Orlando's taste in music was plausible, not slow, not loud, and not boring.
His playlist snatched me from my thoughts throughout the drive to the mansion.
We pulled up by the huge gate and my reality knocked me.
The Hortons had good hearts, people I could call family, the happiness which completed me.
Hiding the truth from them made me an imposter, a traitor, and a liar.
The list was long.
The gates acknowledged us with a rumbling sound and Orlando drove through the fountains.
I memorized the striking blue of the pool.
Life without all these facilities won't be easy.
I didn't value luxury but living with the Hortons messed up my mind.
The beauty of their mansion became my favorite addiction.
Goodbye might be hard to say, but forgetting the mansion was the hardest.
"Mrs. Horton, are you okay?"
"Yes, " my gaze faded from the window.
I slumped into my seat and released a breath that hitched my throat.
"I'm skeptical about making some decisions in my life but forget it, it's going to pass. Maybe it's the tiring trip that's getting me worked up."
"Take a long bath. It helps to muster ideas in place. Making life decisions is not easy, so I understand you."
Orlando pulled out his security belt and walked around the car to help me out.
"When your ideas are all in place, make them go through the test of time. The ones which survive the test can be kept since the weirdest of them all must have blurred with time."
"Thanks, " I folded my coat and balanced it on my shoulder. "I enjoyed the ride."
I smiled and strolled out of him.
The night shadowed the clouds.
The stars twinkled at the full moon, adorning the wet lawn.
How much time did I have left?
Could I stay longer to figure out what it is that would work out well?
Won't I have died of guilt before the test of time was over?
Weren't Dwain's sea-blue eyes going to choke me with one glance?
Orlando's suggestion built doubts and twisted my nerves.
I reflected on them while wandering to the front porch.
"Where were you?"
Calm, raspy, upset, fading like a whisper, that was Dwain's voice.
Our eyes locked together and everything stopped.
Messy hair lightly brushed to the side with a defined jawline protruding as he clutched his teeth.
Lips pressed into a line, complementing his furrowed brows.
Why did such a specimen escape the lab?
His features didn't match the words in the thesaurus.
I worshiped his smooth face instead of taking his deathly frown seriously.
It was like he crossed his muscled arms over his chest to intimidate me, but then, noticing his healthy biceps somewhat tingled me, stripping down my saint mind.
In black slim track pants and white sneakers, he squatted on the staircase, shirtless, assaulting me with his celestial sculptured abdomen.
I didn't let my eyes slip further, even though the prints still hitched my breath.
Gosh!
I saw it.
No!
His monster looked at me first.
"I'm seconds away from losing my mind, " his hands shot out of their grip and he stormed into my private bubble.
Dwain closed the space between us and breathe heavily on my face.
Did he want to harm me?
My knees weakened and I stood there numb.
His hand attacked my waist and grabbed me. "Speak up!"
"I went to visit someone."
His eyes switched to ice cold at my response.
"Who? Why? When?"
"Let me be, " I fumbled in his hold but he didn't take his hands off me. "You can't treat me like a prisoner and expect answers to your questions. I'm not an object that you can own. Stop being possessive. Act like a gentleman and let me be. You merit more slaps for your behavior. What's wrong with you?"
His grip on my waist worsened.
"Lisa, you are mine. Secondly, no one orders me around like a kid. Did I make myself clear?"
"You act like a tot and guess what? You won't order me around no matter how muscular you are, caveman."
I hit his chest but he caught my hands and caged them with his palm behind me.
"Let me go or else I will serve your balls for dinner."
A smirk parted his lips but disappeared as quickly as it came.
"Stubborn much, huh?"
He brushed a thumb on my quivering lips, dipping his nose into mine.
"You owe me an apology for your rudeness."
"You are mad, insane, and probably losing your mind. "
I resisted the urge to spit on his face.
The evening didn't turn out the way I planned.
What if the staff saw us arguing?
Had Orland left the parking?
We were outside.
