Chapter 2: Bad Memory

Noah tossed and turned on his bed all night. He couldn't get a wink of sleep at all. 

His mind kept returning to the image of Averill walking away from him at the hospital to take care of the reporters.

'She set that up herself to corner me, tsk.'

"Here is your schedule for today, Sir-- did you not sleep well last night? Come to think of it, you asked me for a plane ticket and canceled it at the last minute," Karl complained. He had been Noah's secretary since he was in his teens, and he had already memorized the character of the young man.

He's not the type to change his mind at the last minute. "What did you talk about with Ms. Averill Hursen?"

"Our marriage," Noah casually replied, like what he said was as simple as watching a movie together.

"Your what? Are you insane? Didn't you say you love her sister? You even proposed to her!!" Karl cannot wrap his head around what's happening. Marriage? With that woman? Averill is a lovely girl, but she is someone that Noah hates to the core, so why? Why would he suddenly decide to marry her?

Did she threaten him? Or maybe-- No way. There could be no way that what he's thinking is a fact. 

'Noah would not make such a childish mistake. I'm sure of it. He's a calculative person, and he loves Yanna.' Karl convinced himself.

"I got her pregnant. And let me clear one fact for you, I did not propose to Yanna, I was planning to, but she moved faster than I did. She must have been impatient. Besides, this relationship will only last a year." Noah smiled at the silliness of the woman he loved.

They have been together for five years now. Yanna always talked about settling down and imagining plans for their future family. Noah cannot help but laugh at her every time. He loves the girl and knows her too well. He knew that she, for sure, could not settle completely.

She's someone thirsty for what the world is. Being born weak is a wall that blocks her way. Noah knew that and pitied the girl. He promised himself to be someone who could give her everything.

"Did you talk it out with Yanna? She'll be completely heartbroken once she gets wind of this matter. You should remember how she reacted when you had dinner with a famous model in Italy for your business there," Karl recollects the moments when the young lady almost jumped off the road for mistaking the simple business trip for cheating.

'He loves you too well. Why would you doubt Noah?' Karl supports Yanna for Noah because he witnessed how Noah likes her, but he cannot help but get confused sometimes.

"We already talked about it," Noah said, forming a slight curve on his lips.

"And she agreed?"

"Well, she doesn't dislike the idea. I told her I'll divorce her once the baby was born,"

'She agreed to that? Why? Because she protects the reputation of her younger twin? What a thoughtful woman,' Karl talked to himself.

***

"You agreed to that?!!" Paulina asked exaggeratedly. Yanna covered her ears, protecting her eardrums because Paulina would shout for the next hour, ranting about her decision.

When she finally calmed down, Yanna smiled and held her hand tightly. She looked at her eyes, Yanna's hazel brown eyes looked disheartened, but there was still life in them.

Paulina calmed herself and hugged her best friend. She had always pitied the girl. As Yanna was born weak, Paulina had always been protective of her. Overprotective at times. She would always be at Yanna's side no matter what.

"I can never understand Averill. She wasn't like this when we were kids. Is she that hungry for attention? Are all her fans not enough to fill those gaps? I know that your parents take care of you more, but she should be grateful that she's born healthy!!"

Yanna just smiled at her. "I was just concerned about her. Noah told me he'd divorce her afterward anyway, and the marriage is not public. So, it really doesn't matter. I will only need to wait for a year. Who knows, maybe he'll even divorce her once the baby is born,"

"But what would that make you once you and Noah marry each other?!! People would surely eat you two whole. No, they will criticize you more! Aghh!! Can't they just stay as they are right now while you marry Noah?"

"Then what? Make my sister sad? No way. Her emotions come first. I cannot be selfish about this, Lily. My niece or nephew is at stake," Yanna shook her head.

"This is why Averill always takes advantage of you. Apropos, what happened to the lab result last, last month?" Yanna flinched. She panicked but didn't show any sign of it. She tried putting on her best smile.

Yanna burned those results. She actually got tested for it last year but repeated it again and again. 

Still, she got the same statement that made her blood boil. No one. No one will know what kind of test it was.

And indeed, no one. Yanna will tell no one what the results were.

She changed the topic and invited Paulina to watch a movie with her...

***

'Slap!' Averill touched her red, swollen cheeks. Tears started forming in her eyes, but she wiped them before they began to fall down.

"HOW DARE YOU SHOW UP IN THIS HOUSE?" her mother shouted. 

Isabella was in distress these past few days. Not only did Yanna throw a fit when she heard about the pregnancy and marriage, Yanna even got hurt when she threw her stuff the night they met Director Ken.

