinked groggily, her body stiff from sleeping on the floor. Her head throbbed, her eyes burned, and her heart—her heart felt like an empty shell.

For a long moment, she just lay there, staring blankly at the ceiling.

She didn’t want to get up. She didn’t want to face another day of pretending everything was fine.

Then, like a dam breaking, last night’s events came flooding back.

Lucas. His voice. That name.

Pain tightened around her chest, making it hard to breathe.

Her lips trembled as she curled into herself, squeezing her eyes shut in a desperate attempt to block out the memories. But it was useless. The words replayed in her mind like a cruel melody, each syllable another dagger to her already shattered heart.

She didn’t know what to do anymore.

She had fought for this marriage for three long years, believing she had the right to do so. But now…

Who was she even fighting for?