Anyone could watch us and feed the media with rubbish.
"What if someone is filming us? It might go viral."
"Let them capture everything."
"Excuse me?"
Before I could comprehend anything, Dwain lifted me with one hand and flung me over his shoulder.
"Billionaire's obsession. Don't you think it's a good title for the gossip tabloid's new article about us?"
He smacked my butt cheek and I moaned, slamming my hands on his bare muscles.
"Admit it, you like when I touch you."
He hurried into the living room and closed the door.
"I'm mad at you and you think you can flirt with me?"
"Did I flirt with you?"
Dwain pushed past a door and it locked behind us.
"Or do you want to flirt with me?"
He flipped a switch on.
"No! Can you let me be? Please."
This was the first time Dwain brought me into his office.
It had enough room for a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf.
His glass office table rested on a fine maroon rug.
The white and grey theme walls fitted his furniture.
"If you let me be, I will talk."
"Fine, " he dropped me on a brown couch and wheeled his office chair towards me.
He plopped into it and crossed his leg over the other.
I couldn't decipher if he was mad at me or if he enjoyed suffocating me with the stress he caused.
"Are you going to spend the night staring at me?" He hissed. "I'm not complaining. I'm ready."
I heaved a sigh and took my eyes off him.
Did he have to dramatize everything?
What did he expect?
Did he expect me to keep my eyes on the floor when he was this fine?
Why did I have these thoughts though?
I couldn't think of him this way.
"I went to the cemetery to visit a relative." I raised my head and met his scrunched brows. "You can ask Orlando."
"Orlando right? What else did you do with him? Did he also give you his contact? Did you sleep together?"
"This isn't funny. I'm talking about something important and you have the guts to make a fuse out of it. Do you want to be jealous of all the guys out there? Go ahead, murder them. Why are you even taking this fake wedding to heart? You said yourself that there would never be anything between us. I hope you haven't forgotten that we had a deal."
"You are married to me." He came closer and squeezed my hand. "You don't go out without my permission. Lisa, if I don't approve of you going out, you should never leave this mansion. Even if it's to visit a relative at the cemetery. "
He was tautened, serious, and menacing with his stare.
"You know what? I knocked at your office to inform you about my going out but you didn't respond. Orlando told me you were in your office, why didn't you answer when I knocked? A maid told me you weren't home but Orlando said the contrary. Were you avoiding me? "
Did I hurt him with my words?
Who was this man and why did he find it normal to inflict pain on me?
I tucked my lips as he released my hand and pushed his chair across the room.
I clutched my ears while he dumped all his files on the ground and shattered his laptop.
He ran his fingers through his hair.
His breathing lashed my ears as he hunched his back to lift his table.
I screamed. "Please, stop. I'm sorry. . . I'm sorry for the slap. Thanks for the breakfast, I shouldn't have reacted the way I reacted. Your cooking is marvelous, how did you make such delicious cookies?"
My breath skipped over the window.
Thank goodness, he calmed down and stayed still for some time.
I stepped on the rug and shortened the distance between us.
I brushed his arm and he dismissed my touch.
He shot his hand to my jaw and pulled my face into his.
He moved his lips to my ear.
"I'm your husband, till I say otherwise. Have you heard?"
"Y-yes."
"Good. Now, get out!"
I sprinted out of his office and escaped to our room.
Fastening the door after me, I sat on the rug and let my heartbeat cool down.
Dwain was fierce and I saw a spark of rage cross his eyes but he masked it with his cold stare.
He wasn't over Elisabeth's issue yet, or maybe something else fueled his anger.
I took a bath and changed into white sweatpants, thick socks, and a sleeveless cotton top.
My hair fell over my shoulder and brush the small of my back.
Knocks from a maid interrupted my smuggling into a pillow.
"Mrs. Horton, dinner is served and everyone is waiting for you."
"One minute, please. "
I slipped my flip-flops on and headed to the dining.
I greeted everyone in the dining and held my breath when sitting next to Dwain.
