Chapter 21 - Virgin Mary And Shock

Eric’s POV:

I’m so heated up right now that I don’t think straight anymore. Justin is yelling at me, but I don’t hear it. I only have my eyes on Selena who has found protection behind my man.

You love to play, baby. You love to play me. You try to fool me. I’ll have you in a minute. Don’t think I’ll let you go. Not happening.

“Justin? If you don’t get away from here in a second, I might kill you over this. Don’t think I’m joking.” I mean each word. My body craves one thing. That’s my wife standing behind another man. A man who always advocates for her.

Justin? You’re going down. If you don’t go now, you’re responsible for what’s next.

The way she has Justin’s suit jacket grabbed, maddens me more.

Why do you always have to go to some other man? Why do you always reject me? Am I so worthless in front of you?

“Eric. Please. Just calm down. She went through too much, yesterday. Let her have her recovery. Think about it. You know I’m right.” I punch him. I said I can’t control. I’ve punched him hard that he’s on the floor without consciousness.

“Why the fuck did you do that?! Are you crazy?! What did he do to you to do that to him?!” Selena attempts to go and help Justin but I grab her and put her on my left shoulder.

“I need to consume the marriage. I’ll go crazy if I won’t.” I say to her while going back to the bedroom, locking the door and throwing the key on the window. That crazy I am right now. I don’t give a fuck on anything. She’s played me enough.

“Eric! Stop! You can’t do this to me! Please! I’m a virgin! Please! Don’t do this to me! Not like this! You show no respect towards me! I’m not your whore! I beg of you! I didn’t do anything to you, ever, to treat me like this! Why do you trash me like this?! I’m 31, not 15! It’s way harder to accept such act now! I’m not naïve anymore! Please, Eric!” She pleads after I’ve thrown her on the bed. I’m fuming right now. My mind has nothing to do with what I feel. My heart is everywhere. I look at her and I have such tremor inside that I might explode.

I’m not mad for her punching me. I’m mad because of my instincts that I can no longer control. Last night was the most difficult one in my life as a man. I kept control with every string of humanity and love for her. But when I saw her walking away this morning, everything boomed in me. I know she doesn’t do anything with intention. Yet I can’t take a grip over myself anymore. And I’m not doing anything wrong here. She’s my wife. I have that right. Why isn’t she complying? Why?

When she responded to my kiss, I was the happiest man on earth. I was transported in a world that never thought exists. I want her with my entire being. I don’t know what’s happening to me. No woman has ever had such effect on me. It’s the first time happening to me. Maybe because I have never been in love. Just casual sex. Never in my life has my heart dictated to a woman. Only physical attraction. That was all. For her, I have the entire spectrum of attractions.

“Selena! I fucking love you! I’m not disrespecting you! Understand that! I can’t control myself anymore! Stop rejecting me! I go crazy when you do that!” She’s paused, staring at me, with questioning eyes.

“Eric! You can’t possibly love me in one day! We are both adults here! Do you hear yourself what you’re saying?! You just have a passing feeling! It’s not love, Eric! Trust me!” She sobs. “I’m already broken, Eric! You saw me last night! Don’t break me more than this! You already took my first kiss! You already took touching my body and feeling me! You already took sleeping in the same bed with me! No one ever reached that far to me! Not even Don! He didn’t have more than a friendly hug! Ever! The furthest he reached was a peck on my nose, yesterday! That’s all!”

Who is she? Virgin Mary?

“And some that put their hands on my ass when I wasn’t looking! And they got their beating for it!” She’s crying.

“Then why did you beat him three months ago? Huh? Tell me!” I can’t help it. I’m screaming at her. Don’t know why.

“He was drunk! He started hitting on me! I told him to stop. He said that he wants to fuck me. That he wants me in so long. I blamed it on the alcohol. Then he attempted to get physical with me and that’s when I got violent on him! I can’t stand such behavior when I’m not asking for it! He didn’t reach to do anything to me!” She gets me crazy with that crying of hers. It stings my heart.

“Selena? We are both adults, right?” I know I have a bull stare.

“Yeah…” She’s sobbing.

“You read the contract, right?” Same stare.

“So?” She’s trembling right now.

Fuck!

“We are married to each other. We can’t divorce. Ever. I wouldn’t have done that even if it weren’t written there. No cheating to each other. I would never do that to you, and I’m sure you neither. You can probably stay like this forever, but I can’t. Do you understand that?” She looks at me with such innocent eyes.

