Chapter 2
Avery Whitmore
Murmur replaced the peaceful hall as wedding guests stared at me like I was some crazy woman. The priest officiating the ceremony stopped as he saw me walking in their direction, making Cole turn, facing me.
I didn't miss the surprise look on his face as I charged towards him. Did he think I wouldn't find out? Was his plan to keep me in the dark? What was he trying to achieve doing that?
"Avery, what are you doing here?" Cole muttered, walking close to me.
I didn't let him say another word when my palm struck his face, earning a gasp from the guests. "How could you do this to me?" I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I did everything a good girlfriend should do and this is how you are going to pay me back?"
The woman beside him asked, "Who's she?"
"It's nothing to worry about babe. She's just a nobody," he said, covering his cheek with his palm.
His brow furrowed, mockingly, "I don't remember owing you anything, Avery, it's actually the other way round," he said, eyes flashing in anger.
The last words he said triggered something in me, my eyes narrowed in anger as tears pooled in my eyes. "A nobody?" I said aloud, my voice shaky, a trembling sensation shook my entire body. How could he say I was a nobody when he made me fall heads over heels for him? Even though he had always shown up and helped me since we started dating. I wasn't a lazy person either, I had invested time and effort in this relationship, even let go of opportunities because I wanted to be with him and now he dumped me.
I was trying not to say much so that he would save face but hearing his reply came as a shock to me.
"Are you even my boyfriend because I can't recognize you anymore?" I said, my voice cracking as I stared at him in utter disbelief, tears blurring my vision. "I thought we were both perfect for each other."
The wedding guests gasped as they heard my words. A mix of shock and surprise filled the eyes of the lady he was about to marry, "What's going on, Cole? What's she talking about?" She asked, confusion curling into her words.
I wiped away the tears that trickled down my face with my palm, not minding how the hall had been thrown into an uproar.
Cole's hands were clenched into fists as his gaze narrowed on me, anger filling their depth.
I didn't want to be someone who ruins people's wedding but my heart was too attached to him that all I wanted was an answer to the heavy question in my heart.
"What did I do to deserve this? You knew you are the only person I would ever love," I choked on my sob, breaking down completely as my weight came crashing down making me squat as my sob grew louder.
Before I knew what was happening I felt strong hands grip me, dragging me away from the aisle and just before I was thrown out, I heard Cole explaining to the guests that I was just an entitled person he helped and that the ceremony should continue.
"Entitled?" I muttered as the security dragged me out. I found it unbelievable that Cole called me entitled. Just before the door closed, I cried out with a heavy heart, "Why did you make me fall for you if you were going to dump me at the end, you asshole?" I yelled, struggling to loosen myself from their grip but they were too strong.
Tears streamed down my face as the men dropped me on the pavement, coming to the reality that I had just lost my only source of income and also the man I love in less than 24hours without knowing the reason behind it. "No, I can't give up," I said, bracing myself.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, attracting my attention. It was a message from the hospital. "This is Hopsin hospital. Your attention is needed right away because your brother is in a critical condition and needs surgery immediately," The message read.
I shook my head, frustration kicking in, "No, no, not now," I said, my heart tightening in my chest.
Why does all this have to happen at the same time?
My head throbbed as I grabbed my bag and when I turned to leave, my head hit a wall...more like someone's chest. "I'm sorry," I apologized without looking at the person I collided with.
"Do you always go about colliding into people?" A cold but firm voice said. I had heard that voice before, it wasn't really familiar but I felt I had heard it recently but I couldn't remember where I heard it.
I raised my head to look at the person and I stepped back in surprise as my eyes locked with a pair of piercing blue eyes, his neck-length hair was styled to the back while a few strands covered a side of his forehead. The dark blue suit he wore hugged his frame accentuating his tall and muscular build and I couldn't help but trace his sharp chiseled jaw with my eyes. He had that irresistible, grown and matured man charm, looked like he was in his forties but God! How could a man be so breathtaking?
"Did you follow me here?" He said, his brows furrowed with displeasure, his gaze scrutinizing me.
His voice broke into my thoughts and my cheeks flushed as I realized I was drooling over a man who was twice my age.
My eyes narrowed at him, "Follow you? Do I know you?" I said, my tone taking a pissed edge and also I wasn't ready for some chitchat with a stranger.
"You, don't remember?"He said, voice low but laced with doubt. "Maxwell sent you to seduce me last night."
"What! Who is Maxwell?" I said, trying to remember all that happened last night and when the fragments began to piece together, my face flushed in embarrassment.
His brows furrowed in confusion, "You weren't the lady he sent?" He asked, again in disbelief. His eyes softened, more gentle than last night, "I apologize for my mistake.I would compensate you for the inconveniences."
I exhaled deeply realizing that I would have slept with a total stranger thereby losing my virginity in the process because of some misunderstanding.
"Compensate?" I said in disbelief. "There's no need for that because we didn't practically have sex."
"I insist," he said, stubbornly, giving an older man vibe.
"Well, I'm Roman. The groom's uncle," he introduced himself. "By the way, why would you want to crash my nephew's wedding ceremony?"
My jaw dropped, "You are that asshole uncle?" I asked, my eyes widened in surprise then turned to disgust.
His brows furrowed slightly at my question. "That's not nice," he said, politely.
"Well, I said it purposely so that you would know that your nephew is a complete jerk," I said, my anger showing in my words.
