Chapter 4: Betrayal Confirmed

Damien felt like his heart was being wringed out of him. He could not believe these two people could do this to him.

They had acted as though they could not stand each other but all the while, had been carrying on behind his back and making a fool of him.

He felt like hitting his fist into something. Maybe the pain would help him endure the pain he was feeling in his heart. It was as though, his heart was breaking but it could not be. He would not believe anything until he had seen them with his eyes.

The messenger may have made a mistake. He had thought in jest that his brother was delayed by a girl. Maybe it was actually a girl but not his Carole.

His Carole loved him just as much as he loved her and had agreed to marry him. So she could not possibly have married someone else, least if all, his own brother. It was preposterous. Incredible.

Dominic must be playing a joke on him but he would warn him that the joke was just too expensive and they would both laugh over it.

He walked to where his brother's Royce limousine was packed and he felt that Dominic would get out of the car smiling and telling him what a fool he was to believe such a lie and fall for his trick.

They played pranks on each other, brotherly pranks and this might just be one of such.

As he neared the limousine, he found that he didn't need to look into the car, his brother was standing outside the door of the Limousine as and beside him was Carole in a wedding dress. The same wedding dress he had bought for her.

He was still not going to believe his eyes and what his heart was telling him. There could be any number of explanations different from the obvious.

Carole looked at Dominic as Damien approached. Damien's heart started thudding very rapidly in apprehension, praying that what he had heard was not the truth.

He could see guilt written all over her face and yet another emotion as well, relief? Relief that her trickery was finally out in the open? That she no longer had to pretend to hate Dominic or to love him? Dominic placed an arm round her waist protectively. Damien saw this and is blood became hot. Was Dominic protecting Carole from him? Protecting a woman he was supposed to have married from him? Incredible. But that action said it all but he still needed to confirm and know the reason for all this.

Before he could utter a word, Dominic spoke, 'Dam', that was the way Dominic called him lovingly. 'I am sorry. It was not Carole's fault'.

Damien did not know what he was apologizing for.

'What do you mean?'

'Well, right from the first time I set my eyes on Carole, I have loved her insanely. I tried not to but you cannot tell your heart who to love and who not to'.

He stopped talking waiting for a response. Damien had confirmed that the story was true and his hope that it was not was completely shattered.

When Damien kept quiet, he continued, 'I found out that she felt the same way and we were confused about what to do. We did not want to break your heart, so while planning on how best to tell you that we were in love with each other, we continued with the wedding preparations as though nothing was amiss'.

All the while Damien was staring at Carol incredulously and she could not meet his eyes. Hearing what Dominic had to say, Damien laughed like an insane man. 'You really fooled me. I thought that both of you could not stand each other but you were just putting up an act for the foolish Damien who could easily be deceived by those he trusted the most, his own blood brother and the woman he loved so much that he had wanted to spend the rest of his days with her', he said bitterly.

'Damien, I really loved you or I thought I did but that was before I met Dominic. When I met your brother, I found true love and I knew I'd not be happy getting married to you because my heart would keep longing for him.', Carol said, finally speaking up. Dominic being by her side had given her the strength to speak.'I didn't want to ruin three lives. It was better to do it this way than to deceive with with vows of undying love', she continued, 'and continue to carry on with your brother behind your back. I am glad I do not have to pretend anymore. I can be myself now'.

Damien looked at her condescendingly and because he could not bear the pain of their betrayal, he went to his brother in anger wanting to fight him but his father and other people were there. They held him off.

'Take a hold on yourself now, Damien and be a man. You are causing a scene'.

Damien felt that everyone had ganged up against him. This was such times when he missed his mother terribly. He looked at his father incredulously. He was causing a scene?

'I am causing a scene but your son who can do no wrong caused a bigger scene by stealing my bride from me and no one is reprimanding him', he shouted.

'He did not go about it the right way but you heard the lady. It was better that she made her choice now than later. She would be ruining three lives', his father said, trying to reason with him. 'Dominic is your elder brother and should get married first, also, like I told you before, Carole is still married into the family. Maybe to the other brother but you can be a brother in - law to her'.

Damien could not give his father a punch but he did give his brother a hard punch on the cheek before being held back again and Carole had rushed to Damien's side to make sure he was alright. The sight hurt him the more and he spoke out what he thought.

'Carole, I had loved you with the whole of my heart but you preferred my elder brother. Could it really be because you loved him dearly or is it because he is the heir apparent, being elder than I? He would inherit the title and more of the properties than I would and you wanted to make sure you got the best deal. That is the case, isn't it?'

'Damien, you speak nonsense. Do not speak to my wife like that!' Dominic said rubbing salt into his injury.

Damien wanted to retort that she would have been his wife if he had not interfered but he felt that there was no use saying it. They would not listen and it was late anyway, Carole was already Dominic's wife and there was nothing Damien could do about it. He looked at all of them and walked out onto the road.

Be came back to the present. The event still had the power to hurt him. Since then, he had not gone back home again. He heard that Carole had given his brother two children and though he often felt that those children should have been his, he refused to forgive Dominic nor Carole.

They had often invited him home but he never went and it was already five years, yet the pain though blunter now, was still there.

He pushed the thought out of his mind. He did not know why he recalled it, maybe to remind him that no woman was worth trusting. A woman who could profess undying love while cheating on you and going off with a richer man or in this case, a wealthy man with a title. Carole had always wanted social position, now she had it. She could not have hot it with him, so he opted for his elder brother.

So, this new secretary who was starting work the next day was just that - a secretary. If he felt starved of female companionship, then he would go to one of his numerous lady friends with whom he had an understanding. They were out for fun like he and when they grew tired of each other, they left with no hard feelings. That was how he wanted his life, free from the strain of commitments.