Liam raised a hand at me and waved.
He was seated between Brielle and Leonard.
Tasha sat adjacent to all of us, busy testing the wine and whispering something into Perez's ear.
Liam was first to serve himself waffles, brown rice, and chicken wraps.
I wheezed at his choice.
I settled on a spicy fish roll, olive spaghetti sauce, and broccoli rice.
Dwain took a slice of grilled pork and a few fries.
Leonard smiled at him and mounted his plate-like Liam's.
Brielle and Tasha preferred the vegetables.
We were spooning food and stuffing our mouths when Tasha hit her fork on her glass of wine.
She cleaned her lips with a napkin and cleared her throat.
"4 hours from now, two of you will grow older. I want us to raise our glasses and toast for Liam's and Dwain's plus one."
We lifted our glasses.
"Son, are you joining us tomorrow?" Tasha picked up a glass of red wine and downed it. "You haven't said anything yet."
Dwain's fingers twitched.
"Good night, " he dropped his cutlery and exited the dining.
Looks flickered in all directions but no one spoke.
Tasha gulped all her wine and clasped a table napkin. "Good night!"
Disappointment took over her actions and she abandoned her food.
"Is Dwain angry with Mommy?" Liam lowered his cutlery and eyed each of us but no one uttered a word. "I'm going to bed."
He quickened his steps out of the dining, calling on Camilla to tuck him in bed.
"I should head to bed, " Leonard wished us nice dreams.
Brielle didn't care about the absence of others.
She prioritized her food.
I kept her company and we ate our meals in silence.
Minutes later, she sobbed and I scrambled to comfort her.
"Hey, I'm here. Don't cry."
I enclosed my hands around her.
"I told him about Alister's proposal. But he got angry and insulted me."
I yanked her from her seat and caught her in my embrace.
"He didn't listen to me. Dwain was unfair. He had no right to talk to me the way he did. Who does he think he is?"
I was trying to control my anger while consoling Brielle.
Why was Dwain so annoying?
"Be strong. He is going through tough times. I'm sure everything will be normal soon. Please, stop crying."
The kitchen staff came and tidied the leftovers plus the dirty plates from the table.
Brielle didn't keep up with crying but she didn't want to sleep, so we got on the couch in the living room.
Camilla brought us a big blanket and we buried ourselves under it to watch a movie on Netflix.
"Brielle, it doesn't end well. I'm serious, I have read the book, and reread and the ending didn't change. It's not even a series."
"The ending in the book might be different from the movie. Let's watch it. Who doesn't love Cowboy's romance? Wow, 5 seconds into the movie, we have a sex scene. Splendid."
"Oh! Goodness, I'm not watching this scene, I can't believe that they also added this part to the movie."
"Reading a sex scene and watching a sex scene which one has more graphics impact? Reading is the worst."
"I didn't read it and I won't watch it either."
Brielle slept before me and we didn't end up watching the whole movie.
We spent our night on the couch, shivering in the cold.
IN THE MORNING, THE decoration team that Tasha hired arrived in their pickup truck at 7 and started decorating the living room.
The courtyard was taken care of by a different team that arrived shortly after the first.
Birthday banners of all sorts, green, red, yellow, and blue balloons floated in the living room.
The balloons had Liam's face and the banners had his name plus funny pictures of him.
The team also added more lighting, set up a stage, and made a children's playground in the living room.
The party hats, surprise bags for kids, and takeaway for adults were placed on the stage.
The catering service was yet to arrive.
Since every other person got something to get busy with, why not go assist in the kitchen?
I joined Camilla in making breakfast.
She had assistance from other staff but I pleaded with them to let me do most of the work since I was bored of being ideal.
They stood their ground and refused but Perez agreed with me.
So, they gave in.
"Please for the milk, it's over there."
Camilla made quick moves towards me with a mixing bowl in her hand, pointing at the mounted cupboard above the counter.
