I Wasn't Her

Part 37

When Alaire entered the office she was greeted by Veena and Christopher. "Hello there." Veena frowned. "Don't worry your gifts are in the bag." She shook her head. "Not that. Why aren't you walking like Viola Davis in heels?"

She looked at her confused. "Why would I be walking like that?" Veena stood there bewildered. "So none of those sexy outfits worked? You came back here dick free? Impossible." Alaire rolled her eyes, giving her the bag.

"I still have to get you back for that one. If it wasn't for Lucian, I would have froze in my underwear."

"Yeah but you looked really hot in that purple bathing suit." Alaire frowned. "How do you know that? I didn't take any pictures and sent them to you." Veena pulled her phone out, showing her the pictures all over social media. "What the hell?"

She took the phone from her, scanning them over. "I thought I heard it but I just assumed it was in my head." Her scar in full view. "Read the heading." 

"Engaged couple together again by force?" Veena nodded. "What they mean by force?" She wasn't ashamed of it but she knew others may have a problem with it. Alaire subconsciously scrolled down to the comments.

'Ew, what's that?'

'Does she really have to put that on view?'

'Not everyone should be body positive.'

'These comments are really disgusting.'

'She probably started cutting herself to get him back.'

'You look beautiful, don't pay attention to haters.'

"I think that's enough reading." Veena took her phone away as she frowned. "People think I cut myself to keep him?"

"You don't have to listen to them, you know the truth and that's the point." No matter how she worked that day, it laid heavy on her mind. Who had taken those pictures? Why were they trying to have people think negatively about her?

A knock sounded and in walked Lucian with a container in his hands. "Veena called me, are you alright?" He sat next to her, kissing her forehead gently. "Yeah, you didn't have to come over, you're a busy man."

"I always have time for you, now talk to me. She showed me the pictures and I read the comments. I know it's been bothering you." He took the food out a box of food, placing it in front of her. "There will always be assholes that will have something to say about you. Good or bad." He was right.

"I know there were people right here jealous of your success and said an ear and mouth full about you. Didn't you ignore them then?" She nodded, biting into her fries. "You're right, I just had a little moment, sorry." Lucian pecked her lips, stealing her fry.

"I'm always here for you, never apologize." A smile slowly played on her lips. "Don't worry about anything, let your man take care of that. I'll call you later to see how you're doing. I love you." With one more kiss, he left the room.

The smile dropped from his face as his phone rang. "We have him." No words left his mouth as he exited the building, entering his car and drive off. He was royally pissed off and he was going to let some steam off. 

His car door opened and he was escorted into an old room where a scared man sat, shaking. "Please let me go, I was just doing my job." Lucian glanced at Emmanuel who looked ready to kill. "I play with money, friends and sometimes my business but there's one thing I do not play with and that is my daughter."

Emmanuel sat the phone down in front of him, showing him the article. "Why would you post something so negative about my daughter and thought that it would end well for you?" He shook his head. "I didn't know she was your daughter, I swear. They just paid me to take some pictures and that was it."

The men looked at each other. "Who paid you to do this and who sent this article out" Lucian demanded. "I don't know her full name, she went by Knight's wifey. She seemed strange at first but she sent the money she promised and I wrote the article. I never heard from her again."

"That crazy bitch." Emmanuel stomped his cane causing the poor guy to cry. "Please don't kill me, I swear I'll be a better person!" Lucian rolled his eyes. "Shut up boy, I'm not going to kill you today."

"Today?" Emmanuel rolled his eyes. "Ivan Sid Thomas lives at Westward Bay, born July 4th, 1981. I will light your ass up like your dynamite if this ever gets out. I am stretching my mercy out to you by an olive branch. If you are lying about this, your eyes will be surgically placed in your ass. Do you understand me boy? Delete every copy you made and every article you posted by the end of the day."

Ivan nodded rapidly, snot running down his face. "I understand sir. Please let me go."

~

Lucian sat in Emmanuel's office, looking at his phone, scanning every website but it wasn't found. "We need to deal with that woman before she does something more drastic. I really don't want to get my hands dirty again. Those years are behind me."

"It looks like she found out who Westly's ex was. She seemed a little slow to me." Lucian stood to his feet. "It's about time for Alaire to leave her job. I'll pick her up and get her mind off things." Emmanuel knew that he was the right man for his daughter and was proud that he was. 

"Tell her visit me when she has the chance. She got a new man and I'm suddenly not important to her anymore." Lucian smiled. "I'll let her know."

~

"My doctor said that everything is healing as it should and my therapist said that I'm making a lot progress. Soon, I won't be seeing her anymore." She rambled off, eating her salad he got her. Lucian adored her voice and could hear her talk to hours. "That's great baby."

A few minutes of silence, she spoke up. "Can we go see your father? I want to talk to him." He knew what she wanted to talk to him about. "Before we go, I need to tell you something about that engagement ring."

"What about it?"

"It was my grandmother's and not some random ring I bought." Alaire gasped. "Are you insane, Lucian! Why would you give me something so priceless? We weren't real back then. What if I had lost it? What if I damaged it? You should have told me something at the beginning."

"You wouldn't have taken it if you knew the value of it. Plus I already told you that I loved you back then." She inhaled deeply. "What am I going to do with you?" Lucian kissed the back of her hand as they drove to his company.

~

"Welcome, Mr. Appius, your father is in your office." He held his girlfriend's hand entering the office to see his father holding a form in his hand. "There he is...Ms. Achebe." Alaire nodded her head. 

"Father, I have a meeting to go to so please keep Alaire company while I am away." Lucian gave her once last look before leaving them in the room. "Mr. Luca, I just want to apologize for the hurt that I caused you and all the old memories that surfaced."

"I just wasn't expecting that from you, that's all but I guess you never really know someone."

"I will do anything to get your trust back, I really do care about your son so much. I know we did everything wrong and hurt a lot of people but I can't let him go."

Luca shook his head. "You really want me to trust you again then look at me dead in my eyes. Will you love my son like he deserves?" Her brown eyes locked with his dark ones. Her heart beating rapidly.

"Yes, I will love your son."

"You hear that, Lucian?" Her head snapped to the side, seeing him at the door with a large smile. "Yes, papa, I heard." He made his way to her, wrapping his arms around her, kissing her soft lips. "I love you."

"I love you too." Alaire felt complete inside when she uttered those words. 

"Your father and I made up already. He lost his winning streak at golf just for me. What a sucker."