BILLIONAIRE'S LIES CHAPTER 5

Sabrina stood as a statue in the dim lit hall, her heart a racing and tears flowing ceaselessly down her cheeks. His curt words kept ringing in her ear; each syllable in his speech a burning hole reminding her of the schism between them. She slapped her hands on her chest, trying to hold herself inside.

"I will never have his heart," she whispered to herself, feeling the weight of his rejection settle heavily on her shoulders. "What did I expect? That love would conquer all?"

That reality struck her like a chilly wave. The man with whom she had wished to spend all of life had just crushed all those hopes into pieces with a few brutal words. Wiping away tears, she heard the approach of footsteps.

It was Teresa-the mother-in-law-whose expression seemed both full of concern and disappointment. "Sabrina? Okay?"

Sabrina smiled, though it felt like shards of glass were lodged in her throat. "I'm fine, just. tired."

Teresa narrowed her eyes. She didn't believe it. "You don't look fine. Where's Benedict?"

"He's upstairs," Sabrina said, her voice shaking a little. "I think he needs some time alone."

"Time alone?" Teresa repeated, furrowing her brows. "It's your wedding night, for goodness' sake! You should be together. I swear, that boy is impossible.".

"It's not his fault," Sabrina said, biting her lip in an attempt to still her trembling. "I… I just need to give him space."

 With a gentle but firm hand, Teresa touched her arm. “Sweetheart, I know this is tough for both of you.But you have to stand your ground. Benedict can be stubborn, but he needs you now more than ever. Don't let him push you away.".

She nodded, feeling the support her mother-in-law gave her was just what she needed, but her heart still was achy with doubt. "What if he doesn't want me? What if I am just a burden to him?"

Teresa shook her head vigorously. "You are not a burden! You are his wife, and that means something. You can't give up on him, not now.".

As Teresa spoke, a ray of hope flickered to life inside Sabrina, but was doused by the word from Benedict: "I will never love you, never give you my heart."

"Perhaps I just need to accept it," Sabrina whispered, ducking her head and watching her toes. “Maybe I’m just a foolish girl holding onto a dream believing he will love me someday.”

"No! Don't say that sweetheart,” Teresa insisted, her voice rising with passion."You're in love with him and the world needs to see this. You have to fight your love, no matter the impossibility of it; love is not just about what makes you feel good - it's about the hard times for you both."

Sabrina took a deep breath, feeling the warm words of Teresa wrap around her like a comforting blanket. "But what if he just hates me?" she asked.

"He doesn't hate you, Sabrina. He's just scared and confused. You both are. It's big change for him. Let him process his feelings, and just be there with him. Eventually, he will come around. Trust me.".

With a flicker of determination sparking in her chest, Sabrina nodded. "You're right," she said. "I can't give up on him."

"That's good,cheer up sweetheart," Teresa said, squeezing her hand reassuringly. "Now, go find him. He needs you.".

Stepping up to the stairs after the last deep breath, with her heart beating hard against her chest, Sabrina walked up the stairs full of thoughts racing with what she had to say to Benedict. When she reached the top landing, she stepped outside their bedroom door and waited, resting her hand against the doorknob in hesitation.

"You can do this," she whispered inside of herself, building up more and more courage, as if she were preparing to have a very honest talk with him.

She slowly rotated the knob and went into the room. Dim single-lamp light illuminated a space. Benedict sat on the edge of the bed back to her, his stiff shoulders.

"Benedict?" she called out gently, her voice just a shade above a whisper.

Benedict turned a bit but did not look to her. "What do you want, Sabrina?" The voice was flat, absolutely without emotion.

"I want to talk," she said, slowly stepping forward. "Please can we talk?" he asked with a note of annoyance, "What's there to discuss?" he asked sharply, "I said what needed to be said. You know where I stand.".

Her heart sank, though, at the biting quality of his words, so she pressed on. “I know you’re upset. I get that this isn’t what you wanted. But I love you, and I want a chance to show you.”