“But you agreed until a proper wedding, no sex!”

You had to say it…

“Fine! We’ll have it today! I’m no billionaire for nothing! Justin!” I go to the door to open it. Forgot I threw the key on the window.

“What do you mean, today?! You can’t have a wedding in a few hours!”

She sure still hopes it gets delayed more.

“Watch me! You’ll see what husband you’ve got! You’ll be proud!” I grab the door by the handle and force it open, slamming it on the wall.

“Eric! Wait!” She comes after me on the hallway where Justin is waiting.

“No! Selena! Go back and wash yourself and prepare yourself! I’ll send you the staff to prepare everything for you as a bride! I’ll send you the latest collection of wedding dresses! All that you need and want to be and feel the bride of the century! I’ll give you everything! Tonight, YOU will give me what I want! And I’ll respect the fucking contract! All of it! Don’t worry!” She’s got my back now and I’m on to Justin’s spot.

“I WILL NEVER FUCK WITH YOU! YOU PIECE OF SHIT! GET THAT TO YOUR MIND! I tried to explain it to you! You clearly don’t understand or don’t want to! STOP BOSSING ME AROUND!” She’s raging at me, making me stop halfway to Justin. I’m still with my back at her. I close my eyes when she finishes speaking as she’s having a hysterical voice, crying. It hurts the hell out of me. Her words are daggering my heart. “Justin?” She calls him.

“Yes, madam.” He is worried about her. It stings me to see another man like that when it comes to her. The look in his eyes at her… Boy… I’m an assassin at this point, waiting to shoot.

“My shoes, purse and car keys! Now! I’m fucking out of here! And if you don’t get them for me now, I’ll not answer for my further reactions! Go!” She commands him, Justin looking at her and then at me. He knows that if he follows her order now, I’ll kill him. He can see my state and has knowledge on who I am or how I react.

“Kids? Why are you fighting?”

Dad? What are you doing here?

“Dad? What are you doing here?” My mom comes, too. I haven’t told them anything yet. “Mom?”

Fuck! I clearly didn’t tell anyone yet because, as a leader in the underground, competitions for leadership are on when the leader marries. And his wife needs to be submitted to him. Otherwise it means that he’s not strong enough! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! They fucking know now.

My parents aren’t the problem. I have free way to choose anyone I want. The other families are the problem because Selena is not accepting me. I wanted first to be with her and solve our marital problems before all that. Plus, I’m in no state for the one week of competitions and such, with the hurricane Selena is, and how I am right now because of her. If only she would understand I love her and trust me.

My dad motions me to shut up. My mom lovingly smiles at Selena. Like she knows her already?

What the fuck?

“Selena, darling?” Dad addresses her.

“Yes.” She answers with delay. I look at her. She doesn’t seem to know dad but checks out my mom. Seemingly, mom is familiar to her and tries to see from where she knows her.

“You don’t know me, sweetie, but I know you for the last 16 years. My wife, too. Only Eric knows you since yesterday morning. I’ve got to say that yesterday made me a happy man and father. Our son’s decision was on spot. Couldn’t be prouder of him that even for his personal life makes best decisions.” My dad has a genuine smile and indeed airs happiness. My mom, too.

Wait! What? You know her for the last 16 years? How come?

“Excuse me? Mr. Rodricks, I don’t understand where this is going. Would you be kind and explain yourself?” Her eyes are in a strong confusion and surprise.

Yeah, we both don’t understand all this.

My dad places his right hand in his pocket and starts explaining with a smile in the corner of his mouth.

“I saw you 16 years ago in the club where you came to help Don who was a mess and called you. He was having problems at home with his father and in a deep depression. He told you on the phone he wanted to kill himself and that if you didn’t want to come and speak with him face to face, he would do it. He was genuine. It picked my interest in seeing who the person was that would make Don get back to his senses. I wanted to go and speak with him yet decided to wait when I saw his eyes sparkle when you probably finally accepted to come. Just before you entered, he had started a fight with a hooligan. When I saw you panicked he could get hurt and that he didn’t react to that boy’s punches, you got me more interested in your person as I identified you as the person on the phone. The fire in your eyes and balled fists when you went to them, had me right there. You grabbed Don from the other’s boy hands, pushed him on the floor behind you and you beat the hell out of the attacker. You trashed him until he fainted. You went crazy like that after seeing blood on Don. Then you went back to Don and screamed at him for how stupid he was, picked him up by his ear and took him out of the club. You were clearly same age. Then, I put my men on your tracks. Got intel on you and all.” His face is like he is a proud father on her.

