Why Him?

CHAPTER 9

Kiara POV

After that eventful night with my dad, he had been locking me inside the house like I was a teenager. He didn’t even let me go to the office and work. I also can’t eat my meals at the dining table with him because the maid will bring the food to my room. To sum it up, I was grounded.

Thank God he didn’t take my phone away. This is all because of that bastard Nolan. I had no idea how he could make my dad buy all his bullshit. This seriously had to stop. Dad has to know that I was the victim here. But how?

I was pacing back and forth in front of my window, seeking some inspiration, but I still couldn’t figure out anything. I sighed deeply. This is very depressing.

“Kiara.” Dad suddenly went into my room uninvited. I looked away from him. The dark circle under his eyes made him look tired, and I also noticed that he hadn’t shaved this morning.

Is this his way of making me feel guilty? Because it’s freaking work. I hated it when he looked like a mess while we were fighting. “What do you want?” I asked acidly at him.

“Go change your clothes. We’re going out.” He suddenly demanded. I frowned at him. “Where are we going?” I asked him back, but he never gave me the answer. “Just be quick.” He said, then exited the room.

************

Kenny, our driver, pulled the car in front of an Italian restaurant. I could sense that something bad was about to happen. Dad is not the kind of person who hides something from me, but lately, I felt like I didn’t know him at all. He’s been on Nolan’s side more than mine.

“What are we going to do here?” I asked him, and he only opened the door, getting off the car before me. “I want you to behave. Don’t say anything unless I let you. I will take care of the rest.” He warned me before we entered the restaurant.

I don’t understand why I had to shut up, but once I saw the person sitting at the VIP table, it was all crystal clear to me. Nolan, along with his parents, were waiting for us at their table. Oh, Crap. I should’ve known dad would want to bring me here so we could talk. He still got a bruise on his face. I think Gideon beat him a bit too much last night. But he deserved it! Way to go, Gideon. So much for breaking my heart.

“Richard, so good to see you again!” Dad chimed after we approached them. Sometimes it scares me how fast his mood could change once he meets his friends.

“Roger, we’ve been waiting for you both.” Uncle Richard smiled thinly and shook dad’s hand before he led us to join them at their table. “Kiara, dear. You’re still as beautiful as always.” He said, complimenting me. I only gave him a curt smile in reply.

I was about to take on the empty chair beside dad, but then he shot me a glare. “Kiara, sit there next to Nolan, will you?” he said, clearing his throat. “But dad?—“ Nolan gladly got up from his chair and held the chair open for me to sit. “Babe, please? I missed you already,” he said. Oh God, please remind me again how I could fall in love with this man. He’s such a weirdo. I think Gideon beat him a bit too hard. It affected his brain.

I looked back towards my dad, but he’d already engaged in a conversation with Uncle Richard. Cursing at my bad luck, I then sat on the empty chair. I had no other option either. “Hello there, dear. Did you lose some weight? You looked skinnier than the last time we met.” This time it was Clara, Nolan’s mom, who asked. Yeah, right... If only she knew this was all because of her son. I lose all my appetite to eat.

“No, Clara. Actually, I worked out and gained some muscles.” I said in reply. We were about to order the food, but then I was startled in my chair because I felt Nolan’s hand over my thigh.

“The carbonara here is to die for.” He whispered at me. I swatted his hand away from my thigh while giving him a cold glare. “Keep your hands away from me or—“ he then cuts me. “Or what? Are you going to call your boyfriend to come over and hit me again like last night? Come on, Kiara. As long as I still lived, you are mine.” He declared while grabbing one of my hands under the table, then giving them a squeeze. He flashed me a sly smirk, sending shivers down to my spine. Who the hell is this man?

He’s not the same Nolan that I know from before. The one that has been in a relationship with me for two years. The man that sat beside me now is not more than a psycho and a lying bastard.

