Stolen love

Chapter 2

Katherine

3 years earlier

There he was on his knees proposing to me. Fernandez Santos.

We have been together for almost 2 years. He is extremely handsome, smart, caring and kind. Those are the things I like the most about him. If you were to ask my mother what she likes about him she would say "he is rich". That is all she cares about. Money. She doesn't care about me or my happiness.

I guess that somewhere she is right. In the mafia you don't get to love someone. Love is something very rare and I wouldn't dare to think that I will ever experience that. "To love means to care, and to care means you would have a weakness. Being weak will get you killed" my mother would say to me growing up.

Fernandez is a very rich and powerful man indeed, but I don't care about the money. I know I'll live a comfortable life with him. These past 2 years he has been very kind to me. He treats me right and I like being with him. He makes me happy, but I just can't help feeling like something is missing. The love and the passion is missing. Stupid Katherine, don't you know by now that you will never have that.

"Katherine Reina Pérez, will you do me the honour of marrying me and being my partner for the rest of our lives?" Fernandez said on one knee in the middle of the restaurant. I guess I will have to settle for this. Who knows, maybe someday there will be the rest that feeling of love and passion between us. "Yes I will" I say quickly, embarrassed because everyone's eyes were on us. It's not like I have a choice anyway, my mother would kill me if she even knew I had these thoughts.

Fernandez gets up and kisses me. The kiss feels one sided. I think he feels it too. I feel his tight grip on my waist loosening. He puts a beautiful big diamond ring on my finger. A ring stands for the promise of marriage, it symbolizes devotion and commitment. The shape of the ring already indicates its meaning: it is circular - without beginning and end - and thus it has become a universal sign of eternal love and faithfulness, perfection and infinity. Right in this moment I couldn't help but think that I would regret this choice for the rest of my life.

We finished our food and Fernandez called his driver to come get us. I don't know what will happen now. Am I going to leave my home and move in with him? Will I ever see my family again? Not that I want to, I have been trying my whole life to escape from that toxic abusive household. But what about my brother? Léon is the only one who makes me feel loved and who stood up for me against my mother and father. He is my everything. I can't help but feel the sadness taking over my thoughts.

The ride home was silent. I know Fernandez can feel my sadness too. He tried holding my hand twice, both times I avoided it by holding my phone and my bag. I don't want him to think that I don't care about him, I do, but I just don't love him. These past two years we never said those words to each other. Well, I actually heard him say it once. We were in my bedroom watching a movie. My back was turned to him and I heard him whisper the words in my ear. "I love you Kath. You might not know it but you are the best thing that ever happened to me" he said while he took a strand of hair that was in front of my face and put it behind my ear. I didn't know what to reply. I didn't want to say that I love him too, because that would be a lie, so I acted like I was asleep. It seemed like the only way to avoid hurting him. Or maybe I just wanted to take the easy way out.

Lost in my thoughts I didn't realize we arrived at my fathers' mansion. Fernandez got out of the car first and opened the car door for me. He really is a gentleman, I don't know what is wrong with me, girls would kill to have him as a husband.

He holds my hand helping me out of the car. I gave him a little smile as a thank you. Just as I started to walk to the entrance of my father's house Fernandez stopped me by gently pulling at my arm.

"Kath, are you happy with me? You should know that I will never force you into marrying me or anything else for that matter" he said with a worried expression on his face. I didn't know what to say. " I am happy. I really am happy with you, and I know that you would never force me to do anything." I know he wouldn't, too bad I can't say the same thing for my parents. My mother wants me to be with a rich guy, and my dad just wants me out of the house. I gave him a reassuring smile and held his hand, intervening our fingers together as we walked to the front door.