Forced Marriage To The Billionaire (Book 1)

Chapter 16: The Humiliation

Lorena marched into the living room, where  Makris and Lauren had made themselves highly comfortable. The blonde beauty sat too close to him for comfort as they discussed.

Lauren would brush her hands against his bare chest at intervals, then giggle like a schoolgirl. Lorena tried to convince herself she didn't care as she watched them, but she couldn't shake the anger swelling inside her.

"Makris, I need to talk to you alone." She called from the position she was standing. He raised his head and gave her a once-over.

"Why can't we talk here?" He raised a perfect brow. Lauren laughed but quickly covered it with a fake cough.

Lorena's face turned crimson, and her eyes grew with rage. It was apparent he was provoking her now. Hell-bent on embarrassing her. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath. She didn't trust herself not to lose it.

"You need to walk away, Lore." The saner voice in her head said.

"Shut it, goody! She needs to give that arrogant prick a piece of her mind." The more violent voice countered.

"She's only going to embarrass herself further." It argued.

"But she would have shown him she is not a weakling he can toss around at his will. Tell him, Lorena!"

"Don't do it."

"Do it!"

"Shut it, you two!" She blurted out aloud.

"Why are you being rude to our guest? Me, I can understand, but what has Lauren done to you?" Makris leaned forward. His brow furrowed together.

"What?" She squeezed her face, wondering what he was going on about now.

"Why are you yelling at us to shut it?" Makris pressed further. Lauren leaned closer to him. Her breast raised ridiculously high by whatever pushup bra she had on, resting on him too.

"Oh, I said that loud?" She thought. "I blame you too." She muttered under her breath.

When she had thought she had managed to silence the two constantly bickering voices in her head, they had decided to show up unannounced. Now she looked like a fool in the presence of Makris and the annoying Lauren Tarantino.

"You blame us for what? Are you okay?" He said, pointing at his head.

She scoffed and ground her teeth. "What exactly are you trying to say? I just wanted to speak with you in private."

"And I said you can say whatever you want here." He shrugged and leaned back into the chair.

"Is she okay?" She heard Lauren whisper to Makris, with faux concern, as if she wasn't standing there in the room with them.

"I don't know. She has these moments; I believe she's not normal." He whispered back to her, then turned to look at Lorena with a twinkle in his eye and a mischievous smirk on his face.

"Wow, that's so sad." She covered his hands with her, rubbing them gently.

This was it. Lorena had had it. Her shame was complete, and she had nothing to lose anymore.

"Fine. I'll leave you two alone. You can plan the wedding on your own too." She said. Turning around, she ran up the stairs. She didn't stop until she entered her room and banged the door shut.

Jumping on her bed, she burst into tears. Makris had humiliated her in the presence of her fellow socialite. She knew Lauren was going to spread the word around that she was some crazy person. He had painted that picture, after all.

Everything seemed to be spiraling so fast and out of her control. She felt like a side character in her own life. Her father made decisions for her, and her husband-to-be created narratives around her. She hated it all. She just wanted to have peace, even if it was a moment. She shut her eyes tight and thought of Marcie.