Chapter 4 004

CHAPTER FOUR

AURELIA

"Mireya..." My voice shook. "Do you like Theron?"

"It's probably the other way round," she said calmly, closing the door with a soft click. "Theron likes me, so I gave him the chance to date me."

"But...we were dating," a tremor rushed through my body.

"No, you weren't. You only started dating five years ago, and even that was because I told Theron to date you. You were so pathetic writing love letters and running around him all day long. I was trying to help you-"

"Help?" I asked, my voice a shadow of itself. I felt hot, and my chest tightened, knocking out my breath. "Mireya, you were mocking me."

"Be careful, Aurelia. You don't want to die from shortness of breath."

"Shut up!" I fired, closing the gap between us. "I'm your sister. How could you do this?"

"Theron doesn't even like you."

"At least, I...should have known. You had the chance to tell me five years ago, did you think I would get angry about that? If he didn't like me, there was nothing I could have done...so why...why didn't you..." I sucked a deep breath as my palm tightened around my shirt, "let me know?"

"Let you know?" Mireya scoffed. "You have everything, Aurelia. You are a spoiled brat. How could I possibly let you know that Theron and I were dating? You would probably throw a tantrum and force our separation, that's how you are, Aurelia."

I had everything, said the same girl who'd crumbled my whole world from the moment she appeared in my life. Said the same girl who I gave everything I had without a single word.

Theron told me to make everyone think I had broken off the marriage. It wasn't really because of his reputation; they were solid enough to push things off like this. It was because of Mireya, because he didn't want her to get hurt.

"I'm letting everyone know what you and Theron have been up to," I said flatly and pulled the door open, rushing out.

"Aurelia," Mireya grabbed my arm, but I pushed her off, rushing out of the front door. Crossing right into our gates was Theron, panic on his face.

He stared at me for just a second before the door opened and Mireya came out.

"Mireya, " he called, running towards her.

She turned to face him as his arms wrapped around her, hugging her tightly to his chest. "Are you okay?"

A small smile plastered Mireya's face as she stared at me. "Aurelia is mad. I think she's going to tell them," her voice was ridiculously lower than usual. Theron turned to look at me, and in that instant, my lips trembled. I had loved him.

I had loved Theron.

The scar at my back...

A shaky breath escaped from my lips as I turned. I feared that if I stared at them for too long, I would falter.

"I begged you. You can't ruin Mireya's reputation over this, you know her situation," he muttered.

Situation? What situation? When did being adopted become a ticket for things like this?

"Sort it out," I forced my voice to be cold. "You should have thought about this before going ahead with it. It's crazy how you think I should be understanding, Theron, because you treated me like trash and even lied to me."

"Aurelia-"

"Did you ever mean it? The flowers, the attendance, the love?"

Silence ensued for a moment, and somehow, before he said it...I knew the answers. In every one of those situations, Mireya was always there.

"Mireya asked me to do those things for you, so that you wouldn't feel sad,"

That was new.

A chuckle escaped from my lips as I finally turned to look at them. My imagination drew horns on her head.

She was so good at this. Setting circumstances and making me fall in love with him for the longest time, before she finally snatched him away from my hands, and he was so gullible, trusting, and doing as she said. The man I thought was logical and didn't have emotions was actually so stupid when he truly loved.

I pulled off his ring from my fingers, throwing it on the floor as I walked out of the gates. I won't let myself be ridiculed any longer. The doors to Theron's house pulled open even before I got to the door.

Dad stared at me. "Prepare for the wedding with Theron."

They settled without involving either of us, it seemed.

"I'm not getting married to Theron," I said, my voice coming off cold. "He's already in love-"

"I will marry you, Aurelia."

I blinked as a voice cut me off. "What?"

"I will marry you," Theron repeated.

Behind him, Mireya's face twisted, like she was sorry. But I knew Mireya better than everyone. If she were truly sorry, then she wouldn't show it on her face. Because that was how she was, calm and always composed.

To protect this woman, Theron would do everything, including getting married to me.

~~

I stood at the edge of the bridge, my hands tightening on the railings. The cold air slapped my face, unexpectedly making me clear-headed. The bridge was my go-to whenever I felt too sad, and things were overly complicated. Just like today, I was here again.

I knew what I wanted, and it didn't include getting married to Theron anymore. However, my parents could bundle me to those wedding grounds if that would make me agree to marry. How crazy it is...that my lifelong dreams suddenly became my worst nightmare.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket, staring into the dark waters below.

"This is Aurelia Hale," I introduced myself purposely with my surname. "I need a ticket for tomorrow night, to Sydney, Australia."

Mireya's call came in the moment I ended the former.

"What do you want?"

"Are you sulking at the bridge again?" she asked. I'd let her know every corner of my life, sadly. Once upon a time, we stood on this same bridge together, when I'd still loved her.

"Don't jump in yet," she said. I could hear the movement as her heels clinked against the ground in a controlled manner. "I've always been jealous of you, Aure. You were always bubbly and happy, living life to the fullest, but you had no idea that eyes were on you. People watched you every single time. You were so innocent, the kind that would jump into fire to save the boy she loved."

I clenched my teeth. "Mireya."

"If only you had waited behind that night, then maybe Theron would have loved you. Saving his life was the fastest way to get into his heart."

My eyes narrowed.

Mireya chuckled, "For the person who saved his life, Theron would do everything. That's how he is."

"What?" I gasped, "Did you lie to Theron-"

"Now that you know, Aurelia, I can't keep you safe. Besides, if you are alive, that means you would get married to him, which I do not agree to. Theron is mine."

"Mireya-"

"Good bye, Aurelia."

A car light flashed behind me, pulling me attention. I turned, my feet rooted to the ground.

I barely felt the impact of the hit. My eyes blurred as the rails gave way to the water underneath. My lungs seized as the water pulled me in.

For a second...for a split second, Theron's face flashed in my memories.

But even that vanished as my eyes closed.

If I had a second chance, just one more chance...

I would not fall in love with Theron, and I would never trust Mireya.