Enemies forced to marry

Chapter 9

The drive to the hospital was unusually quiet.

David sat in the passenger seat, staring through the window as the streets passed by. Cars moved around them, people walked along the roadside, and shops were beginning to open for the day, but none of it seemed real to him.

His mother's words kept replaying in his mind.

She said you took away her virginity.

David clenched his fists.

He still couldn't understand how everything had changed so quickly. Just the night before, Sally had held his hand and told him she was tired of being angry and afraid. She had seemed willing to talk things through.

Now everything was different.

His mother barely looked at him.

Sally was sitting quietly in the back seat.

And his father was still in the hospital.

David swallowed hard.

"Mum."

Mrs. Matthews kept her eyes on the road.

"What?"

"Why are we going to the hospital?"

"We'll talk when we get there."

David frowned.

"You've said that three times already."

"I know."

"Then please tell me what's happening."

Mrs. Matthews sighed but said nothing.

David turned toward the window again.

He felt frustrated. He felt betrayed. Most of all, he felt confused.

He looked into the rear-view mirror.

Sally was sitting with her hands folded in her lap. She hadn't said a word since they left the house.

David studied her expression.

She looked frightened.

For a moment, he wondered if she regretted what she had said.

"Sally," he said.

She looked up.

"What?"

"Is there something you're not telling me?"

Sally opened her mouth, but no words came out.

"I don't know what you mean," she finally whispered.

David turned away.

"That's the problem. Nobody is telling me anything."

Mrs. Matthews glanced at him.

"David, please. Just be patient."

"Patient?" David asked. "Mum, yesterday you were angry with me. Today you're taking me to the hospital without explaining anything. Dad is there, Sally is acting like something terrible happened, and I'm supposed to be patient?"

Mrs. Matthews tightened her grip on the steering wheel.

"Your father is the reason we're going to the hospital."

David's expression changed.

"Is Dad worse?"

"No."

"Then what is it?"

"He wants to speak with you."

David stared at her.

"Dad?"

"Yes."

David's heart began beating faster.

"Is he awake?"

Mrs. Matthews hesitated.

"Yes."

David sat upright.

"You said he was unconscious."

"He was."

"When did he wake up?"

"Some time ago."

David looked at his mother in disbelief.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because the doctors wanted to make sure he was stable."

David shook his head.

"I should have been there."

"You were dealing with everything else."

David looked down.

He knew what she meant.

Sally lowered her eyes.

For the first time, she began to realize that her actions had affected far more people than she had expected.

She had only wanted the wedding to end.

She had been frightened of what would happen if she told everyone she didn't want to marry David.

So she had chosen another way.

A terrible way.

She had allowed her anger and fear to control her decisions.

Now she was sitting in a car with David, his mother, and the knowledge that everything had become much bigger than she expected.

When they finally arrived at the hospital, Mrs. Matthews parked the car and turned off the engine.

Nobody moved.

"Before we go inside," she said, "I need both of you to listen carefully."

David looked at her.

"Listen to what?"

"The truth."

Sally's face immediately became pale.

David noticed.

He turned toward her.

"What truth?"

Sally looked away.

Mrs. Matthews opened the car door.

"Come with me."

They entered the hospital.

The corridor was quiet except for the sound of footsteps and distant voices from the nurses' station.

David walked beside his mother.

Sally followed behind them.

As they approached his father's room, David's anxiety grew.

Mrs. Matthews stopped outside the door.

She turned around.

"David, whatever happens in there, remember that you are not alone."

David frowned.

"What does that mean?"

"You'll understand soon."

She opened the door.

David stepped inside.

Then he froze.

His father was sitting upright in the hospital bed.

His eyes were open.

David couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Dad?"

His father smiled weakly.

"David."

David rushed to his side.

"Dad!"

He carefully held his father's hand.

"I thought you were unconscious."

"I was," his father replied. "But I've been awake for some time."

David looked at him with relief.

"Why didn't anyone tell me?"

His father glanced toward Mrs. Matthews.

"Your mother thought it was better to wait."

David turned to his mother.

"You knew?"

"Yes."

David sighed.

"I wish somebody had told me."

His father squeezed his hand.

"I'm sorry."

David shook his head.

"I'm just glad you're awake."

For a few seconds, the room was peaceful.

Then David remembered why they had come.

He looked toward Sally.

"Then why is she here?"

His father followed his gaze.

The smile disappeared from his face.

"Your mother told me what happened."

David's expression became serious.

"What exactly did she tell you?"

His father looked at him carefully.

"She told me about the accusation."

David stepped back.

"Dad, I didn't do what she said."