She mixed the dry ingredients separately and it was time to mix the wet ingredients.
I assisted in whisking the eggs into a fluffy mixture which she was proud of.
"Also give me the vanilla and flavoring if possible. That's if you can reach that cupboard."
Did Camilla make fun of my height?
I brushed it off with a smile and climbed on the counter to pull the tin of milk, the bottle of vanilla, and flavoring from the cupboard.
"Here, have it. The counter helped me."
I frowned at her.
She giggled and mixed everything nicely.
"Don't mind me." She placed the bowl on the counter and rushed to the fridge. "You can cream this while I preheat the oven."
She handed me a glass bowl, butter, cheese, and granulated sugar plus a spatula.
"Camilla, a spatula? Can't the electric whisk do well?"
"The electric whisk is good but it brings laziness. C'mon stop complaining and use the spatula."
I grumbled and put the ingredients in the bowl.
With the help of the spatula, I began folding the mixture into the white cream Camilla required.
"Do you know where Dwain is?" I raised my head from the cream when it was light and milky. "I didn't see him this morning."
I took the whisked eggs and poured them into the cream to mix the two with the electric whisk.
"He left the house last night. No one knows where he went to." She glanced at me and the smile on her face faded. "He should have been back by now. He never spends the night on the eve of his birthday at home. It's six years now that he's been doing this."
"Why?" I took out fresh Oranges from the fridge and peeled them. "Does he always get mad at everyone like he did yesterday?"
"He gets annoyed each time but trusts me, he's worst this year and I don't know when he might be back. The eve of his birthday holds memories of his father. . ."
She paused and pushed the blender close to me.
"I don't think he would appreciate that I have this discussion with you. If he hasn't told you yet, then it means he has his reasons. When it's the right time, he will tell you. Now, hurry with the orange juice."
Cooking breakfast with Camilla boasted my kitchen skills.
We prepared the various meals without talking about Dwain.
The heart-shaped cake we made came out of the oven flawlessly and Camilla did the icing.
I helped with grilling the beacon, toasting the bread, scrambling the eggs, and boiling the lemon tea.
Camilla tasted the cooking and gave me a high five for making her relive her childhood memories.
I inscribed her compliment on my heart and preserved it there for future reference.
"The eggs are done so well, Perez has improved." Tasha held a fork of scrambled eggs to her lips. "The lemon blend is something I haven't tasted for weeks now."
"Lisa is the secret ingredient." Camilla brought the cake into the dining. "She's a real chef."
"Perez won't find it funny, " Brielle giggled and Camilla nodded. "Dwain doesn't know what he's missing."
She sipped her tea and chewed a slice of bread.
Breakfast extended into the afternoon since we took it late and I received nice compliments for my cooking.
Leonard went shopping with Liam while Tasha retired to the courtyard to coordinate the final touches.
The courtyards team mounted white canopies, a displaceable stage, party lights, and a photo booth.
They arranged party tables and chairs in circles under the canopies.
They also decorated them with balloons and red roses.
Each table had favor bags, stainless steel wears, bowls full of chewable, wine, ice buckets, and welcome cards with menu cards.
Why all of this?
Ask Tasha, the planner, and the number one sponsor after Leonard.
Yep, I was told that Leonard financed the whole event this year.
Last year, Brielle did and Dwain supported her, confirmed by Camilla and Perez.
The clock stroke 4 p.m.
And Tasha breathed satisfaction from all the teams.
They had done their various task well.
The Buffet and beverage service arrived.
The house personnel assisted them with the transportation of the meals and beverages from their truck to the mansion.
Jana arrived later and we had little girls chat before running upstairs to change our clothing.
"Oops, I lost my pin."
I crouched on the floor to look for the last pin to hold my chignon at the nape of my neck.
I searched under Brielle's bed but didn't see it.
She was taking a bath and I needed her help.
"Jana, please, help me with my chignon, " I turned to her as she peered into Brielle's room.
"Sure, " she came in, smiling wildly, and flipping hair out of her face.
