The first hot days of May were perfect for hanging out in the garden at the café. Clare laughed gleefully when Ian swabbed her nose with the cream ice cream, and she couldn't give it back to him because he threatened to get her whole face dirty in an act of revenge.
They were more than a month into their marriage, and so far, they hadn't had a single quarrel. Things were going too well between them, the days spent in each other's company filled their hearts with happiness. They never ran out of topics to talk about, even if they were silly things out of this world. They loved to laugh at each other, as well as at each other's jokes.
There's a reason Ian was her friend for sixteen years.
- Where would you like to spend your vacation? - He asked as he watched the blonde in silence for a long moment.
Clare crossed her arms over her chest and squinted, pondering her answer.
- Hawaii sounds good.
- And wouldn't you like to go wild and go somewhere further afield, off the mainland?
- The island of Bali?
The brunet laughed mysteriously.
- Is that still your dream?
The girl nodded, looking at him with sparkling eyes.
Ian pulled his phone out of his pants pocket and showed her a place that took her breath away.
- Your dream will come true, as we have bought two weeks at a hotel there, and tickets are waiting for tomorrow's flight.
The 20-year-old put her hands to her mouth, and her eyes glazed over with tears.
- Are you serious! - She was so excited that she said it too loudly, focusing other people's attention on her. - God, Ian!
She jumped up joyfully in her chair, rejoicing like a little child. He was proud that he had managed to surprise her and make her dream come true.
- I have not forgotten when, at the age of fifteen, you kept telling me how much you dreamed of going to the Island of Bali.
- Ian Waller, you are the perfect husband. I love you! - She climbed into his lap and embraced him tightly, not caring that they were in a public place and people were watching them. - You are the best in the world!
He smiled radiantly, believing that there would only be good days in their lives. He will not let anything destroy their happiness.
*
While at the airport, she stomped in place like a happy child, never stopping smiling. Last night she packed her suitcase at such a fast pace that she didn't even remember what she took with her.
She couldn't believe that Ian had prepared such a wonderful surprise for her. He was the most incredible man on earth, and nothing could change that.
- I feel that this will be the best trip under the sun. Our first trip," he said, stroking her cheek.
Clare nodded, all the while looking into his eyes.
- Let's make this an unforgettable trip.
Ian leaned over her ear and whispered:
- Do you mean to woo a pretty baby?
The blonde playfully punched him in the arm.
- I'm too young.... I lack maternal instinct.
He put his arm around her waist and pulled her close. With a joyful look, he looked at her face, enjoying the fact that she was his.
- For this moment, all I need is you. I don't need anything else for happiness," he announced, kissing her on the nose. - Now I'm going to jump quickly to the bathroom and come right back to you, wifey.
She nodded and watched him until he disappeared from her sight. She glanced at her watch and sighed deeply. They still had some time before departure, so she sat down in a chair and looked around the airport.
She pulled her cell phone out of her pants pocket, feeling the vibration. She furrowed her eyebrows when she spotted an unfamiliar number.
- Hello?
- Clare? - Her heart stopped when she heard Felix's voice. After so long, when he disappeared from the cottage that day and left her alone in the storm, he had given no sign of life until now. - Do you have a moment to talk to me?
- You call so suddenly.... after so many months since you disappeared. What happened?
She had a bad feeling. He wasn't calling for no reason. Something must have happened.
- I wanted to talk to you personally, but I heard you were flying to Bali Island. Don't. Your husband is a monster. I got you into a quagmire. I pushed you into the arms of a man who doesn't deserve you.
Clare furrowed her brow, her heart aching.
- What are you talking about, Felix?
- I found out that he was the one who got me into working with this gang. He wanted to get rid of me from your life. His uncle is the boss, he is the one trying to get me and kill me for disobedience.
The blonde put her hand to her mouth, clearly shocked by the words she heard from her ex-boyfriend.
- How did you know about this, Felix? - She asked in a whisper, feeling tears coming to her eyes. - Ian is a good man. It's impossible.
- I'm sorry to call so suddenly and ruin your plans, but I wanted you to know what a perfidious man the man you married is. To get you, he was capable of removing me in such a cruel way. He is a monster. He was and will always be one.
The 20-year-old hung up, not intending to listen to any further words Ian intended to say to her.
She was depressed enough.
With tears in her eyes, she watched Ian's happy face as he returned from the bathroom. He sat down next to her, noticing that something was wrong.
- What is going on? Why are you crying? - He wanted to wipe away her tears, but she pushed her face away and bit her lip. - Clare?
