Chapter 3 Misunderstandings in the Bathroom

ERINA -

Erina looked up at Richard, and his eyes flicked towards her for only a brief moment before he turned his face fully towards Giselle.

Her chest instantly grew heavy, like it was collapsing in on itself. Her breath caught, and for a moment, she couldn't bring in any air.

Trying to gain any semblance of control, she shook his arm. "Richard?"

"Aren't you going to congratulate your sister, Ereena?" Regina said, once more mispronouncing her name.

Erina turned to see that Regina's smug smirk had turned into a self-satisfied grin.

"Since it's finally public," Giselle reached up with her hand and smoothed it over Richard's chest. That's when Erina saw the huge rock that she wore on her ring finger. "I'd appreciate it if you'd stop touching my fiancé. I put up with it for so long because you two were close when you were young, but since he's mine, it really is just sad now. You two aren't anything special, and I'm tired of watching you throw yourself at my man."

As if she'd been burned, she ripped her hands from his arm and took a step back.

"Richard?" She whispered the question at his back and watched as it grew tense, but he didn't turn towards her.

Traitorous tears welled up and blurred her vision. Her throat closed over as a large lump filled it. Once more, her breath fought her lungs as she tried to take in gulps of air.

"No." She whispered.

She looked to her father then, and that's when the emotions that she'd tried keeping trapped within her chest finally broke through.

Her father was looking at her like she was something vile he couldn't figure out.

Her last line of defense had been her relationship with him. It had been strained ever since he'd married Regina, but he'd always been on her side and had her back. Yet, that wasn't what she saw looking out from his eyes tonight. Instead, she saw disgust.

Unable to stand their stares, she turned and ran for the bathroom. The door burst inward and slammed against the protective rubber.

Erina hurried to the counter and clutched the edge of it as she tried to breathe through the emotions and confusion wracking her body.

As she did, she tried to make sense of what had just happened.

How can they be engaged? They're not even a couple!

For the last several years, Richard and Erina had gone on dates, hung out at his condo, and behaved as if their future was set.

While they hadn't kissed and been romantic as often as other couples, there had been one night where they drank wine and watched the stars. It turned into them passionately kissing for most of the night.

She knew they were a couple. There was no doubt in her mind about it.

"I'm not crazy!" She told her reflection. "I know what we were, and so does he."

I love him. She thought. Had it all been a lie? Had he planned this from the beginning?

The more she went through her memories, though, the more she questioned herself. He hadn't shown as much interest in her as she had in him, but he never tried to tell her to stop.

What does he get out of doing this?

Her throat fully closed up, and she knew she was hyperventilating.

Closing her eyes for a second to control her breathing, she tried to pull in as much air as she could. When she had herself under a semblance of control, she turned on the water and wet her neck and face.

The cool water helped relax her back and shoulders enough that the walls of the bathroom weren't trying to close in on her anymore, and air was moving through her lungs more easily.

That was, until Regina and Giselle sauntered in through the bathroom door.

"Oh, poor, poor Ereena." Regina purred as she came to stand on her left, and Giselle moved to stand on her right.

She refused to look at them or even recognize that Regina spoke, but she kept on talking in a sticky-sweet tone anyway.

"You didn't really think that Richard would marry you when he had a beauty like Giselle, did you?"

It was Giselle's turn, and her voice was high and annoying, "Especially when we told him that all you wanted from him was your mother's money. When he found that out, he couldn't drop you fast enough."

Her veins turned to ice. If Richard thought she only wanted him for the money, he would want nothing to do with her. Erina had kept the will a secret from him, not wanting him to believe it had anything to do with her decision.

Regina's tone dropped low, and she leaned in close to Erina. "Don't you know that everyone here thinks you're disgusting?" She asked. "You are, you know? How could you use someone like that, just for money, Ereena?"

"That's not true!" She finally snapped as she turned towards her vile step-mother. "I love Richard. I wanted a life with him. I'm not the one who wants him for his money." Her tone turned bitter, and she watched as Regina's eyes went cold. "You've used up all that was left to my father, and now you've found a way to dig your dirty claws into Richard's family."

The slap came out of nowhere, but the force of it shoved Erina so that she saw her reflection once more in the mirror.

Regina's slick voice responded, "Your mother may have started the company, but your father owns it now, and he's just made me a partner. I can't have your ugly little mug marring the face of my company."

Her blood boiled, but at Regina's words, shock stilled her. My company? They weren't just stealing her love; they were stealing her mother's empire as well.

"Just disappear already." Giselle mocked. "Go find some beast who will take you because, from what I’ve heard from Richard, no one here desires you. Your mother's inheritance will now be mine, and there's nothing you can do about it."

She watched as Giselle snatched up a piece of toilet paper from the floor and tried to dry Erina's face, but she wouldn't let her touch her. Instead, she slapped her hand away and, unable to control her anger, she stepped forward and shoved her as hard as she could to the floor.

"If Richard wants you, he can have you, but you'll never get my mother's company. It all belongs to me! That inheritance is MINE!" She screamed her words at Giselle as she cowered on the floor.

The fear she watched bloom across her face felt better than Erina liked, so she turned away from her to leave, but stopped in her tracks. Standing in the now open door was Richard.

His voice was a whisper as he said, "I couldn't believe it when Giselle told me that all you wanted was my money." He paused, looking at her with contentment, before he continued in a stronger tone. "But she was right, wasn't she?!"

He walked past her and helped Giselle stand before he pulled her close to his body and moved past Erina to the door.

He turned to her, before they walked through it, and said, "I can't believe I almost married a monster like you."