Chapter 5

The sun set on me as I stood in the police station parking lot, feeling small and exposed. Thane, leaning against his sleek black car, looking as smug as ever, couldn't help but get odd about it. My cheeks burned with embarrassment as his laughter rang out in my ears, harsh and sarcastic, bouncing off the concrete walls around us.

"Gianna, that was so fucking cool!" Thane's voice dripped with sarcasm. "You're so ugly and couldn't do anything well, but who would have imagined that you could be so fierce today? No man would dare to marry a woman like you, for real."

I stood still, staring at him as my heart raced in my chest. Why did he always have to be so cruel? Thane had always had a sharp tongue, and despite knowing better, his words still sting me. I'd learned long ago that showing how much he hurts me only made things worse.

He wasn't done yet. His face hardened as he continued, "It's all because of you. You wasted my time. I already had it planned to spend the night with Lulu, and you ruined it..." He paused for effect, knowing his next words would twist the knife. "Take a cab back by yourself. Also, Your bonus for this month will be halved!"

My heart sank even further. I watched helplessly as Thane got into his car, the engine roaring to life. As he drove away, I was left alone in the heavy stillness of the parking lot. "I can't believe this is my life now," I muttered to myself, my voice barely audible.

With heavy steps, I started walking toward the nearby bus station. Each step felt like I was dragging weights and breathtaking ones at that. The cool breeze that had felt refreshing earlier on, was now giving me the creeps making me shiver.

I wasn't there to see it, but I later learned about what happened next. A luxurious Aston Martin had pulled up at the police station at the moment, and John Davis, the ever-professional driver, had stepped out to open the door for his boss.

"Mr. Myers, do you want to go in and have a look yourself?" John had asked.

Marino - my ex-husband -just waved dismissively. "That's not necessary. Go in and tell her that we'll let her off the hook this time, but she won't have it easy on the next one tho."

While John was inside, Marino had stood there smoking, probably thinking about me. I could almost hear his thoughts: "Gianna, you've always been wild and unruly, haven't you? Money never meant anything to you, and you were the one who wanted to leave me without a penny to your name, right? Why can't you fucking live a better life now? Why are you a waitress now, landing yourself in such a pathetic state ?"

When John came back, he had news that was upsetting to Marino. "Mr. Myers, someone already took Madam away from here."

"Someone took her away? Who did that? Was it Nathan?" Marino had demanded.

"No, it's Thane Reed!"

Marino had sneered, a mix of anger and amusement in his voice. "Thane Reed? Haha! Look at how quickly he came to rescue Gianna. It's clear how much she means to this Nathan." He  crushed his cigarette in his palm before barking out, "Let's go!"

Meanwhile, I was at the bus stop, waiting for what felt like an eternity. My mind was racing, replaying the events of the day, wondering how everything had gone so wrong all of a sudden. When the bus finally arrived, its doors creaked open, andI let out a sigh of relief as I stepped aboard.

By the time I got home, I was all a mess and out of order. My uncle Thomas took note of this immediatel. "Gianna, what happened to you?" he asked, his eyes filled with concern.

"I met that bitch!" I spat out, unable to contain my frustration any longer.

My mother, Deborah, immediately hit in on me. "What's wrong with you? Why did you provoke her now?"

My sister Rosy jumped to my defense. "I have to. Mom, think about it. Why did this bitch appear at this moment after  missing for the past three years?"

I knew what Rosy was thinking - we all did. She must have appeared deliberately because she knew I was about to be engaged to Marino. The irony wasn't lost on me, indeed.

Mom's face creased with worry. "That's a good idea, but your dad... he misses that bitch. If he knew she was back, he would definitely go to find her, and that'd be very troublesome, you know."

"That's why you need to come up with a solution fast, very..fast!" Rosy pressed.

Mom sighed heavily, her voice went thick with resentment. "I'll think about it. Your father should never announce his relationship to her to the public."

As I listened to them talk about me like I wasn't even there, I couldn't help but feel trapped. Lost between my past and present, between what everyone wanted for me and what I wanted for myself. The worst part was, well I wasn't even sure what that was anymore.

I excused myself and went to my room, closing the door behind me,quietly . As I sat on my bed, I could still hear their muffled voices discussing what to do about me, feeling like dead chicken on a chopping board, as they talk about the situation, about everything. I lay back and stared at the room's ceiling, wondering how my life had become so complicated all of a sudden, and the bad kind too.

Thane's words from earlier echoed in my head: "No man would dare to marry a woman like you, and you know that." Maybe he was right. Maybe I was too fierce, too difficult, too much of everything that a woman shouldn't be. But as I lay there, a small part of me wondered if there  really was such a bad thing, I mean…

Could there really be?

The events of the day swirled in my mind - the confrontation, Thane's cruelty, Marino's appearance at the police station, and now my family's reaction. It was all connected, a web of bonds and expectations that I seemed destined to disappoint on.

Along with Nightfall and so did the house grew quiet, I remained awake tho, my mind refusing to settle in all these troubles and trauma. Tomorrow would be another day, another chance for things to go wrong as well ,I guess, another opportunity for my past to collide with my present. But for now, in the darkness of my room, I allowed myself to feel everything - the anger, the hurt, the frustration, and underneath it all, in these unceremoniously accepting darkness that enshrouds me. Blossoming in it was a spark that tho flikers refuses to die out.