Chapter 40

"Isn't the painting beautiful?"

Someone said from behind

I quickly looked back to see Emillian looking at the painting

Smiling warmly

I stepped a few steps back away from then stared at her

"This was taken when my husband is still alive"

Emillian said as she stepped closer to the painting touching it

I kept looking at her can't stop my suspicion

"We took this painting when Claude was 1 I think?"

Emillian said as she thought

She then slowly turned her gaze to me and smiled

"How about you miss les Acrez?"

Emillian said as she took a step closer to me

I then backed away from her

She looked at me with a confused look tilting her head to the side as she looks at me

She then gave a small giggle

"Would you like to know how I got married to my husband?"

Asking me with a smile on her face she then turned around to look at the painting

Went near it and touched it as her smile fades away

Emillian then stared intently at the painting and says her story

"I married Lucien Carnov de Leon at the age 19 while he was 21"

"I got married quite early, At first it was love...."

"I thought it was love how he showed me kindness and how he treated me"

"But as time went on Lucien became stranger each day especially talking with someone who seemed to have interests in me"

"That made Lucien's blood boil..."

"W-wait! Ien it's not what you think!"

Emillian at the age of 17 was dragged around by 19 years old Lucien holding Emillian's arm tightly

"Ien please listen!"

Emillian shouted desperately pulling her hand out from the strong grip of Lucien

"Ien!"

Emillian shouted

Lucien stopped and finally let's go of Emillian's hand

Lucien then slowly turned around and looked at Emillain who was scared just by looking at Lucien

Lucien as soon as he turned around Emillian's face became darker as she saw the angry face of Lucien staring at her blankly.... mumbling

"I ***l *i** those b*******"

"I'll *** **er* h*** **f"

Lucien continuously mumbling

Emillain was afraid of what Lucien would do

She tried running away but Lucien's reflexes were faster and caught her from behind hugging her from the back

"No no no please...hic...hic... don't leave me alone Emilli"

Lucien sobbed as she held Emillian close to him hugging her from the back tightly

Emillian couldn't do anything else but to just stay there and comfort him

Hearing Lucien's cry made Emillian want to cry too

Together with Lucien she cried softly

"Hic...hic...hic"

Lucien continued to sob

"I...I won't leave you"

Emillian said as she cried softly

Lucien then stopped and was nervous that he heard Emillian wrong

"What do you mean? *sniff sniff*"

Lucien's head still buried at the back of Emillian

Emillian then slowly removed Lucien's hug and turns to look at him

Lucien who's head was looking down kept on sniffling

"Ien look at me"

Emillian smiled

Lucien then slowly looked back at her as he saw her smile, Lucien can't be sad any longer and smiled back at Emillian

"I haven't even said anything"

Emillian said

"I heard you earlier and just wanted to make sure I wasn't hearing wrong"

Lucien said giggling

"Please don't throw me away... you're the only one I trust"

Lucien said as he look back down again

Emillian giggled and patted Lucien's head

"You don't have to worry about the people who approached me, I don't like any of them"

Emillian smiled brightly touching Lucien's cheeks and patted it softly

The both of then were happy to hear each other's comfort

But as time went on Lucien's jealousy has come back

To see Emillian getting closer with another

Lucien tried his hardest and calmed himself

But to witness something he truly hated... and to Lucien's fear

Slowly each passing day whenever that man is around Emillian

Lucien would notice a difference where Emillian would look at Lucien a friend who she loved dearly and to the man she knew right now is different...

Everytime Emilli looked at that man Emillian's eyes would glisten and would be filled with joy

Seeing that Lucien could not hold it any longer and took matters into his own hands

Lucien planned all of it thoroughly and soon it begun

Several days have passed and the man Emillain has loved vanished in thin air

For days Emillian cried and thought that he had ran away because he has no longer have feelings for her

And seeing poor Emillian cried the one who planned it all is the one who came to her rescue and comfort

"H-how could he?! I really thought he felt the same way..."

Emillian cried at the arms of Lucien as he patted her back to comfort her

"I though... I really thought"

Emillian mumbled

As Lucien kept on comforting her and eventually she has forgotten about him

Another year has passed Finally Lucien build up the courage to kneel and ask Emillian for her hand in marriage

"Will you accept my proposal and live happily with me, Emilli!"

Lucien asked with a smile on his face

"...."