The purple mini cocktail gown she wore, fitted all her curves, defining her straight legs in six inches of black heels.
"Tasha is screaming downstairs for you two to come down and you have the nerve to do a chignon? It's beautiful though."
Jana undid my chignon and did it from scratch, pinning the knot at the back of my head.
Brielle emerged from the bathroom in a towel and fidgeted with her closet to get dressed.
We had the same outfit.
It was a handless red cotton fabric that rested a little distance above the knee.
It had flowery patterns from the front to the nude back, curling up in waves.
Victoria tailored the gowns exactly as Brielle drew them.
The fashion portrayed refinement of one's self.
"Tasha must be waiting. "
Jana gave up waiting for us.
"Is he coming?"
I took my black heels from Brielle's wardrobe and slid my feet into them, buckling the crossed zebra straps above my ankles.
"Not sure, but he usually comes."
She drew her brows and combed her hair to the side, adding red ribbons to them.
"Not Dwain, I'm talking about Alister."
"Oh! I didn't inform him. " She grabbed her black sandals and buckle them above her ankle. "Are you done?"
"Yes, a touch of lip balm, and I'm done."
The second we marched out of Brielle's room, a bulk of guests crammed into the living room.
Tasha needed backup for last minutes touches before Liam's arrival since a good number of guests were immersed in her catch-up talks.
She was very outstanding in her off-the-shoulder yellow prom gown which had two dangerous slits.
"Elegance, class, feminism. Look at my three beauties."
Tasha acknowledged our presence.
She gripped the hem of her gown and invaded our private space. "The night is going to be a stressful one. Can you three abstain the kids from crowding the courtyard until Liam is home?"
"Sure! "
We shook our heads in unison.
Toddlers played around.
The boys look cute in black penguin suits and the girls looked pretty in fairy tale gowns of multiple colors, pink being one of them.
Tasha also imposed a color code for adults and teenagers.
Blue gowns for ladies spanned the living room, complementing the white shirts that the men tucked into black pants.
One!
Two!
Three!
Blackout.
The spotlights showed at the door and expanded into a circle.
Within it, Liam got trapped.
Shooting stars fired outside at his entry.
He posed in the circle, astonished as he noticed the red carpet.
"Happy Birthday!"
The lights flared on, revealing the most amazing kid who ever lived.
Liam's curls fell above his ear and a smile pinned his lips as he spilled vigor in his three-piece suit.
Tasha placed a crown on his head and fixed a birthday banner on his shoulder.
I ushered him to his seat through the congestion of the clapping guests.
"Thanks, buddy."
"It's your birthday, anything for my prince charming."
Tasha read a rundown of the program and cheered the guest to have fun.
Liam distributed the favor bags to his mates and chose the winner of the kid's dance challenge.
The winner competed with him but didn't win.
Leonard had predicted the results minutes before the Just Dance It challenges.
He boasted around for teaching Liam his waistline tricks and killer moves.
The magician which Tasha booked made a spectacular appearance.
He eloped from one of the huge cartons in the living room.
My heart didn't find it funny.
He told stories to the kids while working his magic tricks.
He also recounted some funny jokes and his life as a kid.
He entertained them for half an hour and his last trick closed the kid's program.
The next phase of the program took place in the courtyard.
Guests congregated under the canopies, making themselves comfortable with their kids.
Tasha invited a guest artist who covered the night with his heartbreaking voice and funny stage dancers.
He encouraged the kids to climb on stage and sing with him.
The confident ones won cookies and sweets.
"Brielle?! Jana?!"
I'd lost track of Leonard, Brielle, and Jana.
I checked the mansion for their whereabouts, yet didn't find them.
Out of breath, I strode to the kitchen.
Tasha was leaning on the counter, holding a glass of water.
She hadn't taken note of my presence even as I poured myself a glass of water.
"Tasha."
I tapped her shoulder.
"Has Dwain come?"
