The Truth

A drive to town was nothing Lena needed but she had to. She dared not miss Thanksgiving with her family again this year. Apart from the usual ranting from her family members, she'd missed her own family. She stared at the house for a moment, still the same as ever.

She let out a heavy breath and procedded towards it and the door even opened before she could even raise her hand to knock on it.

"We'd seen you before. Come here, I've missed you"

It was Alicia, the only girl, and only cousin and family member who was the same age as her, thus having a much more closer relationship than the rest of the family.

Lena only rolled her eyes playfully as she let Alicia pull her into that embrace. Maybe they'd lost connection a bit because of Alicia's trip to France to further her studies.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm fine."

Alicia said shutting the door after they'd finished embracing.

"Mom, dad?"

she called with a sly smile on her face as she walker herself into the living room.

"Oh, my precious little darling!"

And then another round of hugs, from basically her whole family.

"Alicia uh... there's-"

Lena head shot up, to the direction of the kitchen and she just froze. The owner of the thick voice also froze.

"Uh, yes babe? there's what?"

"Uh... Nevermind, It's nothing"

What the fuck? What is he doing here and what? Babe? Who's fucking babe is he? In this house? She blinked and turned towards the direction of Alicia. And Alicia only smiled and started to drag her away.

"You know I told you about my fiance on time?"

Lena cocked her head to a side at Alicia, completely still surprised.

"Yeah, that's him. His name is Mark. He's handsome right?"

Alicia giggled.

"Yeah Yeah. completely"

Lena said forcing a smile up her face.

He's handsome, only that he appears to be the same guy she'd uh..., a better way to put it, had something with last night.

"Where did you meet him?"

Lena asked, the shock gone out of her face, at least just suppressed inside her. At least she had to know where her cousin got such an unfaithful man. Actually, it was more on her to have something with someone she did not know anything about. As little as his health status.

"In France. He was um... on a business meeting, and we uh.. just ran into each other. I spilled my coffee on him, blah blah blah and well, here we are"

"Oh."

That don't make sense. Anyway, there was no way she was going to tell. This secret was going to the grave with her.

If he was a good man for her then... what's the need?

Lena thought the guy was a pain in the ass. He seemed arrogant to her.

"Uh... it's time. Everybody to the Dining."

Her mother announced.

"Go on. I'll meet you. I uh... have to use the restroom"

Lena said to Alicia, turning to enter her former room. She needed a few moments just to get rid of her own guilt for some reason. Or maybe she just needed to have a moment to herself.

Yeah, she did. Ugh, why was it that the first man she became intimate with was the man her cousin was to marry? And heaven's, she was lucky. Mark was hot, he was just the perfect person, he was taller, bigger and the dream guy.

She rolled her eyes and and released a groan, threshing her hand in her short hair.

It was then she took in the image of her room. A lot has changed in there, obviously now a visitor's room.

"Hey"

She whipped around very fast. As if something had stung her.

It was Mark. Her heart skipped a beat.

"What?"

"I did not know you were related to Alicia"

For some reason, she hated his face and his stupid deep voice

"Yes and?"

She asked with a sneer on her face

"Nothing. I just..."

"You did not know and now you're regretting that you should not have approached and have sex with me?"

His face was stoic and he had no expression on his face. It was just blank.

What the fuck? Lena thought

"I don't think you need to raise your voice. I just came here to tell you to keep your mouth shut."

Lena cocked her head to a side in disbelief. Did he just ask her to shut her mouth?

"What?"

"Are you hard of hearing?"

He said and Lena scoffed.

"Did you just command me not to tell anything to Alicia? Wow, steel of guts!"

"Come, they're expecting you at the table"

The expression on Lena's face was out of this world. She was more than dumb founded, surprised, what else?

First, he was loving, then he was being silly and now he was commanding and being a certified asshole?

She just scoffed as she watched him go.

"Wow"

Throughout the dinner, Lena just could not help but stare at Mark, and it was not some ordinary stare, the one that was filled with hate but at the same time, she could not help but also notice the way Alicia also stared at her. It seemed weird altogether but she just overlooked it.

Later, in the evening where everyone was beginning to depart, Alicia and Mark could be seen arguing outside through the glass doors in the kitchen. And it was sure not an gentle one. One could see the anger on both their faces especially on Alicia's.

Lena could only sigh. Oh, she was going to wait till they finished so she could get the full gist of whatever had happened between both of them.

Or did Mark spill the beans? Did he tell .. Oh he dared not.

Lena thought fiercely, moving away to the sitting room.

He could not. Not when they were going to even get married soon, when was it, was it not next week? And when more importantly, he was the one commanding her not to tell so... It could not be. Or maybe she should just leave to save herself if they were really having that conversation.

"Do you have any idea what is happening with Mark and Alicia?"

Lena looked up at her mom, then at her dad and shook her head

"No, no I don't."

"It seems like that boy is in some deep trouble"

Her dad said without looking at his phone.

Lena's heart started to race. She hoped to God that they were not talking about her or else she'd die.

She could not stand to be embarrassed by her whole family if the truth ever came out. She should leave, at least then, she would probably feel better

"I think I'll start leaving"

Lena announced, looking up at her mom

"Nonsense"

Alicia's mom, said before Lena's mom could open her mouth.

"I think you should wait. You and Alicia are more like buddies. You should talk to her and try to help her calm down from whatever's happening between her and her fiance. You know she won't tell me anything"

"Sherry has a point though. Stay for a couple of minutes. It should be over"

Her mom said.

Lena hid the frown on her face as soon as it showed on her face.

She nodded, okay. okay, she would wait. It was going to be alright. There were probably just talking about something else. Like how stupid, dumb and controlling Mark was.

A Few Minutes Later.

The door connecting the kitchen and the garden barged open and closed. Everyone was on their toes. Alicia came bursting to the living room with rage on her face.

"Well, thank God, everyone is still here.

I just want to make a quick announcement"

Mark was now standing beside her with his hands in his trouser.

What a stupid arrogant bastard. Lena thought

"I'm cancelling the wedding between me and this bastard Thank you"

Lena's heart skipped a beat. She blinked, what????

"What? What? Why?"

Alicia's mother along with the few women in the house echoed the question.

"I don't know," Alicia shrugged, turning to face Lena.

It was sure, she was doomed.

"Ask Lena"