8 CHAPTER 7

'Can you be my bride's maid of honor?' that request came to her as a surprise. She wasn't expecting it but she was excited

'You want me? But I will become your step daughter the second you marry my dad,' Jewel said to Rora.

'I know but you see I don't have any friends; you were a friend to me before all this happened. So please do me this favor?'

'If that's what you want then I will be happy to. Guess I should inform grandma now,' Jewel said and left Aurora in her father's bedroom.

Jewel was excited the second she came back from school only to realize that they would be dining at her grandma's house.

The dinner was a success and everyone was happy. Her grandma was even more ecstatic which was worrisome. It was as if she had met her long lost daughter.

She looked for her grandma and found her talking to her dad and uncle in the lounge.

'Where is Aurora?' her dad asked.

'She is doing something in the bedroom,' she answered her dad and sat next to her grandma.

'Is there something you want princess?'

'Yes. Rora just asked me to be her bride's maid of honor since she doesn't have any friends here,' she said.

'Is that so? That's wonderful,' grandma sounded happy.

'So I was wondering if you could find me a nice dress.'

'Of course, I will make sure you get the best. Since it's like that, I will have you and your friends be the bridesmaids. Gather your friends tomorrow and we will go shopping.'

'Thank you grandma, I will go and call them now.'

'Okay. Let me talk to these grown up men,' grandma said.

Jewel kissed her grandma and went to her room to make a group call. She told her friends about the current issue and they sounded excited. She knew just how her friends loved trying new things. They had never been bride's maids before so it was a new experience for them.

When it comes to Rora she was always trying new things. The last time she stayed with her, Jewel and her friends went to work at Rora's workplace and spent a day there. It was tiring and exciting at the same time. Rora made her to look at the world differently. It felt good to work for yourself.

Since her friends had agreed she returned back to her dad's room and found Rora lying on the floor. She rushed towards her and she wasn't breathing. She shook her for some seconds before she rushed out screaming and brought attention to herself. Her dad was the first to show up.

'Jewel what's wrong?' he asked looking at her.

'It's Rora dad. She isn't breathing,' she said her body shaking.

Immediately everyone rushed to her dad's bedroom and Rora was still there. She watched as her dad carried Rora off the floor and shook her.

'Aurora wake up!' he called but she wasn't responding.

He shook her for a while and her uncle was already calling for an ambulance.

'What's happening?' her grandma asked as she entered the room.

'We don't know,' her uncle said as he hung up the call.

Her dad still holds onto Rora and she could see that he was worried and stressed. She had never seen him like that before. Rora began to shake and scream as if she was being chased by someone. It was the first time she saw someone fighting so fiercely while they were in such a state. Her dad failed to hold her and even fell to the ground. Whatever Rora was fighting it was something bad.

'Please, don't. No!' she screamed and opened her eyes.

Rora was crying, tears rolling down her cheeks, her eyes red and puffy and her body was still shaking violently.

Rora hugged her knees as if she was a frightened child. What did she really saw to behave like that? She didn't know what to do neither do her dad. She watched as her grandma walked towards Rora and she hugged her tight.

'It's going to be okay child. I'm here, I will not leave you,' her grandma continued to say those words until Rora calmed down.

Her uncle left the room and returned after a few minutes. He had sent away the ambulance.

'She just needs to lie down and rest. Lucian make sure you won't leave her side. If it happens again just calm her down,' grandma said and her dad nodded in agreement.

Rora was put to bed before they all left the room including her dad.

'Will she be okay?' Jewel asked.

'She will be, don't worry,' grandma said and looked at her dad, 'now go, let's talk tomorrow. If she isn't well then we will go to the hospital.'

'Okay mother, goodnight,' her dad said and returned to his bedroom.

Jewel dragged her feet to her room not knowing what to do. If she hadn't rushed out of the room earlier then she might have been able to stop that from happening. She rarely cared but when she thought she was going to lose her she didn't feel so good. She became speechless, she couldn't do anything but just watch as others does everything. She was so excited about being the maid of honor while Rora was dying. She was bad and blamed herself until she finally went to sleep.

...

Lucian couldn't sleep at all the whole night. Whatever his little girl was fighting, it was too much. It felt like she was running from something and watching something very painful it made her seize the whole night. He had to keep on wiping her sweat the whole night that he only slept in the morning.

When he woke up Aurora wasn't in bed. He got worried and woke up. He looked for her in the bathroom but she wasn't there so he began to look for her in the whole mansion. He met Jewel on the way and it seemed she read his mind.

'Good morning dad.'

'Good morning princess.'

