Agreement Behind Her Marriage

Lily sat in the car, silently sobbing, her feelings wounded as she recalled and shared the past.

Drew’s phone kept ringing with calls from those interested in what had transpired in the courtroom, so he turned it off since he was no longer in the mood.

“Shhh…” Her husband gently caressed her back as he held her. She was still trembling with fear.

“I feel dirty,” Lily uttered.

Drew held her tighter and gazed out the window. “I feel like an idiot. I met you that night, Lily. I wish I could have saved you before Kenneth did those things to you or before his friends played with you. I wish I had known you earlier, so I could have rescued you from your house,” he said, gritting his teeth.

She knew it was difficult to accept that just a week after that day, Kenneth had given her a nightmare. She tightly closed her eyes, no longer wanting to relive each incident. How could she ask for help? Kenneth had covered her mouth and choked her. “You are mine, Lily… No one else will touch you, only me.”

One moment he was kind, and then he’d torture her again.

Her hold on Drew grew tighter.

“I’m sorry,” Lily said.

“You don’t have to apologize. It was them who did evil things to you. They should apologize to you,” Drew assured her, kissing her forehead. “I am proud of you.”

She attempted to calm herself, eventually drifting off to sleep, even though she continued to sob while Drew held her close.

***

“Where is Lily?” Orion asked, arriving with Danica, her puffy eyes revealing she had recently cried.

“She’s sleeping.” ‘Why are these two here?’ Drew wondered, wanting to know their reason for being in his house.

“We have already learned that Lily is our sister. Daddy informed me this evening,” Danica explained, tears welling up. “That’s why I feel differently about her.”

Drew was grateful that Danica had come because Lily needed her friend after the exhausting trial. “You can go to her. Lily is upstairs. You can find her in the master bedroom.”

“Really? Can I really go there? You will not get angry?”

“Well, I don’t have a choice if you’re my sister-in-law,” he replied simply, a grimace on his face. His wife needed support from many people, and the presence of her siblings was crucial. The young woman disappeared, heading in the direction of the broad stairs.

Orion continued to twirl his blade, his eyes narrowed and unfocused. Drew poured wine into two glasses in an attempt to calm him down.

“Bro, stop that! You look like a serial killer.” He handed him a bottle of rum.

“I just couldn’t believe it! How did she end up in that family?!”

Drew had questioned that as well. It’s just that he could no longer change anything since the event had already taken place, and Lily had gone through a dark experience.

“We have to stop questioning those things, especially when Lily is around. Her resentment will only increase. I know that her trauma has resurfaced after the trial,” Drew remarked.

Orion let out a sigh and then took a gulp of his wine.

“What did Uncle Niel say?” he asked his friend.

“He admitted his guilt. He only found out that Cristina, Lily’s mother, was pregnant when he returned from abroad. When they met again twelve years later, a few weeks before she passed away, he asked Lily’s mother to leave the country. When my dad proposed this, she didn’t want to betray her husband, even though Mr. Martin was already having an affair with Kenneth’s mother.” Orion’s eyebrows furrowed. “That fucking prick! I really wanted to kill him!”

“Calm down. Lily won’t appreciate it if you act that way. It’s not worth compromising your morals dealing with that demon.”

Orion resembled a dragon, exhaling smoke through his nose. “And since when have you become so kind? Don’t you want them to be punished?”

“This is Lily’s battle, so I won’t interfere. Remember how upset she was when I took action against those jerks? It left her devastated and hurt, and I don’t want to put her through that again. She doesn’t want to seek revenge under those circumstances. So now, I’ll let Lily and the law decide. She believes that her presence in court and sharing her past is a strong point in Carmela’s case.”

“You thought she had gone through a dark experience, but she’s the one who brought you into the light?” Orion remarked.

“Jerk!”

Orion refilled his wine glass once again. “That’s why the feelings I had for Lily were different.”

Drew sat up. “Tell me honestly, as my friend, did you have feelings for Lily?”

Orion raised an eyebrow and met Drew’s gaze.Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

“Why would I have feelings for her? She’s your wife. When I first met her, I considered her a genuine friend. You know I can’t look at your wife with romantic intentions! We have the bro-code! Even when you broke up, I thought of her as a younger sister because she was Danica’s friend, and during those times, we were really close like siblings. I felt that I became her support when you left, but not in a romantic way. I’ve always treated Lily like a younger sister.”

Drew winced. He didn’t want to revisit the day when he and his wife had broken up.

Orion explained, “Dad was still too embarrassed to go see Lily. He couldn’t face his conscience. How about your family? How did they accept this?”

