Broken ✔

Chapter Nine

Song: Hold Me Now — MzVee

**Unedited**

"I'm sorry, the prince travelled this morning. He won't be back until next week."

The words rang in my ears like a church bell. In that moment of shock, the image of his smile imprinted itself firmly in my mind. His hugs, his kisses, his soft caresses.

I laughed.

"Elorm? Are you okay?" Edinam asked.

I looked at her; she looked worried.

Tears pooled in my eyes. "Of course, something like this will happen. When will anything ever be simple in the life of Elorm Enam Nutsugah?" I sobbed.

Fear was digging its sharp, deadly claws into me. It was like my body was slowly freezing, starting from the pit of my stomach and spreading throughout my body.

"Don't talk like that Ellie. None of this is your fault. You had no idea that he would travel," Eddie said, grabbing my shoulders so that I would look at her while she spoke.

"Of course, it isn't my fault. That bastard," I spat. "He left without telling me anything!"

"I don't think he meant to leave you in the dark. With your parents, you know how difficult it is to ever even reach you. Don't blame him."

"He should've told me that he was leaving! What am I going to do now Eddie? The whole extended family is waiting for me at home. They expect me to bring a prince!"

"No, you should've told him that he had to propose! He even did but you shot him down, so don't put all the blame on him!" She yelled, making fists with her small hands.

"Oh," I whispered, realisation finally dawning on me. "I should've known. You're just like them. You also want him for yourself, don't you?"

"Do you hear yourself? I feel nothing for him! Even if I did, he wouldn't be interested in me anyways!"

The pounding of my heart was too loud to listen to the voice of reason. The fear was gaining in on me, freezing and melting, flashes of hot and cold were all that I could feel. All I saw was red. "You can have him! You traitors were made for each other!"

I moved quickly to get away from her. My heart was racing riotously. I'd never been more afraid in my life. I couldn't even bear the thought of the disgrace that was awaiting me back home.

The news had spread as quickly as a forest fire. The whole village would be waiting in front of my house to see their prince's engagement to their supposed future princess. What was I going to tell them? Would they believe me if I told them what that bastardly prince did to me?

Goodness, I'd never been more frustrated in my life! There was only one way to escape such disgrace, even though my image would be completely tarnished. They would all remember me as a harlot, a liar, and a quitter. At least it was better being away while they thought of me so horribly than being there and facing it. Just imagine Queen Mosquito's face. Dear God, help me.

Thinking made my head swirl, but I'd managed to come up with a plan that'd help me escape from the disgrace. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the crumpled leaflet, skipping past the numerous achievements of the CWO.

At the bottom of the paper, I noticed that the applicants were supposed to come with their identification cards, birth certificates and yellow cards. There was absolutely no way that I'd be able to gather all the required documents before nightfall, especially when I didn't want anyone back home to see me ever again. Not that I even had all those papers.