•Leiara•
My throat reflexively clamps and I swallow hard. I feel my hands tremble at Colson's fixed gaze so I grip tight my hands, clenching my muscles to maintain my composure.
I keep my gaze forward so as to not meet his eyes. I wouldn't dare. I can feel it searing through my bones.
"Are you saying you've been in love with Colson, so you pressured your father into marrying you to him?" Mr Helton asks.
Everyone seems to focus on me, waiting for my response. They're curious. And more especially Colson.
I've taken it upon myself to defend my father, that too, at the cost of myself. But somehow, now, it feels too heavy to do.
I swallow again before responding quietly.
"Yes."
A heavy silence follows next as their eyes awkwardly dart to me and back. Mr Helton's, however, remains zeroed on me.
In order to quench any doubt they might have caught on to, I continue.
"Just like most girls out there, I too had a crush on Colson. I still do, I mean… I love him."
My eyes flick briefly to catch Mr Helton's expression.
"So when this opportunity came, I pestered my dad about it and got him to succeed in marrying me into the Hayes family."
I lower my gaze further than it already is. I'm skeptical, and a bit scared but it's good like this.
As long as my father doesn't face any shame.
"Hmph!" I hear Mr Helton scoff.
"I can't even say you're lying. After all, you've always been after everything my daughter shows interest in. Right from high school, and I see you haven't changed."
As awful as his words come, I feel a tug of happiness in my chest that it's my honor and character being questioned, not my father's.
A smile can't help but tug softly on my lips.
He turns his gaze to my father.
"The apple really doesn't fall far from the tree. In order to hurt my daughter, you didn't hesitate to jump into a marriage that doesn't even favor you in a way other than business. What a shame."
"Please!" My father cuts in. "Stop throwing a tantrum over your own failure. A marriage that doesn't favor her other than in business? I don't know about that because my son in-law seems to be very much happy with my daughter."
I feel a rock squash my heart at my father's words but I don't show it. I remain stiff with my gaze cast low.
I don't even want to see what face Colson's making. I just pray he doesn't make my father feel embarrassed in front of these people.
"Right, son?" My father asks.
My chest mounts slowly, hands trembling as I await Colson's response. There's a delay but after some moments, he speaks.
"Yes," he replies.
His tone is soft, totally different from the harsh one he uses with me.
A sigh of relief escapes me and for a moment, I am grateful to him.
"Do not flatter yourself Oscar, Colson is merely being the gentleman he is. He's simply being courteous, he's not really happy with your selfish daughter. He can only be with mine."
"As always, your day dreams are—"
"Enough!" Helen's voice cuts through sharply.
"This is a business party for goodness sake, not one for a family squabble!"
Finally! I can't believe she's only now intervening. This would've long ended had she intervened when Mr Helton directed his anger toward my dad.
But other than my humiliation, I guess my dad's also pleases them.
My eyes turn a bit solemn with quiet melancholy. My heart aches somehow but I don't even want to think about what Mr Helton said about my dad.
He's just—
"Leiara."
I stiffen up when I hear my name. Hearing who calls, I instantly snap my gaze up and look to Colson.
He called me. My name, I mean. He called it so gently.
I stare at him with a bit of bewilderness, quite unable to believe my own ears.
"Oooh, she heard right away," I hear a woman at the table tease dramatically. And another woman nodded with a big smile.
What happened? Has someone been calling me? Was I too lost in my own thoughts?
"Where is your mind? I've been calling you," Helen says, a bit irritated.
"Oh," I let out lowly.
I see now. She must've been calling me but I was too deep in thoughts to hear. So Colson puts up the act of a lovely husband and calls out to me gently, hoping I'll respond to him.
"…."
Which I did.
"…."
"I think it's better you get some fresh air. If there's anything important for you to know, Colson will relay it to you," Helen tells me.
Oh so now they're driving me out!
It wasn't me who even started all of this.
Still…
I turn to Colson, my eyes soft.
I know he's very mad at me right now after my lie. If not anyone else, I have to at least tell him the truth.
I solidify my resolve and set aside how scary it is. Then gently, I tap on Colson's thigh.
He doesn't budge or even show any reaction. So I tap harder, putting pressure but he still doesn't budge.
If he at least gives me a minute of his time, then I could excuse him and explain things to him. But as it stands, he's not ready to even look at me.
After repeated tries, I give up. I'll explain things to him when we reach home then.
Without any protest, I rise with a fake smile and leave.
I veer off into another part of the hall so as to stay completely out of their sight. I'm heading outside for fresh air just like they threw me out for. But I don't go far before I hear my name.
I turn to meet a woman. Mrs Victor, wife to one of our major investors running toward me. I wait for her, curious about what she wants to tell me.
When she reaches me, she holds onto me for support and crouches to catch her breath.
After a moment, she straightens up.
"It was really tense in there," she starts.
I only reply with a nod, a bit awkward. I've never interacted with her before so it eludes me what she wants from me after I've been humiliated like that.
But if it's about business, then I'm good to go.
"I…" she shakes her head, her expression of pity but one clueless on what to say to console me.
"Just to let you know, I… I'm on your side," she blurts.
I give her a look of 'really?'
"Yeah, totally!" She gestures finality with her hands.
"I know how these types of marriages can be complicated and I know it isn't easy, so I totally understand you. You shouldn't feel ashamed to love him or publicly claim him as yours. Whether or not it was through a contract, he's your husband. Don't give people the benefit of saying such things about your married life to your face."
A smile slowly creeps across my face as she goes on. Her tone is genuine and her face shows her interest in this matter.
"As long as it's legal and there's proof, keep your head up high!"
I don't know when I let go of myself and start chuckling. She stops and gazes at me in silence for a while before she also joins in the laugh.
"Yeah, you're right, haha," I laugh.
After some moments of chit chat with her advising me, I thank her. I don't want to have her all to myself when this is a business party where she can be making connections instead of wasting her time on me.
"Thank you," I tell her. "Really, thank you."
Without warning, she pulls me into a tight hug. I'm taken aback at first at how giddy she is but I eventually give in.
"Always keep your head up high, okay? I'll leave you to yourself now."
She waves gleefully at me and starts leaving.
I watch her go, still chuckling from her enthusiastic energy.
The moment doesn't even stretch any longer before I feel a tight burning grip around my arm. And the next thing I know, I'm snatched and being roughly dragged down a corridor.