The whole house became so silent that Nicole was sure she would be able to hear a pin drop if she listened hard enough. Now that it was out and the whole house was staring at her like she was some kind of alien entity, Nicole didn't know how to feel. She glanced at Alex, willing him with her eyes to say something, to say she was right, to save her from looking like a fool. Instead, he only stared forward at the plate in front of him, his jaw clenched in what seemed like anger.
"Is that true, Alex?". His father asked.
He was quiet for a few seconds before finally letting out a small sigh. "Yes, Dad. Nicole is my fiancee".
"What?". Mrs. Van Lewis whispered. She turned to Nicole and eyed her in open disgust before turning back to her son. "Her?". Her meaning was so clear that Nicole felt a wave of inferiority wash over her at the woman's condescending tone. And yet...Alex said nothing.
"I must say……your taste is rather poor, Alexander". It came from the blonde woman beside her. Even her voice was a sexy Southern drawl, the voice of someone who treaded the world with much confidence in herself and her presence. Nicole felt herself diminish and even though she tried her best to will them back, tears sprung into her eyes. She wished for only one thing at the moment. For Alex to stand up for her. The hurtful words would have nothing on her only if the man she loved could stand up and fight for her….tell his family that he loved her regardless. Instead, to her horror, he said nothing.
The blond woman pushed back from her seat and stood up, smoothening the creases on her short black skirt. "I will not sit here and be insulted like this". And with that, she stormed out of the room, her blonde hair falling down her back in beautiful cascades.
"Anita……". Alex's sister stood up from her seat and followed the woman out.
"Aren't you going to say anything?". Mr. Van Lewis says to Alex.. "You are not going to say anything?". His voice rose higher.
"I'm sorry, Dad".
"You are sorry? That's all you are going to say…..you are sorry?". He banged a hand on the table and Nicole jumped in her seat. "You have been an embarrassment to this family for as long as I can remember. And then I give you this chance, this one chance to prove yourself to me, Alexander. Marry Anita, I said. Marry her and enable easy merging of the companies. And guess what? You flop that one too". Nicole felt Mr. Van Lweis's angry gaze turn to her. "You found yourself another one. And this time, she's even lower than I expected. You've filled the poor girl's head with lies, haven't you? Fiancee?". He laughed bitterly and scoffed. "Of all the lies you've told, that has to be the funniest yet".
"Dad……".
"Do not….. speak when I'm speaking". He whispered menacingly.
The whole house went silent again.
"Young lady". Mr. Van Lewis turned to her. Nicole blinked back tears furiously and rose her head to look at him, barely resisting the urge to squirm under his cold gaze. "Whatever went on between you and Alex was a flimsy excuse of infatuation. You will not marry my son. As you might have deduced, he already has a fiancee. And one that suits him very well too. Now…..if you'll excuse us…..we were having a family dinner".
Nicole felt like she might be sick. Furiously trying to blink the tears away, she stood up and hugged her bag to her chest. Pausing one last moment, she looked at Alex through the blur of her vision and made out his figure. He wasn't looking at her. He was still staring down at the plate in front of him….and he wasn't looking at her or saying anything. She had wanted to look at him one more time for confirmation. Was his father right? Had he really lied to her? She needed him to look at her and tell her with his eyes that he'd talk to her later. That he'd explain everything later. But the father of her child wasn't even looking at her.
That alone hit her more than any hurtful word the family might have thrown at her. Barely feeling her legs, she made her way out of the dining room. She was so cold. The rain from earlier and the reality of what had just happened combined to chill her bones to the marrow. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't control the shivering. It still poured outside but she took no notice of that as she made her way out. The first slap of the rain against her skin jarred her, and her teeth chattered. She was so pathetic. The tears poured down her cheeks as she walked down the driveway faster, and faster, and faster till she was running. She couldn't see two steps in front of her but she didn't care. There was no point to this.
A sudden wave of nausea hit her as she stepped outside the gate and right there, she doubled over and poured her guts out. She hadn't even eaten much since morning, but she heaved and heaved till she could taste bile in her throat. Crying, she cleaned her mouth and ran down the dark street. She couldn't get in touch with reality. Her legs felt like lead, her head swarm, her vision blurred. All she could feel and hear were the steady pounding of her heart and the blood that roared in her ears. She didn't even hear the car honk. But the next thing she knew, she was weightless, flying through the air, her wet hair all over her face. She thought she was imagining it till she heard the loud thud on the floor and felt the first real jab of pain. It was her. She had been hit by a car and came flying through the air, landing onto this cold, hard asphalt. She heard the screech of tires, a loud honk, a voice and then….the gradual envelope of the black oblivion. With the last of her energy, she clutched her stomach tightly and whispered.
"My baby…….".
