Chapter 3 MARRIED

"The hit was too strong. It caused some fractures to his spine."

"Oh my God." The elegant-looking lady gasped in shock, and my hand flew to my chest, filled with holy terror.

Today was torment and calamity-stricken.

From losing the woman he loved to being heartbroken, to lying in pure agony on the streets of New York, to almost dying-Vince was now bedridden.

And it was all my fault.

My behavior had been formidable, and I deserved the reproach that was bound to come.

"How are you related to him?" the doctor asked.

"I'm his mother! Tatiana Sterling," she sobbed, a little too careful not to let out actual tears.

"I'm sorry. I had no idea..." the doctor apologized quickly, but she cut him off.

"Do you think he'll be able to walk again?" Tatiana asked.

The doctor sighed before responding.

"It's possible-with therapy, a series of reconstructive surgeries, and prayers-but in this case, it's rare. Mrs. Sterling, I'll have to ask you to have hope and believe."

My shoulders sagged, along with every living nerve inside me.

He lost his legs.

I only returned to reality when the doctor walked past me.

"Who wants a vegetable as a son?!" Tatiana's voice was high-pitched, clearly more angry than sad.

"Taty..." the woman beside her looked around nervously.

"My Vince is practically useless now!" Mrs. Sterling continued.

"Stop saying that. And you're ruining your mascara," her friend said. Tatiana paused.

"Am I crying ugly?" she asked.

"Yes."

She quickly snapped her fingers. "Lauren, give me a tissue."

The other woman, who I now knew as Lauren, handed Tatiana a piece.

"How did it even happen?!" Mrs. Sterling asked in a shrill voice, and the screech of tires reverberated in my ears like it had just happened.

The scene from five hours ago flashed through my mind, and a fresh wave of tears poured down my cheeks.

I sniffed, forgetting to keep quiet.

This time Tatiana noticed and turned to me.

"Who is that?" She didn't bother lowering her voice.

"One of the Van Cleve daughters," Lauren replied.

"I don't know that one."

"She's not Carrie's."

"Oh, the bastard one." I could hear the disgust laced in her tone.

"Jesus, Taty, she can hear you. Come, I'll tell you how the accident happened," Lauren chided, gently holding her arm.

"Oh, my Vince!" Tatiana broke into a fresh bout of empty sobs as Lauren led her away.

The doors to Vince's hospital room opened at that same time, and I instantly rose to my feet.

"Is he awake?" My eyes darted between my siblings, Kaitlyn and Kingsley.

Kord had been too distraught and angry to speak to me, so he wasn't with them.

"Yes," Kingsley grumbled and walked past me.

"Can I see him?" I asked hesitantly, but he turned on his heels and made for me, furious as hell.

"Haven't you done enough...?"

"No, Kingsley," Kaitlyn drawled, her arms darting out to stop Kingsley from lunging at me. "Don't be rude. Let her in. She wants to see him, and I'm sure Vince is more than happy to see her." Kaitlyn chuckled.

Kingsley stepped back and took off his visiting gown.

"Here's a gown and a mask," Kaitlyn offered. "Off you go," she said in a sing-song voice and nudged me toward the door.

"Thank you," I forced a smile and walked away.

"Mhmm," Kaitlyn nodded with a sick smile. "You'll see."

I hurriedly put on the mask and pushed the doors open. Vince was hooked up to many tubes, unmoving, his eyes open and fixed on the ceiling.

"Vince?" I called out to him, but got no reply.

"I was worried... How are you?" My legs carried me to his bedside.

No reply.

"Thank God you're alive. We're all happy you're alive," I said once I reached him.

No reply.

"You don't have to worry, though. We'll all take care of you, and in no time, you'll be healthy and-"

"You ruined my life."

He cut me off-voice low, threatening-still refusing to meet my eyes.

His gaze remained on the ceiling.

"I'm sorry..."

"The only reason I'm not having you arrested is because you're the sister of my best friend. Now I hate you as much as they despise you." He turned to look at me slowly.

I gasped and stepped back. His eyes looked almost bloodshot, and they shot daggers at me.

"I didn't mean to... I'll do anything to fix this," I stuttered. "I'll beg Tatiana every day. I'll take care of the bills-anything."

"Begging my mum won't bring my legs back! I'm crippled-and it's all because of you!" he yelled, and I flinched.

"It was a mistake..."

"And I have the perfect punishment for you," he said, and I instantly went cold.

The hair on my neck rose, and cold sweat dotted my face.

"You will be my nurse. My maid. My assistant. And you will be at my beck and call every single second of the day."

What?

"Since you love ruining lives so much, you will get married to me and become the wife of a cripple for the rest of your life," he said, and my time stopped.

