Victoria Clark's POV...
I grimaced and distanced myself from him. "If you still can't trust me, then never try to approach me again," I said as I walked towards the room.
But he followed me. "I'm sure now. Besides, why are you afraid of my mother? You don't know her, she's nice... She'll let me marry whoever I want!"
I smirked, remembering how his mother had asked me to leave him, and perhaps afterward she pretended not to know why I left so she never knew her true attitude towards me. It's sad, but I didn't want to tell him; it would only create new problems.
"Victoria!" Suddenly he grabbed my hand and pulled me to face him, unintentionally causing me to bump into his wide chest. In an instant, he wrapped his arms around my waist, leaning down to gaze deeply into my eyes, fear appeared in his.
"I just want you," he whispered.
"But I don't want you anymore..." I tried to distance myself from him.
"No... I know you still want me!"
"No, Brandon. Why are you so confident?" I asked irritably, pushing him away forcefully. "You can't act like this. Everything's different now... You can't treat me like you did five years ago... I'm not the same, and you have to respect my decisions!" I reiterated, but suddenly his eyes showed a sense of sadness, making me feel guilty.
"Why... Do you have someone else... Do you have another man in your heart?" He asked sadly.
I immediately looked away, not wanting to pity him.
"Victoria, tell me!"
"Yeah..." I swallowed hard, my throat feeling tight. "I... I have a new boyfriend. We've been together for two years."
"Really?"
I nodded, distancing myself from him, but he kept following me. This wasn't good, my heart felt torn, in pain, not wanting to see him sad but also unable, to tell the truth.
"Victoria..."
He gripped my hand again, staring at me intensely.
"Why are you doing this to me?" he asked.
"Because I have the right to do whatever I want with my life, including dating other men while I'm still single... It's not wrong," I said, raising my eyebrows and shrugging.
"You're single..." He nodded, smirking bitterly. "Then what about your promises? Have you forgotten? There will be no distance between us... And now you're saying you're single and entitled to accept another man... How easy for you to do that? For five years, I've been alone because I still hoped for you... You left without saying goodbye, without reason... You made me not understand, curious, always hoping... Five years is not a short time, Victoria!" He narrowed his eyes, his breath seemed hurried with emotion, making me quickly turn my face away.
"Sorry... I didn't dare to say it then, but now I've explained it, now you know everything, so..." I sighed. "Don't ever hope for me again, don't be confused... I..."
"I can't accept this!" he exclaimed, walking ahead of me. "Do you think I can forgive you? Do you think everything can be settled with just an explanation and an apology? No!" he shook his head, pointing his index finger.
"I can't accept this!"
"Whether you like it or not, you have to accept it!" I asserted, but also afraid. "We... We were just dating before... we don't have a bond like marriage... So, I don't think I need to do anything to redeem my mistake..."
"I know we're not legally bound by marriage and stuff!" he exclaimed, instantly silencing me. "But the bond of love is stronger than anything, more meaningful than anything!"
I sighed, quickly moving away from him to the couch. Now the situation was even more confusing, he seemed like he wouldn't let go of me.
"I want us to be together again, I can fulfill my promise to marry you!" He said again, sitting next to me, staring at me seriously. "You have no reason to refuse me because previously I didn't do anything wrong to you. And this... this is also a demand I give to you because you left me just like that... Because you ignored our bond of love..."
"No..." I turned my face away. "I can't."
"Why?"
"I have another man... I've already told you."
"Do you love him very much?" he asked.
I fell silent, it was so hard to answer, my lips felt stiff, and I couldn't figure out who the man I could use as a boyfriend to free myself from him.
"Answer me, Victoria!" he hissed.
"Yes, I love him more than anything. He's kind, he's a simple man and... And his mother is quite close to me and my child. That's why... I see my future better with him than with you... Even though he's not as wealthy as you," I said, suddenly reminded of Jacob. Maybe he could help me with this problem.
"No... I know you're lying!" he shouted.
"I'm not lying!"
"You're lying!" He insisted and suddenly cupped both my cheeks, making me turn to face him. "Look at me, look into my eyes... Prove to me that you're not lying!"
I fell silent, staring into his sharp eyes, feeling fear and a pounding in my chest so intense. I couldn't deny, that I wanted to hug him and tell him the truth, but it would only worsen the situation, and I would never be at peace.
Slowly his face approached until reflexively my eyes closed and his lips met mine. I was trembling, gripping his arms tightly, I couldn't deny that it felt so good, I wanted more, but the shadow of the past urged me to end it immediately.
"No!"
I gasped, pushing myself away from him.
"You still love me, I know that!" He hissed, approaching me.
"No, I don't love you anymore!" I asserted, continuously avoiding until I stopped in front of the room when he grabbed my hand again. "Brandon, stop! You can't force me to be with you again!"
He fell silent, staring at me seriously, not understanding what he was thinking now.
"Please... I have a boyfriend and we've been together for 2 years. I can't leave him just to be with you while I can't see a good future with you!" I said while trying to pull my hand away.
"So you think I can't make you happy?" he asked.
With hesitation, I nodded, turning my face away. "Yes... You can't make me happy."
"But why?"
"You know..."
"No, I don't know... Now I really can't understand you anymore. You seem like you're not yourself," he said, making me look back at him and see disappointment in his eyes. "You said I can't make you happy... that means During our time together, you were just constantly lying to me... you're a liar!"
I was stunned, not expecting him to say that.
"You've been playing with my feelings... You made me wait for you, and now this is what I get... Whatever happens to you won't be able to heal this heartache... It will continue to linger in my memory... I will always hate you for this bitter memory!" he said with a sharp gaze, occasionally patting his chest. "This is what you wanted... It's okay... I'm so stupid... Idiot!" he continued loudly, turning his body away from me.
I could only remain silent with a painful feeling, deeply afraid that he would hate me, but this was the only way to make him not want me anymore.
"Leave after your daughter wakes up!" he yelled without even looking back. "I'll give her the gift I promised, but maybe I'll never see her again... Not even you!" he continued, then walked towards another room without wanting to glance back at me at all.
I held my chest, my breath felt tight, it hurt, very hurt; now he's the one who doesn't want to see me. That's what I wanted, but why does it hurt so much?