18 Pictorial 1

Andromeda was sitting on the floor mat as she hugged herself, she thought of those happy memories that turned into tragic ones. The party. They are wild and free. She drank a lot and accepted whatever her girlfriend of Zachary gave to her. She is getting drunk until it happens…

She shudders as it rewinds her mind. Blood. Drinks. Men. Women. She raised her hand. It was shaking. There—she can see the blood but, there's no blood in reality. It was all in her memories. She clenched her fist and cried silently as she felt the pain inside her. Taking away the life of her soul.

She sniffled and wiped away her snots and then took a deep breath. She wiped away the tears that kept rolling down her cheeks.

"It's not going to happen again." She stood and strode to the balcony. She held on to the parapet with exhales. She looked up at the bright sky and then down to the ground. Fifteen feet from the balcony to the ground. She won't die there. Maybe just broken bones but if her face falls first—no she doesn't want that. Not her pretty face.

A hug stopped her from what she was thinking. His smell lightened the mood. Yet it made her weak.

"What are you thinking?" He asked and shoved his face in the crook of her neck. "I am here now. I won't leave."

Hearing it gave her hope. But she's terrified. She didn't want to get her hopes high. She will fall hard if she trusts him again and loves him high again.

They stay like that for a moment and let him comfort himself while she's also taking a little comfort from him. In her life never sought comfort from anyone but him. Her grandfather taught her not to get comfortable and to face it all.

"Let's eat, mom is downstairs and grandpa wants you to be healthy." He reached his stomach and asked. "Is it true? That you can't have a baby anymore?"

"Yes." She answered like it was a normal question.

Zachary is disappointed as he hugged her tightly. He shoved back his face in her neck. They stayed like that for more moments and then he brought her downstairs. The maids are welcoming her, bringing her warm soup and then foods that her body needed.

"Eat a lot, Andy. We have lots of things to do before the wedding." Angela said as she put food on her plate. "Everyone is excited. Your mom and Kathleen even insisted on peeking on your gown."

"They wanted to see it so that they could ruin it," Andromeda said bluntly. Angela pressed her lips from the awkward atmosphere, but it seemed that it was never awkward to Andromeda.

"What else do you want to handle, Andro?" Zach asked and reached for the table napkin and wiped the side of his lips. "Wedding dress, invitation, cater?"

"Just the wedding dress. Nothing else." She said softly.

"Mom, you hear it. You can all do whatever you want for the wedding. Leave the wedding dress alone."

"Okay," Angela said and walked around to her father-in-law and helped him with the food.

Andromeda watches Angela take care of everything. Back then, she was doing the same thing to Zach and he did the same. 

"Andy, you don't mind if I choose the template for your wedding? I just found something beautiful and it would be perfect and it even smells good." She said excitedly.

"Okay." She muttered. Her phone started ringing and when she saw Andel's name she immediately excused herself and took the call away from them.

Andel is Andromeda's cousin. The first son of his Uncle Edmond before he remarried. He's working for some tycoon as a cover-up and working with her cousin Sabrina, granddaughter of her Uncle Grandpa Ezekiel.

"Yes?"

"I heard that you got into an accident and haven't died yet," Andel said bluntly like it was normal to say.

"Uhuh."

"Well, Grandpa warns me. Every person who is eyeing the throne wants your head."

"Then, they should come and get the crown." She said with a smirk.

"Does that stir you up? You aren't going to kill yourself again?" Andel asked from the other line and she didn't answer him. "Hey, I was just kidding. Okay, so if Zachary hurt you—again. Just call me. I will have a nice chat with him about how to finish his life. Or maybe I could ask Sabrina how to torture him. She never runs out of ways to torture bad people."

"Okay. I must go. There are lots of arrangements." She hung up and went upstairs to take a warm shower. She sighed in relief as she stayed in the bathtub and then thought of a few memories. Happy memories when there was him and her. She made a few phone calls to settle things and relax a bit.

She finally left the bathtub, took the oversize robe and put it on, then reached for the towel to wipe her hair. She opens the door, stepping out of the bathroom while wiping her hair. Her eyes met his eyes. 

Zachary was standing beside the table and he picked a glass saucer and warm water. He strode to her.

"Drink this."

"I'm fine. I don't need medicine." She turned back from him and went to his walk-in closet and found nothing to wear.

A knock on the door interrupts them and she strode to the door to open it. The maid lifted the bag that she requested.

"Your driver is waiting outside, Ma'am."

"Thank you." She went back to his walk-in closet and dressed up. She keeps ignoring him until they reach the main door of the house.

"Where are you going?" He finally asked. 

"I have some stuff to do."

"We have a pictorial at three." He said. She glanced at her wristwatch.

"I'll be in the venue at three." She said. He held her wrist.

"You aren't fine at all." He insisted.

"How can you say that?" She asked. He scooped her face.

"Rest for a while. Then we will go to the venue together." He said softly to convince her.

She put down his hand and turned back from him.

"I wanted to be far away from you if possible."

Hearing it from her mouth feels like he's been stabbed ten times.

"You really hate me."

"I do hate you." She said then turned to him. "I just wished that I died that night. So I wouldn't be hurting like this."

She left him gaping from what she said. She didn't want to see his expression anymore, so she turn back and get into the car and the car drove off.