The Scandal

Chapter 1 'Try sleeping with a broken heart'

Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners. I own nothing except the plot. (One disclaimer should be enough for the whole story

Summary:

Everyone thought it was a fairy tale when Corporate Business Tycoon 'Damon Salvatore' married his mother's nurse Elena. Even though they are both polar opposites, somehow she crawled under his skin and set up a home inside his heart. But someone isn't happy with their union. They frame Elena of cheating Damon, her husband, thus creating the biggest scandal of the year. Will Damon ever find out his wife is innocent? Will they fight against all odds and end up together or will they fall apart forever?

She packed the last of her stuff. This was it. She couldn't do this anymore. Marriage was about trust. Marriage was about respect. But her husband gave her neither. She couldn't fight anymore.

"Mrs. Salvatore, please stay. Don't go. This won't solve anything." Mrs. Flowers said as Elena gathered her luggage. This old lady was her only sympathizer here. No one else believed in her innocence. No one believed her story. She was publicly humiliated.

'Corporate Family Salvatore Builders' Scandal-Giuseppe Salvatore's son Damon Salvatore's wife caught cheating with rival company CEO Mason Lockwood.'

She tore her eyes from the screen. This wasn't the only accusation. She was also accused of stealing important data of the company and forwarding it to the Lockwoods. The integrity of her moral character was questioned in every aspect.

"Elena, let's go" Jeremy said standing by the door awkwardly.

She nodded, mechanically as she picked up her luggage. "Here is my new address Mrs. Flowers. Please forward all my mail on it" she said as she looked around for him. Just maybe, he would believe her. Maybe he would come and stop her.

Mrs. Flower nodded reluctantly. She felt sympathy for the poor girl. It felt like it was only yesterday when this girl came out of nowhere and filled their lives with happiness. Everyone in the Salvatore family was cruel, save Caroline Salvatore. Their lives were all about their lust for money, power and social status. Especially Damon Salvatore.

Ever since the tragedies that happened to him in young age, he had been cold, stoic and closed. He had built walls around himself. People thought he was void of emotion. It was like he had a switch for them which he had turned off. But Elena broke all his walls one by one. Her cheerful spirit, her positive attitude, her giggles, melted the stone that was his heart. She had a lot of love to give. It wasn't just the elder Salvatore who fell in love with her soon after her arrival even though he despised her in the beginning. She was different from all of them and everyone in the family loved her, everyone but one person.

Mrs. Flowers remembered exactly the way Elena looked when she arrived. There was a light that shone in the depth of her eyes. A light that dimmed with time and was now gone. The life that once shone in her eyes was replaced with depression and tears. Salvatore's accused the girl of destroying them when it was Elena who had actually been destroyed. The corporate family had completely crushed the life out of her and molded her into what they wanted her to become.

"Good bye, Mrs. Flowers" Elena said as she wrapped an arm her around the old woman who had been like a mother to her. "Take… take care of him." She added hesitantly. Was it pathetic of her to still love him after what he did to her?

"I will" she replied, sadly.

"Elena, we have to go" Jeremy said, holding her hand in one of his and picking up her luggage in the other.

With a heavy heart, Elena walked out of the huge mansion she once called a home.

From the glass window, he watched as her brother opened the car door for her after he placed her luggage in the backseat. He clenched his fists. He wanted to stop her. A part of him kept nagging him that he was losing the best thing that had happened to him. And multiple times his resolve broke and he almost ran after her. But then he remembered what she did to bring this upon them

"She is with him as we speak, Damon" Katherine told him, sadly.

"You're lying," He spat back. "She can't do this to me" he added with venom in his tone. "She knows that I love her a lot."

"Every time you're on your abroad trip she goes to him, Damon" she added. "Didn't you see their pictures in last week's newspaper? She has been cheating on you for a while. If I didn't know any better I would say every time you step out of your house she sneaks out to fuck him."

"Stop it" he shouted. "Stop spewing lies about my wife." He added.