"I also grew up in this house, mother,"

'Slap!'

"You disgust me. Are you a snake? Huh?! Did we ever teach you that way?" Isabella slumped on the floor. She bawled her eyes out. William just got home and saw the state that his wife is in. He looked at Averill, who was looking at Isabella with disinterest and indifference.

He's a calm man. William walked to them, cleared his throat to get their attention, and helped Isabella. "Explain yourself, Averill," he coldly said, not even noticing his daughter's swollen cheeks.

"Hah, I really got no one on my side in this fucking house," she whispers to herself, but William hears it all. He gritted his teeth. He wants to consider the fact that his daughter is pregnant and needs a lot of attention right now.

'How I wish you were still alive, Allen.' Averill felt a bitter taste on her tongue as she remembered her brother. He died young. The only person who defends her. The only person who isn't biased against Yanna. Allen was the only one who understood her best.

And he died young.

What an unfair world that God created. Would it really be hard to fill the world with happiness and joyous things to enjoy while living? Why add suffering?

It was like preparing perfect ice cream and adding wasabi and ginger to ruin its flavor.

For Averill, the world isn't fair. Suffering does not balance the world at all. How could it be called balanced when all her life was all suffering? When was the last time she smiled genuinely? When was the last time her heart fluttered with pure happiness?

The world is unfair. The world hurts you like you're a person not even worth a penny of attention. 

If the world were fair, she would never feel this way. She will have a family that loves her just as they love her other siblings. She would have friends who genuinely like her, not her fame and her family's wealth.

She would have had a great life if the world had been fair.

Sadly, it wasn't. And to complete the abstract artwork of despair and sadness named 'Averill Hursen,' she's pregnant with the child of the man she truly loves but will never love her back.

The world is unfair. It plays with you, and someone who hopes for a happy life when born on the discriminatory side of the world is running circles on their palm.

Averill curled in bed, gently hugging her knees. "The world is unfair, my child," she softly talks to her belly.

"But I'll make sure to shield you from all of that pain. I have no one, but you have me. Be safe, and please be born healthy,"

***

She woke up in the afternoon the next day. She looked around her room.

 She used to like its interior because she thought her parents deliberately decorated it. Still, upon knowing that an interior designer was just hired for everything without a single opinion from them, Averill simply admired the professional's work of art.

"Are you thirsty?" Yanna suddenly asked. 

Averill did not notice her entering earlier. Yanna was sitting on her couch, playing with her phone.

"What are you doing here?"

"Do you hate me? Should I not be the one who hates you?"

"What?"

"You got yourself pregnant to marry Noah, didn't you?" Yanna walked to the bed and sat beside her. "Don't worry, I already thought about it. Go on," Yanna smiled.

"Marry Noah," she reached for her sister's messy hair and tucked it behind her ears. Averill flinched. Even her slight touch is enough to bring shivers down her spine. Yanna smiled upon seeing her sister's reaction.

"We need to prepare your marriage in haste. We wouldn't want to have you fit in a tight dress once your belly becomes big. I'll personally prepare everything, so you just sit back and relax, my dear sister," she walked out of the room. Averill caught her breath and drank straight from the water beside her bed.

She gulped a few times, lay down, covered her eyes with her arms, and tried to stop her mind from recalling something she had buried long ago.

'You're an adult now, Averill.'

After taking a bath and changing her clothes, she checked her bag and got her keys from the side table. She went straight to the parking lot and rode her Ferrari.

It was a gift from Ken when she won first place in a national competition last year. It was a bet, and Ken promised her a car if she won, and she did. Averill didn't expect her father figure to be a really generous person.

She drove to the office but immediately stomped on the break when a car suddenly appeared in front of her. She almost hit her head on the steering wheel. 

Averill touched her belly; is the baby okay? She's panicking.

She looked in front and saw Noah leaving the driver's seat. Averill's brows knitted together. 

'What the hell is his problem?'

Why is he messing with Averill right now? That was dangerous!

Averill went outside and faced him. He welcomed her with a smirk. "You are a pretty nice driver."

She raised her right brow. 'What?'

"I was calling you, but you didn't answer any of my phone calls. Are you ignoring me right now? I thought you wanted to get married to me?" Noah placed his hands on his hips and shifted his weight before grinning. His pitch-black eyes made Averill's heart race.

"I-I... I had my phone on silent. Why were you calling me?" She looked away. 'Stupid heart!'

"Well, I just want to remind you that our marriage will be held next week,"