Me and Selena are both in shock of what he says. He continues.

“After I got all your and your family’s background, I decided that that’s the future wife for my son. I know everything you did from then on. You grew more and more in my and my wife’s hearts with each thing you did, the way you were, how you took care of your mom, how feisty you were in all areas of your life. You had no eyes for boys and silly stuff. Only study and be there like a pillar for your family from such a young age. Also, the way you took care of business alongside with your parents from 16 years old.” His eyes are sparkling, suited with a wide smile of satisfaction.

“When you got sick with diabetes you broke our hearts. My wife cried a week because of you, that you needed to inject insulin in your body five times a day. You were already our daughter. We didn’t suffer less than your parents. Those two weeks when you were in hospital after diagnosis, in the emergency room, were hard on us. You thought that death was coming on you and were in a huge depression. It wasn’t in your nature to be or feel weak. Then, for your mother, you snapped and came back to your senses. You came back to the strong person you had been. Amazed us.”

I can’t believe what dad is saying. He knew her and I was out of this all these years. I know I was only around 12 back then, but still, he never, they never, told me about her.

“The way you rejected every man that came along in your life and even beat some for trying to grab you, made us be sure that our son is indeed your destiny and you his. He never loved anyone.” He smiles at her with warm eyes and then sadness flushes his face.

“At 26, when you had that foot infection because of your diabetes, screamed in pain for three weeks straight, then landed you in the emergency room, put both of us coming in front of your parents. Your life was in real danger. And I did what Eric did to you yesterday. Yes, he gets that from me. You were in the operation room with vitals near death. I had already called the best doctors in the state to come. Before I let them go in and operate and treat you, I told your parents that if I saved your life, as the doctors from there had told them you had one percent chances to live, that bad was your situation, when the day would come for my son to approach them and get their blessings for him to marry you, they must accept no matter what. They gave in for your life. I explained to them that they should never tell you about it. My doctors stepped in.” He stops speaking as his face darkens.

“In a few minutes, one of them came back and whispered to my ear that you were already in clinical death. The other doctors were assisting you, but it was a matter of how strong you would be. He said it was almost zero chances to make it alive. The entire hospital collapsed on me. I had no son, no nothing. I had only a daughter that was dying on me. My heart was not beating right, and for the first time in my life, I had a weak body overall.” He pauses and has tears in his eyes, clearing his throat.

“Then, another doctor came out screaming that he had never seen something like that in his life. You went dead on them but when they were about to declare the time of your death, your heartbeats spiked like at a race and you were back on. They got you out as they had finished operating your foot before your blood sugar levels sent you in your death because of diabetic coma. You were like an angel sleeping when we saw you coming out. Our and your parents’ angel that even in death conquered and came back to life.” He takes my mother’s hand.

She’s silently crying. Yes, they do love her as their own daughter.

You don’t want to know how I feel right now hearing all this about Selena. She is jaw dropped and tears coming down her cheeks. Never seen my old man so affected about something.

I do remember that around that year they went low and were crazy about something and suffering. They didn’t want to tell me. I had business in Seoul. Mom told me that nothing was wrong, that they had only fought between them as husband and wife. She said I had no right to dig in and interfere. To stay out of it. It would get solved and I should not worry about it. I still put Justin do research and he assured me that that was the real situation. So, I calmed down. I knew and know they love each other, and everything would get solved. They did pretend they were alright in front of me after that.

“We offered you the best treatment to recover, with your parents. We were close from then on. I offered them to pay for loans and everything they were lacking. They refused. They wanted to pay for treatment, but it was out of their financial means. You had an amazing recovery for the hole you had in your foot. Amazed the doctors again. Though you have an ugly scar there, you can walk as a normal person and use it fine. I know it still hurts you when you stand for too long or use it.” Selena is shut down at this point. I can’t decipher what is on her mind.

