The Wedding Night

“When there is hope, there is life.”

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Melody POV

I didn’t know how to go about the rest of the day but I was glad when it ended and I got to go home. Throughout the day, I noticed Giovanni staring at me countless times.

It was a suspicious look.

I knew I was selfish to care about myself but I didn’t deserve the confrontations I got from Lorenzo. His words hurt me and I wanted to run to Giovanni and cried in his arms but I couldn’t. I didn’t know what to say to him.

When the day finally came to an end, I informed Giovanni I was leaving but he didn’t acknowledge my presence.

He wanted nothing to do with me.

I left the office with a heavy heart and when I got to the motel, Lorena seemed to notice my mood. She didn’t ask me anything but let me cry in her arms. When I stopped crying, Lorena made me lie on the bed and caress my hair as a mother would do to her child.

“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” I bit my lips as tears threatened to fall again.

“Don’t cry,” she begged. “You can tell me when you are okay.”

“I’m ready to tell you now.” I sniffed and sat on the bed.

I took my time to explain everything that had happened at the party to the scenario that took place in the office. “I don’t know what to do,” I told her.

Lorena placed my hands into hers and pulled me for a hug. “I believe it going to be okay Mel.” She assured me like she knew what would happen later in the future. “You need to tell Giovanni about yourself and Hope.” She advised

“What are you saying?” I pulled away from her. “If they know about Hope, they will take her away from me.” I cried out.

“That the only way to help yourself and Hope.”

“I can’t,” I refused and stood up from the bed. I walked to the window and stared outside. The sun was setting and it was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. “I can’t just walk to him and dropped the bomb about having a child.”

Lorena stood behind me and touches me on the shoulders. “If you want to be saved and free from all of this, you need to tell him about Hope.”

“But he has no memory of what happened five years ago. He doesn’t even remember and whatever happened five years ago is still a mystery,” I argued. “Until Giovanni regains his memory, I’ll make sure none of the Aderemi’s find out about Hope.”

“I hope you do not make a mistake,”

“I won’t. Whatever happened five years ago, there is more to it. I will be needing your help on something.” I implored her.

“What is it?” she asked.

I heaved a sigh and moved closer to her. I whispered something into her ears and she let out a gasp.

“that is too risky Mel.” She tried to object but I grabbed her hand and placed it on my chest.

“This is for hope. Promise that you will help me.”

Lorena rolled her eyes and for a while she was silent. The task I gave to her was hard but it was the only way to find out the truth about the incident five years ago.

“It’s too risky,” she said but then she smiled at me. “I’ll do anything for hope.”

“Thank you,” I pulled her for a tight hug.

The task I gave Lorena was not an easy one and it was risky but I had to do that to ensure that my family was safe especially Hope. If words got to the Aderemi’s that I have a child, they will come after her. This was the only way to make sure my daughter was safe.

“Where is hope?” I asked Lorena when I didn’t see her around.

“Downstairs as usual with the receptionist,” she answered.

“Okay.” I walked back to the bed and closed my eyes. I was tired from the long day and the accusations from Lorenzo did not help at all. Before I knew it, I had slept off.

In whatever I do, hope must always come first.

*********

Giovanni POV

I  did not understand what was going on with me or how I felt. After I witnessed the argument between Lorenzo and Melody, I couldn’t concentrate on anything especially work. I make sure I ignored Melody all through the day because anytime she speaks, I kept remembering the voice in my dream.

I didn’t know what to do, I was going crazy.

That night,  I couldn’t sleep because all I kept hearing and seeing was Melody’s voice and face.  I didn’t know why I could not have a day free from all the troubles of my life. The nightmares were a routine in my life but ever since Melody came into my life, it became rampant. It was as if the dreams wanted me to remember something.

Something in the past.

That’s night, I called Dennis about the information on melody and why he never reported back to me.

“Sir, I’m sorry for taking so long but I wanted to provide you with the correct information.” That’s was the reply I got from him.

“Whatever you do, do it fast.” I implored him.

The next day at work, my mood went from bad to worst when my Cousin visited me. I didn’t know how he got into My office but I found him sitting behind my desk with his legs on my table.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I shouted when I saw him sitting comfortably like he owned the office.

“What cousin, it’s nice to see you.” He greeted me with his legs still placed on my desk.

I rushed to him and pulled him off my chair. Before he could say anything, I have landed a punch on his face. “How did you get into my office?” I asked him but he only laughed like a maniac. “Answer me!” I yelled.

“I have always thought you were smart but it’s so sad that you can’t put a puzzle together.” He commented and clicked his tongue at me.

At me!

If there was one thing I hated about Lucas, it was the way he spoke in parables and not going straight to the point. I pushed him to the ground and pinned him down. Using my free hand, I called Dennis and in few minutes, he came barging into my office but before then, Lucas told me something peculiar.

“Your mother helped me gain access into your office.” He said. “He did that through the help of your father,” he added. “They wanted to come together as a family again so we could run the company together again.”

