𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐁𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐅𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐓

𝕽𝖎𝖛𝖊𝖗 𝕺𝖋 𝕿𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖘

It had been weeks, since the ball. Since I was stabbed in the back by my once friend. The gossip of Theo and I quickly spread within the week, only to be hit with another of my sudden engagement with Sir Luneth. Which then brought a new annoyance... Theo.

Theo came to the manor everyday pleading to have a word with me. The absolute audacity. And today again.

"Does he have no pride?"Ophelia groaned.

"Well he certainly has balls,"I closed the news paper.

"GO AWAY!" Ophelia walked into the balcony yelling."For goodness sake, you'd think he'd take a sign."

"Well mother's itching to strangle him, so I might as well put an end to this," I sighed.

"Do slap him at least, for me," Ophelia cheered.

Giggling, I readied myself to face him. Deep breaths Vi. 1 2 3 in. 1 2 3 out. 1 2 3 in. 1 2 3 out.
I can do this. Imagine him as a toad, an ugly slimy toad. He is nothing to me. He is nothing but a ball- less, insensitive, inconsiderate coward.

"Violet, finally," Theo grinned meekly.

"You've seen me,"I looked away. "Now what do you want?"

"I've come to apologise, I know what I've done is unforgivable but-"

"If it's unforgivable why bother coming to apologise?" I crossed my arms. An itching sensation gnawed at my throat.

"Vi, I can't live with the guilt of losing you,"he sighed. "Living without you would be unnatural ."

"You held up pretty well those years you didn't write," I snorted. "Pretty comfortably I think."

"Vi come on, you know how I feel about you," if I looked at him I knew I would've lost. By the sound of his voice he's was probably doing it again. The old puppy eyes that made me forget everything, then he'd pull out a compliment and kiss my cheek. And like the fool I was I'd forget everything. I'd forgive him and be stuck once again in delusion. Stuck in that bubble of puppy love, blinded.

"Do I?" I rose my brow. "Because I feel like I know pretty well how you feel about Cecile."

"Vi," his voice softened.

"You just couldn't hold it in and had to tell her then and there, because your love for her was far too stifling," I spat. "So much that you barely looked at me that night."

"Keeping it in would hurt you much more then revealing it," he held onto the gate.

"So you had to humiliate us in public? You couldn't wait to confess in a private manner?" I sneered. "You really are such a gentleman." I scoffed.

"It was an honest action," he defended.

"Am I supposed to applaud you?" I sniggered. "Well, well done oh so moral knight as you've lost the two of us now." I applauded. "Thank you so much, for making me feel like a fucking fool."

"Vi now you're being plain mean," he frowned.

"Oh sorry, did I hurt your feelings ?" I place a hand on my chest. "It's not like I was the one who was stabbed in the back by her fiancé, or should I say ex?"

"Vi-"

"It's either Lady Malory or Lady Violet now, we are no longer together," I corrected. "And shall never be."

"Violet, I never meant for it to get like this,"he sighed.

"I could tell you were distant, I could tell the way you looked at her that night you liked her," I smiled weakly. "I even left so you could take her away in private." I sighed. "I left so you could be proper about it, but you even messed that up."

"Violet, I know I've messed up, but you never wanted to marry a stranger,"his brows furrowed. "Atleast-"

"Theo, do you know what my favourite colour is? My favourite pastime? My dream wedding? My middle name?" I interrupted. "No you don't ," I buried my face in my hands. "You know nothing at all, yet you still insist." I could feel my eyes beginning to sting. "Three blood years, I waited. Three years Theo, you didn't even bother."

Silence, complete and utter silence for the very first time.

"Yet I know so much about you: that blue is your favourite colour, that you hate peas and your middle name is Louis from your uncle," I glanced up at the sky. "Doesn't that tell you anything at all?"

Silence again.

"If it makes you feel better, fine, I forgive you," I shrugged. "But this humiliation, this pain you've caused me will remain like a scar." I took a deep breath. "So the best thing you can do to truly make me happy, is to leave me alone."

Bowing his head, he promptly left.

"Darling," mother came walking towards me. I couldn't help but collapse into her. Everything just erupted out. I cried all night and even skipped dinner. If it wasn't two litres of blood loss that'd kill me, it'd be the water loss from tears. I cried until my voice went hoarse and my eyes stung. Until my pillow was drenched and the sun rose. I probably cried a river full.