Chapter 9
Things were looking up for Elizabeth. Coming back from winter break she had a new phone and credit card, gifts from her fiancé. With a fake smile she gushed to her friends about her impending wedding, asking them both to be bridesmaids.
Her father had already warned her that her sisters were not welcome at her wedding, and she knew not to argue. Much to Elizabeth's surprise, his declaration didn't hurt her. Coming to terms that this was a marriage of necessity rather than love had helped.
Mael had taken over paying her medical bills and made sure she wanted for nothing. Elizabeth let herself fall into a content routine. School, doctors' visits, and her formal visits with her betrothed.
He took the slender girl to fancy restaurants and gala events, showing her off to business executives and friends. Mael had given her a gaudy, diamond engagement ring not long after she agreed to the arrangement. The way the white gold twisted around her ring finger made her feel as though it was a cuff rather than a promise of love.
Elizabeth gazed into the mirror of her fiancé's bathroom. He had requested she spend more time in his condo so that she could get used to the space. He had cleared a dresser for the girl's clothes, but she still hadn't brought any over yet. Turning to the side she looked over her body, running a hand down her chest and over her stomach that now had a slight bump.
"We're going to have to move up the wedding, my darling." Mael appeared in the open doorway, causing Elizabeth to nearly jump out of her own skin. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
"No, no. It's okay…" She turned to look at the mirror again. "You're right though, my body is showing a lot more than I expected."
"It's not a problem, I'll inform the planner." He pulled out his phone to look at his schedule. "How does next week work?"
Elizabeth froze. Next week? "Isn't that a bit soon? Don't we need more time to plan?"
Mael let out a laugh at his betrothed's innocence. "Nonsense, with financial resources such as mine and your father's, we will have no issues." He walked into the bathroom to reach a hand over to the girl's stomach. "Besides, love, we need to be certain that only you can be seen at the wedding. Not you and baby."
Elizabeth looked down at her small bump again. She had hoped to have more time to accept her engagement, to accept her impending life with Mael. The man had been nothing but kind to her and was willing to marry her, support her, and raise another man's child. With shaky hands, Elizabeth placed her hand over Mael's. "You're right. Next week should be fine for the wedding."
"Then I'll make the arrangements while you rest." Mael smiled and kissed her on the cheek. The taller man walked out of the bathroom and pulling out his phone to make a call, leaving Elizabeth alone to her thoughts.
But her thoughts kept wandering to a certain green-eyed man. She still couldn't understand why he had been so cruel to her, abandoning her and their baby. "I know I lied… but how could he just walk away like this…" Her eyes started to water before she sucked in a deep breath. "It doesn't matter now, Mael is going to be my husband. He'll take care of us, little one. I promise we'll be okay with or without your daddy."
Turning to leave the bathroom she decided that it was time to start packing up her dorm and get ready to move into Mael's condo. "This is for the best."
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Elaine had insisted she invite her fiancé to her baby shower. Elizabeth was hesitant but Mael had been overjoyed at her invitation. Taking his wife to be shopping for gifts and a new dress to wear just for the occasion.
Walking up the party with Mael, Elizabeth's nerves spiked. The silk, blue dress she wore clung to her gracefully, showing off her small bump under its tight material. Holding the gifts for the impending mother in one arm, Mael held her hand tightly.
As she entered the event she was in awe of the beautiful decoration in place around the room. Diane had overseen the planning and she had done an incredible job. Blue and silver stars covered the walls and a large moon hung behind a dessert table filled with cakes and cookies.
They had been a bit late because Mael had insisted they arrived together, and his meeting had run a tab late. He apologized graciously expressing his deepest regrets for keeping her friends waiting.
Elizabeth was slowly getting used to the formality and structure that came with being with Mael. He was a highly educated man, and his stature and voice showed it. Only a bit older than she, he had accomplished far more than she had ever dreamed. Mael and his brother Ludociel were quickly becoming forces to be reckoned with in the business world.
"Elizabeth!" Elaine's voice squealed as Elizabeth watched the small, very pregnant girl came rushing over. "I'm so glad you could make it. I was worried when you hadn't shown yet."
