Untitled As of Yet
By Usabelle
AN: I'm back! It seems that after the last chapter, some people thought the story was over. No, my friends... I still have more to put my poor characters through. I could have left it there, but there are so many things that have gone unexplained and will hopefully tie in nicely in the last two to three chapters. grabs tissues Only a few chapters left! How sad! Well, in the mean time, I'd like to thank everyone for reading and reviewing. Lots of people have given me great suggestions for the title for my story. Unfortunately, I have my story posted on a couple of sites and if I change it for one site, I have to change it for them all so I don't create confusion. The problem is that I'm unable to change the title on some sites, so it looks like it's going to have to stay untitled. :( By the way, if you have time, please leave a review. They make me smile... unless they're mean... and then I cry... Anywho, enjoy Chapter Nine and I'll see you at the end.
Standard Disclaimers Apply.
Chapter Nine
A light breeze fluttered through the thin red and white-checkered tablecloth on the patio where Serena sat with her friends. She'd chosen the quaint little Italian restaurant because she'd assumed that it was the perfect place to break the news to her friends. Not only was the place obscure, but no one would recognize them as well. She was sure that her friends would make a scene when they found out that she'd waited a week to tell them, so she had to take preventative measures. Who could blame her if she wanted a week of peace with her brand-new fiancé before her crazy friends and obtrusive family threw china patterns and gift registries at her nonstop?
She sighed dreamily at the thought of her fiancé. Fiancé. The word sounded so good... and she hadn't even told anyone yet. After the plane ride from hell, they'd decided to let things calm down before telling everyone about their engagement. Poor Darien was ready for intense psychotherapy after the experience and she wasn't sure if she needed it as well. She giggled into her menu as she thought of the look of pure relief on his face when they changed planes and finally said goodbye to the spawn of Satan.
The waiter coughed and brought her out of her reverie. She blushed when she realized that he'd been waiting for her to order and looked over the menu briefly. "Um, sorry... I think I'll have... the fettuccine alfredo," smiling gently at the elderly waiter, she handed him her menu.
As soon as the man walked away, Mina squealed, pointing frantically at the ring on her finger. "Oh my God, Serena! Darien proposed?" Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed Serena's hand, jerking her across the table, "It's huge! You lucky, lucky girl! He has good taste! Where did this happen? Wait, when did you guys get back together? When's the wedding? Can I be maid of honor?"
Raye smacked Mina. "I'm going to be the maid of honor, you moron. You'll be too wasted to even walk down the aisle after her bachelorette party," she deadpanned.
"Well you'll be too fat, Mommy Dearest!" Mina shot back, pointing to Raye's rather pregnant belly. She turned to Serena expectantly. "You are having a bachelorette party, right?"
Amy sighed tiredly, "You do realize that Serena hasn't even explained the ring yet, don't you?"
Serena sat silently, amused by her crazy friends. Suddenly Lita smacked her on the arm. "Well, speak up! We're waiting!"
Sighing, Serena smoothed down the wrinkles in her light sundress. "I don't even know where to begin... Well, we got back together in London. He was at the funeral, but that's a whole different story. He saw me and Allan together, got pissed, and ended up getting absolutely plastered at a bar that we went to. I took him back to the hotel and he told me he's been in love with me since he was eighteen. I told him I loved him too. The end." She sighed happily, resting her chin on her hand.
"So did you sleep with him?" Lita asked bluntly, her dark eyes showing absolutely no shame at the uncouth question.
Serena rolled her eyes and adjusted the napkin on her lap. "Not that it's any of your business," she drawled, "but no, I did not. He's intent on marrying me before we do the dirty."
"Sucks to be you," Lita replied easily, taking a sip of her wine.
"Anyway," Serena glared at her reproachfully, "he didn't actually mean to propose when he did. He told me after a whole lot of coaxing on my part that he bought the ring right before we broke up and was planning to propose the night I dumped him."
This time Mina glared at her reproachfully, "Shame on you for dumping such a sweet man!"
"This comes from the person who encouraged me to get revenge on the man that made my life hell." When Mina shrugged, she shook her head and continued, "As I was saying, for some reason he brought the ring with him to London, I suppose it was just in case we'd reconcile. He proposed on the plane back- another long story- and of course I said yes. We're getting married in two months... Darien likes the weather in November."