She regained consciousness and drank down her glass of water.
"He's yet to come."
I grabbed her empty glass and rinsed it in the sink.
Was this the right time to ask about Dwain's hatred toward her?
It didn't concern me, so I abstained from prying answers.
I mumbled. "Don't be upset. I'm sure he will come."
"Six years ago, on the eve of Dwain's birthday, " tears flew down her cheeks. "I argued with Edward and he didn't come home that night."
She kept talking. "The next day which was Dwain's birthday, I crossed to France and met my parents. And the day after Dwain's birthday, Edward died in a car accident. Dwain refused to forgive me for leaving. I shouldn't have left Edward, I shouldn't."
Somethings clicked.
This was why Dwain wasn't home.
He was in pain.
His birthday was triggering sad memories.
He wished things were different.
That the outcome will be different, yet he couldn't change anything.
This feeling of helplessness was hard to accept.
I was familiar with his pain.
I'd once been there, crying over the death like my tears would bring Lyn back to life.
My knees almost gave up on me as I watched Tasha inhale and crease her swollen eyes.
I couldn't hold back the emotions coursing through me.
"My condolences for your loss."
She nodded, shying away from me.
Yet, I closed the distance between us.
"It's hard to move on from someone we keep close to our hearts. I don't know what else to say but It's high time you talk things out with your son. I have observed the relationship between the two of you and I think it needs fixing. Dwain is hurting and he needs you. Approach him, listen to him, and sort your issues."
I didn't wish to go overboard with Tasha, but she needed to know that was not the only thing she did that hurt Dwain.
I recognized pain, sorrow, and regrets in her eyes.
That was what Dwain wanted to see in her eyes and if she approached him, their issues would be resolved.
"Liam needs you now more than ever, you won't want him waiting forever right?"
I teased Tasha but she stayed still.
"Dwain has to be here for Liam. Liam prefers to have Dwain as a counterpart but Dwain doesn't give him the attention he needs. If my son doesn't show up tonight, I won't go easy on him. Let's go meet the others."
The time came for the handing of gifts.
Liam received tons of gifts from over one hundred guests and the house staff transported them to his room.
Liam received a treasure map from me, to help him locate his gift which I hid in the aquarium.
Orlando had drafted the treasure map and assisted in hiding the package a week ago.
"I don't want to cut the cake "
Liam crossed his arms.
"Why buddy?"
I crunched to wiggle his cheeks.
"Dwain isn't here to hold my hand."
"Dwain is on the way, he won't mind if Leonard holds your hand."
"It's not Leonard's birthday, it's mine and Dwain's."
Liam didn't want to cut the cake.
Brielle promised to buy another cake when Dwain shows up but he refused.
Leonard and Jana finally convinced him to cut the cake.
Leonard held Liam's hand and sliced through the three-layered cake as the crowd spelled six, his new age.
The whipped chocolate cream flowed down the cake as a little chocolate fountain and Liam's eyes sparkled.
The solo in the background accompanied the guest as they served themselves from the buffet trays on their various tables.
"Without your warm response to our invitations, this day wasn't going to be a success. I wish you the best of tonight and a good appetite. Please, enjoy yourselves."
Leonard popped a bottle of champagne and extended a toast to the guests under the stands and they held up their glasses.
The beautiful moments and Liam's smile melted my heart.
The need to capture and cherish these moments overpowered me.
Pictures might be the only reminder of this fairytale.
I snapped out of my thoughts and sneaked out of the courtyard.
I got into the mansion and walked the stairs to my room.
Within minutes, I found my mobile phone and caught up with the others outside.
"Who's in for a family photo?"
"No, can do?"
Brielle jerked her head from her glass.
"Brielle, I raised you better than this." Tasha cried out in anguish. "Why not?"
"Are we saying cheese too? I hate cheese."
Leonard rolled his eyes from his meal.
Jana hissed. "I'm allergic to pictures."
"Jana! My kid isn't fun of liars you know. Should I tell Liam that you lied?"
