Chapter 3

TWISTED HEART

SVL18

LUKE MARLEY

.

I wanted to turn back, to somehow undo the mess I’d made, but it was too late. Guests were already leaving. My parents stood there, watching me with deep disappointment in their eyes, shaking their heads. There was nothing I feared more than letting them down… and yet, here I was, the cause of their shame.

“Luke,” my mother said sharply. “You’ve humiliated us! The whole community will be talking about this tonight.”

“I’m sorry,” I muttered.

“Sorry?!” my father snapped. “Do you even understand what you’ve done?”

“Your womanizing will never stop, will it?” my mother went on, her voice rising. “You’ve broken that girl’s heart. And with her best friend?”

“It was a mistake,” I said weakly.

“A mistake?” She scoffed bitterly. “You couldn’t keep your pants zipped. You actually slept with her friend.”

My father shook his head. “You’ve brought shame on us, son.”

They walked away, leaving me in the heavy silence of my own guilt.

“I told you this would happen,” Jack said, stepping up beside me.

“I don’t need this right now,” I muttered.

“Run if you want, but you’re just reaping what you sowed,” he said before walking off.

Olivia appeared next. “Can we talk?”

“I don’t want to talk to you right now.”

“But—”

“Olivia! What part of ‘I don’t want to talk to you’ don’t you understand? Just leave me the hell alone.”

“I was helping you, Luke.”

“Helping me? By destroying my wedding?”

“She was stalling, Luke. You and I… we belong together.”

I actually laughed at that—short and bitter. “Are you insane? There is no love here, Olivia. It was just sex.”

“You don’t mean that,” she insisted. “Two years, Luke. That means something.”

“Bury that in your head and stop deluding yourself. I love Hope. Sleeping with you was the biggest mistake I ever made.”

“What does she have that I don’t?” Olivia demanded.

“She’s not a cheap opportunist who throws herself at other people’s men,” I shot back coldly.

The look on her face—hurt and stunned—was the last thing I saw before I turned away. “We’re done, Olivia.”

I got into my car and drove off, cursing under my breath. How could I have been so damn stupid? I tried calling Hope, but her phone wouldn’t connect.

HOPE JONES

.

I lay curled up on my bed, my face wet with endless tears. Samantha had come by earlier, but I pushed her away. I didn’t want her pity, or her sad eyes. My chest felt like it was splitting in two.

My mother stepped in. “You can’t lock yourself in here forever, Hope.”

“My life is over, Mama.”

“Don’t talk like that.” She came to sit beside me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

“You can’t let what happened today make you believe your life is over,” she said gently.

“The whole community is talking about me. The man I loved betrayed me… for two years, behind my back—with my best friend.” My voice cracked. “You don’t understand, Mama. I never looked at anyone else. He said he loved me. How do you do that to someone you love?”

She sighed. “Listen to me, Hope. Sometimes people come into your life not to stay forever, but to teach you a lesson. Yes, it hurts, but you still have a beautiful life ahead. You have us—we love you. You have to stand up and gather yourself, my child. Everything happens for a reason. I’m just glad you found out before you married him. It would have been harder to leave later. Go wash up and come eat.”

As she left, I knew she was right—though the pain still burned.

My little sister Amanda poked her head in. “Need help?”

I nodded, and she came in to help me out of my clothes.

“You know I never liked Olivia, right?” she said matter-of-factly.

I laughed weakly. “I know.”

“I was just waiting for your permission to knock her out.”

That made me laugh for real. She grinned and left. I went to shower, then put on my pajamas. My phone rang—it was Luke. Without hesitation, I blocked his number and went downstairs to eat.

“Look at you,” my aunt said softly. “Your eyes are so red.”

My uncle shook his head. “If that Marley boy ever crosses my path, I’ll break his bones.”

There was a knock at the door. Amanda went to open it.

“Well, look what the cat dragged in,” she muttered.

Luke stood there, staring at me.

“You!” my uncle barked. “What do you want here?”

“I know I’m the last person you want to see,” Luke began.

