My eyes widened in shock as I stared at her. For two years, I’d thought I wasn’t good enough for her. I believed I was the reason she had cold feet at the altar.
For two years, I lived with the guilt, thinking I wasn’t enough for her to stay. I loved her enough to propose, but now I learned she had known all along she was in love with another woman.
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “This is a joke, right?” I asked, unable to accept the truth.
With her eyes still closed, she shook her head, tears streaming down her face.
When she finally opened her eyes, her face was wet with tears. “I’m so sorry, Logan. I didn’t know how to tell you. I didn’t want to hurt you, but I couldn’t go through with the marriage knowing the truth.”
I felt a mix of anger and betrayal. “So you decided to humiliate me in front of everyone instead? You left me to deal with the fallout while you kept your secret?”
She nodded, sobbing. “I know it was wrong. I should have been honest with you from the start. I was afraid of losing you, but now I see how much I’ve hurt you.”
“I couldn’t go through with the wedding when my heart was with someone else,” she said, tears falling.
I turned around, grabbing my hair in frustration. “What the hell, Sammie? I thought I was the problem here. Do you know how long it took me to let go of the guilt, believing I wasn’t enough for you?”
I turned back to face her. “I’m sorry, Logan. I couldn’t bring myself to go through with the marriage.”
She continued to cry. “It was the worst decision I’ve ever made. My father was looking forward to our marriage. He knew it would strengthen the business since we would be bonded in marriage.”
“Your father’s expectations and business plans don’t change what you did to me, Sammie,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “You chose to keep a huge part of yourself hidden, and then you left me to deal with the mess you created.”
Samantha’s tears continued to flow as she looked up at me. “I know, Logan. I’m so sorry. I thought I could handle it, but I was wrong. I never meant to hurt you.”
Her apology felt hollow after everything. The pain and anger inside me felt too deep for her words to reach.
I stepped back, not knowing what to do. I had so many questions but couldn’t bring myself to ask her.
“So your father cut you off from the trust fund because you refused to marry me, and now you’ve come back to pretend we’re together so he’ll give you access to your money, right?”
She nodded, her eyes full of pain. But what I couldn’t understand was why she decided to drive a wedge between me and Nadine.
I looked at her, frustrated. “You’re using me to get what you want, but that doesn’t explain why you tried to drive a wedge between me and Nadine. What was the point of that?”
She looked down, unable to find the right words.
“Fucking answer my question!” I demanded, but she stayed silent.
“Oh, I get it. You were hurt that I moved on and found love with Nadine. You couldn’t handle that because you thought you had me wrapped around your finger.”
I looked at her again, waiting for a response. She didn’t say anything, just cried with her eyes closed. Eventually, she opened her eyes, and I saw the guilt there.
I muttered to myself, “Oh fuck, I’ve been a fool.” I wasn’t sure if I could even trust my voice anymore.
“So, what now?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. “You’ve shown up here, playing games and causing problems. What do you want from me?”
She took a shaky breath, trying to calm down. “I… I just want things to be right again. I know I made mistakes, but I need your help. My father will only give me access to my trust fund if he thinks we’re still together.”
I shook my head. “So, after everything, you think I’d help you after how you’ve treated me?”
“Please, Logan. I know I messed up. I didn’t handle things right. But I’m asking for one last chance to make things right.”
“Do you know anything about the picture of Asher and Nadine?” I exploded in anger.
She shook her head. “No, I don’t. It was sent to me too. I had no idea it would be sent to you.”
I could tell she was telling the truth, but it made me think. I sat down, my mind racing.
Then I remembered the threat Nathalie had sent me, demanding that I take the picture down, insisting it wasn’t her.
I rushed back to my room and grabbed my phone. I opened the picture and zoomed in carefully.
As I looked closer, I realized it was Asher, fast asleep. The woman in the picture was looking at the camera with a sly smile.
I zoomed in even more and saw that the woman in the photo wasn’t Nadine. She didn’t have the birthmark Nadine had on the bridge of her nose. It was clear that someone had framed Nadine.
“Shit,” I muttered, furious with myself. I had let my anger cloud my judgment, and it took all my strength not to throw my phone against the wall. What was I thinking?
Samantha didn’t seem to be involved in the picture after all. The real culprit was still out there, and they had used my anger to cause more chaos.
I needed to get in touch with Nadine and explain the misunderstanding. But first, I had to find out who was behind this framing. It was clear someone wanted to drive a wedge between us.
I rushed outside and saw Samantha curled up in a ball. I wasn’t in the mood for any more pity.
“I’m leaving now,” I said. “When I get back, I don’t want to see you in my house. Do you get it?”
She nodded, tears still streaming down her face. She had done enough damage, and I wasn’t ready to show her any more pity.
I tried calling Nadine, but the call wouldn’t go through. Frustrated, I thought, where could she be? I didn’t have any of her family’s contact information. Who could I ask?
I left the house and knew I wasn’t in any shape to drive, so I called Richie to take me. My arm still ached from the bullet wound.
“When we get to Asher’s place,” I said to Richie, “just drive.”
Lost in thought, I barely noticed my surroundings. I had let a good woman go because of my anger. I had to figure out who the woman in the picture was, especially since it wasn’t Nadine or Nathalie.
The car stopped at Asher’s residence, and I quickly got out, heading for the door. I hoped he was home. Since the death of his daughter, he had been hard to find.
I raised my hand and knocked on the door, hoping someone was home. I sighed with relief when Asher opened it. “Thank God you’re here,” I said.
Asher looked at me, puzzled by my sudden visit.
“Logan? What’s going on?” he asked, concerned in his eyes.
“I need to talk to you about something important,” I said, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. “It’s about a picture I saw of Nadine.”
Asher led me into the living room and motioned for me to sit. “What picture?”
I quickly pulled out my phone and showed him the picture. Asher glanced at it and then told me the name of the person in the photo, someone I had mistaken for Nadine. I was shocked.