Tasha convinced them to take a family picture with my mobile phone.
One picture soon became three and then multiple as the evening neared its end.
Tasha's words brought out my guilt.
Liam didn't like liars, yet I continued lying to him.
I made up my mind to talk with him before he went to bed.
"Why are you crying?" Liam pecked my cheeks as we took a couple of shots together. "Stop crying. I'm sure that Dwain will come. Maybe he's in traffic that's what Leonard said."
"That's not why I'm crying."
"Should I cry with you?"
"What? No, buddy. Today is your day. I'm happy to see you grow up like a good boy but I'm scared that one day someone might take you away from me."
"Who?"
"That girl over there, " I pointed at a girl who didn't stop staring our way.
She had two horsetails and a nice princess gown.
How could I explain the situation to him?
Tell him that this might be our last time together.
I didn't have such courage to shatter his heart.
"She's watching us."
He eyed her and brought his thumb to my face.
He inverted it to the ground. "I don't like her. She won't take me from you."
He hugged my neck.
I wrapped my hands around him.
"Promise me you won't ever hate anybody no matter what happens. Even if the person lied to you."
"If the person gives me a fountain of chocolate, I will not hate him."
"Buddy, I'm serious. Hating isn't healthy."
"Did you lie to me?"
He broke the hug and looked into my eyes.
"Do you think I did?"
"Come here, " I kissed his forehead and he giggled.
"Nope. Not hating, I promise. "
He placed a hand on his chest and raised the other one.
"Good boy."
I filled his face with kisses.
The evening closed with an acapella from Leonard and Brielle.
Their melody could redeem any soul.
Liam maneuvered the piano keys like a professional and the guests praised him.
House staff distributed the takeaway bags and leftover favor bags to the youngsters.
Liam fell asleep shortly after that and Camilla carried him to bed.
Leonard opted to drive Jana home when the last goodbyes were done.
Brielle retired to her room while exhausted Tasha sat on one of the party chairs, drinking a bottle of whiskey.
"He didn't come, " she sipped from the bottle.
"He has good reasons. I'm sure something came up. "
We discussed the party and Tasha went to bed.
I forced myself to sleep but I couldn't, so I settled on waiting for Dwain to get home.
Part of the problems in this mansion occurred because of my presence.
The earlier I swapped with Elisabeth, the better.
I found leisure in helping Camilla and Perez in tidying the kitchen.
"Excuse me, Mrs. Horton. Mr.Horton seeks your presence, " a young maid moved into the kitchen.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and grabbed a towel from the countertop.
"Where is he?"
I didn't move my gaze from her as I dried my hands.
"He wants you to meet him upstairs."
Did he want us to talk?
Was he still mad at me?
What if he had plans of killing me?
Was he drunk or sober?
How was I to approach him?
Did I have to approach him?
Was meeting him the right thing?
I knocked at the door twice and got no answer.
I pushed my way in and a sniff of alcohol wrecked my nerves.
Dwain shattered a bottle of vodka on the wall and I jumped in my tracks.
He seemed not to have caught sight of me and grabbed a portrait from his coffee table.
He held it above his head and smashed it on the floor.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"How could you hide this from me?"
"I waited all this while and you found comfort with him?"
"You made me like this, you took away my joy, you ripped me of happiness because of a bastard?"
"I didn't expect this from you, this wasn't you."
Oh!
Goodness!
What had Elisabeth done?
I didn't speak a word as Dwain kept asking himself questions.
He pleated the sleeves of his black shirt to his muscles.
Then, he unbuttoned his shirt, stretched his neck, and tightened his hand into a firm fist.
He even aimed his fist at the wall.
I closed my mouth to hold my scream.
He hit the wall until his hand started bleeding.
He was in severe pain.
"Dwain, stop it. Please."
He sighed. "Why should I stop?"
He tore his shirt and tied his bruised fist.
"You are hurting yourself."
