Stand By Me Darling
Chapter 51: Ending Relationship?

Chapter 51: Ending Relationship?

’What if the person beside me that day was Fred?’

Talia never expected him to ask that and she never thought about it till now, seriously.

Was it rhetorical or is he assuring the truth..?

Who was the one beside me that day?

Talia tried to remember but all she could see was a blob of red hair beside her, through the lace veil...

Could that person be Fred?

No...No... It can’t be Fred! Why am I getting confused?

I was told by the maid who forced me to wear the white dress, that I was marrying Ray. She pulled my hair while doing my hair and with each brush she was saying how terrible my life was going to be with Ray, as the servant of the Sinclair family. She told me that I was no more a rich missy, but a slave sold to the Sinclair household by my own grandfather as a means to perpetuate the prestige of the Brunton family. That I was worth nothing and matter to no one.

My head feels like it is going to burst. I cannot bear it. My stomach doesn’t feel good either. Why can’t I even stand straight?

The memories of that day returned a bit and made her cold all over. She still remembered how that fat maid was gritting her teeth and hit her and pinched her hard in places covered by the dress so there won’t be any visible bruises, while she was dressing her.

’I won’t get married to Ray! My Fred will be there! He won’t let me get married to him and get ruined! Even if my grandpa sold me out, Fred will save me!’

’No... Fred is not here... No he wasn’t... No!’

’Why isn’t he here still?’

’Will he be here at the last moment?’

’They are asking me to put my signature.... But why is Fred not here?’

’No...

No...

Did he leave me?’

’Did he not want me too?’

’Why?’

’He thought of helping his family?’

’No... No... Fred... Why you...? Why you too...?’

No!

I cannot give up now.

’No! I’m not worthless... I’m not trash! I can survive without the Brunton family’s wealth and Esteria. I’m not helpless.

I will make something of myself! I will live better without my grandfather who decided to sell me for his prestige. I will! I will!

And I will never forgive Fred for abandoning me!

No!’

Talia slowly came out of those memories and saw herself curled to a ball.

’ Ah, Talia! It happened a long time ago! Why are you so strung up on that? ’

She felt a strong arm hugging her and soon the pain in her head went away too.

True, they were her memories. But they are not good memories. She tried to forget them and she couldn’t.

Maybe I should start embracing them. Trying to forget is not working.

Maybe I should listen to my doctor and get over my past and forgive all of them.

The warm feeling around her did give her an immeasurable strength. Till now she was always alone whenever she had those episodes. But it is not bad to have someone by her side too.

Can she forgive them all? Maybe not.

But these past few days...

But Fred and her grandfather... She didn’t feel bad when she speaks nicely with them. She doesn’t like them getting hurt. She seems to be not hating them as much as she thought she hated them.

So why dwell on the past, right.?

And nothing bad would have happened of I didn’t kill Cyrus. So, how can all the blame be on them? I’m the one who started everything! I’m the one who deserves everything!

Arthur waited for her reply but all he could feel was her squirming out of his grasp and he tried to grab her hand but flinched sensing how cold they were.

She was mumbling something and holding her head in pain as she rolled herself to a fetal position. He held her.

Arthur saw her painful expression and it reminded her of that day.

That day before their wedding.... He was stressed thinking about how he could stop the wedding between Iris and Ray. Then he decided to use the one bargaining chip left to him by Cyrus. He looked at her on his bed. She was still not well and he was the one who tied her hands to the headboard of the bed so that she won’t hurt herself.

After locking his room, he went to meet his father with a stack of documents previously given by Cyrus. It was the proof that his brother Ray was the one who drugged, r*ped and killed a foreign exchange student. Cyrus left the evidence with him a week before he died saying it would be his decision to do what he liked with it. He didn’t know why he was passed that information.

Arthur went to his father and gave him a choice to let him marry Iris or spoil the family name by getting Ray arrested. That’s when his father revealed that he was always planning the wedding between him and Talia.

With his heart filled with happiness, he returned to his room. On the way he was met with the tailor to take measurements for his suit for the big day tomorrow.

With a skip in his step, he went back to his room. But what he saw stunned him. His room door was broken by his brother Ray and his men. Their family had some men remnants of those who served his grandfather who hated the Brunton family deeply and they always listened to Ray.

He couldn’t see inside since then men covered the entrance and he could only hear sneers and laughter and the words they spoke and knowing his brother’s character it didn’t take him long to realise what was going inside.

