The Millionaires Pursuit

Chapter 46

What had started off as a beautiful and special day, had quickly morphed itself into one filled with chaos and drama. Erik couldn't quite believe his bad streak of luck, beginning with the hostility he continued to receive from Rosaline's mother and now ending with a cheated glare directed at him from the last woman he ever wanted to disappoint. Within seconds of entering the kitchen, Rosaline's joyous demeanour was overtaken by a cruel misunderstanding, one in which she found her boyfriend locking lips with a woman she assumed was her friend. She couldn't quite process what she had witnessed and thus proceeded to blatantly cry as Erik tried his best to rush to her side. Meanwhile, Erik watched on in misery as Rosaline shed tear after tear. He had almost convinced himself that his heart could no longer bare the pain of watching his beloved cry and yet, he still found himself longing after her as he silently begged her to give him the opportunity to explain.

"Rosaline, it's not what you think!" He tried stalling her fearful movements in a panicked voice.

"How can you possibly say that? I just saw you kissing my friend Erik, I think it's perfectly clear what's going on here." Rosaline answered between blubbering tears, whilst doing her best to stand as far away from Erik as possible, given the limited amount of space provided.

"I'm so sorry Rosaline, I don't even know what to say right now. Erik just started to flirt with me and before I knew it he leaned over to kiss me. I pulled away as soon as I could." Bianca innocently butted in.

Erik threw a disbelieving look in Bianca's direction upon hearing such ludicrousness escape her mouth, before averting his gaze and meeting Rosaline's woeful eyes. Just as he was preparing to expose Bianca and her secrets once and for all, Rosaline's parents and brothers entered the kitchen, appearing utterly stunned by the level of noise that was steadily increasing. Much to their horror, they found their daughter and sister crying hysterically as her boyfriend watched on in regret.

"What's going on?" Iris immediately asked Rosaline, while stepping closer to draw a protective arm around her daughters shoulder.

Instead of answering, Rosaline merely leaned into her mother's side and resumed feeling sorry for herself. Erik was partly surprised that she hadn't called him out immediately on his behaviour, but deep down he knew it was probably because she was too emotionally distraught to do much else. Instead of waiting around for another family member to inevitably repeat the loaded question, Erik found himself admitting the truth. Before speaking up however, he made a vow in that moment to do whatever it took to make things right between him and Rosaline because he was certain that their love was stronger than the madness Bianca had purposefully caused.

"Rosaline walked in on Meghan kissing me." Erik confesses in a disgusted tone.

"What!" Nickolas harshly roars, before taking a vengeful step towards Erik.

"I can explain, I promise you all when I say that." Erik desperately pleads.

"Start talking asshole. Now!" Rosaline's youngest brother William chimes in from beside his fuming brother.

"This woman standing here has deceived you all into thinking she is a friend, when in fact she is nothing more than a cold-hearted lunatic. Her actual name is Bianca Vettel and she and I were regretfully involved with one another years ago, long before I even met you Rose. The point is, for months now she has been trying to worm her way back into my life when I've tried my damn hardest to ignore her, hoping that she'll give up at some point and find another man to hassle instead." Erik painfully expels in a single breath.

"Rosaline, I swear to you I've never met this man before today. You have to believe me?" Bianca pathetically interrupts, whilst proceeding to cry herself.

"What are you both talking about?" Rosaline wails, in a confused voice.

"You heard her, explain your fucking self before I'm forced to beat the living shit out of you." Nickolas distastefully adds.

Instead of reacting to the onslaught of abuse dished out by Rosaline's defensive brothers, Erik attempts to bypass their cruelty by focusing his sole attention on Rosaline. Despite barely making any eye contact with him, Erik is still hopeful that she might believe what he's telling her if he attempts to explain himself rather than concentrating on the insults that are being fired at him from all angles. Unfortunately, what Erik hadn't anticipated was for Bianca to remain calm in this instance and to continue her charade by impersonating herself as this Meghan character. Acknowledging that simple fact made Erik wonder if he in fact stood any chance at redeeming himself, both in Rosaline's eyes and in her family's.

"Everything I've just told you Rose is true. Meghan isn't who she says she is and yes I admit it now, I probably should have told you about her long before today but I didn't want you to worry about my psycho ex girlfriend. She's my past and you're my future, please tell me you see that?" Erik anxiously questions.

"Even if I did believe that Erik and I'm not saying for a second that I do, it still doesn't explain why you were kissing her." Rosaline is quick to point out through a painful sob.

"Sweetheart, I promise you with everything that I have that I never kissed her back. As soon as she was close enough to kiss me, I backed away. Can't you see it, she's trying to come between us, to separate us because she's jealous over what we have. Don't let one stupid mistake ruin what we have. You know how much I love you." Erik hopelessly tells Rosaline, whilst noticing how Nickolas and William have moved to stand in between the two lovers.

"Excuse me, but how dare you start attacking me for no good reason. You don't even know me! Rosaline, its quite obvious your boyfriend is mentally disturbed and I'm sorry things have escalated to this length but this is completely ridiculous. I won't stand around and take another second of this." Announces Bianca in a dramatic voice, before inevitably leaving the kitchen.

As Erik watches Bianca leave, he releases a deep sigh and reconsiders his chances at making things right with Rosaline. He feels slightly more relieved, knowing that Bianca has finally left but still isn't entirely convinced that Rosaline's family will spare him even another minute in her company.

"I think Rosie has heard more than enough of your bullshit and lies for one day Erik, its time for you to leave." William instructs in a low and gravelly voice.

"I can't do that William, I'm sorry. Explaining my past to Rose is far more important than seeking your families approval right now." Erik justifies, while taking a tentative step towards Rosaline.

"In case my brother didn't already make himself clear enough, fuck off and don't ever come back!" Explodes Nickolas, with pure bitterness.

"Rosaline can speak for herself, she's a grown woman." Erik retaliates, whilst trying to meet Rosaline's dreaded gaze.

"I can't do this right now Erik. My brothers are right though, you should leave." Rosaline admits soon after, in a voice that is etched with both heartbreak and pain.

Despite his sincerest attempts at calling out her name, Erik watches as Rosaline slowly turns her body and begins to walk away from her family and him. She has her arms secured across her body and her head is hung painfully low. Although he can't hear the wretched sobs escape her mouth, he knows very well that she is struggling to keep her emotions in tact. Against his better judgments, Erik makes a break for it in between Nickolas and William in order to get to Rosaline. By some miracle, he manages to grab hold of her forearm and by effect, elicits enough of a feeling within her to meet his guilt-ridden expression.

"Please don't allow my past to interfere with our future Rose, you know how much I love you. There will never be anyone else, except you." Promises Erik, before his final tender moment with Rosaline is torn away from him by someone violently tugging on his shirt from behind.

"I warned you to leave!" Erik hears Nickolas tell him, a brief second before he feels a clenched fist connect with his jaw in a bruising punch.