Chapter 2
1502 Words
{VICTORIA}
"OH my goodness, Victoria! What happened to you?" My dad asked me worriedly after he opened the door and saw my appearance.
I was trembling from extreme cold. My lips were turning pale. My eyes were swollen from exhaustion and crying.
Instead of speaking, I just approached Dad. I hugged him tightly. He hugged me back and gently stroked my back. I started crying even more as I felt the comfort within Dad's embrace.
"Let's go inside for now, my child. You'll get even colder if we stay out here," Dad told me.
Like a child, I nodded at him. I allowed Dad to support me as we entered the house. When we got inside, I found my two brothers waiting as if anticipating our arrival. Both of them had their arms crossed and were looking at me intently.
"Who did this to you, Victoria?" Lion, the oldest among us siblings, asked me with a cold tone.
I slowly approached him. I hugged him tightly and then proceeded to hug Edward, the youngest among the three of us.
"Thank you for your concern, but I just want to rest for now. I promise I'll tell you everything when I'm feeling a little better," I softly said. I wiped away a tear that escaped from my left eye.
I didn't wait for their responses anymore. I turned away from them. With heavy steps, I made my way to my old room in our house. Once inside, I didn't bother turning on the light. I sat on the edge, staring blankly out the window.
Tears started overflowing again, streaming down both sides of my cheeks. When will my eyes get tired of crying? I could hardly breathe. I feel suffocated even in the spaciousness of my room. My head feels like it's about to explode from the pain.
I desperately try to remember the happy moments I had with Liam. I can barely comprehend that it was all fake. Why, despite the pain, even hearing it from Liam himself that it was all fake, does my heart still believe that everything he showed me was real? That he truly loved me.
I slapped myself. My gosh! Victoria! You're in reality! Wake up! Your husband used you to get his family's inheritance! You shouldn't love a man who only thinks of himself.
How I badly want this night to end. I hope that when I wake up the next day, I'm still in Liam's bed. He would greet me good morning with sweet kisses on my cheeks and forehead. I wish it's all just a nightmare.
I WOKE up to a knock on my bedroom door. As I opened my eyes, I was greeted by the familiar room. The room I grew up in, not the room I thought would be my new home with my husband, Liam.
"Victoria?" It was Edward's voice.
"You can come in," I softly said.
I hugged my knees tightly, burying my face in them. My eyes hurt so much from swelling.
The door to my room opened, and Edward entered carrying a cup of hot chocolate. He approached me, his face unreadable.
"Is it because of Liam?" He asked, sounding older than his years.
I slowly nodded in response, seeing the clenching of his fists.
"What did he do to you?" He tried to contain his anger towards Liam in front of me, attempting to speak calmly.
I took a deep breath. Tears began flooding from my eyes again as I reminisced about what happened last night.
"I overheard Liam's conversation with Anderson. Liam only used me to get his family's inheritance. He had no intention of loving me; money was all that mattered to him," I quickly said, trying to hold back my sobs.
Instead of losing control, Edward came closer to hug me. He tried to calm me down, but I couldn't stop myself from breaking down.
"Brother Lion, I know you're there!" I almost whispered.
Lion appeared at the doorway, his face almost unreadable. "What?!" He asked irritably.
"Please, let's just leave Liam alone. I don't want any more connection with him," I pleaded.
Lion paused, and then his expression softened gradually. He came closer to both Edward and me, and they hugged me tightly to the point where I could hardly breathe.
"I still want to live!" I shouted while tapping their backs.
They both chuckled and released their tight hold on me.
"If that man shows up in front of me, I won't be able to control myself!" Lion said firmly.
"I guess I should have taken up law so I could defend you when something like this happens!" Edward jokingly added.
As I looked at the two of them, I realized how lucky I was to have two protective brothers who considered me their only princess. I reached for the chocolate Edward prepared for me and started drinking it.
~A MONTHS LATER
I CARRIED a large suitcase as I walked out of my room. In the final moment, I took a last look at the entirety of the room before closing the door.
I went straight to the living room where Dad and my two brothers were waiting. Dad greeted me with a wide smile on his lips, while my two brothers had frowns on their faces.
"What's with those faces?" I joked with the two of them.
"Nothing, sis. We'll miss you, including our nephew!" Edward said affectionately.
I looked at Lion. He just stared at me, seemingly with no intention of speaking. That's just how he is, grumpy and aloof, unlike Edward who is very sweet.
"Take care of Dad, okay?" I instructed them.
"We'll take care of Dad. Be happy with wherever you're going, sis," Edward said with a smile.
Both Edward and I looked at Lion. "What?" he asked us. He was in a bad mood early in the morning. He acted as if he were the pregnant one because of his mood.
"Don't you have anything to say, bro?" Edward asked him.
"Take care," Lion replied to me.
"You even spoke!" Edward sarcastically said to him. Lion lightly tapped Edward's shoulder.
"And brutally at that!" Edward added.
I just laughed at the two of them, they were like cats and dogs when they fought.
"Dad, take care of yourself, okay?" I said to my father. We hugged tightly.
"You too, Victoria! We'll visit you there occasionally with your siblings," Dad said to me.
After a while, I let go of the hug with Dad. It's difficult for me to leave them, but this is the best thing to do. I want to move on from the pain that Liam caused me. I despise him so much that I won't allow him to meet our child. I don't want any connection with him. I don't want to see him anymore.
I headed towards the door. There was a taxi waiting for me outside our house. Before getting into the car, we had a group hug for the last time. Then I got into the car to be driven to the airport.
Since childhood, my dream destination has been Italy. It's one of the most romantic countries in the world. That's where I'll start my new life with my future child. Going to my romantic dream destination to heal myself. But I don't intend to fall in love again.
Liam made me stop believing in love. You're lucky if you find the right one for you. But that's not for everyone. It's not for me. Instead, I will focus all my love on my daughter. Maybe that's God's plan for me. And despite everything, I am still grateful because He gave me a child to be with for a lifetime.
I was almost in tears when I finally arrived in Italy. The place was so beautiful. Nature-friendly. There were many doves around. And there were many happy couples walking wherever I looked. I was truly happy for them. Even though this is what happened to me, I'm not bitter towards them.
Our family is well-off, and I had a stable job back in America, so I was able to save enough money to buy a house and lot here in Italy.
"Here's the key, ma'am!" the sales agent said to me, handing me a key with a duplicate one.
"Thank you!"
The size of the house was just right. The interior paint was violet, and the inside had a lighter shade of violet. That's because it's my favorite color, so I chose to buy this house. Plus, it's close to the road and has a small backyard.
I sat on a soft sofa. I closed my eyes. And tears started coming out of my eyes again. This is how I always am. I can't wait for a day to come when I won't cry anymore. I want to relieve myself from the sadness. I have a child now. I don't want her to see me like being like this.
- Writer