“Yesterday morning, we knew you would meet Eric for the first time and him you, through Derek. So, my wife spilled coffee on you. We changed the staff at the nearest clothes shop. Our staff gave you the clothes you are wearing as we wanted for you two to have a spark since first meeting. We let from then on destiny decide if he wants you or not. And you him. We didn’t put our bets on you. We know your temper and how you reject every single man in your life. But we also knew our son, that when he laid his eyes on you, he would know instantly you are the one for him. I had no worry over that. He is my son, and like me, when he wants something, he gets it fast. I was right. He went crazy over you, though he never had any information on you or about your existence. The rest you know. Oh! And Justin here, is one of the bodyguards I assigned to protect you for the last eight years. That’s about it as explanations.”

Fucking Justin! He never told me! That’s why he’s so protective of her and always on her side! Justin? We’ll have things to discuss. You traitor!

My dad’s face is all bright now and lovingly glaring at Selena. Mom, too.

Selena takes a deep breath, releases it, and brushes her face with her hands. She looks back at mom and dad. “This. All this. Is unbelievable. I can’t. I can’t take it anymore. It’s too fucking much.” She has an empty stare.

Baby? Don’t freak out on me right now. Jesus!

“Sweetie?” Mom is going towards her. “Please. I know it sounds crazy. But we didn’t want to force both of you until you would be old enough.”

“But I am the one forced in this! By him!” She points at me as I roll my eyes and have all my body contracted.

Oh! Fuck!

“Sweetie, he loves you. He wouldn’t do all he did, if he didn’t. Trust me on this. He’s my son and I know him. Please.” She rubs Selena’s back.

“OK. Listen all of you. One. I’m thankful for what you guys did, saving me five years ago and for giving me protection for all these years. I can see you are genuine people and not faking anything. Two. I need air. I can’t stay here any longer. I need to clear my head. Three. I don’t want Eric. I hate him. I’m sorry saying this about your son. I don’t want to come out rude or unthankful, but I’m not one to lie or sweeten on things. You guys entered in my heart after hearing all that as you couldn’t know if you weren’t there. But Eric? No. He has zero chances with me. I’m sorry. Justin? Give me what I asked of you, please.” She bows her head in front of my parents, she doesn’t give me any look, and goes bare feet on the hallway to the stairs.

“Selena! Why are you doing this to me?!” I go into her direction, but my dad grabs my arm.

OH! FUCK ME!

“Give her time, Eric. She’ll accept you. Trust me. I know her. She has a hard time and these years weren’t easy on her. You must know many things on her already to understand what I’m saying.” He lets go of me. I’m mad at him. Justin goes after Selena. I hate that, too.

“Dad! You fucking lied to me! Why didn’t you tell me about her? Huh? Why did you keep her away from me for so long?” He smiles at me.

“Son. Everything needs to be done at the right time. She’s not an ordinary girl. She’s a prize. I wanted you to fool around as much as you wanted. To see women and have women. To know their value so that you could be able to compare and see where the quality stands. And I waited for destiny to come with an opportunity for you two to meet. That opportunity was for yesterday’s meeting. I then understood I must intervene and help things out for first approach. She’s the best woman you could have ever had as a wife. But I wanted you to see that on your own and act. Not me pushing you. I wanted you to decide.” He strokes my back.

I’m in such a state that I want to scream, rage, kill people. I feel betrayed. I’m so mad Selena runs away from me all the time. “I can’t give her time. You came here as they announced you of the competitions, right?” I look on the floor with my jawline contracted and burning eyes and heart.

“Well, yes. Unfortunately. There is Solstad family that found out. Competitions start tomorrow. I want you to be strong. I’m telling you to be strong not because they can win over you, but I can see your state because of the situation with Selena. You’re like me when I married your mom. You’ve got this, son.”

I’m fucked.

“Tomorrow?! Don’t they know I’m in first days of marriage?!” My mind is out of reason. It’s just a painful tornado.

“You know the rules, son.” He has a serious face on me.

“How can I do that with Selena like this?! For fucking sakes!” I punch the wall with all my might.

“Eric! Calm down, baby!” Mom comes to me.

“Mom! She’s in no state for that! She’ll get tested, too! You heard what she thinks of me! Do you think she won’t say the same to them?! That’s why I wanted the official wedding to be delayed! For me to have time with her! Now I can’t do that anymore! Fuck!” I can’t think anymore.

I need to get Selena. She needs to be mine today. Maybe she’ll reconsider me after that. Or maybe not. I don’t care. She needs to be mine all the way before the competitions.