I'LL DO IT

VIVI’S POINT OF VIEW.

The sound of cheers greets me before I can take a step inside. For some reason, the entire house is lit with celebration. My heart tightens with tension at the sight, and I can just tell that something is wrong.

“Oh, Mrs Whit- I mean, Miss Carlisle!” Old lady Hilda, Maria’s great aunt, gasps upon seeing me.

She’s just stepping out of her car when it happens.

“What are you doing here?” She asks, looking around with wide eyes.

“I’m….Reyna called me a couple of minutes ago; she said Maria wanted to have me over for tea.”

“Oh, stupid child.” She turns, shaking her head with eye field with pity at me. “Who drinks tea at eleven in the night…..huh?” She looks around again, then grabs my hand. “You need to leave this place right now.”

“What? Why?”

“Just trust me and go.”

“I don’t understand…….what about Maria?”

“You’ve been set up……listen, there’s no time to explain anything to you. But trust me enough to realize I’m the only one who cares about your dignity and face right now.

Go back home.”

Before I could choose to ask her another question or head back to my car, I heard his voice;

“Ahh, Genevieve!” Elias’ dad, Julian, calls behind us. Hilda freezes at the sound of his voice, then shares a remorseful look with me. “You’re finally here.”

He grabs my arm before I can try to escape, pulling me away from Hilda. “We’ve been expecting you.”

“I……think I should go home now; my sister might-“

“Nonsense, the party’s started, and you’re the guest of honor.”

“P-party?” I squeaked, letting him lead me further into his home. “What party?”

The sound of classical music and cheers became even louder as we stepped through the door.

He doesn’t respond.

But he doesn’t have to, because the sight that greets me is from my nightmares.

Every snotty, rich man and woman who frowned at Eli and me when we got married six months ago is right here.

They’re sipping champagne and laughing amongst themselves when I’m spotted. Dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a plain top, I look like mop water compared to their expensive couture.

That’s when their sunrises, condescending stares mixed with their disdained whispers.

“Isn’t that….”

“That’s the ex-wife.”

“I heard she’s crazy.”

“She probably caused that separation.”

“Gold diggers……” one hissed. “We will never get rid of them.”

“I’m just glad Elias has found someone else; someone good enough to carry his name.”

My ears start ringing from that last one, followed by the sound of my heart beating much faster. Fighting tears, my head snaps to the spot atop the grand stairway.

There, a man dressed in a navy blue suit, fur draped around his shoulder, clinks a champagne flute.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the moment we have been waiting for has arrived! As informed by the special couple themselves, they would like me to let you all know they have an announcement.

However, I believe it’s time to let them speak for themselves.”

He takes a low bow before stepping away.

When he exits, Elias takes his spot… but he isn’t alone. No, it’s the furthest thing from.

A tall, slender woman stands at his side, her brown hair matching mine in an eerie way, styled to a perfect top, curly bun, diamonds shining all around her neck, and wrists.

Her lips are painted red, and she’s staring right at me… no, not staring; glaring.

Elias, on the other hand, has an overjoyed expression, like he’s struck gold.

“Everyone……there have been rumors about my being in a relationship with another woman these last few days. I am pleased to let you know that those rumors are indeed true.”

My heart cracks in two, and my hand instinctively goes to my belly again. I swallowed thickly, listening to hinting the ringing in my ears.

“I recently found my one true love, her name is Bianca, and…….we are engaged to be married.”

Everyone erupts in cheers, clapping loudly with appreciative stares, while it feels like I'm downing.

I can see it even clearer as well… their nods of approval; something I never got after months of fighting for it.

She got it in less than five minutes.

“I told you, Genevieve……you’re not fit for this family,” Julian whispered low in my ear, making me jerk.

Elias looks so……happy; like his world is complete again.

I wiped my tears frantically, but they didn’t stop running. And as the universe knew of my pain, the sound of thunder cracked the sky with a loud bang.

I don’t let Elias see me…….this was enough to know he didn’t love me……

I turned and ran as fast as I could, not caring about their pitiful glances; I just kept running until I stopped in their garden.

My chest rose and fell as my breathing turned heavy with my sobs.

Why me?