I held the strap of my bag tightly, I already spent time here and I needed to go to the hospital. "I can't waste any more time. I need to go to the hospital," I said, my voice tight with urgency.
"Let me drop you off then." He offered and I couldn't turn him down again.
"Thank you so much," I muttered, clasping my hands together in gratitude because I needed to get to the hospital as soon as I could.
The ride to the hospital was almost in total silence and I could feel my body tense under it. I held my bag tightly against my chest as the thought that the stranger I almost had sex with was Cole's uncle made my heart beat against my rib .
His hoarse voice broke through the silence, "If I may say, you could have handled whatever was between you two behind doors instead of embarrassing yourself in front of so many people?" He said bluntly, the weight of his words heavy on my heart. It was a harsh truth but I didn't want to hear any of that.
"Behind doors...huh? You are preaching to me about settling things when your nephew should be the one hearing this," I muttered, anger welling up in me. It annoyed me so much that I was seen as the unreasonable one when all I wanted was an answer. To think that I was starting to think he was a kind man that I had misunderstood but hearing him say something so insensitive made me pissed. He's just like the others.
"Stop the car," I said, my hands clenching into a fist.
"What! We are just a few minutes away," he said, surprise lacing his voice as his gaze darted to me.
"I said stop the fucking car," I said, brushing my hair behind my ear as he pulled over.
I opened the car door and stepped into the walkway. I slammed the door loudly, keeping my eyes focused despite him calling me repeatedly.
As soon as I got to the hospital, I ran to the reception and met with the nurse. "I'm Avery Whitmore. I was calling some moment ago concerning my brother, Danny Whitmore," I said in a rush, my heart pounding against my chest.
"What took you so long? She said, her voice laced with urgency. "Danny's condition has heightened and if the surgery is not carried out on him within 24hours, he might not survive it. You have to pay a deposit of Ten thousand dollars so that the treat can commence, until then he won't be treated."
I wiped the sweat on my face nervously, "Oh...God!" I said, my voice trembling. Where would I get that huge amount of money?
"Is there a way to keep him stabilized? I promise to bring the deposit."
"There's nothing we can do, Miss," The nurse said with a small helpless shrug, her lips pressing together as if the words tasted bitter, eyes already soft from apology.
Tears streamed down my face and my head pounded so much that I began to sob, "Why are you so cruel? I just told you I would get the money, just start the treatment already," I wailed, my cry attracting the gazes of other people.
"Excuse me, if you aren't ready. Would you mind stepping away?" The nurse said without pity.
Could today get any worse?
I stepped away, allowing the next person to be attended to.
I paced about the hallway, thinking of how I could get the money within a very short time, borrowing money was everything out of the question because I didn't have a job currently for them to lend me such huge amount of money but then I remembered that I was yet to receive my severance fee from my former workplace, Reilly Corporation.
I stood in front of my former boss who was doing everything except paying attention to me. "It's only right that you pay me, sir. Moreover the month was about to end anyways," I said, convincingly.
"I have nothing to give you, Miss Avery. There has been a complaint about you which made the management restrain from paying you your severance." He informed me, his tone flat.
"Please boss, help me. I didn't do anything that would require such. I can't let my little brother die," I pleaded with him.
He cleared his throat, "There's a way I can help you but you would have to consider what I requested you to do yesterday," he said, without sympathy.
Frustration welled up in me as I watched the old coot lick his lips as he moved closer to me. The circumstances were too much and enough for me to do what he requested but I couldn't bring myself to, my pride wouldn't let me. I looked the perverted man in the face, "Suck yourself," I said, turning to exit his office.
It was already dark outside by the time I left my former workplace. I reached into my bag to pull out my phone when I realized that it wasn't there, "Oh my God, can't the day get any better?" I muttered, but there wasn't any sign of the phone inside.
I had walked a great distance when the atmosphere changed and rain began to drop. I had located a nearby phone booth to call Ava so that she could come pick me up with her car when I noticed three men who looked like thugs walking towards my direction.
I fidgeted and was hoping they would walk away but they didn't. "Hey beautiful, the weather is cold, come, let me warm you up," one of them said, laughing maniacally.
I dropped the phone and hurried out of the booth, clenching my handbag against my chest as I hastened my step. Fear gripped my heart as I ran along the deserted alley, silently praying in my heart that the thugs would stop chasing after me but they ran after me along the silent alley. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me but then until I tripped on a stone spraining my ankle in the process sending me crashing to the floor.
"Ahh Ahh, I'm going to enjoy slamming my rod into that big butt of yours tonight," the second thug said, with a maniac laugh.
Fear gripped my heart and I began to scream for help as two of the thugs walked closer to me.
"Save your voice, no one is going to help you, sexy," the third thug said, shining his teeth.
"Get your hands off me," I yelled, struggling with them as they held my clothes and wanted to rip it apart. "Please, I beg you," I cried.
Was this how I would lose my virginity after keeping it till marriage all this while? What's the essence of it all? Maybe I should have let my boss have his way with me, I would have gotten Danny's hospital fee through that rather than getting harassed by these ugly stinking men.
I had subjected it to fate as tears trickled down my face for the umpteenth time that day when a yellow light flickered in the distance and someone was coming from it. Relief and fear tangled in my chest as I tried to focus on the face behind the light but the edges of my vision were already fading. Before I could recognize them, my consciousness slipped away.
