Patricia's POV
It had to be a joke. It had to be an expensive joke. I thought I had seen it all. No, I thought I had become so strong and rigid that nothing could ever faze me again, but all it took was a picture that was circulating online.
I had no idea Henry was engaged to Quinn. Hell, I had no idea they were getting married today! They stood side by side, in front of my gallery, but he was looking at her with longing in his eyes as she looked ahead.
It was the first thing I saw when I woke up, and I wished I didn't pick up my phone.
All the news outlets carried the news, and many of them said harsh things about me but they didn't call me out directly so I couldn't even do anything about it. My long's closed up, my chest constricted.
Now my phone lay smashed at the side of my room, glass shards everywhere. Henry had humiliated me, he had disgraced me for the whole world to see.
I would've prepared to go to work at Liam's company with my head held high, then heard the news there. At least I wouldn't break down like I did here like a weak woman.
Harsh air wheezed in and out of my lungs barely, like I couldn't breathe. Tears clung into my face for what felt like hours. I was practically an unmoving, sobbing mess. I couldn't handle it.
I couldn't handle being outside. I won't get out today, I'll just stay here and cry and cry and cry.
I rolled till my ass hit the floor at the side of my bed and I just stayed there, unable to do anything. At one point, I felt my vision blur and the last thing I remembered seeing was a figure of a person rushing into the room, the room light reflecting on the figure. I was unsure of who the person was but it was the last thing on my mind.
.....
Apparently I fainted for an hour.
When my eyes opened, they landed on a worried Liam's face. I stiffened first.
"How did you get in here!" My defenses were at the roof, as it was the first thing my stupid brain could remember.
"No, don't try to get out of bed. Rest up. How I got in doesn't matter. You really fainted." His voice conveyed how worried he was, and it broke me a little.
I yawned, waiting for my eyes to adjust to my environment properly. Liam was dressed casually in blue jeans pants and a white shirt.
His muscles were more defined and they hugged every free, loose space the shirt had. Reality then hit me. I fainted because of Henry. I dropped my shoulders and tried not to care so the tears wouldn't continue.
"I guess. It's nothing really." I tried to look away, now calm but he cupped my face and looked at it.
"Look at your tear streaked face. I don't think it's nothing. It's Henry, right? I rushed here immediately when I heard the news, but you fainted on me."
The fact that he knew me and knew that news like that would affect me made me feel vulnerable, exposed and weak. I felt ashamed.
"Seriously, it's not that. I don't care!" I yelled defensively but it didn't deter him. He was barely bothered by my outbursts.
"What do you want to do today? I have plans for us." The smile on his face as he stared at me was so wide, I wanted to slap it off.
"Just take me to the venue. I need to see for myself." I replied back, shocked by my own reply but stable enough to see the way his jaw shifted in discomfort.
"Where?" He was playing with me clearly because he knew exactly where I was talking about.
"You know where." I glared at him, clouded in my rage to think properly.
"Trisha, You can't let yourself go like that. Remember you're strong, remember you're–"
"I just want to see, okay? That's all. To see how he's using my money!" I cut him off. There was nothing he was going to say to convince me to do otherwise.
"It's not worth it. Just calm down and you'll see. Please don't do this." He pleaded, his free hand rested on my face as he tried to make me see reason.
"Liam. Take me there, I mean it. If I come back to my senses later, you can blame me then. For now, try to understand how I'm hurting. I can't be strong all the time–" My voice cracked and I broke into a fit of tears.
He enveloped me in a hug, and he did that thing where he ran his hands through my hair lovingly. I snuggled into his embrace and cried some more. His shoulders dropped and finally breathing in resignation, he agreed.
"Let's do this. If I take you there, we leave immediately and you follow me anywhere of my choosing for the rest of the day."
I pulled away from his hug and lifted my face to find his.
"What about work in your company? I know I'm supposed to start today. You don't have to do this at all. You can scold and yell at me." He pulled me back into his embrace and I had to force myself to stop crying and get comfortable under the addicting smell of him.
"So you really don't know why I'm doing this? We need Patricia back, and we'll get her. Can you walk? You need a shower so we can leave. I washed your face with water already but still."
"Okay, now if you'll get off me, I'll gladly go do that." I said with a straight face, although his Cologne was killing me. I was even tempted to drag him into the bathroom with me.
Maybe if I stayed at home all day and let this man make me forget my sorrows as he fucked me all day, then I probably won't be so sad–
I snapped myself out of it.
"Careful there woman. Careful." He said in a soft voice.
I laughed for the first time as I got out of bed. Fuck Henry. Fuck Quinn. Fuck every single person that sup
ported them. They'll all pay.
I knew I would regret seeing them but I still did, and…