He screamed at his brother to stop what he was doing but he didn’t listen.

His heart beat like it would jump out of his throat and he tried to push those men away but he couldn’t handle them alone and they were swinging hard at him.

The commotion he made attracted his elder brother and he brought some men and finally there was a space for him to get in and what he saw made his entire body freeze and his heart literally stopped.

There were syringes by the side and he knew what those syringes are for. She was still on the bed, her eyes were wide open and dried tears stains were on her sides. Her hair was messy and her clothes.... they were all cut open and not a single piece of clothing was on her while her legs were spread.

She seemed to still have a little conscience and was moaning in pain and tried to move even though she had no strength left. His brother was sitting between her spread legs with a knife in his hand.

"Killing her won’t be just fun! This should be so much..."

Arthur saw the gory scene from the report he saw about that exchange student and he felt his head spin and he could hear only buzzing noise in his ears.

’What kind of twisted thing is he going to do to my Iris?’

" Don’t touch my Iris! "

He shouted and he didn’t know where he got that strength but he grabbed a cricket bat lying on the side and swung at Ray and he first tried to hit his hands to push the knife off but it ended up hitting the back of his head and he hit him again on his back to get him off her.

"No one touches her! No one!"

He heard something breaking. He didn’t know if it was his bat or his brother’s bones but his brother was not on top of Iris anymore.

Her eyes were still open and they looked so lifeless and he pulled the bedcover over her and untied her hands. She looked so cold and she was opening and closing her mouth as if she was saying something. But he couldn’t understand her.

What’s wrong with her.? Why is she staring blankly?

Later the doctors came and picked his brother from the floor and they told that she almost overdosed and she was treated immediately.

If only he didn’t leave her or came a bit early, she wouldn’t have gone through that suffering.

---

"Iris... Iris.... I’m sorry I was late... I’m sorry... "

When Talia opened her eyes in Arthur’s embrace, that was the first thing she heard and it seemed like he was distressed too.

’So, he wanted to be there but he was late? Why didn’t I think of that?’

"It’s fine, Fred. It’s fine... Let’s not talk about the past anymore," she wrapped her hand around him.

Arthur heard what she said and he didn’t know what she was thinking.

"So you are not mad at me anymore for abandoning you that day?" he’s asked to be sure. If she was willing to let that go, he has no need to bring that day up anymore. That day was traumatic enough for the both of them.

"No."she rubbed her head cutely in his chest and he gently placed his big hand on her back.

" I will not bring that up again. "

" So... Talia Mary-Ann, I love you, " he whispered in her ears and she giggled.

" It feels weird when you call me by my name. "

" Talia... Tallie... Mary-Ann... Talia Mary-Ann... Hehehe... It feels weird for me too," he laughed along.

He could feel her about to say something more and he had a feeling he won’t like it and told her he felt sleepy.

’Let me have this one night Iris... one night where I am happy that you love me too.’

The next morning after breakfast, Talia looked at Arthur who was looking at the stock exchange. She had already decided to tell him something as she came to a conclusion back when she locked herself in the bathroom. She needed to tell him all that.

"Fred, I love you," she started and he looked at her with a bright smile that reached his eyes. The morning light came in through the big windows and made him look as the bright sun itself.

"I love you too, Iris"

"But..., " she added and she could see his eyes getting dimmer.

" Let’s end whatever relationship we have now."

"Whatever relationship?" his tone got deeper and she could feel his temper rising.

"We don’t have a clear relationship, Fred. What are we?"

"Let’s marry again. This time as you chose," he was decisive as looked straight in her eyes.

If she didn’t even know who she was married to back then, that marriage is clearly not valid and that’s why he asked Jordan to annul the marriage.

But they can marry again.

"But are you comfortable with me Fred?"

"Comfortable? What do you mean? Are you a mattress to be comfortable?" only half of his lips curved making him look a bit menacing.

Even Talia got a bit nervous.

"You saw me suddenly acting that way last night when I locked myself in the bathroom..."

"So, you were not scared of me because I tried to..."

"No! I had some... It was one of my attacks... I sometimes have them. What you saw last night was something a bit severe..." she paused seeing his eyes getting watery and gentle.

"Look, I’m telling you this because this is who I am now. I’m not well. I know I’m not well. You don’t have have to get dragged with me."

She took a deep breath.

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