'If you are looking for Rora she is sitting outside. She wanted to be alone,' she said.

'Okay, thanks baby,' he said and went outside to look for her.

He found her sitting in the gazebo outside. He reached her and kissed her on her head and she turned her head to look at him. Her eyes were puffy from all the crying, she didn't look too well.

'Good morning Lucian,' she said and he felt different. He couldn't remember the last time she called him by his name.

'Good morning. How are you feeling?'

'I'm better, I'm sorry about last night,' she said as he sat down.

'It's okay as long as you are fine. What really happened to you?' he asked very worried.

'You wouldn't want to know,' she said.

'I can handle anything,' he assured her.

'I used to have a boyfriend back in high school.'

'Oh is that so?' to be honest he didn't understand why her high school boyfriend would have anything to do with her nightmares many years later.

'Yes, I really loved him so much. He meant the whole world to me, I could die for him and do whatever he wanted but one day after I graduated from high school I went to see him and there he was; tied in a chair with blood everywhere. He had been tortured badly and I just stood there without doing anything. He looked at me with those loving eyes, telling me that it was okay but I knew it wasn't. I couldn't run away, they got me too and tied me to a chair, bind my mouth so that I couldn't scream and look for help. I watched as they beat him and whenever he tried to faint they would pour water on him and awake him. They did that continuously for thirty minutes while I sit and do nothing but cry. It came to a point where I couldn't cry anymore. I just opened my eyes and watched him suffer. They took a gun and shot him right there in his stomach and showed no mercy. I couldn't even ease his pain as he died right in front of me. Feeling so helpless I don't know how it happened but I fainted and when I woke up I was home and okay. I thought it was a dream so I wiped my tears and went o his house only to find out that he was dead and his relatives already held a funeral. Apparently I had been sleeping for two weeks and missed out on so much. I cried until I had no tears left. I couldn't sleep at first but with help from the doctor I managed. I never had any nightmares then. I don't know what happened for me to faint this time,' she narrated her story tears rolling down her cheeks.

He always knew she was mysterious and strong but he never thought she had so much scars and pain deeply engraved in her; so much of it that she never shared it with anyone. He had been cruel to her, made her suffer and even forced her to a marriage which only brought back the nightmares she had forgotten about. His heart sank though knowing the deep love she had for her dead boyfriend. He would never be in her heart, he realized.

'I'm very sorry about your loss and sorry for the way I treated you. I didn't know,' he said.

'I understand you. It wasn't your intention. You were just trying to protect your family. I feel better now that I told you about it. I will be better soon, I promise.'

'I do hope so,' he said holding her cold hands.

'Aren't you going to work today?'

'I'm taking a day off. I will spend the day with you.'

'If you are going to do that, then you should start by taking a shower. I haven't taken one yet. Do you want to go with me?'

'Are you sure about that?'

'Yes I am unless you don't want to.'

'I do want that,' he said and helped her up.

They walked slowly back into the mansion and straight to his bedroom. Aurora ran the water for the tub while he poured the bath salts and some herbs inside. They both undressed and slipped into the tub. She sat between his legs and he hugged her close. She might have loved her boyfriend back then but now she was his. He would take care of her and protect her with everything he has.

'Are you sure you want to marry me?' she asked him.

'Yes I still do. I made my bed so I will lie in it,' he said his hands rubbing her body. Aurora laid her head on his chest and he felt her calming down.

He didn't regret making his choice and if he were to go back in time he would still make the same choice. He wanted a family with her, have children and have her love him. Would he still feel the same if she wouldn't give him children? He didn't know about that.

'Can I ask you a question?' he suddenly asked her.

'Sure go ahead.'

'I remembered that you once said you aren't ready for children. Was that true?'

'I grew up in an environment which made me think babies weren't a good idea. I didn't want my child to go through what I did. So whenever I think of babies I just get goose bumps,' she told him.

'So you don't want to have children with me?'

'I wish I could but I'm afraid that isn't possible.'

'Why would you say that?'

'I discovered that I was pregnant while dating my boyfriend back then and we were going to have a family. I was scared and excited at the same time. Since he was with me I could do anything...'

'Are you for real telling me about him again?'

'Why won't you just finish listening to me first? You are the one who started this so be responsible until the end!' she yelled at him and he just sat still. She sounded angry and he didn't want to provoke her any further.

'I'm sorry, I just got jealous,' he told her truthfully.

'I forgive you. When he died, I woke up a month later only to discover I was no longer pregnant,' she said tears filling her eyes.

