(CLARK CORPORATION: ACE CLARK OFFICE)
Camilla tossed back her blond curls and lifted her snooty little nose into the air as she walked into Ace Clark’s office.
“Hi Camilla,” Ace greeted her as he stood up from the swivel chair.
“Hello Ace,” Camilla responded as she dropped her handbag on the table.
“So… how are you doing? Please take a seat.” Ace gestured to the chair facing him directly.
Camilla eyed the chair before turning her gaze back at him. “I am not here for chitchat Ace, but as your fiancee I have every right to know what’s going on. I need an explanation for everything on the news.” She blurted out.
Camilla kept telling herself that it wasn’t true. Everything on the news was just some kind of woman trying to extort from her husband to be. But somehow the news seemed true telling from the happy look on Ace Clark’s face during the time spent with his son, and that gave her what she needed to know. And that’s why she was right there with him trying to get the final truth.
“I am really sorry Camilla.” Ace Clark apologized.
“Is that child really yours, Ace? I keep thinking that the news can’t be true.” Camila gritted.
Ace sighed. “Yes, the boy in the news is my son.” He answered.
Camilla fought back tears that threatened to spill. “So why.. why… why.. didn’t you tell me?” She stuttered.
“I am sorry Camilla but I just found out myself too few days ago.” Ace replied as he tucked his hands into his pocket.
No! This can’t be true! Everything seemed like a dream to Camilla. “Why didn’t you tell me that photographer was your ex?! And why didn’t you tell me about your son the moment you found out about him?!” Camilla questioned in a slightly raised tone.
“Listen Camilla it’s not what you are thinking, Ivy and I didn’t really date. We just-”
Camilla interrupted him. “Oh! I think I get what is happening now! So she is one of those girls you spend the nights with? One night stand? Or a fling? Isn’t it?” She snorted.
“No.. I mean Yes.. Yes… it just happened. I mean it was just a one time thing.” Ace Clark stammered.
“I see… a one night stand..” Camilla has to sneer at his words.
That one time thing had meant a whole lot to him. That one night with a lone girl had changed his life for good forever. She had made connections that he couldn’t break free. He shared a bond with her that he wouldn’t never want to break. His feelings was deep rooted for years that he can’t possibly get over her. He had tried to forget her but she lived in his heart and head and mind throughout the years. But no one would ever understand him.
“Camilla, I am sorry you got dragged into this matter But I want you to know that whatever I had with Ivy was more than the one night stand you think it is.” He was deeply in love with Ivy.
“Let’s make something clear here. Ace, I don’t want to believe you are in love with a girl you had one night with? I mean falling in love with the mother of your child again.” Camilla pointed out with a raised eyebrows.
“Well.. it happened that I had feeling for her when we met and I never stopped loving her.” Ace Clark admitted with sincerity in his tone.
There was no need hiding the truth from Camilla. He was ready to end everything and pay for the consequences of his actions.
Camilla frown deepened and anger and jealous stirred within her. “Why did you agree to marry me?! No.. Ace I want to believe that finding out about you son’s existence won’t affect us right?” She demanded.
Ace looked straight at her. “I want to be a father to my son.” He replied.
“Ace, I am not asking you not to be a father to your son. And about your son we can go to court and claim him. I will raise him as my own.” Camilla said.
Ace furrowed her eyebrows. “The last thing I want to do is take my son away from his mother. He’s all she has, so taking him away from her will be like telling her to stop breathing.” He countered.
“He has been with her for nine years so you have every right to claim him as his father. I can hire the best lawyer to help us out. Ace-”
Ace cut in. “I don’t have any right over him, looking at it I am just a sperm donor. Ivy raised him all by herself and she did a good job at it. If you were in her shoes would you like your son to be taken away from you?” He asked.
Camilla knew she was going to lose him to the mother of his son. She could see the concern and look of admiration in his eyes as he talked about her. Camilla went over to him in a swift movement and hugged him.
“Ace, please don’t leave me. I love you and I know you love me too that’s why you agreed to marry me right?” She asked.
“Camilla… no… no.. I didn’t agree to get married because I love you.” Ace stepped away from her.
Camilla looked up at him as tears welled up in her eyes. “Why?” She asked.
“I don’t want to lie to you anymore. Camilla-” Ace pursed his lips and spoke up after some seconds of silence. “I know this would be a little hard on you but I have to be honest with you.” He lisped.
“What are you saying? Ace-” Her voice broke off.
“I am sorry… Camilla, I don’t love you.” Ace said.
Camilla couldn’t control the tears anymore. “What?” Tears streamed down her face.
“Camilla, I am sorry.” Ace apologized.
She stepped backward. “But why? Why? After all these years? I thought you wanted to be with me so badly…. that’s why you stopped seeing other women.” Camilla said unsteadily.
Ace shook his head in disagreement. “Camilla, that’s what my dad made you believe but it is not the truth.” He replied.
Camilla let her tears flow freely. “What’s the truth?” She demanded.
“Ivy made me change, when we met.. it was supposed to be the usual fling but she made a connection like me than I ever imagined. I wanted to be a better man for her.. and we would have been together before now but my dad didn’t let me stay back at Winslow a little longer. Camilla, why did you think I didn’t touch you or be more intimate with you? It’s simply because I don’t want you to get hurt like this in the end. It’s because I don’t feel anything for you that’s why I suggested that we shouldn’t have sex till we get married.” Ace Clark explained hoping Camilla would have a clear picture of the troubles his father had caused them.
He’s to be blamed for everything.
Camilla hasn’t been with any man but she loved Ace deeply right since when they were young. It had hurt her to watch him get together with other girls even women but she kept loving him. And when her father told her that she was going to end marrying Ace, it had made her really happy. Dating him, planning the wedding was like a dream come true for her but for Ace it felt like he was being caged but he had played along because of his dad all these years.
When Ace got the chance to know that Camilla hasn’t been with any man before, he concluded that it was best for him to tell Camilla that they shouldn’t get intimate until after the wedding. Camilla thought he made the suggestion because of her but the truth was Ace couldn’t bring himself to sleep with another woman after the night spent with Ivy. He had buried himself in work and had less time to think about women.
Camilla cried. “I thought you were doing all of these for me? Why did you have treat me like this?!” She made a hit for his chest but Ace didn’t flinch.
He deserved it for hiding the truth about his feelings from her.
“You should told from the start that you don’t love me! And that you can never love anyone else! You should have told me there was someone else in your heart!” She made the hit again as she cried.
“Camilla, I tried to make you see that we were being forced on each other but you were insensitive to things around you.” Ace countered.
Camilla stopped making the hit on his chest as she glanced up at him. “And what if we had gotten married? What if you haven’t found out about your son?!” She snapped at him.
“Yes I would have gotten married to you but it won’t be a happy one. Probably a year or two later we will depart because love doesn’t exist from the other partner.” Ace replied.
He had thought about it throughout the years. If he married Camilla, he was sure that they wouldn’t last long together. There would never be a love after marriage scenario between them because his mind was on Ivy.
Camilla made the hit again. “I can’t.. believe this is.. happening!” She sobbed.
Ace caught her hand and dropped it by her side. “I am sorry. I just hope you understand me and find a place in your heart to forgive me.” He muttered
Camilla wiped her tears. “No! No! I won’t let this slide! You have caused me a lot of pain and I won’t become a laughing stock to the public! If I am not happy then you will never be happy!” She grimaced in anger.
Ace Clark heaved a sigh and ran his hand through his hair. “Camilla-”
She cut him off. “No! It is either me or no one else! We are getting married and that’s final!” Camilla blurted out and stormed out of the office before Ace could say anything.
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