Love Aint Always Pretty novel Chapter 74

Aboveboard

- being honest or straightforward

74

"W-what?" I asked.

"I just had to marry her cos her mother wants me to. She's pregnant and the man that got her pregnant left her. It's for her image." He answered.

"Bullshit." I spit.

He reaches for my hand. "It happened too fast. Mrs. Devaloines asked me to do it and since she helped me a lot, I couldn't say no. I had to marry her daughter to save their name from embarrassment. In return, they'll be giving me a huge portion from Mrs. Devaloines' properties, a vast percentage on the shareholders for the Devaloines Group and they'll clear my name from what I had done on the past."

My brows are creasing and I just don't know what to feel. I'm happy about what he said, confused cos I can't believe it, and sad cos I'm with Damon.

"It's a fake wedding." He says.

A fake wedding?

"We have a signed contract. We'll divorce after three years." He says.

"Why are you saying this to me?" I asked.

"Because you need to know."

I paused and laughed humorlessly as I shake my head sideways.

"And what? You want me to wait for you for three years? You expect me to wait for you?! Nick I have dreams! So many dreams and I'm already starting at Devaloines without my dad's help. This means a lot to me and you know that. If you forgot, you were the one who left me! You fucking left. Now you want me to wait?! For you?!" I yelled.

I started dressing up and put my underwear and bra over my body.

"I left you because your dad always downgraded me. I felt bad about myself. I thought he was right. Im not good enough for you. Now, I'm doing this because I want to show your dad that you deserve me. I'm going to win you back so I want you to wait for me." He says.

I turned to him. "By marrying a rich woman?! That's how you want it Nick? That's your solution?! You think money is so important to me!?"

"Because if I was rich your dad would let me marry you! He would respect me. He would look at me as one of you guys and not just some ex-convict." He screeched.

I paused.

"I wanna marry you so bad Savannah. You're the only woman who I see walking down the aisle for me." He says.

My heart leaps.

"Savannah if you just know what I've been through when I left you and how miserable I was when I did that to you, how painful it was seeing you with other men!" Nick's voice shakes.

"Your father's words runs through my head all the time even until now. I was so down when he looked at me like that. I did everything I could to be rich even if it's in a wrong way! I love you Savannah. I fucking love you so much that's why I'm still fighting for us even if you're not anymore! I'm still hoping!" He says and I could see his tears filling his eyes.

I'm also starting to cry but I'm biting my trembling lip hard. I shake my head, he's doing this for me.

"I want to prove myself to your father and your mother that an ex-prisoner like me could run a huge conglomerate like Devaloines Group. I wanted to show them that my past doesn't make me who I am now. That it wasn't me." He says.

"But you left me Nick. Seven months you were gone and I have heard nothing from you." I sobbed.

"Savannah I had a reason why I accepted your father's money and I had to stay away from you or else he'll file a case against me. He'll put me back to jail if I won't stay away from you." He speaks.

"What?! My... My dad said that?"

He nods.

Oh god I couldn't believe this. How could my own father do this? He told me that Nick accepted the money right away. Oh god. They all lied to me. All of them.

"I didn't tell anyone about this. Nobody knows why I did what I did before. Alec and Tracy doesn't even know. But I did this for you.... And for Tracy." He says.

My brows furrowing. "Tracy?"

"I needed the money for Tracy."

"Why?" I asked breathlessly.

"She was diagnosed with cancer on December." He says.

I gasped.

"The day before the holiday break. She had throat cancer. She needed surgery right away. I was scared Savannah. I had no choice. I really needed the money to save her. Your dad even gave us the best surgeon, he said it was his friend. Doctor Robinson." He cries.

I covered my mouth with my hands and now it all makes sense. She got so thin all of a sudden before. Tracy had cancer and I didn't know about it. Nobody even dared to inform me. I was so naive about all the things that happened around.

"Does Tracy know where you got the money from?" I asked.

"She found out." He says.

That's why Tracy was blaming herself when she visited me in New York two years ago. That's why she kept saying she was sorry.

He walks towards me and wraps his arms around me tightly. I was letting him hug me while we were both on our underwear.

"I really didn't mean to leave you. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Savannah. It took me two years to tell the truth to you. I needed more time before I could say it cos if your father will sue me if I ever talk to you again, I have the same power as him. I can fight for myself." He says.

I shake my head. "This is too much for me in the morning. I... I need to go." I say.

"Savannah please say you believe in me."

I look at him and his eyes tells me he's saying the truth. "I need to go Nick." I said.

"Let me drive you home."

"I'll take a cab. I wanna be alone Nick. Please." I said.

I grabbed all of my stuff and headed out of his room. All those words he said to me felt surreal. All the things I just found out just now after two fucking years, how could I have been so blind? How could I have been so insensitive about the things happened to me? I'm so mad at myself for not finding out sooner. I'm so mad at Nick cos he didn't say anything to me. I'm so mad at my family cos they lied to me. All of the lied to me.

I got inside the cab and I wanted to get back to our other house here in New York which was two hundred miles from my apartment. Back where my family lives. They need to tell me everything I need to know. They need to tell me the truth. When the cab arrived outside our house, I hurriedly rushed to the front door. The maid opened it and I hurriedly walked inside. My neck is craning as I look around for anyone who's here today.

"Where are the people here?" I asked the maid and as soon as I saw Cameron coming off the stairs, I rushed to him.