“Well, my dad sends gifts to Lily, so I know he accepts my wife. The stubborn ones are my grandfather and some distant Walton relatives who, in my opinion, shouldn’t really care about my married life.” He shook his head. “My aunts talked to me as if they played a significant role in my life. But, in reality, they were just trying to gain my grandpa’s favor. They seemed to think I should be grateful.”

His grandfather had numerous nieces and nephews among his brothers and sisters, and those individuals only added to his irritation. They acted like obedient and trained dogs, offering advice as a front for their ulterior motives. In the end, they were suggesting that he should break up with Lily.

Fortunately, his cousins were afraid of him.

“Are you ready to leave the Walton Group?” Orion asked before pouring another rum.

“The truth is, no, but I can’t leave Lily anymore. She’s the only family I have left. I can give up the few years I’ve worked there if it means I’ll be with Lily for the rest of my life. I’ve already promised to build a family with her.”

“How do you feel about the news that your mother had a relationship with Kenneth?”

Drew sadly gazed up at the dark sky. “I guess I have to accept that my mom lied to me, and I think she did the same to Kenneth.”

“How can you be sure?”

Drew went to a drawer and retrieved the letter from his mother addressed to Lily. The Martin couple had sent it to him just a few hours ago in exchange for money. That’s how shameless the Martins are.

His friend, Orion, read it.

‘Dear Lily,

Surprise! You don’t know me, but I know you quite well because you are Cristina’s daughter! I came across your mommy’s picture in my husband’s wallet, and it got me wondering if they had a relationship.

Please keep this between us.’

No sender’s name or return address. It was just the first letter Orion had read, but a sense of unease had already begun to creep through his veins. “It’s as if-”

“It’s creepy, I know…”

– – –

‘Dear Lily,

I had your mother investigated. That night, my husband and I had a terrible argument. That scum! He went outside the house, even though he was the one cheating on me! I went to his office, and that’s when I saw your mother hugging my husband!

Why were they hiding in the dark on the night when your mom died? I saw your mom inside my husband’s office. She looked pretty, even though it was clear she had been crying.

I was furious with her! Even worse, I forcefully pushed her through the open window!

I didn’t mean it, believe me! I thought the angels would protect her.’

– – –

‘Dear Lily,

I have another secret. Did you know I met a man who is half my age? I attracted him. I shared with him what I had previously told my son, Drew. I showed him a picture of your mother. He felt sorry for me and then asked why I was still maintaining a relationship with my husband. He doesn’t know that I love my husband.

I told him that I was ill, and I allowed him to resent your mother, Lily! I wanted him to be angry with your mother!’

– – –

‘Dear Lily,

I’m sorry, Lily… Would you please look after Kenneth? He will look after you, just as he did for me. But don’t get too hopeful! He despises your mother and loves only me! He will resent you; I’ll ensure that because you resemble your mother!’

– – –

‘Dear Lily,

Are you growing weary of my letters? This will be the final one. Please forgive me for what I did to your mother. Can you look after Drew? I informed my father-in-law that my son would marry you. Kenneth is mine! You can have Drew.’

Orion’s expression was perplexed after reading those letters. “I’m sorry, Drew, but it appears that-”

“Yes… She’s deranged! I know! She was writing to Lily while she was in the hospital, but all of those letters were sent to the Martins’ house before my mother passed away. And I wasn’t the only one she manipulated, Kenneth was as well.” Drew’s fist clenched. “I’m just hurt that I believed in her, that I thought my dad was the worst when in reality, none of what my mom told me was true! Even though I don’t entirely trust my dad, I’m certain that Uncle Niel was telling the truth.”

“Has Lily read this?” Orion asked.

He shook his head.

Orion remained silent, opting to keep quiet as they both indulged in rum. They failed to realize that they were finishing the bottle.

Meanwhile, in Lily’s room, she detected Danica’s sweet scent, and she knew that the young woman was the one lying beside her in bed.

“You’re here…”

“Yes. Daddy told me the truth, so I persuaded my brother to bring me here. Fortunately, Drew allowed me to come upstairs and find you. He suggested that I stay with you.”

Danica embraced her, causing Lily to burst into tears once again. The warmth that Danica brought to her heart was comforting, making her believe she had a family now. She could now regard Danica as a sister.

“I’m sorry that Brian did what he did to you,” Danica whispered, making Lily sense that the young woman might still have feelings for Brian.

“You’ll find someone else, Danica. Someone who will genuinely love you.”

“Forget about your past, Lily. We are your family.”

Danica pressed her body closer to Lily’s, sharing a smile, because Drew understood what she needed at that moment.