“You’re damn right!” my uncle snapped. “Get off this property before I throw you out!”

“Leave,” my aunt ordered. “Or I’ll let the dogs out.”

My mother’s voice was sharp. “You heard them—go.”

“Hope,” Luke said.

My uncle grabbed him by the shirt. “Didn’t you hear me? Get lost!”

“It’s fine, Uncle,” I said quietly, standing up.

“I don’t know what you saw in him,” my uncle muttered. “Ugly inside and out.”

I stepped outside with Luke.

“What do you want, Luke?”

“I’m sorry, sweetheart.”

“Don’t touch me.”

“I know I hurt you—”

“You know? You humiliated me in front of everyone! What did I ever do to you?”

“It was a mistake—”

“You slept with her the night before our wedding! That’s not a mistake!”

He tried to come closer, but I stepped back.

“It’s over between us, Luke.”

“You don’t mean that.”

I took off my ring and dropped it into his hand. “I mean every word. We’re done.”

“Sweetheart, please—we can fix this.”

“Go,” my uncle barked from the doorway. “Now.”

Luke’s eyes lingered on me before I turned and went back inside, breathing deep.

SEAN PARKER

.

I was in the study with Oscar, feeling the stress pile up. The business deal was stalled—I still hadn’t found the right person for the job.

“Why don’t you just take Casette ?” Oscar suggested.

“Don’t start with that,” I said.

“She likes you—it’d be easy to fake a relationship with her.”

“She’s too much,” I said flatly.

“And obsessed with your—” He laughed.

I smirked. “I want someone I don’t know, so when the time comes to end the fake relationship, there won’t be drama.”

“Durban’s a big place, Sean. Where are you going to find this mystery woman?”

Rasta came in. “Boss.”

“Tell me you’ve got good news,” I said.

“I’ve found some girls who’d be perfect for the job—and every one of them is obsessed with you,” he said.

I sighed.

“Honestly, I think Casette is the best fit,” Rasta added.

“See?” Oscar grinned. “Told you.”

“No way,” I said.

Rasta leaned forward. “Earlier today, I picked up a woman who looked like she’d just run away from her own wedding. I didn’t ask questions, just gave her a lift home.”

“And what does that have to do with me? I’m not looking for a runaway bride.”

“Maybe if we approach her, she’ll say yes.”

“She’s got her own problems—I don’t need someone bringing baggage into this.”

Oscar shrugged. “Maybe it’s perfect—she probably wants a fresh start too.”

“I doubt it. Let’s stick with the list you had before.”

“All right, boss,” Rasta said.

Oscar leaned in. “You do know Nathan’s after the same position, right?”

“I know. That’s why I need to move fast.”

HOPE JONES

.

It was hard, but I forced myself out of bed the next morning. Hiding in my room forever wouldn’t help. I pulled on black jeans, a T-shirt, and sneakers, grabbed my coat and bag, and headed for the door.

“Ready to go back to work?” my aunt asked.

“Yes,” I said firmly.

“I’m proud of you,” my mother told me with a smile.

“Come on, or we’ll be late,” Amanda urged.

We drove off together. She insisted on walking me into the hospital “so everyone could see she was the one who brought her big sister back.”

“Drama queen,” I teased.

After dropping her at school, I headed in. Being a doctor meant I didn’t have the luxury of hiding from life. In the theatre, Samantha gave me a warm hug.

“I can’t hide forever,” I told her. “At some point, I have to face reality.”

“I’m proud of you,” she said. “And honestly, he doesn’t deserve you. He belongs with Olivia.”

I laughed softly and went to work. About half an hour later, I was back in my office when Pearl, my receptionist, popped her head in.

“Ma’am, someone’s here to see you.”

A tall man stepped in. His face was familiar.

“Mind if I sit?” he asked.

“Go ahead.”

He sat across from me, his gaze unsettling. Then I remembered—he was the man who had driven me home yesterday.

“My name’s Rasta,” he said. “I have a proposal for you.”

I leaned back in my chair, frowning.

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