"The pain you inflicted on me is more than this," he twirled on his heel and steadied his pace toward me. "I made up my mind to heal, but you ruined me. You made my old scar bleed and the wound is fresh. Why don't you like my happiness huh?"
He fastened me to the wall as his heavy breathing fanned my nostrils.
"You are drunk."
"Dwain let go of me," tears stained my cheeks as his hand slipped behind my head. "I don't like the way you are touching me. Please, stop it."
He sniffed my neck and pulled my waist into him with his throbbing hand.
His skin burned mine as his hot breath descended on my cleavage.
"Stop, please."
"Why?"
"You are hurting me. Please, stop."
He leaned forward, pressing his erection on my abdomen. "Don't you like screaming my name?"
"I don't. Let me go, please."
"I won't forget to eat that pink beauty beneath your legs like groceries, only if you promise to be a good girl."
I yelled for help but he closed my mouth and threw me on the bed.
He hovered over me and his fully hard monster rubbed at my core from across his slacks.
"Do you want to rape me?"
He grinned. "No. I want to play."
I hesitated his touch and deepened my nails into his arms but he didn't squirm.
He groaned. "Keep quiet."
I wiggled out of his hold. "Help! Help! Dwain wants to rape me!"
His eyes searched mine while his hand blocked my shouts.
He closed his eyes and rolled off me.
I fought for fresh air, breathing heavily.
What just happened?
Why did he change his mind?
My heart was hammering in my chest as Dwain sat on the floor and spread his legs, before covering his face with his hands.
Was he regretting his act?
I clutched the bedsheets to cover my cleavage.
Why did he want to rape me?
I wiped tears from my eyes at the thought of losing my virginity to a guy who wasn't mine to own.
Dwain spoke with remorse, nearly whispering to himself. "A woman did this to me, she made me a monster, and you helped her to destroy me."
I skipped from the bed and tiptoed to the door, hoping to escape.
Yet, he pleaded for me to stay.
I halted in my tracks.
"I can fix myself but only if you answer one question, " he rose from the floor and opened his eyes.
Tears spewed down his cheeks.
His lips were shaking. "Do you love me?"
This had to be a joke.
Elisabeth had to be here, answering this question, not me.
What did I have to tell him?
How could I walk out of this situation?
If I told him yes, it would have given him false hopes.
If I told him no, he might kill himself with the hot temper he had difficulties taming.
Dwain had feelings for Elisabeth, yet she didn't see it.
I couldn't believe witnessed the drama occurring in romance novels.
Dwain had indirectly confessed his love while his nemesis still hated him.
Could this woman he referred to, be the girl in the passport-size pictures?
What did she do to him?
Dwain wasn't going to answer my questions, so I pushed them away.
"I'm talking to you." He retorted, gaining stability as he stood up to face me. "Do you love me?"
I gulped, fidgeting with the watch on my wrist as I avoided his gaze.
"You have enough time to think about it before getting back to me."
He shuffled his hand through his messy hair and stopped by his closet.
"Frustration and alcohol took over me. I didn't mean to harm you. I'm sorry. I will never rape a woman."
He stripped out of his shirt and kicked his black pants to a corner of the room, making his way to the bathroom in only a pair of boxers.
Did I hear him right?
Dwain said he was sorry.
What came over him?
I believed him.
And I'd forgiven him.
It was stupid of me to forgive him easily, yet I just felt like doing so was the best thing at the moment.
Evaluating everything that Dwain said, he still had feelings for Elisabeth.
I won't have deduced that his happiness was very close and easy to find if not for today's incident.
His bleeding scar needed to heal from Elisabeth's betrayal.
For the healing to occur, the wound had to be stitched.
This stitch could only be Elisabeth's acceptance of her love for him.
I'd found the solution to my guilt.
I couldn't believe it stood right under my nose all this while.
To stop lying to the Hortons, I had to play cupid and match Elisabeth and Dwain before dawn.
At last, my chance to make things right smiled at me.
And I was relieved.