A new set of hot tears burned Hera's eyes, and her lower lip trembled as soon as she saw the sparkling ink inside the wrapper. But she couldn't make out what the message said as the salty water in her eyes blurred her vision.
She blinked once, twice, thrice, and squeezed her eyes shut to get rid of the tears. Brushing the back of her hand on her wet cheeks, she wiped them clean and read the message.
Goddess Hera,
My heart and soul belong to you,
My world revolves only around you,
My love is truly meant only for you.
.
P.S. I need you like a heart needs a beat.
At last, her strength to endure the pain reached its peak, and Hera broke into tears once again and cried her heart out. The room was silent except for her sobbing. Breathing in short breaths, Hera struggled through a hiccup. Hunter's confession only added more to her agony.
"I love you too, Hunter and I don't want to lose you. I can't live without you. You're my lifeline, and you know it," she professed out loud, clutching her knees to her chest. She looked around her empty room and was thankful that she was alone. She needed this privacy to vent out her bottled up pain. She stole the tissue box from Clara's desk drawer and blew her nose into the tissue.
The sad smile on her face soon morphed into a burst of bitter laughter. She remembered how Clara used to sob whenever they parted during their winter and summer holidays. Hera used to buy her a tissue box as a parting gift.
"You never apologised to my friends, Hunter. Clara was right. I'm such a selfish bitch," she cursed herself for being a hypocrite.
No doubt, Hera and Hunter loved each other unconditionally. Nonetheless, Hera wondered, how far would she go to protect him. She couldn't forget even to this day what happened with Nate. Shouldn't he be sensible enough to acknowledge his wrongdoings? She had no right to forgive him for what he did to Nate. It was up to Clara and Nate. "When you took Bianca's side, why shouldn't I take Clara's side?" She asked Hunter even though he wasn't there to answer.
Hera would never hurt Hunter intentionally. Eventually, she would forgive him for cheating on her.
But what he'd unintentionally revealed to her, that phrase wouldn't let her mind to rest in peace.
'You were only eleven, not even a teenager.'
It kept on bouncing in full swing against the inside wall her mind. She could neither forget it nor accept it. Both the Angel and Devil inside her head started to manipulate her heart. Undoubtedly the Devil was dominating the Angel. He was winning the battle.
Something sharp was continuously piercing her heart ever since Hunter admitted that horrible truth. Hera was still a virgin, but he wasn't anymore. He was literally her first everything, but she wasn't his first, and that thought hurt like hell.
The realisation hit her hard.
Her broken heart yearned for justice while her wounded pride craved revenge.
Hera remembered him, saying countless times that she's the one who ruins everything for them each time. She loved him to the moon and back, but could she trust him not to break her heart again? What's love without trust? She had no idea how many girls he'd been with and used for his enjoyment under the guise of an immature hormonal teenager.
Hunter had meant to say that she was a child and couldn't have understood his feelings. "So what about now, Hunter? Am I mature enough to understand your feelings?" She asked and silently pondered about it for a few minutes. What would happen if she says that she's not ready for it yet? Would he wait, or would he force her? Or would he go to other girls seeking pleasure?
Could she trust him completely that he wouldn't cheat on her again? Because she wanted to wait until their wedding night as they had promised each other.
Hera's eyes widened as something Evelyn said came to her mind.
'Now, you can reciprocate his feelings and desires.'
Danny too said Hera was like a dead-fish. Though he meant to use it more as a jab, it stung a bit too deep. "Did they all mean to say what I'm thinking?" She snorted derisively, shaking her head. "How can I live in peace while this fear of him cheating on me keeps haunting me all my life?"
Didn't she vow when she left Hunter's mansion last time that she would never be a doormat? Then how could she let him take her love for granted? It's high time she took control of her life.
Hera was risking her heart again for him, but could she survive another heartbreak? Hunter would never understand her fear and her pain unless and until he suffers a heartbreak.
"To protect my heart and for him not to break my heart, he should feel what I felt. If he goes through heartbreak, then he'll know how I felt," Hera nodded with determination and erased every trace of her tears with the tissue. She was desperate and wanted him to know what he did to her, and what she went through.
"You'll know my pain, Hunter because I'll make sure you feel it," she vowed.
ACROSS THE EIGHT OCEANS,
Montclair,
New Jersey,
The United States.
In another part of Hera's undiscovered world, maids and servants talked in a hushed tone while they cleaned the Mega-mansion of their master, Alexander Hunter. They worked hard, making sure that the white tiles on the floor shone flawlessly, matching the glass on the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Meanwhile, placing the glass jug of freshly squeezed orange juice on the shiny glass table in the dining hall, the cook readied the breakfast and arranged the dishes.
It was hard as it was to please the Mistress of the house. After all, she was the most popular diamond merchant as well as a jewellery designer. Her style and elegance shone as brightly as the diamonds she designs. She was not just a good wife, but also a successful businesswoman. She preferred perfection in everything, and hated anything less than that, not to mention her obsession for cleanliness.
The cook wanted to use the intercom and inform them to come down for breakfast, but she couldn't dare disturb her Mistress. Alexander had strictly instructed his staff not to disturb her sleep ever. Alexander's personal assistant, secretary, and his bodyguards, all seated on the sofa in the living hall, patiently waited for their boss to grace them with his presence.
Alexander quietly stayed in bed, though he was long awake as the woman next to him cuddled deep into his naked chest and tightened her arms around his middle. It was way too early for her to wake up, and he didn't want to cut short her peaceful sleep. So he stayed still, holding her in his arms. An incoming message on his phone woke him up in the middle of the night as his phone pinged.
He'd made love to his woman until she was exhausted enough to fall asleep. It was three o'clock in the morning when the phone pinged, and Alexander couldn't go back to sleep since he read the short message sent by Mathew.
"Johnathan is here in London."
He needed to call back Mathew immediately, but he didn't. Because it would awake the woman in his arms and she would worry stressing over his son's safety. Alexander knew he could trust Mathew with his son's life. He sent a quick reply to Mathew.
"Is my son okay, Matt?"
Mathew's reply came after two minutes.
"Yes, he's fine. Rest assured, brother. You know I wouldn't let any harm come to him, right? I wanted to call you immediately, but your son stopped me by reminding the time difference. He didn't want his mother to worry about him. Since I couldn't wait, I sent you a message."
Alexander's lips stretched into a proud smile. He knew his son was very courageous to face any danger and would handle it sensibly. He typed his reply discretely, making sure not to wake his wife up.
"Wait for my call, Matt and take care of my son."
Mathew sent a message in assurance, and Alexander kept the phone aside. He looked down at the woman sleeping soundly in his arms. He tucked her hair behind her ear, admiring her beauty. Clad in a pure white silk nightgown, she looked breathtaking.
Alexander tensed as he envisioned her appearance changing into a lifeless, limp body. His Felicity on the verge of death appeared in front of his eyes, and he could still smell the stench of the spilt blood even after fifteen years.
He shut his eyes in agony and the boiling fury inside, couldn't wait to get hold of Johnathan. His fingers itched, desperate to strangle his neck until he stopped breathing. He cursed that unfortunate day when he left to hunt the Baresi twins, leaving Felicity and Hera alone at home.
Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om