Vanquished (The Encounter #3)(32)
“Such filthy f*cking lies!” he roared into my face, calling my bluff.
If I was petrified of him before, it was a whole different matter this time. The man was simply red from anger, but I knew this must be done. I wouldn’t put this on Julien’s fate. He was willing to help me get through this, so breaking it to Hugo was the least I could do. It was my job. I needed him to hear it from me firsthand. The main priority here was for him to hate and shun me. By doing so, the rest would easily fall into place if all went according to plan.
Before I could say another word to him, he furiously got up, strode outside to the patio, and stood before the waterfall. I wanted space to breathe, so I gave him the same courtesy.
Watching him from afar, I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. I could only hope he was coming to terms with what I had just told him. I had known the confrontation was going to be ugly, but the guilt that heavily weighed on me was overbearing.
Just when I thought I had given up, all I had to do was recall the black and white monitor that showed my babies, and everything went back to perspective. Tonight was it. Everything had to be dealt with because I wouldn’t let this go on for another day. No, most especially not after witnessing that man who made my blood run cold. Thankfully, I hadn’t seen anything suspicious since I had left Miami, but after Paris and those two encounters, it would be na?ve of me to think it was a coincidence. I had to factor in everything, and I knew deep in my gut that something was amiss.
Forcefully dismissing my thoughts for a later date, I immediately focused back on the present and how I would be able to accomplish my goal of finally dispensing Hugo out of my life. It was a cold-hearted move, but it was the only way I knew how to completely cut this soul-gripping tie I had with him.
Bracing myself, I stood up and strolled towards where he stood outside. Without preamble, I shut my eyes before whispering, “We’re getting married, Hugo.”
A deep, guttural growl came out of him as he spun around, stone-faced. “And to think I just realized how badly I had fallen for you.” He shook his head, revulsion apparent in his eyes. “I’ll have a car ready to take you back first thing in the morning. Goodnight, Isobel.”
Wait … What? Of all the reactions I had expected, this wasn’t it.
“Hugo…” I watched in horror as he strode past me. “You can’t just leave after that!” I yelled, but he didn’t look back.
He simply kept walking before taking the keys out of his pocket and going out the front door. It wasn’t long until I heard the booming sound of the engine roaring to life.
Scrambling towards the front door, hoping to stop him from leaving, I just took a step when I saw the back of the car pulling out of the driveway and into the stillness of the night.
Stunned and in utter despair, I held my hand against my chest as hot tears rolled down my cheeks. “How could you just leave?” I whispered. “You didn’t even let me say good-bye.” I knew it was coming. Still, the thought that I wouldn’t ever see him again hit me at the core.
He had said he just realized he loved me; how f*cking sick was that? I couldn’t deal with it anymore. I simply fell apart, dropping to the floor and crying my heart out while one hand cradled my stomach and the other gripped the side of the door.
“Forgive me, Hugo.”
I understood now why some people ended up with other people, even though their hearts were owned by another. It wasn’t about following what your heart commanded, but doing what was right, despite it feeling as if I was gutted alive and my body was lit on fire.
Love.
No matter how powerful, sometimes it just wasn’t enough.
Chapter Sixteen
Hugo
I wasn’t sure how to cope or even understand the tornado of emotions that ran amuck in my heart and in my mind. All I understood was how this mammoth had struck me out of nowhere like lighting, spiraling my body into a jolt of highly charged and intense backlash that currently burned so severely within me.
It had come out of nowhere … and I had never felt more lost. It was like I was being pulled apart. I had been so terrified of falling in love because not only were the consequences severe, but I couldn’t bring myself to let my guard down. I would be destroyed once that person left me. Yet here I was, so taken aback by what Isobel had just announced.
I had been so caught up with her and Julien’s relationship that I hadn’t dwelled on how it must have transpired. Maybe they had been fighting a powerful attraction and they simply couldn’t resist any longer and wanted to be together at all costs. It was the only thing I could think of that would explain why Julien was willing to sacrifice his friendship with me. He was the closest thing I had to a brother, yet that didn’t stop him from usurping my place in her life without thought or regret. If it had ever crossed his mind, he most likely thought I would easily forgive and forget since I had already severed ties and had dispensed her designs on reconciliation.
The range of my pain varied, but what stood out more was the hurt of acknowledging that Isobel had fallen in love with my best friend. She was so convinced by her feelings for him that she was marrying him. How was that possible? Thinking to be in love with one man and claiming you were mistaken at a later date, only to realize that she was actually in love with the best friend? It was vexing yet quite typical of most women—fickle and downright unpredictable. It was a wonder it had taken this long to victimize me since I had enjoyed women at a very capable young age and had been smitten a few times, but never in such a way where the woman plagued my waking thoughts.