'What happened to the pregnancy?' he asked her

'My parents had the pregnancy terminated without me knowing,' she said.

'Why would they do that?' he asked not understanding why they would do something like that to their daughter.

'They didn't want me to raise a bastard, a child of a man who died. They said it was all to protect me but I knew for sure it was for their own selfish agenda.'

'So because of that you no longer want to have children?'

'I wish I could have them but I'm afraid that is impossible,' she said tears flowing down her cheek.

'Did something go wrong when they terminated the pregnancy?'

'No, it all went too well but my parents were so eager to stop it from happening so they removed my womb. I can't have children; I won't be able to have them. Now do you understand?' She was now crying.

That hit him very hard. Just what kind of life did Aurora lead? This was too much for one day, he didn't know what to do so he just stood in the tub and left without saying anything. When he put his robe he saw Aurora crying. He just hurt her, brought so many bad memories in just one day. Her stories were too much as if they had been fabricated. Most women were so good at manufacturing stories so that they may gain some attention. He wasn't going to fall for that at all. There was four days left till the wedding and he didn't want any trouble. He called Victor and instructed him to find the medical history of Aurora and find someone to check up her story. He needed the feedback as soon as possible.

He changed his clothes and decided to leave the mansion altogether.

'Where are you going?' his mother asked him.

'I need some fresh air. I will go to the office now.'

'You are leaving her alone?'

'She will be fine. You are also here,' he said and kissed her goodbye.

He got into his car and drove off. He just wanted to get away from all this drama. She couldn't give him children because her parents removed her womb? Why anything so horrific didn't show up on the first report? There was so much that couldn't be explained in her story and he was going to find all the loopholes before the wedding. He decided not to go to the office but visit an old friend and have a couple of drinks. He just wanted to forget everything. He would go mad if he loses her. It was crazy but he knew that he was falling for her and it was already too late to go back to normal. Just like a virus, Aurora had corrupted him and he just couldn't let go.

..

She cried when she left the bathroom. For the first time in many years she finally told someone about the horrible things her foster parents did to her. And the man she was falling for abandoned her when he learnt she wouldn't be able to give him what he wants. If he could abandon her because of this little thing then what would happen when he learns about the untold truth she couldn't say. She couldn't even imagine telling anyone about it and yet it was a burden she carried everyday on her shoulders.

She decided to get some fresh air when she met Joan outside the room.

'Joan, what are you doing here?' she asked wiping away her tears.

'Are you okay dear?'

'I am now,' she lied.

'Okay, let's take a walk outside there is something I need to show you,' Joan said and Aurora followed her.

Joan took her outside and went to another gazebo that was a bit far from the mansion. Even if someone wanted to eavesdrop, it would be impossible.

'What are we doing here?'

'Something has been stuck on my mind ever since I first saw you and I have a feeling you know something,' he said seriously and she wondered what Joan had found about.

'What is it? Please enlighten me.'

'Did you find your birth mother?'

'Why do you ask?'

'I want you to be honest with me. Do you know something? Remember not to lie to me,' she warned.

It seemed she had been caught and since she had already lost the man she wanted then it was better to just get all off her chest.

'I suspect that your sister might be my mother though I'm still not sure,' she said.

'Is that why you approached my son?'

'I never approached him. I wanted to get closer to Jewel and find the truth like that. I never expected Lucian to resort to this. Like I once told you, my foster parents left me a huge amount of money when they died.'

'I will believe you this once.'

'Since you asked, do you know who my real parents are?'

'I don't know about your father but your mother was really my younger sister,' Joan told her and she just froze.

So her hunch all this time was true. And if June was her mother then that meant Lucian was her cousin and they were related. She had slept several times with him; she was even in love with him. She was starting to bare her soul out for him even though they had a fallout earlier this morning. The world began to spin around. Why was she so unlucky? She stopped investigating the story because she didn't want it to be true and now that it was confirmed she wished she never started it in the first place. There was absolutely no way she would be marrying Lucian now, it was all over and she had done it to herself.

Without saying any word, she stood up and began to just walk. She just needed to get away from Joan, from everyone and just to be alone. Why did she get born into this world?

Just when she started to be happy, just like that it all just gets snatched away. Why should life be this way for her? She was tired of crying, she wasn't going to cry but she was going to curse as much as she likes until she feels better.

She looked forward and began to just walk without caring where she was heading towards. No one cares, Joan knew about her real mother and yet she proceeded with the wedding. She must have been a great joke to her. She was really laughable. She hated everyone and herself for being like that. She began to run; she didn't even notice that her shoes got torn in the process. She was going to get as far as she could from this place.