Emillain was in silence

Lucien's expression has become nervous as he doesn't know what to do

"Yes..."

Emillian said smiling but with a hint of sadness

But Lucien doesn't seem to notice and was so delighted that she had accepted his proposal

He then immediately put on the ring on Emillian's finger and hugged her tightly and joy couldn't even be enough to express his happiness

Emillian still kept quiet but still smiled as she hugged Lucien back

"Why are you telling me all this?"

I asked wondering why she'd tell me these

I stopped her from telling more but She just kept quiet and is still staring at the painting

"I wanted to let you know"

Emillian said without looking back

"May I continue my story?"

Emillian looked directly at me smiling that gave me the shivers

I nodded my head slowly

"Please... Proceed"

I answered

Emillian gave me a smile then turned back to look at the painting

And soon after, we got married

And at first I was happy, I thought that our marriage was going smoothly

But that's what I thought...

But little by little I thought

What is happiness?

Was I happy to marry Lucien?

Or was I just forced to?

My parents knew that Lucien liked me and pushed for us to get married

And that what I was thinking since before he asked me

But then....he came and changed me

Who is he?

I thought

And that finally!

This is the man that I would love and marry

But as soon as I thought that the next day.... He's not there anymore

And to hear no news of him anywhere, and thought that I have assumed that he would like me back...

Lucien was a good husband but I can't love him more than he loves me

I can't give him that kind of love and I thought that if I can't give him my full love

He'll just be hurt...

I tried divorcing him since I wasn't happy anymore

But he begged and fell onto his knees begging me to stay!

I kept on saying that the love he has for me isn't the way that I see him

But he didn't care that as long as I have just a little bit of him in my heart, he would be fine

Looking at him with a teary eyes saying those soften me and stayed until now

Emillian kept quiet then

"...."

"...."

The both of us became silent

"Is that all?"

I asked Emillian

I was still too nervous to ask this but I asked anyway

"Hm?"

Emillian looked at me confused

"That wasn't all it, is it...?"

I asked again

I tried to ask hiding my nervousness but once again Emillian did not say anything and just looked at me with a confused face

"That wasn't all it"

I said again with a hint of anger to my voice

Stopping her story just like that

There's something missing and she's not telling

And she's hiding the fact that she's abusing Claude

Too cruel to be a mother

I thought all of those and wanted to say it out loud but I just can't

"..."

Emillian staring at my fist that was clenched as she smiled

then slowly turned her gaze to my eyes and smiled even more

"You seem to know more, Ms. les Acrez?"

Emillian asked with a smile on her face

"..."

But I did not respond

"Fine... I'll tell more"

Emillian said

And I just stared back at her still as she continues

Emillian Continues her story

After I said that I won't leave him

Everytime I made friends that was other than just women

The day after, they would disappear and to just hear the news is devastating

Everyday I blamed myself saying that it was because if me that they were all gone

Every time that I blamed myself my husband Lucien would come to my rescue and comfort me

And of course that didn't made me better, it only calmed me down

Everytime I made friends I was worried that they'll disappear again just like him...

And so, I isolated myself

I stopped attending parties, go outside and just stayed at home afraid that I would harm them....

I was shocked to see Emillian with a melancholy and sad look on her face

To think a heartless woman like her could give that kind of expression while Claude has to suffer

I glared at her

"If your glare was a weapon, it would have stabbed me Ms. les Acrez"

Emillian said looking at me smiling blankly

She then took a chair that was just close to us and she sat on it

She pointed at the chair that was close to me

"Please, sit"

Emillian said smiling

But I stared at her still glaring

I find myself the courage to just look at her straight in the eyes but she ignored all of it

"This would be a long story..."

Emillian said staring at me still smiling

I then sat and listened to what's next

After I isolated myself

Lucien thought that it would be nice to have a child together and to also have a successor and so we did

We tried tried and tried at that time I was 23 there was still no luck

But then when I turned 26 a miracle happened

I was feeling nauseous every morning and was always picky about food

Lucien quickly called for a doctor and found out that I was pregnant for 2 weeks

How could we not notice?

The both of us thought

I looked at Lucien with a smile on his face kissing my forehead and crying in joy

But I.....

I was happy...

Emillian hesitated her smile was forced too

I stared at her angrier to hear she even hesitated

She hesitated to say that she was happy to have Claude...

I thought

To be Continued~