Memories

Lena's POV

Before I could fully process my parents’ betrayal, the MC’s voice rang through the hall again.

“And now, ladies and gentlemen, I have a special announcement.” He paused for dramatic effect, scanning the crowd with a knowing smile. “Tonight marks a monumental occasion: the official union of the esteemed Hale and Carter families through marriage!”

A deafening round of applause erupted around me. My mother nudged me, her eyes shining with excitement.

“Go on, dear, stand up. Let them see you!”

“Oh, I’ll get up, alright,” I hissed. “But I’m leaving!”

I grabbed my bag and pushed my chair back with more force than necessary. The murmurs started immediately. Confused whispers rippled through the guests, but I didn’t care. They could talk all they wanted. They could speculate, judge and gossip but it didn’t matter.

None of it mattered.

My heels clicked against the marble floor as I stormed out of the hall, past waiters balancing silver trays, past men in tuxedos and women dripping in diamonds. My head was spinning.

I barely made it outside before my legs gave out and I collapsed onto the front steps of the venue. I pressed my hands against my temples. A headache was coming already.

What was happening to me?

A sharp pain sliced through my skull, forcing my eyes shut. I gasped, and then I had flashes and fragments of a memory I didn't remember before.

I was in a hotel room, or a penthouse, whatever. My hands were shaking. My eyes were red-rimmed and swollen.

Nathan Hale stood across from me with a blank face. I could hear my own voice, desperate and trembling.

“Mr Hale, please,” I begged, gripping the lapels of his suit jacket. “You have to do this. You have to marry me.”

He sighed, dragging a hand through his hair.“Do you even hear yourself right now?”

“I don’t have a choice,” I whispered. “I need this. I need you to help me.”

“You’re asking me to marry you like it’s some kind of business transaction.”

“It is a business transaction.” I insisted.

“You want a contract?” he murmured. “Sure. I’ll have it drawn up."

The memory vanished as quickly as it had come, leaving me gasping for air. I clutched the side of my head.

No. No, this couldn’t be real. Did I really do this to myself?

I had begged Nathan Hale to marry me. I had signed that contract willingly. For so long, I had hoped that he actually forced me to enter into this marriage. But if anything, it was the other way round.

Tears gathered up in my eyes, spilling over before I could stop them. A strangled sob escaped my throat. I had lost control of my own life and I had no one to blame but myself.

Just then, my phone rang with a message. I sniffled and picked it up, half-expecting to see Grace’s name. But when I saw the name glowing on the screen, my heart nearly stopped.

It was David.

I stared at the message with fear. I was afraid that he was going to say something cruel, afraid that he was just going to hurt me more. But then I saw the message.

I didn’t waste a second. My fingers fumbled as I called him back. The phone rang once and then he answered.

“David!” I almost sobbed his name. “Oh my fucking God, I.... listen, I need to explain everything. I swear, I don’t want to marry Nathan Hale. This whole thing is insane, and I....”

“Lena.” He interrupted me. “I know. I know you don’t love him. I know this was all just a huge mistake.”

I gasped. “You believe me?”

“Yes.”

A laugh bubbled up in my throat. For the first time since all of this happened, something felt right. “David, you have no idea how much that means to me. I am so...”

“I know how to make him divorce you himself.”

That stopped me cold. “What?”

“Come to my place,” he said hurriedly. “Please. I can’t live without you.”

Something in his tone made the hairs on my arms stand on end. There was a slur to his words, a strange edge.

“David,” I said slowly. “Are you drunk?”

“No.” The word came too fast. “Lena, just come. This isn’t the time for questions. You have to come now.”

Every instinct in me screamed that something was off. But then again, hadn’t my entire life been off these past few days? Maybe I was just paranoid. Maybe I was reading too much into it. Maybe he was just overwhelmed, like I was.

And yet…

“Okay,” I finally replied.

I didn’t know if I was making the right choice. But this was David. My David. And if there was even a chance that we could fix this mess together, I had to take it.

I stood up and wiped the last of my tears from my face. My heart still felt like it was in pieces, but now there was something else anchoring me.

A purpose.

David believed me and that changed everything. I glanced around. I had left my car at my apartment, but David’s house wasn’t too far from here. I would need that walk.

Everything was going to be okay. As long as David was on my side, everything was going to be fine.

*

I smelled alcohol as soon as I stepped into David's house. Empty bottles littered the living room, some upturned on the floor, others haphazardly placed on side tables and the coffee table.

I called out his name. "David? Are you here?"

I heard a thud from upstairs, followed by a mumbled curse. David appeared at the top of the staircase, swaying slightly as he gripped the banister. He was wearing rumpled clothing and his hair was disheveled. As he made his way down the stairs, I noticed the glassy look in his eyes and the way he swayed on his feet.

"Lena," he mumbled, forcing a smile. "What a pleasant surprise."

"Surprise? You called me to come here." I frowned and folded my arms. "David, what's going on? Why is your house in such a state?"

He waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, you know, just had a few drinks. Can't a man unwind after a hard day?"

I eyed the empty bottles suspiciously. "A few drinks? It looks like you've been drinking all day."

David chuckled, but there was no humor in it. "You're overreacting, Lena. It's not a big deal."

I shook my head in frustration "David, I have too many things to worry about right now. We need to talk about this, about us, about my engagement to that... that man."

David's eyes narrowed, and he took a drunken step closer to me. "Ah yes, your engagement. To Nathan Hale, the man of your dreams."

Man of my dreams? With David's drunken state, I was starting to think twice about coming to his apartment.

"David, please, let me explain." I told him.

"It's not what you think.m, I promise."

"What do you... what do you think I think?" He laughed bitterly. "Oh, I know exactly what it is, Lena. You're leaving me for him. You are leaving me for someone with money and power."

"No!" I insisted. "That's not true at all. That man is a stranger to me. I have no idea how I got into this engagement with him, but trust me, I have no intentions of marrying Nathan Hale. This was all a big mistake, which will be rectified, I promise you!"

David scoffed and threw an arm to the side.

"You expect me to believe that? You're not marrying me because I'm not good enough for you. Because I don't have the same status as Nathan Hale."

I reached out to touch his arm, but he shrugged me off. "David, please, listen to me. I love you. I want to marry you. This thing with Nathan Hale is just a misunderstanding."

David looked at me, his eyes searching mine. For a second, I thought he was going to believe me. I thought he was going to understand. But then his gaze dropped to my lips, and he crowded me against the wall.

His next words sent shivers to my whole being.