"Fine! If you don't believe me, you could go to Mason's house and see for yourself." Katherine replied.

His insecurities got the best of him and he went to check. And just like Katherine had told him, he had found Elena in Mason's house. In 'his' shirt. He did not wait for her response. He launched on Mason and beat the ever living debris out of him. He didn't get to talk to Elena as Mason's staff called the police and he was arrested. His family was powerful, they bailed him out quick.

"It's for the best, Damon." Katherine said as she touched his arm. He shrugged her hand off. "Don't" he warned her. "You don't need cheaters like her in your life. You'll find someone better." She said, sincerely.

"I don't want anyone anymore" he said, his gaze fixated on his wife who was going through her luggage, checking that she wasn't leaving anything behind. She clearly looked like she didn't want to come back ever. A gut wrenching pain shot through his chest and burned his heart. An insane part of him was still convinced that Elena didn't cheat on him. But he was a logical person. He believed his eyes rather than his heart.

Elena sat inside the car. Her brother mimicked her. She was going away forever. Damon stood by the window, he felt tears of anguish burn his eyes. A lone tear slid down his cheek as the car drove away.

She came in his life like a storm. She changed everything. She made him feel alive, she made him care about something for the first time in years. She made him a better version of himself.

She was the complete opposite of him. Unlike him, she loved life. She was always energetic and upbeat, filled with laughter, fun loving and loved to tease just about anyone. Especially him. And her smile. She had a smile and a giggle that could melt any heart.

His first impression of her was that she was a show off, childish and she didn't care about anyone. But soon he was proved wrong! He found out that the girl had a heart filled with endless love. Her compassion was her halo, her real beauty.

So he fell head over heels for her and he didn't rest until he claimed her his and gave her his last name. He thought this would be the end of all his miseries. Now that he had her, he would never feel lonely. She would be with him for the rest of their lives. He would finally have a happy ending.

But life had other plans.

Elena destroyed him when she cheated on him with his rival Mason. Damon was clearly shattered in pieces and simply couldn't mend. There was so much pain a man could take and he had his share for a lifetime.

"I'm going to my bedroom. I don't want to be disturbed" he said as he rushed to his bedroom.

Katherine looked at him, frowning. A small smile appeared on her lips. "I'm sorry that you're going through so much pain, Damon" she whispered. "but this is important for us to be together. I will make it better soon. I promise"

"He never trusted me, Jenna" Quiet tears rolled down Elena's cheek as she laid her head on her aunt's lap. "He should have believed me. I'm his wife. He should know that I could never betray him." she added.

"I was with him when the world turned against him. Why couldn't he do the same for me?" she said, looking up.

"He doesn't deserve you, Elena" Jenna said, sadly. It killed her to see her niece like that.

Her eyes were dead and it scared Jenna.

A year ago, when Elena and Damon decided to get married, Jenna strongly opposed the idea. Elena had been brought up in a normal environment. Elena and Damon were nothing alike. She was unaware of the vicious schemes that were common in families like Salvatores, families that could do anything for power, families where divorces and affairs were common. Jenna didn't want Elena to do anything with that lot but Elena insisted she could settle with them. She loved Damon and at that time nothing else mattered.

Unfortunately, Jenna had been right. Someone from the Salvatores framed her innocent niece.

Yes, she believed that Elena was innocent. Her niece couldn't harm a fly. This was some scheme to drive a wedge between Elena and her husband.

"Did you tell them about the child?" Alaric asked, concerned. Elena and Jeremy were like children to him. Their pain was his pain.

"Stefan told me he said and I quote 'What proof — sufficient and unquestionable proof— do you have that this is indeed my child and not Mason's?" she broke down into heart wrenching sobs before she could complete her sentence.

"That son of a—"

"Don't, Jeremy" Elena said.

"It's his, Alaric" she said, getting up. "I swear I didn't cheat on him. That bitch Katherine framed me. She wanted me out of Damon's life. This is all her doing." she added.