Before I could reply to him, Dennis burst into my office alongside Melody and Lorenzo. Dennis grabbed him and pushed him outside.

“Let’s me go! You can’t treat a family like this!” He shouted but it all falls on deaf ears as Dennis dragged him down the hall.

“What are you doing? Why are you treating Lucas like a criminal?” Lorenzo grabbed the collar of my white shirt and pushed me to the wall.

“What are you doing ?” I heard Melody shouting at him.

“This doesn’t concern you,” Lorenzo shut her up.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

“Why are you treating Lucas like a criminal? We used to be together while we were young. What went wrong?” Lorenzo asked with his hands still on the collar of my shirt.

I laughed and with force pushed him off me and landed a punch on his face. My hand bled after making contact with his face.

“You want to know why I changed!!!!” I yelled and landed another punch on his face. “I changed because I hate this family. I hated the way you all make me feel!” I didn’t know why I was telling Lorenzo how I felt but it was the only way to express my anger. “Lucas might be family to you but he is not to me!” I declared.

“Stop pretending to be strong when you are not. If you keep pushing everyone away, you will be lonely forever. ” Lorenzo retorted.

“I don’t need anyone!”

“Enough!” Melody came between us and pushed me away from Lorenzo. “Stop fighting!” She begged.

“This doesn’t concern you,” I said with no emotions in my voice. I was too angry to feel any emotions. “This is a family issue.”

“So you admit we are family.” Lorenzo teased and burst into laughter. “You are a confused being. ”

I moved closer to hit him but melody stood in my front thereby preventing me from reaching him.

“Get out of my way,” I warned her but she didn’t budge and didn’t move a bit. “Get out of my way!” I yelled and pushed away. I heard her groaned out in pain but I didn’t pay attention to her. All my focus was on Lorenzo who wore a sly smirk on his face. “Leave now!”

Lorenzo fixed his shirt and smirked at me. He wipes the blood that flowed down his face and then pointed a finger towards me.  “Keep rejecting it but sooner or later, you will need your family and by then, nobody will be by your side.” He said and walked out of my office.

His words got me but I quickly hid how I felt when I heard Melody’s soft moans. I didn’t bother to look at her, I didn’t care if she was hurt because she bought it on herself. “Leave my office.” I calmly ordered.

I heard her struggling to stand up but still, I didn’t look. She limped towards the entrance and then she said, ” you don’t have to become so cold because you feel abandoned. Someone out there loves you.”

When I turned to look at her, she had already left and I wasn’t planning on running after her. Melody’s words were encouraging but it was all a lie. There was no one out there who loves me. I am a monster who doesn’t deserve a tiny bit of life. My parent abandoned me when I needed them the most. Even with everything I have, there was a space inside of me.

I walked towards my desk and threw everything on the desk away.  I fell to the ground and screamed out in pain. I didn’t deserve everything that had happened to me. I didn’t deserve the loneliness.

Nobody wanted me.

The money and fame were nothing. They were nothing if they couldn’t solve my real problems.

“Keep rejecting it but sooner or later, you will need your family and by then, nobody will be by your side.”

Lorenzo’s words kept ringing in my ears and I couldn’t block it because he was right.

I had no nobody.

I bit my lip till it drew blood and cried out in pain. I didn’t deserve all I have gone through. I just wanted to be happy.

I hope what Melody said was real. What if someone out there loves me.

*********

Lorena POV

I can’t believe I agreed to Melody’s stupid task. It was a simple yet risky task.

“This is for hope,” I thought.

I inhaled a deep breath as I saw a woman entering the cafe I was in. The woman screamed money from the sleek black car she got down from and her clothes. I knew a few designers back in Italy and the dress she wore was similar to my favorite designer even though I don’t know his name. When the woman walked in between the doors, the cafe grew silent.

“Wow!” I thought and remembered Melody’s words.

“I need you to spy on Lorenza Aderemi.” She had said.

“How can I spy on such a woman? You are going to get me killed.” I had refused.

“This is for hope. They know my face if not I’ll do it but I can’t.”

“Fine. How do we go about it?”

“Lorenza Aderemi loved doing one thing and that is posting her daily schedule on the internet. Let’s find that out first and we will come up with a plan. ”

I didn’t wait for Melody’s plan so here I am sitting in the cafe and watching Lorenza Aderemi’s movement. This woman and the one melody described were different. This Lorenza Aderemi in front of me was humble and the way she greeted people shows how kind she was.

“Could melody lie or could Lorenza be faking her true self?” I questioned myself.

Lorenza took a seat at the far end of the cafe possibly waiting for her coffee. I pinched myself and contemplate what to do.

“This is for hope.” I reminded myself.

I stood up and then began my spying job. I walked towards Lorenza and when I neared her, her security guard stopped me and pushed me backward so I did the best thing I could do at that moment.

“Help me!” I screamed.