Chains of Secrets

Edith's POV:

I stormed out of the hall, my whole body trembling due to fury. Mom and dad followed closely behind but their faces were twisted in disappointment.

"Edith... What is the meaning of this?" Mom asked irritatedly. "Do you have any idea how embarrassing this is?"

But I was too far gone in my anger to care about their disappointment. I whirled around and faced them.

"How dare you arrange my marriage without even asking me?" I snapped, my voice shaking with disbelief. "Who told you to interfere in my life?"

Mom left surprised, watching my outburst. And dad, he hesitated, exchanging a nervous glance with her before looking back at me.

"It's... complicated, Edith. I've never wanted this for you. We're really helpless. Believe me," he spoke in an unsteady voice.

"Believe you?" I scoffed, crossing my arms. "You told me about a surprise and now I find out you're selling me off to a man I barely knew. Is it the price I have to pay to be your daughter?"

Tears stung my eyes while my dad looked down, guilt creeping into his expression.

"Zayden... He blackmailed us," he admitted, sighing heavily.

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. My eyes widened wondering whether he recorded some kind of video that night of our sleeping together.

"Bla...Blackmailed?" I echoed in shock, my throat felt dry. "With what?"

"He knows things, Edith... Things about our family, about you..." My dad shifted uncomfortably, avoiding my gaze.

"What does he exactly know, dad?" I pressed, my voice growing frantic.

After a long pause, my dad finally muttered, "He has information about what happened during your school days. The time you happened to be at a party with some minors carrying drugs. You could have been suspended, maybe even expelled. But I paid your principal to keep it quiet about you while other students were expelled."

I felt the blood drain from my face. The Long-buried memory resurfaced, overwhelmed with my past fear and shame. "That motherfucker...", I murmured under my breath.

"There are other things too... About me... and your mom which will destroy all our images in this city including you," dad added, his voice strained.

"What are these?" I asked in disbelief, realizing my parents had deep secrets I was completely unaware.

My dad shook his head. "I can't, Edith... Those are things we'd rather take to our graves.

My shock turned into boiling anger. I couldn't believe that they were keeping secrets from me and now they were forcing me into a marriage to save this so-called family.

"So you expect me to marry a man like him just to save our reputation?" I asked, smiling bitterly.

"Come on, Edith. It's not forever," mom said hastily. "The marriage will only last a year. After that, you will divorce him while inheriting a portion of his wealth in the process."

I stared at my mom in disbelief, the words hanging in the air like a slap.

"So you not only want me to marry him to clean up your mess but also for money?"

Mom gave a soft sigh, brushing a hand over her perfectly styled hair. "Sweetheart, It's about securing your future. Don't misunderstand us."

My mind reeled as it was horrifying that my own mom was treating my marriage as a transaction. I glanced at my dad whose silence was supporting the bluffing of my mom.

"You guys can't be serious," I muttered, taking a step back. "Is that all I am to you? A bargaining chip?"

"You're overreacting, Edith..." Mom said with a calm expression as usual, failing to understand my feelings.

The next second, she stepped closer and pointed directly at my ring finger. "Care to explain where your purity ring is, sweetheart?"

My heart dropped and my mouth went dry. I didn't have any explanation. I had mistakenly left that ring in Zayden's penthouse as I was in a hurry to escape after that night.

"Can't remember?" Mom pressed. "Forgot it somewhere?"

"I might have left it...," I started to make an excuse, but Mom cut me off.

"Zayden had it, Edith... It was... surprising," She said with a small, teasing smile.

Heat rushed to my face and my nails dug into my palms. How dare he? How dare he expose such an intimate secret to my parents?

I had never felt so humiliated, so betrayed. 

My mom's smirked only deepened as she observed me. 

"You've already crossed a line, Edith. You've also made your choices," she said, her voice light but sharp. "This marriage is more fitting than you want to admit."

I shook my head, my eyes darkened with fury. "I'm not going to be a plaything of yours and marry such a bastard just because I made one mistake."

Mom didn't falter, her calm expression made me even more furious. I turned to my dad and his downcast eyes told me everything.

"Dad... Cancel this marriage," I demanded.

Without waiting for a response, I spun on my heel, walking away from there as I didn't care about the hotel opening conference anymore.

My dad's voice echoed behind me, calling my name but I never looked back because I was done.

I was undoubtedly furious with my parents but the rage I felt toward Zayden... it was on a whole different level.

'He must've planned it from the start' I thought as I pieced everything together. 

That night, he didn't approach me coincidentally; rather , it was his entry point to trap me into his twisted world. He knew exactly what he was doing, taking advantage of my vulnerability. And now, I was carrying his child, tied to him in a way that made my stomach churn.

As I stormed through the hotel's grand entrance, I realized that the hatred I once felt for my ex-boyfriend and best friend, was nothing in comparison to the loathing I felt for Zayden now. I had thought I could never despise anyone more than them, but now, Zayden proved me wrong.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two days later, I sat in the hospital waiting room, feeling weak from lack of sleep and eating. I only managed to eat a few peaches as the thought of anything else made me feel nauseous.

As I waited for my appointment, I noticed several couples around me, all smiling and holding hands, as they waited for their own pregnancy checkups. My heart fluttered at the sight of them but I couldn't picture me and Zayden in that scenario. I was certain that a man like him would never accept this child.

'It doesn't matter,' I tried convincing myself. 'If I'm really pregnant, I'll just... get rid of it.'

But first, I needed the confirmation.

"Edith Sinclair." Finally, my name was called. I stood up and followed the nurse into the doctor's office.

Sitting across from the doctor, I felt my pulse quicken.

The doctor glanced at the report and smiled, flipping through the pages, before looking at me.

"Congratulations! Miss Sinclair," she said gently. "You're pregnant."

I nodded, trying to keep calm. I already knew it but hearing the confirmation still felt heavy.

"Your uterus is a little weak but there is nothing to worry about. I'd like you to come back for a checkup in two weeks," the doctor continued.

I shifted in my seat, failing to speak the word 'abortion' as if it was stuck in my throat.

The doctor noticed my hesitation, "Is everything okay, Miss Sinclair?"

Taking a deep breath, I finally said, "I... I want to talk about having an abortion."

The doctor nodded in understanding as her expression softened. 

"It's entirely up to you, Miss Sinclair. If you decide to go for an abortion, I can schedule you for a procedure in four days."

"Yeah... Sure." I said, but those words felt heavier than anything I had felt before, even though it was my choice.

As I stepped out of the doctor's office, I couldn't shake off the heavy feeling regarding the abortion. I tried to convince myself that everything would return to normal after getting rid of the child. But the emptiness lingered.

Reaching my car, I sank into the driver's seat, ready to drive back to my flower shop. Suddenly my phone rang, startling me. An unknown number flashed on the screen.

I hesitated for a moment, then decided to answer, thinking it might be important.

"Hello?" I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "Who's this?"

There was no response which made me feel irritated and was about to hang up.

"Edith?" The voice broke through, deep and familiar. My heart skipped a bit, catching me off guard.

"Za...Zayden?" I replied, disbelief creeping in.

"Miss me, my little bird?" He asked, a hint of amusement in his tone.