"I believe you, sweetheart" Alaric said, circling his arms around her. "And I promise you I will prove you innocent"

"The Salvatores are going to regret this" Jeremy assured her.

It was his fourth drink. Damon just couldn't sleep. Her sad eyes haunted him. He questioned himself over and over again. Why did he feel so bad if Elena was the one at fault? Why did he feel like he should have given her a chance to explain herself? But the rational part of him reminded him what he had witnessed. It wasn't a sight he could ever get out of his mind. What was there to explain? He saw her with his own eyes. He saw her in Mason's shirt, coming out of his bedroom. Wasn't that enough proof of her disloyalty? her betrayal?

She went to his house even after he had strictly told her that he would not tolerate if he saw her with him in the same room. She knew he was a very jealous man. She knew he couldn't share her attention, her love, her smiles. She knew she was all his.

"She is only with you for your money" Katherine screamed at him.

"Katherine, you're my best friend and I know you're looking out for me but don't ever talk about my girlfriend like that again" he warned her, strictly.

This happened six months before he married the love of his life, his Elena. She wasn't his anymore. That depressed thought plunged a knife deep in his heart.

Elena. Elena. Elena. Every part of his being was screaming for her.

They met in the most unlikely situation. She was his sister's best friend. They fought a lot in the beginning. She thought he was a closed off, emotionally dead workaholic psycho and he thought of her as an immature, trashy 22 year old college student who was an easy lay. But boy was he wrong!

Their love and respect for each other started building with time. The relationship that started with passionate hatred turned into maddening love for each other. There had been hurdles. At first, he didn't make a move on her because she was nothing like the girl he dreamed he would be serious with, the girl he intended to marry.

He only made a move on her when he started noticing men like his general manager Matt Donavan and his brother Stefan circling her, attracting her attention to them. His jealousy made him throw caution to the wind and finally go for the girl.

This time he was cautious. Damon had witnessed someone close to him being cheated before. . He had seen his parent's marriage fail. He had seen his father cheated on his mother. He knew how much it hurt when the person you love leaves you for someone else.

Their relationship had been difficult in the beginning. He was very controlling and jealous. Elena had a lot of male friends in her circle and he didn't like anyone of them. He didn't even like it when his brother tried to be friendly with his girlfriend. But that wasn't entirely his fault. His brother looked at her as if she was a piece of meat. He was just trying to protect her from other men and their dirty gazes and wrong intentions.

At first, his attitude had been disturbing for Elena but soon she learned how to handle him. He was viciously loyal to her and he expected the same from her. She understood that. Soon, they could understand each other perfectly. She was the perfect girlfriend and the perfect wife until a week ago when he found out about her unfaithfulness.

"She is here, isn't she?" Damon demanded as he pushed Mason out his way and entered his house.

"Damon, who are you talking about?" Mason came running behind him, trying to block his path.

"My wife." he hissed. "ELENA!" he shouted. "ELENA!" he repeated.

"She isn't here, Damon. Why would your wife be here?" Mason said, worried.

"Get out of my way" Damon demanded as he looked around for any signs of her. She wasn't here. Katherine was wrong. When he realized this, his anger started to fade and he felt a sense of relief.

"I told you!" Mason said, loudly. "She isn't here."

He glared at Mason for a second before he grabbed his collar with both hands, jerking him. "If I ever catch you near my wife again, I won't hesitate to rip out your heart." He warned.

They had been sneaking around for a month and he had enough. He couldn't tolerate much longer.

"Damon, let go!" Mason protested.

"Mason!" He heard a female voice that shook him to the core. "What's going on?" she said as she came out of the bedroom. Her eyes widened when she saw her husband, standing there, holding her friend's collar.

"Damon" she gasped.

"Where is Jenna?" he heard a familiar voice, snapping him out of his dreadful memories of that night. His best friend Alaric was talking with a co-worker.

"She is with my niece" Alaric replied to the man.