"Oh! Hey sis! What brings you here?"

"Good. You're home. Now you can tell me why you fucking lied to me Ron!" I yelled at him.

He looked surprised. "Lied to you?"

"Don't give me that look anymore, I won't fall for that! I know you lied to me! You, mom and dad!"

"Whoa you come here to fight about something that we lied to you about?"

"Will you cut the crap?! It's been two years! I have been in agony for two years cos you lied to me! Ron how could you?!"

He held my arm. "What are you talking about?!" He asked.

I pushed him away and slapped him as hard as I can. My tears are now streaming down my face and the maids were looking at us, shocked as hell of what I have done. Cameron slowly turned his head back to me while holding his slapped cheek.

"Why didn't you tell me?! Why did you hide the truth from me?! I loved him so much Ron! You knew how much I loved Nick and yet you hid it from me!" I cried.

He laughs humorlessly. "You come here to talk about that guy who left you?! He left you for money!"

"Because he needed it!"

I hear the front door opening.

"What's all the yelling about?" I knew it was my mother.

I quickly turned around and faced my parents. How they look so perfect right now, standing like that in front of me, disgusts me. My fists are shaking. I'm so mad at them. They ruined me and Nick. They ruined everything I have with him.

"Baby why are you crying?" Mom asked.

"Princess what happened?"

"Stop calling me baby. Stop calling me princess. You are both pathetic." I spit.

They were taken a back.

"Savannah what--"

"You are such big liars!" I yelled.

Cameron pulled back my elbow. "Stop this nonsense."

I pulled myself away from him. "Don't even try stopping me Ron!" I hissed at him over my shoulder.

My father looked tensed. I know that look on his face. He knows that I knows what he's been hiding from me. He's tensed and scared cos now I know the truth. The truth that he's been hiding from me.

"People see this family as perfect and as happy as we fake it in pictures. But we aren't perfect. We are far from perfect. We are not happy too. I am not happy about my life! I am not happy at all! How control freaks you are! How you manipulate people behind my back! How you make me think that everything around me is real" I raised my voice at them.

Mom quickly rushed to my side and slapped me. "How dare you say that in front of us?!"

I pulled my head back up to face her. I'm so angry that I just can't stop these words from coming out of my mouth. "Then how dare you lie to me mom?! You made it look like Nick left me for money! You made me think that he chose money over me! Why didn't you tell me?! For two years you hid it from me! Why?!"

Dad quickly ran to us and butted in. He pointed his finger at me. "Don't you dare bring this topic up young woman!"

"Why dad?! Because it's true right?! Because it's all your fault." I spit out.

"What is she talking about?!" Mom asked my dad as she looks at him.

"Nick asked money from me. He clearly said what he wanted." Dad still even lied.

"But you didn't tell me about why he did it for! I can't believe you dad! I totally can't understand you! Why are you so against me and Nick? He needed the money to save his sister from cancer but you missed it out! You didn't tell me! You even offer a surgeon to help them! Why didn't you tell me that?! Why did you have to ruin everything?!" I breathe as my tears keeps on flowing.

Mom stared at my dad sternly. "Tell me you didn't go that far."

Dad pulled himself away and pushed his hair with his fingers. "It's for the best! He needs to stay away from you cos--"

"Cos what?! He killed someone?! He was wrongly accused of what happened that night and I already told you that! He's not a killer dad! He didn't do it!" I yelled.

I wiped my tears away from my cheeks and looks at my own father with filth and anger. Not a stain of ruefulness or guiltiness from my father's eyes and he even makes me more angrier at him.

"He was the best thing that ever happened in my life dad! Why did you have to take it away?! Why did you have to ruin it? I love him so much and you saw that! I've been longing for him for two years. He left me cos you told him to. He left me cos he said you told him you'll file a case against him!" I yelled.

My mom gasped. "How could you do that to your own daughter?!" Mom quickly wrapped her arms around me and I just held onto her.

"I thought our family's happiness was important to you?! I told you to stay away from what they were having cos they're big enough. They can handle things on their own!" Mom yelled at dad.

"Do you want your own daughter to end up with an ex-convict?! He's poor! He can't support her! He'll--"

"He makes me happy dad!" I cut him off.

"He made me happy! Nick is the only man I want! Not anyone else and definitely not Damon! I only ended up with Damon cos you forced me to! My relationship with him is nothing but pure business. It's always about you dad. It's always about you, your goddamn business and your reputation! What about me dad?! What about my happiness?! Why did you have to take it away from me?!" I screeched.

Mom keeps patting my back while she cries with me. She tells me to calm down. She tells me to take it easy while Cameron was standing right next to me too. He was also holding me. I don't know if they knew about what my father did but I am so furious at my own dad. I didn't know he could go this far. I didn't know he could hurt me like this. How selfish and insensitive he is!

"Do you know how it killed me when I saw Nick married with someone else?! It could've been me dad! It could've been me walking on the aisle for him if you didn't intervene! I hate you! I hate you so much!" I yelled at his face as I ran towards the front door.

"Savannah!" I hear them calling out my name but I hailed a cab and left them.

"Dear! Come back here!" Mom called out but I couldn't look back.

"Savannah get back inside!" Cameron called me out too but I don't want to face them. I'm too mad at my dad to handle this. I can't stand an inch with him.

I cried silently on the backseat while the moving vehicle keeps on going away.

__________

SFTC:

Don't Speak - No Doubt