Unrequited

4 - And so it begins

"Hi, Bella." Clara kissed her best friend on the cheeks as she let her in.

"Clara! I can't believe you're married!" Bella exclaimed as she followed her into the kitchen, excited and mortified for her at the same time.

"As you know, nothing to be happy about. I'm sorry I didn't invite you but I really didn't want to make a song and dance about it, given the reason for it - and also I had Macy with me." She sighed heavily and set about making tea as it was Macy's day off. "I didn't want you to fly all the way from New York for such a non-event," she added.

"I'm sorry that it's turned out like this." Bella hugged her and sat on a stool at the kitchen counter. "I know you had wanted so much more from Luca." She said understandingly, aware of Clara's infatuation and love for Luca from a young age.

"Papa probably thought he was giving me the world with the arrangement that he made," she said ironically.

"What did he actually arrange? I'm sorry that I haven't been around as much as I should but because Dad was readmitted back to the hospital, I just haven't been able to deal with anything else in the last few weeks." Bella said apologetically.

"I know and don't worry. How is he actually?"

"Well, nothing different since our chat a few days ago. He's stable now but doctors say the cancer is growing and they may try another round of chemo. Mum spends every night by his side but luckily Emma's home from her studies at the moment so she can help out as well." Bella said sounding resigned to the inevitable. "Anyway, so tell me what your father arranged."

She reached over and squeezed Bella's hand in understanding that she didn't want to discuss the stressful topic of her father's illness. "Well apparently, sometime not long before his death, he signed an agreement with Luca's father. Essentially forcing him to marry me." Clara paused and pondered. "He made a stipulation that the marriage had to happen by my twenty-fifth birthday or within a month of his death. He no doubt intended to be around long enough to go to court instead if he thought it wouldn't work out. It seems he wanted to ensure that the leases weren't canceled from under me so that was part of the marriage deal with Luca's father. The combined fortune would be equally split upon our marriage but his family would only retain it if certain conditions were met." Clara explained.

"But you can see why he would have thought this was the best solution for you Clara?"

"Yes, I understand his thinking. He knew I had my heart set on Luca - but I didn't know that Luca was aware of the arrangement and resented my father for it...I also believe that Luca thinks that I somehow contributed to the contract." She sighed deeply, "I wouldn't have continued pursuing him if I understood the situation."

Bella looked at her with compassion. "So where do you go from here?"

"Well the only way out is to have a child and divorce on the child's first birthday - or I have to remain in this marriage for five years." She paused and contemplated. "But I'm going to talk to Mr. Thomas - who was my farther's lawyer - and see if there are any alternatives. I can't remain in a marriage like this. It will break me." She whispered hoarsely to Bella, tears welling in her eyes. "And as much as I try to switch my feelings off, I still feel something for Luca."

"Oh, Clara....it will take time. I wish I could make this go away." Bella looked at her sadly. "I can't fix this situation for you but while I'm here for the week, I'm going to try and keep you distracted and we will do fun things like the good old days. Now, I say we head into London and go out for a matinee as we planned. I think we both need to take our minds off reality for a while." Bella smiled at her reassuringly.

~~~~~~~~~~

Clara turned on the shower and stripped off her clothing. She'd dropped Bella off at her aunt's in London and returned home. The day with Bella had been fun but it only emphasised the stark reality of her home life.

She looked at herself in the mirror and noticed that she'd lost weight since her father's death. There were circles under her eyes which Bella had pointed out and her hair was too long and unkempt. Bella had ordered that Clara pamper herself tomorrow and get ready 'to paint the town red'. She would then send her cousin to pick Clara up so that they would have a chaperone. She smiled at the thought of Bella and her needing a babysitter. They were both definitely lightweights and out of practice where alcohol was concerned.

Clara stepped into the shower and let the warm water wash over her, enjoying the heat seeping into her tired body. She lathered her hair but sensed a cold draft on her back and before she could turn to look, felt an arm reach around her body, forcing her back against a hard chest.

"I've come to fulfill my duty," Luca said into her ear as his hand wandered down her body to slip into her folds. She felt his erection hardening as he pushed his fingers into her. "I'll fuck you every night like clockwork until you're pregnant. It will be part of your daily schedule. Make sure you're available early each evening, I have things to do later."

"Luca we can't carry on like this and I won't be at your beck and call for this." She implored him, his every word stung with its' malicious intent, drawing tears of pain from her.

He squeezed her breast harshly and pinched her nipple while continuing to finger her with his other hand. "This is what you signed up for. Are you regretting it now?" He ground his erection against her lower back.

"I never signed up to be treated like this. I've never forced anything on you, Luca." Clara whispered.

"Didn't your father force this on me to please you? Didn't he make sure his Brat had everything she wanted?" He pulled his fingers out of her and grabbed his erection. "There's no pleasure in this, you're a duty and an obligation to me, and a chain around my neck." He said to her, each heartless word shattered all the dreams she had since childhood. The despair of knowing that she could have so deeply loved someone, who was capable of such cruel words, more painful than his lack of affection for her.

"Put your hands on the wall and bend over," he commanded. She refused to be his lapdog and stood still. "You wanted a baby and now I'm going to give you one." She felt him push into her and shift her forward at the same time, leaving her no choice but to brace her hands on the shower wall in front of her.

Luca thrust in and out of her while he grasped her hips tightly, his fingers digging into her pelvis. She felt all his anger and frustration with every push into her body. A driving need to spill his seed as quickly as possible and extricate himself from her. Clara wished with every fiber of her being that she would become pregnant as quickly as possible. This torment was not something she could sustain long term on a daily basis. She wanted to quickly put a stop to any interaction between her and Luca, stop his vitriolic words and condescending behaviour towards her.

Luca thrust into her a few more times before giving a final groan and seating himself deep in her. He held still while catching his breath. "As I said, it's no hardship to fuck you. I'll have no issues coming inside you every night even if I find alternative amusements elsewhere." He pulled out of her and left the shower.

Clara sobbed, sliding down the wall into a pile on the floor, her heart-wrenching cries muffled by the sound of the shower. Tomorrow, she would call Mr. Thomas and see if there was anything he could arrange to get her out of this hell that she was living in.

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