All of the girls at the table sat silent for the moment before Raye began crying hysterically. "That... was so... beautiful!" she sobbed. When everyone looked at her in shock, she dried her eyes, glaring at them all the while. "It's the hormones!"
"You're getting married!" Mina squealed in a voice that was horrifyingly close to a pig's. "Do you know what this means?" Everyone looked at her, stupefied. "We're going shopping!"
Three weeks later, Serena stood outside of a bridal shop tapping her foot in frustration. Her fiancé was supposed to have met her fifteen minutes ago. Deciding to waste some time, she pulled out her cell phone and called Raye.
"Hello?" Raye's normally agitated voice seemed strangely elated.
"Raye? Is that you?" Serena asked, bewildered.
"Who the hell would it be?" Yup, it was Raye.
"I'm bored," Serena whined.
"So you called me. I'm flattered," Raye said dryly. "Hey, weren't you supposed to try on wedding gowns today?"
Serena sighed, "Yeah. Darien is fifteen minutes late." Normally she would have been fine with his tardiness but it was slowly becoming a habit. He left dinners with friends, meetings with the wedding planner, even dates with her, claiming to have "emergencies at work." She was sure that Beryl was behind it and it made her sick. How many times had she asked him to apply for a job elsewhere? She shook her head as she glanced down at her watch once again. Sixteen minutes and counting...
"Do you think that everything is okay? It's not like him to be late..." Raye trailed off quietly. She and Chad had become friends with Darien over the past month following their engagement. They'd warmed up to him after a while... well, a long while for her... and they'd been double dating with Darien and Serena ever since. However, she had noticed that he'd been different lately...
"Raye, I have to go, I think I see Darien," Serena exclaimed, "Bye!"
Raye rolled her eyes as her friend hung up on her. Sighing, she remembered when she was in the "honeymoon stage" of her and Chad's relationship. Looking down at her rounded belly, she smiled. "Those were the days, little one. Those were the days..."
Meanwhile, Serena sighed in frustration after she realized that the man she thought was Darien turned out to be an elderly lady. Just as she was ready to call him on her cell phone and cancel, she looked up to find a harried Darien crossing the street. "Darien!" she called, gazing at him worriedly, "Where have you been?"
He looked up distractedly from the pavement, "Am I late?"
She frowned; he was officially more flighty than she was! "Only about fifteen minutes," she drawled sardonically, kissing him on the cheek.
"Oh, sorry," he said in a non-committal tone, following her into the store.
Taking his hand, she turned around to face him. "Are you all right?"
He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Yeah... I just had a tough day at work."
Smiling sympathetically, she walked with him to the front desk, "I'm sorry. You don't have to think about work anymore, ok?" She turned to the saleswoman at the desk. "Hi, I called about trying on some gowns earlier."
The woman shook her hand, "Miss Tsukino?" Serena nodded. "Nice to finally meet you." She looked over at Darien. "You must be the fiancé!" Turning to Serena, she whispered conspiratorially, "You lucky, lucky girl! You got a good one!"
Serena grinned, squeezing Darien's hand and gazing up at him. "I know."
Six dresses later, Serena sat in the fitting room, moping. She hadn't liked a single dress! Furthermore, the only response from Darien was an occasional "It's nice" in between checking his pager and cell phone.
The dissonant sound of a ringing cell phone snapped her out of her pity party. Waddling out of the fitting room in an exceptionally poofy white gown, she found her fiancé talking in a hushed, angry tone on his cell phone. Plopping down in a chair, she waited for him to end his conversation with what seemed to be a business client.
"I can't right now... No I'm busy... Fine...fine... I'll be there in ten minutes. Yes... yes... no problem..." Darien nodded, "Goodbye." Serena glared at him as he guiltily turned off his phone. He walked over to her and kneeled in front of her.
Her eyes narrowed, "You're on my train."
He looked down and removed the tulle from under him, blushing. "Baby," he spoke softly, coaxingly, "I have an-"
"Emergency at work," she finished for him, scowling.
His soft cobalt eyes showed immense guilt as he nodded. "But tell you what... you pick out your favorite dress, on me of course," he handed her his platinum credit card, "and when I'm done I'll come over and we can order dinner?"
She sighed in defeat. "I guess that's okay," she pouted. "But I'm not using your money for the dress," she stated firmly, handing him back the credit card.
He looked at her, bewildered, "My money is there for you to spend it. Why do you think I put in the extra hours?" He tried to hand the card back to her but she refused to take it.
