BILLIONAIRE IN THE DARK

Chapter 3: Lara

2 weeks later

“Babe, why are you just telling me now?” Emma, my childhood best friend, said loudly and angrily in the mini-bar, which caught everyone's attention. “Sorry,” we both said to everyone, and then she continued

“You are getting married, and I’m just hearing about it. Is that fair?” she said with a lower voice

“I’m sorry, it’s just……” She didn’t even allow me to finish before she interrupted.

“Shhhh,” she said and pressed her finger on my lips to shut me up. “You can't defend yourself in this case, you know that. If you can't tell me this important thing, am I your best friend? You were the first person I told when my parents tried to force me to marry that guy. I have told you everything about myself, but you decided to keep a secret, not even something small, but a big secret from me,” she said and cleaned imaginary tears from her eyes trying to be funny. But I know she is really sad

“Sorry, I’m really sorry, I was scared to tell you. I just felt embarrassed, you know, I always say I wanted a fairytale wedding with someone I love, and now I am getting neither of that. You always admired my loving family and dreams, and now look at me,” I said, almost in tears

“Babe, don’t cry. I understand,” she said and held my hands “but what I don’t understand is why you keep on feeling embarrassed around me since your family, you know. I have told you times without number, stop feeling like that around, you are making me feel like a bad friend” she paused and sip from her beer “I know most of our friends left us after your family fell and I stood by you, but you should remember, I stood with you even when everything was going bad because I love you. Why do you always forget?” she said, now with a sad face and a little bit disappointed.

“Babe, I'm sorry, I just can't control it, I can't even defend myself here. Yes, I am a bad friend, I know. I just did not want to disturb your newly married life,” I said softly with a pout on my lips.

“I hate when you do that, don’t worry, I'm not angry,” she gave in immediately, surprisingly

“ So, how is your husband?” I asked mischievously, and she made her roll her eyes, which made me laugh because she and Frank, her husband, are like cat and rat

“I don’t even know what to say about him anymore. One minute he buys me gifts, the next minute he starts scolding me for something,” she said, which made me giggle a little

“Why are you laughing?” she said which a side eye directed at me

“Sorry, it's just that why are both of us always acting like this. I thought both of you would be nice to each other now that you are married, if you are not careful, your parents will know that you and Frank don’t actually like each other, and you will be busted,” she said, smiling widely

“Firstly, they can't do anything now that we are married, Frank has more money than that dude they wanted me to marry, and it’s not like they wanted me to have a happy marriage from the start, and secondly, why would I be nice to Frank of all guys in the world?” she said, which made me laugh the more

“You guys actually look good together. I can't forget the photos you guys took together on your wedding day, you both look so cute,” I said happily with a face full of smile.

“Hey, stop it,” she said and raised her hand in front of my face to stop me from talking. “Stop saying that we look good together,” she said while trying to imitate a gagging expression “Let’s stop talking, my life, back to your life,” she said with a now serious face

“So that’s how your mum was treated right? Because your uncle is too stingy to give you anything without receiving anything from you too. I hate that man so much. And who is the guy you said you want to marry?”

“Nathan Armstrong,” I said, then carried my beer to drink to hide my expression

“Nathan Armstrong, the Nathan Armstrong, Son of Derek Armstrong who is the CEO of Armstrong Cooperation, Nathan Armstrong, the useless, worthless, ugly son of Derek Armstrong that you want to marry.”

“You don’t have to call him all these names. Calm down,” I said and tried to bring her out of her shock

“So that’s why your uncle said you should marry, why is he this wicked? This is bad,” she said with a worried look

“I don’t like it too, but I have to.” I said with a sad face

“We just have to go with the flow now,” she said with a sigh of defeat, “but we just have to make sure that day you will shine bright at least. When is the wedding?”

“Next two weeks”

“So quick, so we have a wedding to plan for us, even though we are not going to pay for or do anything for the wedding venue and all, both of us just need to concentrate on you that day, that’s just what we need to do”

And she talked and talked and talked about how she is going to fix me for my wedding day and some other things.

Thank goodness I told her, she is the only one who can make my thinking reduce at least for the moment.