Six years laterNicoleI chew on my pen nervously as I pace the distance of my team leader's office. I desperately hope there has been a misinformation of some kind. "Nicole". I hear Aurora call my name as she enters the office. "You are here. Tell me it's a lie please".Aurora smiles and goes to stand behind her desk, arranging the documents that litter the table. "It's not. You are….."."But I can't!!!". I realize my voice has probably gone higher than it should have. Hastily, I walk over to Aurora's desk and lean over it, whispering into her face furiously. "I can't do the presentation, Aurora. I can't"."Why?". She doesn't even look fazed. "You handled majority of the project in my absence anyways. You know about it more than anybody….even me". "But….". I groan. "..... I can't stand in front of all those higher-ups. I'm definitely going to flop…. nervousness and all"."You won't". Aurora says as she tucks a batch of documents into a chest of drawers. "I know you, Nicole. You ar
NicoleFor a moment, I think I'm dreaming. This can't be happening. But when I dig my thumb into the soft flesh of my palm and feel the small jolt of pain, I realize it's not a dream after all. He looks the same, yet so different. He still stands tall at 6'2, but he looks slightly bigger. He has definitely started hitting the gym more constantly. Six years ago, he was bare faced, but now he sports a dark, well carved beard. He has also lost the short ponytail I used to love so much, now he has a fuzzy undercut and his remaining thick mass of hair has been styled to taste. Somehow, his physique isn't even the most different thing about him. Something bigger has changed. His confidence. He has turned into a man whose presence commands attention and respect when he enters a room. By a mere look at him, I can tell.Alex is finally the man I've always wanted him to be. I should be impressed by this, but after my initial shock, all I feel now is a roiling anger in the pit of my belly. I cl
Nicole;The ringing doorbell is what wakes me up. I glance at my alarm and see that I've overslept by nearly thirty minutes. Shit. This week just couldn't get any worse. I push up to my feet and pad my way downstairs to the door, yanking it open, my eyes squinted against the harsh morning sunshine. But there is no one. I glance around but there's still nobody. Disgruntled and highly annoyed, I wonder what kind of sicko would be thinking of pranks this early in the morning. I'm just about to close the door when I spot the parcel at my doorstep. I step back in surprise. What the hell? It's a bouquet of red roses and I pick it up, peering into the flowers suspiciously. There's a note attached to it and I shut the door behind me before I open. In shimmery blue ink, a scrawly handwriting reads;I'm sorry, Nicole. Give me a second chance, please. Love, Gregory.I scoff to myself and read the note again. A few weeks ago, I had decided to revitalize my dating life and against my principles,
Nicole"Excuse me?". I couldn't have heard that right. The chairman chuckles like it's such a delight to see me surprised and leans forward. "You'll be transferring to Mr. Van Lewis' company, Miss Webster. As a project supervisor and brand…."."Yeah yeah I got that". If he repeats himself one more time, I might just put my hands over my ears in annoyance. My teammates' eyes are all fixed on me. I can just imagine what's going through their heads. If it was me, I'd be thinking the same thing. How did she get such an opportunity?We might be teammates but in the end, we are only humans. We've all got that competitive streak in us. Regardless, I hate that they are probably giving me the side eye now and all because of a stupid "opportunity" I never asked for. A furious blush rises up my cheeks and I look back up at the chairman, squaring my jaw defiantly. "I'm afraid I won't be taking the offer, sir". Just like mine earlier, I see the smile fall off his face. My teammates glance at ea
Nicole;I pull into the parking lot of Van Lewis Galaxy and once the engine dies down, I take a moment to look up at the looming structure. I thought I had gotten to a stage in my life where I wasn't so wowed by money any longer but damn, this is proving me wrong. I am and can still be easily wowed. With a shake of my head, I remember where I am and why I'm here. I mustn't get distracted. I reach for the door but then pause midway. Against all logic, I pull down my sun visor and glance at the mirror. My cheeks are gorgeously flushed from all the heat coursing through me. My lips look a little dry and I'm just about to reach for my lipgloss when I halt myself halfway. What the hell do I think I'm doing? Really dressing up in anticipation of meeting Alex? Angrily, I pull the visor back up and yank the door open, stalking my way in aggressively. I don't even give myself a chance to admire my surroundings as I walk towards the receptionist's desk. She's a pretty, young woman with the slee
NicoleI spend a good amount of time in bed contemplating whether to stand up or not. After leaving the Galaxy yesterday, I called to the chairman's office and requested to have the documents sent to my home. I spent the rest of the day with my mind in disarray, wondering what the future now holds for me. I stare up at the ceiling of my bedroom now, wondering if I've made the right decision. It doesn't matter now. The documents have been signed and I'm expected at work this morning. It's too late.I push up from the bed, glancing at the alarm clock. It's just almost 6:30. All night, I'd tossed and turned and the evidence of my sleep struggle lies proud and dark under my eyes. It's going to take a ton of effort to cover those eyebags. I take my time in the shower and when I come out, I take as much time blow drying and styling my hair. When I'm done putting on my makeup, I'm quite impressed by the good coverage the concealer gave my under eyes. I walk into my closet and glance around i
Nicole;It doesn't matter that I argue all the way to the car and even all the way to the store. Just when I thought I couldn't get more frustrated, Alex gets on the phone, forcing me to quiet down beside him. My lips tighten in distaste as I turn to the window. I've not had many jobs, but I doubt this beats anyone's worst first day at work. Within a minute or two, the car slows down and Alex immediately alights, compelling me to follow. I see that that we are standing in front of a Galaxy Couture shop, not so faraway from the headquarters where we had come from. We make our way in and every single staff we come across drops a quick bow to Alex while he barely acknowledges them with more than a glance. I have so many questions for the man he has become. I wonder if I'm ever going to get answers. We go inside the first female couture store downstairs and the attendants quickly rush forward, polite smiles on their faces."Good morning sir"."Good morning". Alex replies off handedly, hi
Nicole;The driver is waiting for me outside which makes me wonder which means Alex used to get to his meeting. But then again….this is Alex. He has his ways. We make our way back to the office quietly and when I get down, the driver informs me that the rest of the clothes will be sent to my address. I grudgingly tell him a thank you and make my way into the office building. The receptionist smiles at me widely as I make my way past her and I can't help wondering if she ever gets tired of looking welcoming and homely. I bet I would. I release a sigh of exhaustion as the elevator begins it's journey upstairs, taking in my appearance in it's reflective walls. The crisscross on the pants are located at the hips and give the look an overall, soft, womanly abandon. The silk shirt somehow manages to caress my skin ever so gently, amplifying the elegance of the look. I must admit, I look like a million bucks.With a small smile, I make my way out as the elevator dings. The second door on the