𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 [18+]

55: His Secret

All these quotes I put here and the prior words, all of them are the part of the story. So please, don't skip them. It will give you a better insight.

"We accept the love we think we deserve."

— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

Our fates were like strings. Twining and twining unbeknownst to us, until it was a jumbled mess of nothing- until it had become impossible for us escape the sorority of the predestined destiny.

Ardent's POV:

November, 2019

I was going crazy.

What have I been doing?

What was I going to do?

A breath of exasperation escaped me as the heaviness in my heart got even heavier. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think properly.

I couldn't do this to Madeline. Fuck! I couldn't do it.

I was desperate, I was eager to end this whole ordeal and come out clean to her. I didn't wish to deceive her anymore. It broke my heart to do so.

Madeline was like a breath of fresh air in my rugged life. She was like a soft light, illuminating the farthest corner of my dark soul. I urged her again and again to come out clean to her fiancée, it made me feel like I was stealing something from that psychopathic bastard, but she refused, her answer being "He will kill me." every single time.

She wasn't lying.

When I went to meet her yesterday, she had already been in our spot, crying whilst clutching her torn red sleeve. I immediately rushed to her, inquiring her about her torn dress and the fingermarks that painted her skin in purple.

"Marienne did it-" She had whimpered as she efforted to join the dress back together, "Marienne tore this dress. I was supposed to go to the gala.... b-but- Ardent," I clearly remember her emerald like orbs as it shone under the light of dusk, "I bought this dress after saving money... I knew he would never let me buy it.... I-I had been saving money for months...."

So I did the most logical thing I could come up with. I engulfed her in a hug, stroking her hair as she cried in my arms.

The severity of the situation dawned upon me as I pondered over her situation. Marienne's condition was worse than I had anticipated. That bastard tore her favorite red dress sleeve just because she wanted to attend a gala.

And then, very carefully, I had knitted a plan.

My heart pounded with excitement as I made my way through the solemn road, the bubbling trepidation made my insides coil. Sweat broke as I went through the lines over and over again in my head- revising them mentally.

Last night, after our encounter, I had gone back home and went through thousands of different ways that can save her and me. I was at the breaking point, everything seemed impossible without her.

Cool winter breeze blew, making me shiver. I wrapped the red jacket around me tightly as I took the turn to the Victor manor. Dry leaves fell all over the road, dancing with the gust of harsh breeze. The cracking sound echoed throughout the fearfully barren road as my boot hit them.

I adjusted my glasses, not wanting to fog it with my breath.

After our special night together, our bond seemed to have become more inseparable. We called each other more frequently, our subject was sweet nothings. She would often cry herself to sleep, begging me to do something about Marienne.