"Of course, we were just running a bit late." With a smile, she turned and introduced them to the man beside her. Elaine's eyes grew wide at the handsome man standing in front of her grasping her hand to kiss her knuckles causing her to blush and giggle.
"Hey, now that's my girl." A voice sneered from behind them. Ban bumped the blue-eyed man to the side a bit and reached over to wrap an arm around his pregnant lover.
"Ban! He was only being polite!" Elaine playfully hit the man in his chest. "This is Mael, Elizabeth's fiancé." Elaine turned to look at the couple in front of her. "When is the wedding again?"
Ban stuck his nose in the air at the information given. "Fiancé huh?" he snorted. "She tell you that baby was yours too?"
"Ban!" Elaine glared daggers at the man.
Mael raised an eyebrow at the question, looking over at Elizabeth to see a confused look on her face. "I do not understand the reasoning for the question, but I do not claim paternity of the baby, no. As well, the wedding is next weekend, I had my assistant send out the invitations yesterday."
Ban gives the man with a strange face, then smirks. "Do you know who the father is then?"
Elizabeth lets out a jagged breath at the pointed question. Mael opens his mouth to retort back when Elizabeth blurts out her furry. "You all know who the father is, he just couldn't care less about us!"
A loud laugh is heard from behind the two couples. A laugh that had haunted her dreams for weeks. Beads of perspiration start to drip down her neck as she turns to see what she knows will break her heart.
Meliodas. He's dressed in black slacks and a grey button-up, an ironic contrast to Mael's khaki slacks and a pink button-down. The blonde man looks Elizabeth up and down and sneers at the bump he can see on her stomach.
"You-you're still stickin' with that that, being mine?" His words are slurred and broken. The smell hits her, and she realizes why.
"You're drunk…" Elizabeth whispers.
"SO, WHAT IF I AM?" He roars at the accusation. "I'd have to be drunk to look at your fucking face." He takes a flask out of his pocket taking a hard swig, glaring at the woman in front of him.
"Maybe you should just go, Meliodas." Elaine's soft voice cuts between the two. "I can call you a cab or Ban can—"
"I'm fine!" He stumbles over and sits down at the last available table, laying his head down. Ban looks at his friend with concerned eyes walking over to try and talk to him when a sickeningly sweet voice enters the room.
"Elaine hun, congrats!" Zaneri walks in with an armful of bags and rushes over to hug the pregnant girl. "I'd been here sooner but Meliodas forgot to pick me up from my massage." She gives the drunken man a pointed look. "Anyways, have you seen the ring he bought me?"
Zaneri flaunts the diamond ring around for everyone in the room to see. Her eyes turn to the silver-headed girl and a smirk crosses over her lips. "Oh, Elizabeth! I didn't see you there. How has it been going, sweetie?" She eyes the other girl up and down. "You know, being pregnant and single and all."
"Actually, Zaneri," Elaine pipes in to defend her friend. "This is Mael, Elizabeth's fiancé!"
Zaneri's eyes shift to the tall, lean man next to Elizabeth and her eyes open wide. Taking in the muscles and handsome face she recognizes him quickly. "Mael? As in Britannia's number four most eligible rich man? That Mael?" She leans closer and batts her eyelashes at the disgustingly rich man in front of her.
Mael lets out a nervous chuckle. "I had forgotten about that article, actually. But yes, I am that Mael of Arch Angel LLC. I assume you have heard of me?"
"Oh, I most definitely have. I think you're richer than Meliodas over here." She waves her hand towards her drunk fiancé, laying on the table half awake. Zaneri leans a hand on the gentleman's chest. "What did you say you were doing here again?"
"I am here with my betrothed, the lovely Elizabeth." He gestures to the girl standing next to him, who held a look of shock and mild amusement at Zaneri's shameless display.
The smile on Zaneri's face dropped immediately. "Oh. I see." A snarl in Elizabeth's direction appeared across the woman's face. "I guess you found a new money wagon to hitch yourself onto, Elizabeth. Figures."
"What do you mean?" Elizabeth's naivety seeming through her words.
"You couldn't get into Meliodas' bank account so you found a bigger one, not that I blame you." Zaneri eyed the tall man again. "This one is certainly a nice fish to have in this small pond." She sends Mael a suggestive wink.
