Over the next few days, I got even better, and in no time, I was back on my feet, thanks to Asher and David who took perfect care of me, making sure I lacked nothing.
Asher and I grew fonder of each other by the day, it made me wish I had grown up with him, maybe my life would have been better, having someone who would stand up for me.
Maybe my mom wouldn’t hate me so much since she would have had her golden child.
The three of us were in the living room, chatting away. Asher and David had both taken a month’s leave from work to be with me. I felt special, really.
“So, dad will be back in two days. He’s so eager to meet you. I can’t wait for us to become one big happy family,” Asher announced.
I was excited too. I had seen pictures of Mr. Farleigh, I had an idea of what he looked like, and from everything Asher told me, he seemed like a principled man.
“I can’t wait to meet him,” I said with a smile.
And that was when it came up.
On TV, it was my entire family alongside some family friends gathered at the cemetery, crying. The headline was bold on the screen;
Breaking News: Socialite Lena Rashford Confirmed Dead After a Tragic Accident
And just like that, I was erased, so effortlessly.
But what really shattered me was Zack and Serena holding hands, pretending to be sad.
Zack didn’t even try to look for me. Not even once.
I swallowed hard, forcing my heart to stay in one piece. I would not cry over Zack again.
I took one glance at our wedding ring, wondering why I still had it on. Without hesitation, I pulled it off and placed it on the table.
“What the hell is that?” Asher’s voice was sharp with disbelief. He turned to me, his eyes searching mine as if expecting me to break down.
He turned off the TV immediately.
Instead, I let out a deep sigh. “It’s okay, Asher. I’m surprised it took them this long though,”
“I’m sorry, Lena.” His jaw clenched.
“You don’t deserve any of this. If dad permits me, I’ll make every single one of them pay for everything they’ve ever done to you,” Asher said as he hugged me.
David sat beside me, his hand hovered over my back before he finally rested it there, rubbing in slow, comforting circles. He looked as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words.
Asher’s phone buzzed. “Excuse me, I have to take this call,” he said, stepping out.
David exhaled, his fingers tracing idle patterns over my knuckles.
“I wish I didn’t have to leave,” he murmured. “We could have been happy, Lena. I wasn’t able to find anyone like you.”
I looked at him, his eyes were clouded with regret.
“It’s okay. Life happens,” I said gently.
“Don’t beat yourself up. Zack and I were happy at some point… until my accident.” A small, sad smile tugged at my lips.
“I was blind for a year. I just regained my sight recently.”
“Are you serious?” David’s head snapped up, his expression shifting from sorrow to shock.
I just nodded.
“I can promise you one thing, Lena. Your dad won’t sit back and do nothing. They will all pay,” David said as he pulled me into a hug.
The funny thing is that I didn’t care about revenge or getting even. I was just glad that I was away from them and out of their lives. That was enough consolation for me.
“I have great news, Lena. Dad arrived early. He’s on his way here,” Asher announced.
My fingers curled into my palms as a strange nervous energy settled in my stomach.
It felt weird that I was meeting my real father after all these years. My whole being had already registered Mr. Rashford as my father. I didn’t know how I was going to reconcile that, but I could try at least.
David squeezed my hand lightly, sensing my unease.
“Mr. Farleigh is a kind man, you have nothing to worry about. He took me in after I lost my parents,” David said with a smile.
I furrowed my brows. I had no idea his parents were dead. I felt terrible.
“I’m sorry, David, I didn’t know,” I managed to say.
“It’s okay, it’s been a while. He’s like a father to me now,” David said.
I smiled at him and went back to my thoughts. It wasn’t difficult to slip away since I had a lot on my mind.
“I think he’s here,” David whispered as he stood up and headed outside, probably to help with his bags or just simply welcome him.
Unsure of what to do, I followed him behind. By the time we got outside, he had already alighted from his car and was halfway to where I stood.
He paused for a while as he fixed his gaze on me, his expression was unreadable and his lips pressed into a tight line.
Then, he exhaled sharply, running a hand through his dark curls.
“A funeral, Lena? Goddammit, I thought you were dead!”
