When Bad Boys Fall

Ninety-Six

Chapter soundtrack: Good Girls (Don't Get Used) By Beach Bunny.

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I shook my head as I read the heading and the rest of the document again. I refused to believe what I was seeing was real. There had to be a joke somewhere as I read the content of the file. I quickly flipped through the pages, reading more of it. The more I read, the more I felt like someone was stabbing my heart continuously.

Tears blurred my eyes as I took in everything like a bitter pill. I dropped my hand and stared ahead of me, rage building inside of me. I wiped the tears out of my eyes and marched out of the closet, past the room and down the stairs.

I saw Lucas sitting on the couch, lost in thought and at my presence, he stood up, frowning. I stood before him and tossed the file in his face, making him surprised at my action.

"How could you?!" I yelled at the top of my voice. My heart hurt and my breathing seized for a second that I had to catch my breath. "Lucas Hamilton! How could you keep this from me?! Who the hell do you think you are to accuse me of something that is false yet you hide such secret from me!"

I was raging to the point that my hands shook. I watched through burning eyes as he picked up the file that had fallen and opened it. His eyes widened before he looked at me, shaking his head.

"Jackie, I can explain."

"Explain what?! That there is a marriage arrangement between you and Maddy Kingston?!" I barked. "Why me?! Why did you do this to me?!"

"No, Jackie."

"Stop! I don't want to hear it! There's nothing you can say or do about that issue because this is clear to me! You used me! You used me, Lucas?! God, I am so stupid! All these time, you were supposed to marry Maddy and yet you didn't tell me about it?"

Tears poured out of my eyes as the hurt inside of me doubled, making me shake.

"You claim to love me, to never hurt me. You said I was the one for you yet you are supposedly married? Wow, I have been played."

I started to walk around, trying to convince myself that everything was a dream.

"Lucas, is this a dream? Tell me this is a dream. I have to wake up if this is a dream. Has all my life been a dream?" I looked around and started to pinch myself, hoping to wake up to my old life.

"Jackie, stop," Lucas said and tried to touch me.

"Stay there!" I yelled and clutched my hair with my hands. "How did it get to this? Why did you lie to me? Why didn't you tell me?"