What was he doing?

"I will trap you the same way you have trapped me. I will steal your happiness. Your dreams will die like mine have, and you will never be happy-like I never will," he said, and my eyes stung with fresh tears.

"Vince..."

"We get married tomorrow. Invite your family," he said, turning away.

"Vince, please..."

He ignored my pleas. "Close the door as you leave."

"I'm sorry..."

"Get out!" Vince yelled.

"I..."

"Leave before I call the cops." A new voice echoed through the room.

When I turned to the speaker, Tatiana was giving me a murderous glare. Her look was full of hatred. She now knew of my involvement in her son's accident.

"I never, ever want to see you near my son or even dare say his name again. And I never want to lay eyes on you- or else..." She was walking closer with every word.

"Throw her out, Mother," Vince finished for her.

"Bastards should stay in their place, licking our feet and sticking their ugly faces on the ground where they belong," she spat in my face.

My heart sank into my stomach.

That was degrading enough to send me running.

With one last look at Vince, I managed to let out a weak apology.

"I'm sorry. I never meant for this to happen."

I stepped past Tatiana and rushed outside, hot, hurried tears rolling down my cheeks.

"How was it?" Kingsley laughed as he saw me hurry toward them, tearing the gown off my body and trying to hold back my tears.

"I see you met Mama Sterling," Kaitlyn joined him, laughing. "She finally saw the evil person you are."

I fled past them in hasty steps and wheezed for the restroom.

Once the door was shut, I broke down in heavy sobs.

Then came a knock.

"Evangeline."

"Kord?" A wave of relief rushed through me, but my tears didn't stop.

"Hey, baby," he cooed softly.

"I didn't push him onto the road. Everyone's saying it like I did. He was heartbroken after he saw Michelle kissing another man!" I ranted, making sorry, useless attempts to stop my tears. "I didn't ruin his engagement on purpose. It was an honest mistake! Mrs. Sterling hates me now."

"Tatiana Sterling hates everyone, baby. She's just too much of a rich, rude snob to care about how others feel," Kord said.

"She called me a..." I broke down in sobs, trying to clear my nose.

"Sorry, baby. Don't cry. I get it. Is that what happened with Michelle? She cheated?"

I nodded, though he couldn't see me.

"Yes. Vince was heartbroken and walked into the road without looking," I explained. I heard Kord's loud exhale from outside.

"I believe you. Don't cry, baby. It's a good thing he didn't put that ring on her finger," he mused.

I cried and wiped my tears, forgetting to tell him how Michelle had planned to publicly humiliate Vince by rejecting his proposal.

"Vince wants his revenge," I said once I could speak again, my shoulders trembling.

"I know..."

"He says-what? You know? How... What do you know, Kord?" My heart pounded, my ribcage rattling.

"I know you're getting married," he sighed.

I froze.

"Is he serious? Marrying me for revenge?" My voice was barely audible.

"It's better than jail, baby. Tatiana wants to make you pay for causing her son so much pain. You know they have the power to bend the law and have you locked up for a millennium," he said, and I felt dizzy. "She wants you to suffer with Vince."

"I can't believe this," I choked, starting to cry again.

"Believe it, darling, because Carrie is more than willing to sell you off. I saw her and Tatiana talking. More like Tatiana was giving her orders-Carrie had her head bowed. The Sterlings have power, Eva. Don't fight it," Kord warned.

"He doesn't love me," I cried.

"Guess the amount of love in jail," Kord said, and that was all the convincing I needed.

I didn't want to go to jail.

*********

"I now pronounce you husband and wife."

The priest looked between me and Vince, who lay on his bed, unmoving, only breathing and staring at the ceiling.

His eyes raked over me in the ugly white satin dress my stepmother, Carrie, had picked last night.

Then, he looked at my family, cramped together in the hospital room.

Kingsley and Kaitlyn exchanged mocking looks and whispers all day. Once, they even dared to laugh, but I knew they were holding back because of Vince's presence.

Carrie had her eyes on the pink diamond ring that was meant for Michelle. She followed every movement my hand made.

I was surprised Vince and Tatiana hadn't taken it back. But they probably didn't care. The Sterlings could buy that ring a hundred times over.

To them, it was worthless.

To me, it marked the beginning of my world crumbling to ashes.

Kord was the only one looking at me with deep sadness, offering a tight, small smile when our eyes met.

Tatiana was nowhere to be seen.

"I take it there's no kissing happening," said the priest.

"Just bless the union, Father," Kord said. The priest cleared his throat and proceeded.

Only when he was out the door did I collapse into a chair and cry.

"Are those tears of joy?" I heard Kaitlyn ask.

"Who cares? Let her pay for her crimes. She no longer belongs to this family."