Rolling her eyes, she picked up his cell phone and pager that were left on the chair and put them in his pocket. "I feel like breaking into a chorus of 'My Love Don't Cost A Thing' but I don't think the other shoppers would appreciate it," she said sarcastically. She smirked. "You're going to be late."
Her words set him into action as he frantically gathered his things, kissing her quickly on the lips before jetting out the door.
Serena turned to the saleslady who had watched them in amusement, "Let's try another one."
Fifteen gowns and a few thousand dollars later, Serena walked out of the bridal shop. Deciding to walk the few blocks to her apartment instead of hailing a cab, she strolled down the bustling sidewalk.
As she lazily walked along the strip of high-end stores, an intricately designed wedding cake caught her eye in the window of a bakery and she stopped. Searching in her purse for paper and a pen, she scribbled down the name of the bakery on the paper and shoved it back into her purse, juggling her bags all the while.
Out of nowhere, a red blur slammed into her, sending her bags flying. Her face smacked into the glass with a resounding 'thud.' Looking up to see the rude person who'd knocked her over, she groaned when she recognized who it was: Beryl.
"Oh, is that you, Sienna?" Beryl's artificial face held a look of shock. "I didn't notice you with all of the weight you've gained."
Serena dusted herself off and busied herself with collecting her bags, ignoring the ridiculous insult. "Hello Beryl," she greeted with fake enthusiasm, "Is that a new nose?"
Beryl scowled and looked at Serena's bag, "Doing some shopping for the wedding, darling? I assume Darien will be paying for everything... how could you on your meager salary? That is unless K-Mart comes out with a bridal line."
"I'll have you know that I paid for my gown at one of the most expensive boutiques in this city," she spat. Her face was flushed in anger and she chided herself for getting angry over that worthless piece of trash.
Beryl shook her head in pity, "But darling, you shouldn't spend your life savings on something that isn't going to last."
Taking a deep breath, Serena willed herself not to strangle the arrogant witch. "I suppose it will pain you to learn that Darien and I are very much in love. I assure you that our marriage is going to last."
At this comment Beryl began to laugh hysterically. Once she quieted, the same false-piteous look crossed her face. "What is a marriage without trust?"
Serena's eyes narrowed, "Excuse me?"
Beryl shook her head. "There is so much you don't know about your dear, sweet, noble Darien. Oh, the stories I could tell you! You may want to know about them before you walk down the aisle. He's not the man you think he is."
Serena's jaw tightened before she smiled. "Brilliant attempt to break up the engagement, darling," she clapped for good measure, "but you can't manipulate us anymore."
Beryl's green eyes flashed but she kept a serene smile on her lips. "Suit yourself. But if you ever want to know, give me a call." She walked away for a bit before turning around. "I hope the dress is refundable."
It was dark by the time Serena returned to her apartment. After the confrontation with Beryl, she dropped off her bags and went for a walk to clear her mind. Checking her watch, she realized that her walk had lasted over an hour and that Darien was probably wondering where she was. That is, if he didn't have another 'work emergency.'
She opened the door to her flat expecting to find a dark, empty living room. Instead, she found her fiancé lounging in her loveseat, quickly emptying her candy dish. His socks and shoes were scattered on the floor and she winced at the imprints they made on her clean white carpet. Normally she wouldn't care, but she just cleaned for company; this was a once-in-a-lifetime event for her!
Closing the door quietly, she padded silently to his prone position in the chair, fully intent on scaring the crap out of him. Reaching out from behind him, she grinned evilly. This would teach him to mess up her clean apartment!
"You really should get better candy. I'm surprised you even get company with this crap." Darien's voice sliced through the quiet room and she screeched in shock as she fell backwards at the sudden noise.
"How did you know I was there?" Serena asked, lying awkwardly on the ground.
"I saw your reflection in the mirror," he deadpanned, looking down at his fallen fiancée. "You have way too many mirrors in this place," he commented pensively as she got up, "Do you have some sort of narcissistic disorder that I don't know about?"
For this comment he received a piece of "crappy" candy in the face. "I'll tell you where you can shove that crappy can-"
The doorbell interrupted her and she looked at him questioningly. He smiled and pulled out his wallet, walking to the door, "Since you were late getting home, I took the liberty of ordering Chinese."