What did I do to deserve this?

I didn’t stop running until the noise faded. Until the music, the laughter, and his voice disappeared.

The garden I dashed into was dark and quiet, perfect for me to cry in.

My chest heaved as I stumbled forward, my vision blurred by tears I couldn’t control.

Why?

Why wasn’t I enough?

Why did he forget me so easily?

I was in the fire too…….I got hurt too, but I never forgot him. Not even once

My hand trembled as it pressed against my stomach. Our baby…….what am I going to tell them?

“I recently found my one true love…”

A broken laugh escaped me; the sound came out sharp and hollow.

Right.

Of course he did.

And I was just… replaceable.

“Careful,” a familiar voice said behind me. “You’ll hurt yourself if you keep running like that.”

My entire body went rigid at the sound of that voice. Then, slowly… painfully, I turned.

And there he was.

Leaning lazily against the stone pillar like he’d been there all along.

Watching and waiting while everyone partied away.

“You,” I whispered, not with shock this time, or confusion like last time.

I recognized him now, even though we had met once. Felix Whitmore.

His lips curved slightly, like he liked the way I said it, the tattoo on his chest exposed from the popped buttons of his shirt. He nursed a glass of what looked like whiskey.

“Me,” he confirmed, and my throat tightened.

“You knew,” I said, my voice shaking despite my effort to steady it. “You knew this would happen.”

At first, there was a cause, and then,

“I had a feeling.”

My chest burned with irritation as I turned to glare fully at him.

“So you brought me here?” I snapped. “You let me walk into that humiliation knowing…”

“I didn’t let you do anything, Genevieve,” he cut in smoothly. “You came because you still believed in him even after I told you about his amnesia.”

He was right…….The truth in that stung badly.

I looked away, swallowing hard.

“I told you what was happening,” he continued, his voice quieter now. “You just didn’t want to believe me.”

A heavy silence stretched between us. It was suffocating and painful.

Behind us, the faint sound of celebration still echoed from inside.

For them.

For his new love.

My nails dug into my palms, while I fought another onslaught of tears, but it was useless because a few traces of tears spilled down my cheeks.

“He looked happy,” I whispered.

The words felt like glass shards I’d swallowed down in my throat.

Felix didn’t respond immediately. When I looked back at him, his gaze was already on me; it was sharp, intent, and unreadable.

“Does that change anything?” he asked. My breath hitched while I pondered his words.

Did it?

…yes.

God help me, it did.

Because if he was truly happy……he would have felt something. I believe in our love.

He would have known it was me in these last six months.

Then where did that leave me?

My hand curled protectively over my stomach. I felt a sense of strength whenever I did that……I can’t give up on him; what if he remembers someday and finds that I gave up?

“I can still fix this,” I said, but the conviction wasn’t there anymore. “I just need time. He’ll remember. He has to…”

“He won’t.”

The finality in his voice cut through me, and I froze.

“And while you’re waiting for a miracle,” he added softly, “they’ll get married.”

My heart dropped to my stomach.

“And once that happens?” He took a step closer. “You lose everything.”

Another step.

“Your place.”

Another.

“Your chance.”

He stopped just in front of me.

“And him.”

My breathing turned uneven again.

“You said…” I started, my voice barely a whisper, “that I could stay close to him.” His eyes darkened slightly.

“I did.” My pulse quickened as I spoke further.

“That I could fight for him.”

“I did.”

Again, I felt that the air between us had shifted in the familiar heavy, charged way.

I swallowed hard. “And in return…” I forced the words out, “I become yours.”

Something flickered in his gaze. It wasn’t anything soft, but something dark and sinister.

“Yes.”

My heart pounded violently.

This was wrong.

Every part of it felt twisted, messy, and unforgivable, but so was what they did to me.

What he did to me.

I closed my eyes briefly for just a second.

Then, I opened them again, and this time, there was something new in my chest.

It wasn’t hope or love, but the sheer will to take back what was mine.

“Fine.”

The word came out quietly, but steadily. His brows lifted slightly with clear shock.

“Say that again,” he murmured.

I lifted my chin, meeting his gaze fully.

“I’ll do it,” I said. “I’ll marry you.”