Betrothed for Rejection

Chapter 6: The Funeral

~Present ~

Numb. All I feel is numb. The white walls of the corridor keeps on gnawing and the rush of nurses and doctors mentally messing with me but all in all I feel numb.

Emma is weeping in a corner while Mr. Vittorio console her. I just stand there looking at everything but I feel as if there is no point of anything. My life has faced its worst... It has hit rock bottom and now there is no reason to stand back up.

The sooner Adrian had recieved the call from Mr. Vittorio we had left for the hospital.

~Adrian POV~

I had never thought that a girl like Ailey could be so manipulative. She had married me just for my money. That is what Evelyn said and I for sure know that my girl will never lie. She is the most sincere person I know; but somehow in this whole chaotic scenario I couldn't make myself picture Ailey in that way. Everytime I started to think for a moment about her being a gold digger, a weird clenching feeling in my gut would stop me and her big redish brown eyes would flash in front of me, her graceful smile would stun me and this turmoiling feeling made me feel more angered towards her.

As soon as I park my car in the hosital parking lane Ailey rushes out and towards the reception. The care and love she is having surprises me again. No ! This must be one of her plots to make me feel guilty. She must be faking it.

Heaving a sigh I walk in towards the counter where Ailey is already done asking about the patient details and walking towards the elevator. My mother is sitting in one corner and is weeping while my father is standing beside her and trying to console her. Seeing us they both rush towards my wife who is standing still as a statue. Its like she is somewhere else lost and broken.
A knot pulls in my heart as I look down at her and watch the tears bubbling in her eyes and finally a stray tear falls from her eye rolling down her cheek. Without thinking I place my hand on her cheek and wipe it away. Her eyes bulge out in astonishment and she immediately looks up at me. I run my thumb over her cheek and towards her jaw. Placing some of her raven black silky hair behind her ear. This has never happened before. I have never let my feelings flow even with Evie but something about Ailey is drawing me towards her and I am sure that this is true. Ailey isn't that bad... Agreed she may have married me for money but somehow she isn't that despicable, Evie must have been mistaken.

~Ailey POV~

I am too late. The only core person who I loved left me. Aunt Josie had passed away just two minutes ago before we had reached the hospital.

Today is her funeral, everyone is coming and going, they keep on saying the non sensical sympathies about how everything is going to be ok and now she is in a better place. Finally around noon they had left and I sat in the t.v. parlor to ponder over the fact that she is gone, like my parents she is gone too.

Suddenly, this place started haunting me, everyone had gathered at our bungalow; but now the walls seem to be suffocating me. It seemed as if they were narrowing down on me making it hard to breathe properly, I try to take in large amount of air but its impossible, the noises are too much, the weeping sounds, they all are too much. Placing both my hands on my ears I fall down. I can't do this anymore its too much. This is all too much. Why can't anyone accept me ?! Why does rejection always await for me at the end ?! Why do people always leave me ? Why does fate have to be so cruel to me ? I am hopeless.
Oh God... Make this stop I can't do this. I start sobbing horribly... My entire body is shaking. The voices are too much my mother, my father, aunt josie, Evelyn, everybody.

Adrian POV

The day had been both tiring and sorrowful. Ailey's aunt funeral was one thing but I had been a victim of Evelyn's blabbing the entire day of how she thinks that nowadays women were losing standards just for money and about how I was neglecting her over Ailey.

As I enter my home and into the main lounge, i consider just lying down and sleeping, but the sound of a painful sob makes me halt and turn. I move towards the source of the sound and once I do reach it my gut clenches and I see the most heartbreaking scene. Ailey is down on the ground crying. She is shaking and that is when I know, she is breaking apart. I walk nearer and call out to her but there is no response.
"Ailey ?"
"Ailey... Come on get up..."
Still no response.
I walk closer and kneel down beside her and then I hear her speak. She is in shock, her voice keeps on trembling yet she keeps on mumbling continouosly her hands both around her ear, her eyes closed and cheeks flowing tears.
"Make it stop... Don't leave me... They said they will be bac... In blink of ... She is gone.. Make it all stop... Please stop... Please don't leave me..."

"Ailey... Ailey... AILEY SNAP OUT OF IT" I yell loud enough to make her listen. I am holding on to both of her arms to make her stop shaking. She looks up at me and I come undone. Her big brown doe eyes are brimming with tears and then she does something I thought she would never do. She falls straight into my arms. Holding on to me tightly as if she is falling apart and I can only save her. And for the first time in ever I want to be her savior. Without a second to lose I wrap my arms around her and hold her tight.

She may have married me for whatsoever reason but one thing is sure it isn't for money. It is something else and I will get to the bottom of it. Currently, all I know is that she is a broken soul. Gosh even her parents didn't come to visit her. As Evie told me her parents had given her away to her aunt cause they didn't want kids but not coming to see their child even at this is just brutal. They really must be big a*sholes.

We stay in a warm embrace and soon Ailey stops shaking and her sobs stops. I look down to realize she has fallen asleep. Carefully I hold her up bridal style and walk towards my room placing her softly on my bed. Just before I am about to walk away she wakes up. Her voice is so quiet its hard to hear yet she mumbles "Adr-Adrian... Don't leave me too... Please not now... Stay with me".
And there goes my resolve I take of my shoes and silently lie down beside her wrapping my arms around her and once I notice she is a sleep I kiss her forehead. I don't know what its about her but I am willing to save her and know her a bit more.