Chapter 150

Pulling up to the villa, Pearl noticed a car parked in front that she didn't recognize. "Who is that?" She said out loud.

"Are you expecting anyone?" Erik asked.

"No." Pearl said.

They parked at the front door and Fi greeted them outside. "Rhys is here. I told him it wasn't a good idea to be here and that he should wait at his hotel, but he wouldn't leave." She said. "He wants to talk to you."

"Like bloody hell he's going to talk to her." Erik said.

"It's ok, Erik. I need to do this." Pearl said. Erik was clearly not happy about it but he nodded and followed her inside.

Rhys was sitting on the couch. "Pearl, I..." he started to say and then he saw Erik behind her. "What the fuck, Pearl? You're still with him? Did you plan this vacation to spend it with him? How long have you been seeing him?" Rhys asked, standing up and walking toward them.

"No. It wasn't planned, it was completely by surprise we ran into each other." Pearl said.

"Yes, it was a wonderful surprise. The most wonderful surprise I think I've ever had." Erik said, smiling. Rhys walked closer to Erik. He was so small in stature compared to Erik's height and build. "Rhys, is it? Be careful. Pearl, I'll be in the kitchen." Erik said, putting his hand on her shoulder and kissing her cheek.

"Nice! I came here to talk to you, to explain myself but now I don't even know if I want to or should with what's going on with him." Rhys said, putting his hands on his hips.

"Well, there's the door if you'd like to change your mind." Pearl said.

"You moved everything out of our house. And you're selling the bookshop?" Rhys asked.

"Yes. I don't want any ties to you. We need to just end this." She said.

"I don't want to end this. I love you. I mean, is that what you really want? To walk away from me. From us?" He asked, clearly not understanding the severity of the situation.

"You lied to me. You betrayed my trust and completely deceived me. I thought I was married for Christ's sake? Who does that to someone?" Pearl said. She was doing all that she could to fight back tears.

"I had to. There are others involved in all of this and they didn't trust you fully yet. I was ready to go all in but they advised me not to. I wanted to commit to you, to this. I wanted to give you a wedding. I wanted you for myself. Something for me, for once."

"So you fabricated a fake wedding so you wouldn't lose me? That is a spoiled, childish thing that you did. You wanted me but you couldn't give me what you said you were going to give me because you were afraid I would try to take your money?" Pearl could feel the rage brewing again. "You allowed your handlers to decide your fate and gave me a lie to make everyone happy. What a coward you are!"

"Pearl, I just wanted a different life. One with you. It's the only way I could have both." Rhys put his head down.

"Sure. That works out for you. But what about me? And Carys? You moved her into your house? Paid her debts? The woman that deliberately tried to sabotage my life and my career. How noble."

"It's not what you think. There are reasons for that." Rhys said. "She's pregnant. 6 months along. And she says it's most likely my child. It's between me and one other man. Ian."

Pearl took a step back. "So, this pathological, manipulative liar tells you that she's expecting your child and you pay off all of her debt move her into your house? You're more of a fool than I ever realized."

"Pearl, it was the right thing to do."

"No, Rhys. It was the right thing to do for HER and for YOU and for your precious reputation. It wasn't the right thing to do for me or for us or even for this baby. You didn't even talk to me about it. You didn't even tell me." The tears welled in her eyes and she was beyond hurt.

"You weren't speaking to me, Pearl. What was I supposed to do? Talk to me. I'm here now, talk to me." Rhys said.

"I don't care that you're here now, you should've been here since day one. You lied to me. You took advantage of me when you knew I was hurting and used love as a way to manipulate me, when you knew everything that happened to me. I told you everything and you used it to your advantage.

I can't. I can't, Rhys. I'm sorry, it's over. It's so over."

Pearl said. She turned and faced the other direction so he wouldn't see her cry.

"Pearl. Please just listen to me. I thought I was doing the right thing. I'm trying to be a good person. I'm trying to be a better person because of you." Rhys put his hand on her shoulder.

"No." Pearl said, moving away from him. "You're being exactly who you've always been. The weak, cowardly, make everybody happy, man, who doesn't stand up for what's right. Who doesn't stand up for his woman or even himself. Who doesn't stand up for anything. All you care about is that you fit in, how you look. I'm not built that way. It's over. I mean it. You need to leave."

"Pearl. I love you. I don't want to lose you." Rhys said.

"Leave!" Pearl shouted.

"You know what? Fine. I should've listened to everybody when they tried to warn me about you. You fought so hard to try to prove you weren't a gold digger and now look at you. Flying around Europe with a fucking prince. Yeah, Pearl. If that doesn't have gold digger written all over it, nothing does."

"What?" Pearl asked. "Are you kidding me? You're turning this around on me?" She was completely floored and seething with anger.

"I think I was right not to marry you. It's so obvious now. You just have to keep moving up the ladder, huh? What's next Pearl? Who could you possibly be with next? I mean this is the top of the line. I hope he's worth it because there's no other higher level of gold digging that you could possibly achieve." Rhys sneered.

"Get out!" Pearl shouted.

"Yeah, I'll get out. Just remember you lost with me. You could've had the life that you wanted. Now you have nothing. You think this prince is gonna offer you anything real? He will use you. You think he's not gonna fucking take advantage of you? Are you out of your mind? He doesn't want you. You're a divorced, 35-year-old woman that he wants nothing to do with after he's done with you. You're just a fuck. A piece of ass." Rhys grabbed her shoulders and turned her around, shaking her violently.

"Get your hands off of me!" Pearl shouted.

Erik came around the corner and grabbed Rhys, throwing him into the floor. "Get out. She asked you to leave." He said.

"Fine. I'll leave." Rhys said, grabbing his bag. "You'll never see me again, Pearl. Oh and prince wonderful, enjoy your gold digging whore. I know I did while I had my turn with her."

And within a second, Erik walked to him and landed a right hook to his face, knocking him to the floor. He stood over him and grabbed the collar of Rhys' jacket and brought his fist to his face. "No. You enjoy YOUR whores, like the one you have living in your house. I don't need to enjoy whores like that and I don't need to kiss anyone's ass to feel good about myself. I will enjoy the fact that I'm intelligent enough to recognize the most incredible woman that you or myself or any man has ever been lucky enough to spend five fucking minutes with, let alone have the audacity to pretend to be married to. You're the one that's lost here. I hope you remember that every single day of your life, every single time I tell her how amazing she is, you'll have lost a little more. You don't play with human emotions like that. Get out. Get the fuck out and if you ever come within even a mile of Pearl again or even so much as whisper her name, it'll be much worse than a bruised fucking jaw, do you understand me? Stay the fuck away from her." Erik said, still standing over Rhys's slumped body. "You hurt her because of money. You hurt her because of your Hollywood reputation. What a bloody joke you are. I am the fucking crown prince of England but if I could have a woman like that in my life, loving me and willing to marry me, I'd renounce every fucking thing I own and that's the difference between you and me. Get out." And with that, he released him. Rhys stood up and didn't say a word.

"One more thing." Erik said. "You didn't tell Pearl about the Venice film festival beginning this weekend, did you? That's why you're really here. I don't think you could be honest about one fucking thing even if your life depended on it." Erik said. Pearl couldn't believe it. It was all a lie. She was a toy for a spoiled child to play with. It meant nothing. She meant nothing to him.

"Charles, walk this pathetic excuse for a man to his car and follow him until he is out of sight." Erik commanded.

"Yes sir. My pleasure." Charles replied.