Nobody Loved Me Like You Do

💋CHAPTER 48💋

Callan Anders' POV
*3 years later*

My father and Mr Levine (Valencias father) cut the red bow tape at the entrance of the hotel. The crowd of well renowned party guests applaud as bright flashes emit from the camera crew capturing us. I clap my hands while my fiancee, Valencia -who is dressed to impress- elegantly does so with the biggest smile. My father and his business partner shake hands and share the joy before we all make an entrance into the hotel where the venue is being held.

Ander Ville and Créson have held a launch party to celebrate the joy of finally releasing the hotel that had been under works for two years after signing the deal.

Valencia stood besides me throughout the night as several people who heard about our upcoming wedding come over to congratulate us.

A few months back, Mr Levine spoke to my dad. He believed the charade of his daughter and I dating. He thought it would be best if Valencia and I would get married. My father of course agreed and urged me to do so. I was never in love with Valencia so I found it pointless to marry someone I do not have feelings for but Valencia changed for some reason. She had become better than she was before. She showed me the kind of love that I needed.

I started to fall back in love with her and decided to put a ring on her finger. We held an engagement party and are getting married the day after tomorrow.

Finally, the day comes to an end. The following morning, preparations for our big day begins but I spend the morning stalking Kashmere's Instagram. It's been 3 years but I haven't forgotten her.

I'm not in the childish habit of stalking but I couldn't help but do so. I always get excited when I check and find she's posted something new. Seeing her warms my heart. She looks the happiest... Without me. I think she forgot about my existence.

I have to admit, I don't know what I was thinking when I decided to engage Valencia. Maybe I did that so I could forget Kashmere and start afresh. Maybe I wanted to disrupt my feelings for her by forcing myself to fall in love with Valencia.

I hope off my bed and head into my bathroom. I stare at my reflection in the mirror. I'm disappointed with the man staring back at me. I'm now 32 years of age. The stubble on my face depicts manliness. I've gotten bigger and muscular than before. I may have gotten older but I'm still holding on to someone in the past.

As I continue to scrutinize myself in the mirror, my thoughts are disrupted when I hear a knock on my door. I don't want to see anyone at the moment. I place my elbows on the counter top and bury my face in my palms. They open the door and I hear a familiar feminine voice.

"Callan?" My sister calls.

Her footsteps pace around my room and then finally she opens my bathroom door.

"Callan? Are you okay? It's 11am and you've been in your room for the whole morning when you should be present for preparations," she says with concern.

I lift my head up. Still facing the mirror I respond, "Yea I know. I'm just a little nervous about.."

"Your wedding tomorrow?" She finishes my statement.

I sigh as I bury my head in my palms again.

"Do you want to talk Callan?" She ask's.

I nod my head.

We then head downstairs and settle in the living room.

"I regret engaging Valencia. Am I a jerk for feeling this way?" I question.

"Callan, if you don't want to get married to her then you don't have to," she advises.

"I can't call off the wedding. I promised to marry her," I deny. "I'm so confused. I don't know what to do".

"It's normal for a soon to be married person to feel this way. Having to settle and be tied to someone for the rest of their life is stressing to think about. eventually it gets better. It's just the nerves," she explains.

"I don't think it's the nerves. What if I told you that I was in love with somebody else?" I question. "Why did I let her go?"

"Go get her then. If you truly love her, go find her and make her yours before it's too late," she urges.

"What if she doesn't accept me?" I ask in sadness.

"It's better you fight for your true love than live with the regret of not trying for the rest of your life," she advises.

______________________________
After I had that talk with my sister, I felt so much better. I got ready and started out for the day. After a lot of thought, I decided that I would go through with the wedding if it will bring joy to our families.

I needed to collect a few documents from my father so I head to his house. I was surprised to find that he wasn't in his office so I just helped myself.

Before I could leave, an envelope on his table catches my attention. I shouldn't be nosey but my conscious tells me to open it. There's a cheque of $20M to be transferred to Valencia's account. Why would my father write a cheque of $20M to Valencia? I check the envelope to see if there's anything more and I get ahold of an agreement form between My father and Valencia.

What I read shocked me.