- Were you really capable of this, Ian? - She saw surprise, as well as anxiety in his eyes. - To get Felix away from me, you sent your gangster uncle to get him? You knew that he would force him to fight if he wanted to survive, and thus you removed him from my life! You removed him, putting him in danger! - She raised her voice, looking at him with disbelief in her eyes. - You are not a bad person, Ian, so why? Why did you do this? - Her voice broke when she noticed that he shed tears, which he quickly wiped away with the top of his hand.
- Because I loved you so madly that I didn't know any way to separate you anymore! You could not see the world outside of him, and I suffered! I suffered all these years of our friendship, suffocating my true feelings!
Clare burst into tears, disregarding the fact that they were in the spotlight.
- But sending a gangster on him? Putting his life at risk, Ian? That's terrible.
She got up from her chair and walked away a piece, and he embraced her from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder.
- For several years, I have been spitting in my chin for what I did. I feel horrible at the thought that Felix is in trouble because of me, but I can't take it back, there's nothing I can do now. My uncle is a fierce man. He won't let go," he said tearfully, hugging her more tightly around the waist, as if he were afraid, she would try to escape him.
- Ian, he is in danger because of you. They want to kill him for escaping them.
- I swear I didn't want that. I was young and stupid. I didn't think about the consequences.
She closed her eyelids, from under which more tears flowed.
- It's as if you were the one who planned his murder.
- Clare! - He let her go and forcibly turned her to face him. - Look into my eyes. I really didn't realize at the time what I was doing. I was a stupid teenager!
- All these years you hid the truth from me.... You didn't admit what you did.
- And you think it was easy for me to just tell you! - His eyes were full of suffering, which softened her heart. She loved him beyond life, but what he did to get rid of Felix from her life was unforgivable.
- I just can't believe that I married a monster, and I was firmly convinced that I had a prince on a white horse by my side all my life. You destroyed that fairy tale. You blew away my dreams. - She moved away from him, watching him with disappointed eyes. - I fell madly in love with a man I don't know at all, even though he's been around me since I was a child. This is terrible, Ian said.
With terrified eyes, he watched her as she bit her lip and combed her hair with her hand, then turned her back on him and walked away.
She left him alone, with suitcases and a grief that made him feel like shooting himself in the head.
This was supposed to be their happiest day, and it turned out to be a nightmare.
*
Flooded with tears, she sat on the playground, her head touching the swing chain. With sad eyes, she looked at a single point on the ground, unable to believe that Ian was capable of something so cruel.
She thought she knew him. She was mistaken.
She didn't know him at all, and yet she loved him more than life.
- However, you gave up on going with him. - She lifted her face and looked at her ex-boyfriend, who sat on the swing next to her, clearly distressed.
- You ruined the best day of my life.
- I'm sorry I pushed you into the paws of a monster. I thought I was doing the right thing. I didn't think he was the main reason for my unhappy life.
Clare closed her eyelids, feeling a monstrous pain in the area of her left breast.
- I don't know what to think about this, Felix. We all make mistakes, and maybe it was actually a reckless move on his part. I watched him, I could see that he was deeply regretful....
- They want to kill me because of him. And they won't let go until they get me. He ruined my life, Clare.
- It's my fault," she interjected hastily. - It's because of me that you have problems. I should never have appeared in your life.
He took her hand, which she observed for a long moment. In the past, she would have felt wonderful chills, but now it wasn't so.
Their chemistry had faded.
- I never thought that your appearance in my life was a mistake. I spent happy times with you.
She lifted her face and looked into his eyes.
- Maybe there is a chance for Ian to unscrew it. If he talks to his uncle.... - she changed the subject, not wanting to talk about what they used to have in common.
- You defend him all the time.
- Sorry.
Felix smiled slightly and let go of her hand.
- You love him, so it's understandable. You are suffering because of me because I told you the truth.
- You called so suddenly and confessed the shocking truth to me, you appeared after so many months, when I am already married to Ian.... you just happened to show up when we were having the happiest time.
- I'm sorry.
Clare rubbed her face and sighed deeply.
- I don't know what to think about it, I don't know what to do....
- I would rather not hurt you," he explained. - I just wanted you to know the truth.
- I don't blame you, Felix. The only blame in this matter lies with Ian.
The boy nodded and looked at her obliquely for a long moment. He watched her profile, regretting that their fate had turned out this way. He really loved her, and Ian had ruined everything. It was his fault that Felix had to give up on Clare.