He finally turned to face her, his expression unreadable. "You think your love is enough to change how I feel? It's not. You don't know the first thing about what I want."

"Then tell me!" Sabrina begged desperately, wanting so much to reach him. "Help me understand. Please, I just want to help you.".

He rose, anger in his eyes, his boiling well nearly overflowing. "Help me? You think you can help me? You made everything worse! You dragged me into this mess and then want to act as though everything is going to be all right?"

"I haven't forced you!" she wept, her voice splintering. "I love you! I've loved you always! I thought… I thought that maybe we could do it, that maybe we could have a life together."

"Happy?" Benedict laughed harshly, cutting through her. "How can I be happy with you standing there acting like everything is all right? Well, it's not all right. I can't just pretend I'm good with this!"

Sabrina stepped back with the sting of his words: "I know it's hard, but we can figure it out together, Benedict. I am for you."

"Stop acting as if you care!"he yelled, his voice slamming off the walls. "You didn't know what it is to be trapped in the situation like this; Nobody knew the pressure I had to go through."

“I know enough!” she shot back, her voice fierce. "I can see that you're in pain, and I understand that you're really scared right now."

For a moment, Benedict softened his expression, and Sabrina could see the fight within him. But he rapidly hardened his gaze again. "You think I wanted to be here? You think this is what I wanted for my life?"

"No, but…" she hesitated, searching for the right words. "But we can change things. We can work through this together. Please don't shut me out.

And he moved closer to her, looming over her. His low voice was menacing. "Even if we 'work through it,' I'll never love you. Never. So stop pretending like we can make this a fairy tale."

The pain in his words cut deeper than any knife. Sabrina's breath hitched, and she looked away, forcing herself to calm down. "I'm not playing games," she said softly. "I just want a chance to show you how much I care."

"Caring doesn't change anything, Sabrina," he spat. "You'll always be a reminder of what I never wanted. Just… just leave me alone.".

She felt hollow in the bones, and his words left an unshakeable finality to them. "You can't just push me away, Benedict. I won't let you."

"Why?" he sneered at her, his eyes burning bright. "What are you hoping to gain? A pity party? A chance to play the victim? Because I'm not interested.".

"I am not a victim," she said, her heart thudding. "I am your wife. I have chosen you, and no matter what it takes to get this right, I want it.".

He snorted, shook his head. "Do you think this matters to me? This marriage means nothing. You’re just a means to an end.”

It hurt his words, but she refused to give in. “If that’s how you feel, why did you marry me? Why go through with it if you’re so unhappy?”

“Because I didn’t have a choice!” he roared, his anger spilling over. “You don’t understand what’s at stake! You don’t know the pressure I’m under!”

"Then let me in!" Sabrina pleaded on her knees, sob. "Stop shutting me out. I want to be there for you!"

He squeezed his eyes shut for the briefest of moments before he wrestled his words out. "You don't understand, do you? It's easier to be alone instead of relying on someone that can never be what you need."

Maybe I can be what you need! Sabrina exclaimed, reaching out and stepping closer to him, desperation evident in her voice. Maybe all you need is time to see that I am here for you. I'm not going anywhere, Benedict. I love you.

He finally looked at her, really looked at her, and for a moment, she saw a flicker of fear and vulnerability beneath his anger. But in an instant, he turned away, frustration etched on his face.

"Love doesn't solve everything, Sabrina. It doesn't fix the mess we're in. You have no idea what you're asking for."

"Then make me understand," she breathed, her voice shaking. "Help me help you."

There was silence between them, heavy and choking. And finally, Benedict turned toward her, his hardness just a little softer in the eyes. "I don't know if I can let you in," he said low and uncertainly.

"Then let me show you," she pressed forward. "Let me in, just a little bit. Please."

The raw sincerity of her plea hung there, and for an instant it was almost as if he were going to yield. He then jerked his head away again, and defiance set upon his face once more. "I cannot, Sabrina. I will not."

And turning, walked off from her as though having just lost the greatest fight of her life.