She came to the door as well and despite his objections, paid for half of the meal. When she was about to walk away, the delivery boy got her attention. "Does the pretty lady want a fortune cookie? It brings good luck!"
Smiling at the man, she took the cookie from his hand. "Why not? I could use the good luck," she mused, "Thanks."
As soon as the door was closed, Darien pouted.
"What?" she asked amusedly.
"I didn't get a fortune cookie."
She grinned, "That's because you're not a pretty lady." Bringing two of the cartons into the kitchen, she looked at them curiously. "What did you get?" she asked excitedly, just as a hyperactive child would.
Darien shook his head. "You and food... Will I ever be your first priority?" When he received a glare, he grinned. "Cashew chicken for me and shrimp lo mein for you- no carrots, of course."
She hugged him, "So you DO pay attention!"
Serena artfully picked up a long noodle with her chopsticks out of the white carryout box and took a bite. When she noticed that Darien was looking at her in shock, she swallowed and asked, "What? Do I have something in my teeth?"
Darien grinned. "No... I was just wondering how the Queen of Uncoordinated ever managed to use chopsticks so dexterously."
She threw a packet of duck sauce at him and attempted to stare him down. To her chagrin, he caught it easily. "I haven't been klutzy since high school! Get your facts straight, buddy!"
He smiled, taking a bite of his chicken and swallowing. "I know... I'm just amazed with how much you've changed since the days of old."
She gazed at him contemplatively. "You know what's weird about you?"
Glaring into his meal, he looked up and mock-pouted, "I don't think that I want to know."
Putting down her box on the glass coffee table, she grinned easily and persisted. "Well, you're going to hear it. You ask a million questions about me, not that I mind, and whenever I ask anything serious about you or your past, you change the subject. You act all open, but in reality you're a very closed-off person. You only let people see what you want them to. It even took me two weeks to pry your favorite food and color out of you!"
Darien swallowed uncomfortably and slowly put his box down. His eyes fell on her reluctantly. He gave a weak smile. "I'm interested in you, not me. Believe me, I'm boring... uneventful..."
She frowned. "I don't think you're boring." When he began to squirm under her speculative gaze, she grew suspicious. She thought back to her conversation with Beryl. "Are... are you hiding something, Darien?"
His wide eyes flew to her face, "No, why?"
Shrugging, she decided to change the subject. So he didn't like to talk about his past. Big deal. She didn't either. "No reason... You are the dark and mysterious type, remember?" she replied lightly. At his silence she continued, "I guess sometimes I feel like I don't know what makes you... well... you."
After a moment of silence, he picked up his box again. "I see the 'dark and mysterious' thing is working in my favor. You want me," he said with an arrogant grin.
"What I want is to finish my dinner without having to wonder about the mystery that is you," she deadpanned, reaching for her fortune cookie and opening it. Quickly reading the small slip of paper, she froze at the neatly printed words.
'Beware of the person closest to you.'
Darien's face held a look of confusion when he saw Serena freeze after she read her fortune. "What does it say?" he asked, bewildered.
Serena quickly shoved the fortune into her pocket. "Nothing," she replied quickly. Too quickly.
"Liar," he said easily, "I saw numbers on the back."
"Lucky numbers!" she laughed nervously. "Can you imagine a fortune cookie with no fortune but lucky numbers?"
His brow furrowed and he reached for her pocket, "I think you're lying."
She laughed the same nervous laugh as she backed up. "Why would I do that?"
He shrugged. "Maybe it's because it says something like... 'You want to have wild, passionate sex with your fiancé.'"
Rolling her eyes, she jammed the fortune even further into her pocket, trying to be inconspicuous. "Sorry to disappoint you, but no."
"So then what does it say?"
"I have to pee!" she exclaimed, jumping off the couch. She was dying to see what the fortune was about and she couldn't do it in front of him. So, of course the most logical place where he wouldn't follow her would be the bathroom!
"Huh?" he asked confusedly, looking at her strangely.
"I really have to go..." she handed him her food, "Here, enjoy! I'll be back."
His eyes followed her as she all but ran to the bathroom. When the door slammed shut, he shook his head. "I picked a weird one... a good one," he conceded, "but a weird one."
Meanwhile, Serena yanked the fortune out of her back pocket and read it again. Oh, there were numbers on the back all right! A telephone number! Serena sat in the middle of her bathroom, terrified and slightly paranoid. Why would someone give her that? How would they know about her current dilemma? She decided that the only way to find out was to call the number. Luckily, her cell phone was still in her pocket. Taking a breath, she quickly dialed the number.
