𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙲𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚘𝚏 𝚊 𝙻𝚒𝚏𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 ✓ (𝟷𝟾+)

The Idiot Fiancé

Roger

How could Arin say that she doesn't want to talk to me? I was nothing but nice to her. I...

I don't know how I could justify what I did to her. Arin was the one who tore down the walls I held up, telling me she loved me and all I could do was walk away from her. I broke her heart.

I was an idiot to ignore what she felt for me. To be so blind to ignore her words and deeds. I had missed what was there right in front of my eyes.

"Ahem."

I looked up. Mrs. Rose stood at the threshold, holding files the size of a carton in her hands. "Come in. You never have to ask for permission."

She smiled, placing them on my table and moving back. I checked the sheets placed on top of them. "Legal documents?" I questioned her. She nodded.

"Yes. Arin was handling them. The place is swarmed with the merger and Brandon's suit for me to ask help from anyone."

Mrs. Rose had never asked for my help. She was always willing to be there for everyone. I rolled my sleeve up, standing up.

"Tell me, what is that you want," I asked.

She pointed to the stacks to the color-coded papers. "I don't understand legal or tax much, child. Any chance you can help me?"

Without further words, I dived in. There were some legal papers, I placed them onto the side. Tax papers weren't that many. Most were company card statement. One such stood out.

Highlighted with a marker, it shouted out the payment that I did for Arin's calls for a grand. My first phone call to her, the first time we talked. Master and babydoll.

God. It brought back so many memories. I looked at the paper, the time and date stamped of October.

"Gosh," I uttered, looking at the highlight. Mrs. Rose looked up, questing my reaction. "Nothing. I just saw something about Arin." Memories filled my mind. I was quick to check the date again. "Who highlighted this?"

I looked at Mrs. Rose who held a secret in her eyes. With a crooked smile and raised eyebrows, she answered. "Arin. Who else?"

I shoved the paper on the table. Mrs. Rose was aware of how we met and manger to play along with all this. Arin had confided in her.

"Did you know about this?" I asked. She shrugged her shoulders. Her lack of answers made me aware she was completely aware of what I was asking. "Please tell me Arin found this some time now."

I can't begin to imagine if she knew about it all along. Mrs. Rose placed her stacks on the side and pulled out a chair. "Arin knew the very next day of the call, your identity."

Her answer shook the ground beneath me. I fell back on my seat. Only a month back, I came to know about Arin's identity as babydoll. But she knew all along! From the very next day. And she played along. Why?

Another throat clearing made me look at Mrs. Rose. Her expressions matched mine, of concern. Placing both her hands on the table, she leaned forward.

"I treat you like my own child like I do to her. You both had a bad past, although yours was worst." I nodded at her words. "But she suffered badly in other ways. No girl should be forced to do something like this for survival."

But Arin did. And I was sad to know that somewhere, I was a part of it. Guilt flared inside of me. Mrs. Rose stood beside me, hands bridged on my shoulder, reminding me of how mom used to pacify me.

"If you are searching for an answer that she knew about you late as you did, you are wrong. And you are very wrong to let her go," she uttered her words of wisdom.