After we all made an order, the waitress served us some wine. “How long have you two been in a relationship? I think you both had been together long enough to take it to the next step. Isn’t it?” Uncle Richard suddenly asked, more towards me. I was about to tell him that I ended things with his son, but then Nolan beat me to it. “A little more than two years… We just had our anniversary last week,” he admitted proudly. Yeah, well… until I found him with another woman at his apartment. I said to myself. I slammed my glass to the table. I was surprised it didn’t break.

Dad shot me a warning glare. Uncle Richard keeps behaving normally while looking at his son.

“So Nolan had been very mysterious since this morning,” Clara said, putting one hand over Nolan’s shoulder. “He told us that he had some big announcement to make today.” She then continued.

Why do I have a bad feeling about this? Is it about me?

“Okay, I think it’s time already.” Nolan then declared, gaining all of our attention.

He made a gesture with his hand towards the waitress, calling her over to serve us the food. Are we going to talk or eat right now? I decided to wait until the waitress served me the food that I had ordered.

But strangely, she only served mine. The others still haven’t gotten their food. Is this also one of his tricks?

I shot him a confused look, “Open it! Aren’t you hungry?” Nolan said to me, encouraging me to open the lid. It was quite odd. I was ordering a salad. Why did they cover the dish with a stainless lid like this?

I slowly took off the lid and saw a chocolate cake in the middle. It was quite a masterpiece with all the gold flakes and flower arrangement and all, but this isn’t what I’ve ordered.

“What is this?” I asked Nolan. “Look closely.” He then said. I looked back at the cake. Then I found a sparkly thing in the middle of the chocolate rose. It was a ring. A diamond ring with at least four carats in size. My eyes nearly popped out from its socket. Is he proposing right now? I turned my head towards him, and he was now on the floor, kneeling beside me.

“Kiara Finley. I know it from the very first day we met that you were my true soulmate. Would you—“ I got up from my seat abruptly. It shocked all of them. Even the chair fell backward, crashing the floor.

“Stop this bullshit right now!” I snapped at him and walked away. “Kiara!..” I could hear dad calling me from behind, but I completely ignored him. This is all a joke. I would rather die than get engaged to a scumbag like him. I walked out of the restaurant and ran away, hailing a cab.

****************

I sat by the lake while holding back my tears. I had no idea how my life could turn upside down like this. Dad is pushing me to accept the engagement. I just read his text. He said that he would wait for me at home and gave me some time to think about my decision.

I don’t need more time. I was certain that I wouldn’t marry the man. Not today and for the entire lifetime. Nolan could say sorry a thousand times, but it still won’t make me change my mind. I have to find a way to end this engagement. I scrolled through the contact list over my phone, deciding which one to call first, but I found nothing. Just when I was about to give up, I then stopped at Gideon Barlowe.

That man. The one that saved me from Nolan at the bar. Would it be cool if I call him now? He was a mysterious man who didn’t even tell women his names while they f**k each other. Would he be freaked out if he knew that I had his number? Ah, f**k it. I just need someone to talk to right now. My mind is such a mess right now. I inhaled deeply before I pressed his number on my screen.

I waited for a while before he finally accepted my call. “Hello?” his voice is still as sexy and deep as I remembered from last night.

“Um…Hi, Gideon.” I said, trying to sound cheery. “Who is this?” he then asked me back.

“I’m Kiara… The woman from last night, remember? You saved me from my ex at the bar.” I was hoping that I could at least leave some impression for him to remember me.

“Oh yes, I think I remember you,” he finally replied after a long pause. I blew out a relieved breath after that. It’s a good start. A crazy idea suddenly popped into my mind.

“Listen, do you even remember what happened between us last night after we got to your uncle’s place?” I asked. Please say you don’t. I prayed inside. He fell silent again after that. I take that as a cue that he didn’t.

Perfect. Then I could set him in my trap and use him to help me out of this damn engagement.

“You took my virginity!? For God’s sake—“ I yelled at him and even added a sob to make myself sound more convincing.

“Can we talk?.. please, Gideon. I can’t face my parents like this.” I then pleaded at him, still sobbing a little. I think I just heard him cursing from the other side. He fell silent after that.

“Meet me in front of the same bar tonight.” He then said.