"I do beg your pardon, but my fiancé has no need for my bank account." Mael laughs. "This lovely flower will probably inherit more money than I'll make in twenty years. She is the daughter of Bartra Liones after all."
Silence washed over the room, even the other guest who had been secretly listening in had their jaws dropped. "Bartra Liones? As in Royal Liones INC? Elizabeth you told me that you weren't related to them!" Diane's voice came from behind Ban and Elaine.
"I tend not to talk about my family much, it causes a lot of trouble." Elizabeth's eyes drift down to the floor. "I'm sorry I lied…"
Her eyes lift and look over to her friends and with a sad smile. "I also kind of assumed that Meliodas had told you guys, and that's why you've all been so awkward around me." Elizabeth fidgeted with her hands, trying to smooth out her dress. "I don't know who told him, but he was really upset when he found out I lied to him about it."
Tears started to roll down the girl's cheeks, as she glanced over to the passed-out man on the table. His flask still opened spilling small drops on the blue tablecloth. I sob broke through her chest as she gazed lovingly at the drunken idiot. "I didn't mean to hurt him… my family is just… being a Liones isn't the greatest thing in the world okay!" Elizabeth bursts out in sad-tinged anger.
The look of realization crossed over all her friend's faces at once. Elizabeth thought that Meliodas had left her because she lied about her legacy?
Mael watching his fiancé gaze so affectionately at another man felt the red, hot heat of jealousy creep up his neck. "Elizabeth, I think it's time to leave, darling." He grabbed her arm and pulled her from the room as her sobs increased.
The room became deathly quiet after they left. The girl's friends could almost hear sweat beginning to drip down Zaneri's neck.
"I don't understand, I thought Meliodas said he found out she was lying to get his money?" Diane questioned. "That wouldn't make sense if she's an heiress."
"Yeah, somethings not adding up here." King piped in standing next to the brunette.
A jagged laugh broke through Zaneri's throat. "Well, she the bitch was obviously a liar! I mean she lied about her family's money, who knows what else she lied about? Meliodas is better off without her!"
"But if she wasn't just after his money then the baby must be his! He deserves to know that it's his baby, Zaneri!" Elaine yells at the woman.
"What about my baby? He's supposed to marry me and take care of us! Not her!" Zaneri spites back. "She has Mael and his bank account to take care of her now! She doesn't need Meliodas! But I do! Forget this!"
Zaneri stomped over to the table and shoved Meliodas to the floor. "Get up! We're leaving!" The drunken blonde groaned but pulled himself up off the floor.
"Why are you yelling at me?" He groaned.
"We need to go; your friends are being unreasonable." Zaneri sneered in their direction. "Come on!"
With another shove, the man started stumbling towards the exit, being half dragged by his fiancé.
"Meliodas wait, man—" Ban calls out but is unable to finish his sentence before Zaneri bites back.
"Just leave us alone!" With her last retort, the woman yanks the drunk hanging off her as hard as she can out the door.
"What are we going to do?" Elaine whispers.
"Us? This is their business, not ours. We should stay out of it!" King chastises his sister.
"Stay out of it? Meliodas needs to know!" Ban growls at the shorter man, causing King to step back. "My best friend is depressed and needs my help. You guys can do whatever the fuck you want but I'm doing something." He turns to the pregnant girl holding his arm. "I'm sorry sweetheart I've got to go."
Elaine merely smiles at the taller man and kisses his cheek. "I understand. Do what you have to do."
Satisfied with his girlfriend's response, Ban charges out of the room to find his friend, but he sees that Zaneri made haste and was nowhere to be seen with the blonde.
"Damnit!" Running a hand through his spikey hair he decided that he's going to do whatever it takes to get to the bottom of whatever is going on with his best friend, no matter what it takes.
We're leading up to things coming together. I'm thinking a handful more chapters before things are resolved. I have a few other ideas for more fanfics so once this one finishes, I'll start the next.
What are your guy's thoughts so far? Mael seems to be the sweetest right? And the wedding is coming up fast! Can Elizabeth go through with it?
Reviews make me happy! So please let me know what's on your guy's minds!
Bye!