"Do you two plan to stare at each other all day?"
Lilly and Susan glanced at each other and sighed. They had been sitting around a table on Tiffany's balcony. Since both of them have something to confess that they both don't want to talk about, they couldn't find the right word, to begin with.
"I'll talk first," Lilly chewed on her lower lip as she looked at the annoyed face of Tiffany. "I'm sorry…I—I…" She heaved a breath and said, "I'm married."
She watched Tiffany furrow her well-groomed brows with a mixture of annoyance and disbelief. While Susan dropped a cup that broke the momentum for her because the maids rushed to their table to clean away the broken cup.
"Leave!"
The maid scurried away, taking the broken glass with her, avoiding Tiffany's anger.
When the maid was gone, Tiffany dragged a chair and sat down.
"Now, tell me again. Because I feel like I misunderstood something."
Lilly clasped her hands as her gaze wandered between Tiffany and Susan. Now that the main part was out in the open, the most difficult part follows—explaining the circumstances of her marriage.
"I am married—"
"With whom?" Susan leaned forward, her eyes twinkling with excitement.
Lilly lowered her head. "Matthew…Grayson."
She slowly lifted her head but she didn't hear any reaction and when she did, she almost burst out laughing. Both of the other girls have the same expression on their faces.
"I married Matthew Grayson in a civil ceremony yesterday."
"What!!" She pushed her chair forcefully; it toppled behind her and clanged loudly on the Moroccan tiles. "You got married without telling us?" She looked at Susan who was still gaping at Lilly. "Hey, Sue, you won't stop yammering about Matthew with Lilly and you didn't know about this?"
"No." Her voice cracked and she was too stunned to tear her gaze away from Lilly who was squirming on her seat.
"I'm sorry, girls, but—"
"Unbelievable!" She threw her hands in the air. "Fucking Unbelievable! How could you do this to us, Lilly?"
"I didn't want to!" She felt like crying. She didn't want to lie to them but she had to. "And even if I tell you guys, nothing will change…I mean, I…" She started to fumble with words.
Tiffany scoffed. "Nothing will change, huh?" Her voice was heavy with sarcasm. "Of course, we can't do anything about it. After all, it's freaking Matthew Grayson. You married the youngest heir of the Gray Empire. The new CEO with millions under his name. Of course, who are we, Lilly but your friends."
"It wasn't like that. There are circumstances that make things difficult. But I didn't mean to lie to you."
"You know what Susan wants to tell you? She wanted to tell you that her life was falling apart. Her parents are going to divorce. She was here since yesterday, crying her heart out but you—where were you? You were marrying Matthew Grayson…just wow, Lilly! I have no words for you!"
Lilly choked on her tears. "I—m truly sorry…" She faced Susan who was staring at her in disbelief. "I'm sorry, Sue…I didn't know." She reached for her hand but Susan pulled her hands to her lap.
"I couldn't believe it. You married Matthew?!"
She nodded. "I married him because—" She stopped herself. She couldn't tell them that she just married Matthew because of business, "our fathers wanted us to marry."
Tiffany scoffed. "Oh, so you mean, you marry Matthew to save your father's business. Come on, Lil. It's very insulting that you come here to come clean but you won't tell us the whole truth." She pulled another chair and sat down, crossing her legs.
Lilly blushed. "Everyone was busy and excited with graduation and I don't want to dampen the mood because of something that I have no control over. Yes, my father's business went into a difficult time…I think…" She shrugged her shoulders. "To be honest, I don't have an idea of what happened. My father just told me that the business was on the brink of bankruptcy and that I have to marry…at first I didn't even know that I'm going to marry him"
"When did you know?" She arched her brow at her, taunting. It pissed her off that Lilly got another free pass in life. Being married to Grayson was like being married to the world bank. Her life is set into a happily ever after. She gritted her teeth with the build-up of envy that started to grip her heart.
"I found out before the birthday party that Reagan threw for me."
"That was too long ago! I mean, it wasn't that long ago but, I mean…so many things had already happened after that and you didn't tell us…I was in your house, telling you everything about Matthew and I—" She laughed wryly. "You made a fool out of me."
"No, Sue…" She shook her head. "It wasn't like that…I'm—I'm…" She heaved a deep sigh. She knew that Sue was right and if the situation was reversed, she would feel the same way.
"I'm sorry, Sue. I didn't mean to take you for a fool. I just couldn't find the right timing to tell you all about it. I was so confused—"
"Oh, please! Don't make it sound like you are suffering!" Tiffany snapped with a sneer. "What happened to you wasn't a misfortune. Your father just secured your whole life for you. Now, you really don't have to lift a damn finger. You are Mrs. Matthew Grayson. Heir of the Gray Empire and Morgan's."
Lilly creased her eyebrows. She knew that lying to her friends was wrong of her but why Tiffany was making it sounds as if she was a bitch for even complaining that her father married her off to somehow that wasn't even her boyfriend. She didn't want to marry Matthew. She had no plan to marry at all!
"How about Reagan? Does he know that you're already Mrs. Grayson?" She scoffed sarcastically.
Lilly swallowed the lump that was lodged at the back of her throat. "No," she croaked.