His father nodded.

"I believe you."

David stared at him.

"You do?"

"Yes."

David felt a weight lift from his chest.

"Thank you."

His father looked toward Sally.

"But there is another question."

Sally lowered her head.

Mrs. Matthews crossed her arms.

"Why did you accuse David?"

Sally remained silent.

David stared at her.

"Tell them."

"I..."

Her voice broke.

"I was angry."

David shook his head.

"Angry?"

Sally nodded.

"I was scared."

"Scared of what?"

"The wedding."

The room became silent.

David stared at her.

"What does the wedding have to do with this?"

Sally wiped her eyes.

"I didn't want to get married."

Mrs. Matthews looked shocked.

"You didn't?"

Sally shook her head.

"I was afraid to say it."

David's voice became quiet.

"Then why didn't you just tell me?"

"I tried to convince myself that I could go through with it."

"Instead, you accused me."

Sally nodded.

"I know."

David looked away.

His father's expression became serious.

"Why would you do something that could destroy someone's reputation?"

Sally began crying.

"Because I thought it was the only way to stop the wedding."

Mrs. Matthews shook her head.

"You could have told us the truth."

"I was afraid nobody would listen."

David looked at her.

"I would have listened."

Sally looked up.

"I know that now."

David's eyes filled with disappointment.

"So all those things you told my mother were part of your plan?"

Sally nodded slowly.

"I didn't expect things to become this serious."

David gave a bitter laugh.

"How could you not?"

"I was thinking about myself."

"And now?"

"Now I realize how much damage I caused."

David walked toward the window.

He stared outside for a long moment.

He wanted to be angry.

He was angry.

But beneath the anger was something worse: disappointment.

He had trusted Sally.

He had believed that whatever problems they faced, they could talk about them.

Instead, she had chosen to lie.

His mother broke the silence.

"The wedding is cancelled."

Sally looked up.

"What?"

Mrs. Matthews spoke calmly.

"The wedding will not happen."

Sally lowered her head.

"I understand."

David's father nodded.

"Nobody should be forced into a marriage they don't want."

Sally wiped her eyes.

"I'm sorry."

Mrs. Matthews looked at her.

"You should have told us from the beginning."

"I know."

"You hurt David."

"I know."

"You also frightened everyone."

"I know."

Sally's voice became barely audible.

"I'm sorry."

David finally turned around.

"Saying sorry doesn't make everything disappear."

Sally looked at him.

"I know."

"You made me question myself."

"I'm sorry."

"You made my mother think I was someone I wasn't."

"I'm sorry."

"You made me feel like I couldn't trust the person who was supposed to trust me."

Sally looked down.

"I don't expect you to forgive me."

David stared at her.

"Good."

The word was quiet, but it carried weight.

Sally nodded.

"I understand."

David's father watched the two of them carefully.

"David, anger is understandable. But don't let anger decide what kind of person you become."

David looked at his father.

"I'm not angry because the wedding is cancelled."

"I know."

"I'm angry because she lied."

His father nodded.

"Trust takes time to rebuild."

David looked at Sally.

"Can it even be rebuilt?"

Sally didn't answer.

She knew she had no right to demand forgiveness.

Mrs. Matthews walked toward the door.

"We should leave your father to rest."

David nodded.

Sally followed them.

Before she stepped outside, she stopped.

She turned toward David.

"I know I've lost your trust."

David remained silent.

"But if there is ever a chance for me to earn it back, I'll do it."

David looked at her.

"I don't know if there is."

Sally nodded.

"I understand."

They walked out of the room.

The corridor seemed longer than before.

David's mother walked ahead.

Sally stayed behind.

David followed quietly.

For the first time since everything had started, the truth was finally out.

There would be no wedding.

There would be no more lies about what happened.

His father was awake.

But none of that meant everything was okay.

David had learned something that day.

A relationship could survive disagreements.

It could survive fear.

It could even survive disappointment.

But trust was different.

Once trust was broken, fixing it was not as simple as saying sorry.

As they left the hospital later that afternoon, David stopped near the entrance.

Sally looked at him.

"Are you coming?"

David looked at her for a long moment.

"I need time."

Sally nodded.

"Take all the time you need."

David turned toward the parking lot.

He didn't know what the future would bring.

Maybe their relationship had reached its end.

Maybe, someday, they would find a way to forgive each other.

But for now, David knew one thing.

He needed to decide what mattered more than the wedding, more than anger, and more than fear.

He needed to decide whether broken trust could ever become trust again.

And as the hospital doors closed behind them, neither David nor Sally knew that the truth they had uncovered was only the beginning of an even bigger family secret.