The Man I Left at the Altar (English)

Chapter 22: Betrayal

Chapter 22

"You're awfully quiet." Blaise commented as I glumly stare at the skyscrapers outside Dark's glass paneled windows. Dark was in a meeting and Blaise was too lazy to assist him. He took pleasure in entertaining me with his devil may care attitude.

Flopping on the couch beside, he draped his arms at the back of the couch and stared. "Trouble in paradise?"

I glared at him which made him laugh. "I knew something was wrong. Dark always had a faraway look on his face."

"Nothing is wrong." I pointed out to him "Instead of asking my relationship status, do you mind telling me the real score between you and my baby sister?"

His grin fell and a frown marred his features. I inwardly grinned. Blaise was too open. He just gave it away.

"What are you talking about?" He scoffed not looking my way.

"I saw you and my sister kissing at a party. The next thing I know, my sister's secretely sneaking out of our condominium." My eyes squintedly looked at him. I was an interrogator looking for clues. And Blaise was the biggest liar. "We're you the one she'd been seeing."

Smoothening his features, he innocently told me "Nothing happened."

My eyes squinted into slits "So you were with my sister."

His eyes widened, like a deer caught in the headlights. "We umm..."

Before he can finish his sentence, the door opened revealing my least favorite person.

"I want to see Dark!" Johanna screamed as she was being pulled back by Donna, Dark's secretary.

When she saw us inside, her eyes grew into saucers and her feet froze. Then her eyes turned murderous. She pulled away from Donna's hands and marched towards my form.

I stood up from my seat and blocked the slap she directed at me.

"It's your fault!" She screeched at me "He's ignoring me because of you!"

Pushing her arms away from me, she stumbled at the force. My lips lifted into a sardonic smile, "Hello to you too Johanna. Mind telling us why you marched inside Dark's office in such an an unladylike fashion?"

Her nostrils flared and she swung her well-manicured and pointed nails at me "You're a bad influence to Dark. You told him to stop seeing me. I'm his family you bitch! Who are you to dictate him?"

"First and foremost Johanna, I never told him to stop seeing you. I simply told him that you have to learn being an adult by doing things on your own. Dark isn't your chaperone. He shouldn't be at your beck and calls." I calmly told her with my arms crossed infront of my chest.

"Secondly, yes you are his family. His cousin as a matter-of fact. Then why are you acting like a jealous girlfriend?" Her eyes flashed with fire and her lips pursed "Third, I'm his partner and girlfriend. I'm the woman he loves and the woman he sleeps with at night."

My eyes darkened and the tension in the air tripled as I moved closely infront of her "And I never liked to share Johanna. I've been with Dark for years and I know when a woman wants to claim my man as hers." A cold smile was evident on my lips "He's not yours and will never yours."

"Are you saying that I like Dark?" She scoffed in a shrill laughter, clearly avoiding my eyes.

Tilting my head to the side, I ran my gaze at her quivering lips and hands. It was a clear sign of a person nervous and in denial.

"You tell me." I shrugged and pointedly challenged her "Do you Johanna? Do you like Dark?"

"That's absurd!" She shrieked, her skin pale.

"It is absurd because you're his family. That would be incest!" I conceitedly told her "You'll never be on his list."

Her eyes darkened and an angry snarl formed on her lips "I'm better than you Laurene. I don't even understand why Dark likes you. I've seen the girls he dated before and you don't live up to par to his standards."

My jaw clenched yet I kept the smile on my face "Oh sweetie, I'm beyond his lowly conquests. He saw everything that he's looking for in a woman in me. You can personally ask him on how I please both his mind and his unsatiable demands in bed."

"You are despicable!" She growled out.

"And you look jealous." I retorted which struck a nerve

"I hate you!" She shrieked trying to claw my eyes out but Blaise finally step between us "He's supposed to be mine! If you didn't step into the picture, I would have seduced Dark and Father would have his millions!"

Everyone froze at her admission. She squeeked and covered her mouth. Her eyes wide as a saucers.

"I-I didn't..." She nervously stuttered, her skin pale and her eyes white as a saucers.

"So, its true then."

Everyone's gaze turned to Dark who was casually leaning on the doorway. Donna looked petrified behind Dark while Johanna, Blaise and I were nervous.

He stepped inside the room. His eyes as cold as the Antarctic. His eyes were like laser beams, building a hole on Johanna's head.

"I knew Uncle Matthias wasn't sincere in reaching out to me. I was a fool for giving your family a chance." his eyes were filled with  pain and regret. "I'll have you deliver my message. You're no longer considered my family."

"Dark..." pagmamakaawa ni Johanna.

"Leave!" He commanded. Johanna flinched. She bowed her head and ran. The door closed with a loud thud.

No one spoke. Dark's harsh breathing was the only sound in the room.

Blaise was the first one to move. He sighed. Walking towards the bent figure of Dark, he patted him in the back before leaving.

The door closed behind him. Leaving me with Dark.

Looking up from the spot on the floor, my heart broke as I saw the red rimmed eyes of Dark.

"Laurene..." his broken voice undid me. In a second, he was in his arms as I let him sob on my shoulders.

I moved us to the couch while I let Dark silently sob on my lap. I let him. It doesn't make him less of a man when he cries.

It makes him human.

Eveeyone thought of him as the enigmatic and brooding billionaire Dark Montero.

Underneathe that cold and aloof facade, was a man who was desperate for a family.

Having your family betray you for money was painful. Hence, I will always grateful for my parents who unconditionally loves.

It was a while when Dark finally calmed down. His head was on my lap as his body laid on the couch.

I brushed his thick smooth and wavy hair out of his eyes. His eyes adoringly watched every movement.

"I thought they changed." he softly spoke. My eyes shifted to his. A sad smile was on his lips. "I hoped they wanted me not because of my money but because they wanted to as my family."

I can see his tears slowly forming before he let out a loud exhale to stop them.

He carefully reached to caress my cheek. "I'm scared of being left behind. I have so many people leaving me, Laurene." he sadly said, his eyes full of pain. "I don't know what our future may hold. But for me, you're it. You're the very air I breathe and the sun to light up my coldness. I hope you'll never find it in you to leave me."

A sad smile formed on my lips as I kissed his palm, "I hope so too. It'll take my greatest fears for me to leave you."

And I didn't know it was true.

Published 04.25.2020