I Choose You
1589 Words
Gloria sashayed towards me, her heels clicking on the floor like a ticking time bomb, her eyes flashing with contempt.
"You have nothing," she sneered, her voice dripping with venom.
"No money, no power, no influence. You're just a pathetic little girl playing at being an artist."
I stood my ground, my heart pounding in my chest, as she drew closer.
"But...you still think maybe help will come for you," she taunted, her voice dripping with malice.
"You think someone will ride in on a white horse and save you from your miserable little life. But you're nothing without our help."
I was about to reply, to tell her that she was wrong, that I had talent and determination, when a cool, manly voice cut through the air like a knife.
"And who are you to tell my fiancée she's nothing without you two?" he said, his voice low and commanding.
I turned to see my supposed comatose husband-to-be standing in the doorway, his eyes fixed intently on Gloria and Felix. My mind reeled as I tried to process what I was seeing. What else did I need to know about this man? Why was he here when he was supposed to be lying in a hospital bed, fighting for his life?
Felix stammered, his face pale, as Gloria rushed to his side.
"Who...who...who do you think you are?" Felix spluttered, his eyes darting wildly between me and my husband-to-be.
But he just smiled, a slow, confident smile that sent shivers down my spine.
"I'm the one who's going to take you down," he said, his voice dripping with menace.
"I'm the one who's going to make sure you never hurt anyone else again."
He wrapped his cold, flexible fingers around my hand, sending a shiver down my spine. His touch was like ice, but it burned with an intensity that left me breathless.
"Let's go, baby," he whispered, his voice low and husky, sending tremors through my body.
I nodded gently, still trying to process the whirlwind of emotions that had swept me up in the past few minutes.
As we walked out of the room, his guards rushed to open the door, revealing a sleek, black Maserati that seemed to purr like a beast waiting to be unleashed.
My mouth hung open in awe as I stared at the luxury car, my mind still reeling with confusion. Who was this man? Why was he being so kind to me? And what did he want from me?
As if sensing my confusion, he turned to me and smiled.
"I know you're confused," he said, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
"But you can ask me anything. Anything you want to know."
His words hung in the air like a promise, inviting me to uncover the secrets that lay beneath his enigmatic smile. I felt a surge of curiosity, a desire to unravel the mystery that was this man.
"What's going on?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "Who are you? Why are you doing this for me?"
He chuckled, a low, throaty sound that sent shivers down my spine.
"All in good time, baby," he said, his eyes glinting with amusement. "All in good time."
He gazed into my eyes, his own sparkling with a mischievous glint.
"No lady has ever wanted to marry a comatose husband," he said, his voice low and husky.
"And I wasn't really in a coma, I just pretended to be. I did it to find a better woman, one who would stand by me no matter the circumstances."
My eyes widened in shock, my mind reeling with the implications.
"You mean, you've been awake all this time?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
He nodded, a sly smile spreading across his face.
"Actually, I landed in a coma a few years ago, after what happened with my ex-girlfriend," he said, his eyes clouding over for a moment.
"But I woke up a long time ago. I just didn't want to reveal myself yet, not until I found the right woman."
I felt like I'd been punched in the gut, my breath knocked out of me.
"Why?" I asked, my voice shaking with emotion.
"Why would you do that? Why would you deceive me like that?"
He leaned in close, his voice taking on a conspiratorial tone.
"I wanted to find someone who would love me for who I am, not for my wealth or my status," he said, his eyes burning with intensity.
"I wanted to find someone who would stand by me, even when things got tough. And I think I've found that someone in you."
_Flashback_
Alex sat nervously at the cozy restaurant, clutching a bouquet of red roses and gazing lovingly at the proposal decorations that adorned the room. He was about to pop the question to his long-time girlfriend, and he couldn't contain his excitement.
Just as he was about to get down on one knee, a stunning woman burst into the restaurant, her eyes scanning the room with disdain. Her gaze landed on Alex, and she scoffed in disgust.
"Hey, baby," Alex smiled, oblivious to the storm brewing before him. He knelt down, bouquet in hand, and began his heartfelt proposal.
But before he could even utter the words, his girlfriend's expression turned icy.
"What are you doing, Alex? What's all this?" she shouted, her voice echoing through the room.
Their friends, who had been hiding in wait to celebrate the engagement, emerged from their hiding spots, shocked and confused.
"What do you mean? Can't you see he's proposing to you?" Paula, Alex's best friend, asked, bewildered.
But Alex's girlfriend was unfazed.
"And I'm saying no. A big, fat no," she spat, her eyes flashing with anger.
"Are you proposing because you sponsored my education? You think I'm entitled to marry you because you've been helping my family?"
Alex's face fell as he stood up, bouquet still clutched in his hand.
"What...?" he muttered, his voice trailing off in shock and confusion.
The room fell silent, the only sound the soft hum of the restaurant's music and the heavy breathing of the stunned onlookers. Alex's world was crumbling around him, and he couldn't do anything to stop it.
"I'm sorry, Alex," Sharon said, her voice dripping with insincerity.
"But I actually came here to break up with you. And to thank you for everything you've done for me."
Alex's eyes widened in shock as Sharon continued, her words slicing through him like a knife.
"You're not really my type, Alex. And I have a fiancé already. He proposed yesterday."
Paula's face turned beet red with rage as she lunged at Sharon, her hand raised to slap her.
"How can you be so selfish and heartless, Sharon?" she yelled, but Franklin caught her arm, holding her back.
"You think you can use our friend and just go?" Paula shouted, her voice echoing through the restaurant. "You think you can play with his emotions like that?"
But Sharon ignored her, her eyes fixed on Alex with a cold, calculating gaze.
"This will be the last time you'll see me, Alex," she said, her voice dripping with malice.
"Don't ever try to call me again." And with that, she turned on her heel and walked out of the restaurant, leaving Alex and his friends stunned and reeling.
Alex rushed after her, but she was gone, vanished into the night like a ghost.
As he stood there, frozen in shock, he couldn't help but wonder how he had misread her so badly. How had he thought she loved him? How had he thought she was the one?
The sound of Paula's angry voice brought him back to reality.
"Alex, don't go after her! She's not worth it!"
But Alex just shook his head and walked away, lost in his own thoughts, wondering how his heart had been so brutally shattered.
_End Of Flashback_
Alex's eyes locked onto mine, his gaze piercing as he revealed the truth.
"And that was the reason I had an accident that landed me in a coma," he said, his voice laced with a mix of emotions.
I sighed, feeling a wave of guilt wash over me.
"So why do you think I'm the one for you?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
"I actually wanted to marry you because of my father's bankruptcy. I'm not better than her."
Alex's expression softened, his eyes filled with a deep understanding.
"I know," he said, his voice gentle.
"And that's why I choose you. You gave everything away just to save your father, even when he's never been a good father to you."
I felt a lump form in my throat as Alex's words struck a chord within me. No one had ever seen me like that before. No one had ever understood my motivations, my sacrifices.
"You see, I've been watching you," Alex continued, his voice filled with conviction.
"I've seen the way you care for your father, despite his flaws. I've seen the way you put others before yourself. And I know that you're the only one who can truly understand me, truly love me for who I am."
Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes as I looked at Alex, really looked at him, for the first time. I saw the scars, the pain, the vulnerability. And I knew, in that moment, that I wanted to spend the rest of my life making him happy, making him whole again.
- Writer
