Purchased Vows

Chapter 11: The Past

A week after meeting with Marcus's father, everything changed.

It started with a phone call. Late at night, when I was already in bed, trying to sleep. Marcus's phone rang, and I heard him answer, his voice sharp, worried.

"No. No, I'll be right there. Don't do anything. Just... wait."

I heard his footsteps on the stairs, heard him leaving the house, and something in his voice—panic, maybe—made me get up. Made me follow him.

I found him in the garage, his hands shaking as he tried to start his car.

"Marcus?" I called out, my voice soft. "What's wrong? What happened?"

He looked up, and I saw something in his eyes—fear. Real, raw fear.

"It's Ethan," he said, his voice breaking. "My brother. He's... he's in the hospital. He tried to... he tried to kill himself."

The words hit like a physical blow, and I felt my stomach drop. "Oh, Marcus. I'm so sorry."

"I have to go. I have to be there. I have to—"

"I'll come with you." The words came out before I could stop them. "You shouldn't be alone. Not right now."

He stared at me for a long moment, and I saw the war in his eyes. The need to push me away versus the need for someone, anyone, to be there.

"Fine," he said finally, his voice tight. "But don't... don't ask questions. Don't try to fix anything. Just... be there."

"I will."

We drove to the hospital in silence, Marcus's hands white-knuckled on the steering wheel, his expression closed off. When we arrived, he practically ran inside, and I followed, my heart racing.

Ethan was in a room, hooked up to machines, his face pale, his eyes closed. Marcus stood by his bed, his hand on his brother's arm, and I saw something in his expression—pain. Real, raw pain.

"He's going to be okay," a doctor said, her voice gentle. "He's stable. But he needs help. Professional help. And he needs his family."

Marcus didn't answer. Just stood there, his shoulders shaking, and I realized he was crying. Silent tears, but tears nonetheless.

I moved closer, my hand on his back, and he flinched, but didn't pull away.

"Marcus," I said, my voice soft. "I'm here. I'm here for you."

He didn't answer. Just stood there, crying, and I held him, my arms around his waist, my face pressed against his back.

We stayed like that for a long time, until the doctor came back, until Ethan's parents arrived. Victoria and Mr. Sterling, their expressions cold, their movements sharp.

"Marcus," Victoria said, her voice sharp. "What happened? What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything," Marcus said, his voice breaking. "He just... he couldn't take it anymore. The pressure. The expectations. The way you treat him. The way you treat all of us."

"Don't you dare blame us," Mr. Sterling said, his voice cold. "This is his weakness. His failure. Not ours."

"His failure?" Marcus's voice rose, and I saw the anger in his eyes. "You've been crushing him his whole life. Telling him he's not good enough. That he'll never measure up. That he's a disappointment. And now you're surprised that he broke?"

"Marcus—"

"No." Marcus cut his father off, his voice sharp. "No. I'm done. I'm done with this. I'm done with you. I'm done with this family."

"You can't just walk away," Victoria said, her voice cold. "You have responsibilities. You have obligations."

"I don't care." Marcus's voice was hard, final. "I don't care about your responsibilities. I don't care about your obligations. I care about my brother. And I'm not going to let you destroy him. Not anymore."

He turned and left, and I followed him, my heart racing. We got in the car, and he drove, his movements sharp, almost violent.

"Marcus," I said, my voice soft. "Talk to me. Please. Tell me what's happening."

He didn't answer. Just kept driving, until we were at a park, a place I'd never been before. He parked the car and got out, and I followed him, my heart racing.

We walked to a bench, and he sat, his head in his hands, his shoulders shaking.

"Marcus," I said, sitting beside him. "Please. Talk to me."

He was quiet for a long time, and I thought he might not answer. But then he spoke, his voice broken.

"I had a girlfriend once," he said, his voice soft. "Her name was Sarah. We were together for three years. I loved her. I thought... I thought we'd get married. Have a family. Be happy."

"What happened?"

"My family happened." His voice was bitter. "They didn't approve. She wasn't from the right family. She didn't have the right connections. She wasn't good enough for them. So they destroyed her. They ruined her career. They made her life hell. And she left. She left me because she couldn't take it anymore. Because being with me meant being destroyed by my family."

"Oh, Marcus. I'm so sorry."

"That's not all." His voice broke. "After she left, I tried to move on. I tried to forget. But I couldn't. Because I knew that anyone I loved, anyone I cared about, my family would destroy. They'd use them as a weapon. They'd hurt them to control me. And I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't let anyone else get hurt because of me."

"So you closed yourself off."

"I had to." His voice was hard. "I had to protect people. I had to keep them away. Because if I let anyone in, if I let myself care, my family would destroy them. Just like they destroyed Sarah. Just like they're destroying Ethan."

"Marcus—"

"And now you." His voice broke, and he looked at me, his eyes full of pain. "Now you're here. And you're pregnant. And you're in danger. Because of me. Because of my family. And I can't protect you. I can't keep you safe. And I'm going to lose you. Just like I lost Sarah. Just like I'm losing Ethan."

The words hit harder than I expected, and I felt my throat tighten. "You're not going to lose me. I'm strong. I can handle this."

"You can't." His voice was sharp. "You don't understand. You don't know what they're capable of. You don't know how far they'll go."

"Then tell me. Help me understand."

He was quiet for a long moment, and then he spoke, his voice soft.

"When I was younger, I tried to stand up to them. I tried to fight back. But every time I did, they'd hurt someone I cared about. They'd destroy something I loved. And I learned that the only way to protect people was to keep them away. To never let anyone in. To never care."

"And that's why you're so closed off. That's why you push people away."

"Yes." His voice was broken. "Because if I don't care, they can't hurt me. They can't use people against me. They can't destroy the people I love."

"But you do care," I said, my voice soft. "You care about Ethan. You care about me. You care about the baby."

"I shouldn't." His voice was hard. "I shouldn't care. Because caring means they can hurt me. They can use you against me. They can destroy you to control me."

"But you do care. And that's okay. That's human. And we'll figure this out. Together."

"We can't." His voice was final. "Because if we try, if we fight, they'll destroy you. They'll take the baby. They'll ruin your life. And I can't let that happen. I can't let you get hurt because of me."

"Marcus—"

"No." He stood, his movements sharp. "No. This is over. This conversation is over. And when the baby is born, you're leaving. You're taking the money, you're taking the child, and you're disappearing. And I'm never going to see you again. Because that's the only way to keep you safe. That's the only way to protect you."

He walked away, leaving me sitting there, my heart breaking. Because I understood now. I understood why he was so closed off. Why he pushed people away. Why he couldn't let himself care.

He was trying to protect me. He was trying to keep me safe.

But in doing so, he was destroying us both.