"Oh, yes!" Logan replied. "I've heard about it. Biggest scandal of the year"

"You don't believe it, do you?" Alaric said in a grave tone.

"I have seen the girl" Logan said, shaking his head. "I'm sure it's her husband's fault. She doesn't look like the cheating type."

"But you see, looks can be deceiving" Damon interfered as he joined their booth. Alaric immediately stiffened.

"Damon…"

"Don't mind me. I'm just here to listen to people discussing my private life" he added, bitterly. "And also some sympathy booze"

Alaric and Logan exchanged an awkward look. "Please continue, Mr. Fell" Damon argued. "It's my fault that my marriage failed and my wife cheated on me. Of course, I'm the man. People will immediately blame me."

"It's not what I meant" Logan stammered.

"Maybe I'm impotent. Maybe, I cheated on her first" Damon listed out. He had heard the words numerous times in last week. Even in some very indecent television shows. "Or maybe she was a lying cheat and she had been after my money all along" he added with a humorless laugh.

"Elena wants nothing to do with your money" Alaric hissed.

"You know Ric, tell me. Were you in this scheme too? Because I remember you were the one who sent her to my house. Did you put her to this? " he sneered. "Because if you wanted money all you had to do was as-" he didn't get to complete the sentence as Alaric punched him.

"Damon! Are you okay?" Enzo appeared out of nowhere.

"You should learn to control what comes out of your mouth" Alaric hissed at his ex-friend.

"He is drunk, Ric. What the hell?" Enzo replied, helping his friend up. "I will show you…" Damon said as he launched a punch but Enzo held him back. "It's not worth it, buddy"

"Let me go!"

"Let's get you home" Enzo said as he signaled some guards to hold him up. He instructed them to carry him to his car while he paid the tab.

By the time Enzo got back, Damon had the door of the car open and vomiting into the gutter nearby.

"Get him a water bottle" Enzo rolled his eyes. This had been Damon's routine since that dreaded night. He would drink himself to the point of alcohol poisoning and then he would either pass out or puke till morning. It looked like he lost the will to live. No one had ever seen him so broken and hurt.

"Enzo, Can you… can you take me to Elena?" he said as he washed his face with the water in the bottle. "I…I miss her. I want to see her."

"Damon, get up" Enzo said as he helped his friend up.

"Take me to her" he pleaded. "Or just bring her back home... I don't care if she wants my money. I'll give her all she wants. Just tell her to come back to me."

"Let's get you home" Enzo repeated himself as he guided him to sit in the car.

With every passing second, Damon was feeling something inside him rip. He felt a giant hole, a darkness inside where he'd once known what it felt like to love and be loved in return, by his wife. He mumbled over and over that he just wanted to touch her, to hold her, because he missed her a lot.

He missed her gentleness, her touch, her fragrance. He missed how she stroked his face whenever she told him she loved him. He missed her clumsiness. He missed her wisdom, her grace. But most of all he missed the sound of her breathing while she slept next to him and the way she would snuggle to him when he tried to wake her up in morning.

"Take us home." he heard Enzo order the driver.

"and—and Elena?" he asked. He wanted to see her so bad. It hurt being away from her.

"She is at home too" Enzo lied through his teeth. Damon always asked for his wife after he was drunk and had lost all his senses. He wasn't in control of himself. His desperation for his wife made him forget everything she did to him and Enzo thought of it as his responsibility to take care of his friend in those times.

"I wish she didn't do it." he mumbled. "I could have given her the world" he added.

"I know" Enzo replied.

"I still love her" he said, throwing his head back on the seat. He wasn't lying. He loved her illogically but the pain of her betrayal had numbed his heart, turning it blacker than it had ever been. "But I wish I didn't." he added before he fell asleep.

Shout out to my beta Manali (Allthingsdelena). You're seriously a blessing that I earned for shipping our holy ship DELENA.

This one is a bit different than my previous works.

We will alternate between past and present to see how their relationship developed and who wants to break them apart and why?

Next chapter will be posted after I see the response.

Please be kind and review!