"Hello?" a grating and somewhat familiar voice answered the phone. Who else could it have been? She smacked herself in the head for her foolishness. Beryl. Of course it was Beryl.
"Why did you send me the fortune cookie, Beryl?"
"Wasn't that a cute little touch? Very 'Nancy Drew Mysteries,' don't you think?"
"What do you want?" Serena asked tiredly.
"For you to be completely informed before your wedding day."
"Go bother someone else," Serena spat, about to hang up the phone.
She could almost see Beryl smiling across the city. "He wouldn't tell you about his past, would he? About what he really does for a living?"
"He's your lawyer, you moron. That's it."
"Oh, he's much more powerful than that, darling," she said smugly. "He's an asset to daddy's company for several reasons... he has quite a colorful past with Vandergrift Inc., you know. But I'm getting ahead of myself... you don't know about that."
Serena stayed silent, doubt beginning to cloud her mind.
"If you'd like to know, and I'm assuming you do, meet me at the restaurant on 24th and Main at noon. And come alone, darling. I don't think you'll want this information to get out to the public."
"Why should I trust you?" Serena asked suspiciously.
"Because I have tapes and papers as proof. Darien is a meticulous documenter of his work. Have a good night's sleep, darling. You'll need it for tomorrow."
Suddenly, Serena heard a click and her nemesis' voice was gone. She groaned. Which was worse: going behind Darien's back to get information or walking down the aisle blindly? She felt like a heel for even calling Beryl. She felt even worse that she was going to meet her.
The next day, Serena wrung her hands under the ornately carved table. She was seated in the far corner of the lavishly decorated restaurant, as per the request of Miss Vandergrift. It was already ten minutes past noon. Trust Beryl to be late the one time she needed to see her. Groaning in frustration, she ordered a glass of wine. If she was going to receive the shock of her life as Beryl had told her, she might as well be wasted for the event.
Just as she was about to leave out of guilt for betraying Darien, the Artificial One made a grand entrance into the expensive restaurant. A purple sequined and feathered number adorned the heiress and Serena shook her head. If she wanted attention, she got it. Every head in the place turned as Beryl made her way to her seat, giggling obnoxiously as the host pushed in her chair.
"Hello darling!" She greeted Serena as if she were a long lost friend. "I do believe that I'm a tad late... fashionably late they say... so I suppose I'm excused..." she mused, opening her menu.
Serena rolled her eyes and looked at the menu as well. Fifty dollars for a steak the size of her fist? That would never happen. She looked for the cheapest item on the menu: a salad. A fifteen dollar salad. Groaning inwardly, she closed the menu and waited in silence until a waiter came and they placed their orders.
When the waiter walked away, Beryl wore a look of contrition on her wildly made-up face. "Silly me, I didn't even think about the prices here! You can't afford these things on your meager budget! How embarrassing!"
Serena's face was taught with anger, yet she managed a calm tone, "Don't worry about it. One overpriced lunch won't kill me." When Beryl laughed at her response, her eyes resembled chips of blue ice as she glared at her. "Let's get down to business, Beryl. I'm not here to chat over lunch. Just tell me what you've been dying to."
Beryl shook her head as she reached into her matching feathered bag and pulled out a thick folder. "No tact, dear... you have absolutely no tact. I suppose it's the way you were raised, though... Poor breeding is one of the saddest-"
"The folder?" Serena cut her off, glaring at her icily.
"Tsk tsk... I need to preface first. Let me see... A long time ago, a brilliant young man came under the watchful eye of my father. He had raw and untapped talent, but he was reckless... unruly... Nevertheless he was a genius in law and business practices. So my generous father took the poor boy under his wing. Daddy gave him the best education money could buy and trained him personally. Eventually the boy came to work for Vandergrift Inc. That boy is your fiancé."
Serena sat in silence. Why wouldn't Darien have told her that? Did he think that she would have looked down on him? She frowned. Something just did not make sense. "Lovely story, Beryl. Now if you'll hand over the folder?"
Beryl shook her head, a conniving grin etched on her face. "So hasty... you won't understand unless I tell the whole story dear. Patience. Now, where was I? Oh yes, my father took Darien under his wing. Here's the thing about being rich: it's hard to get rich, and in the dog-eat-dog world of business, it's hard to stay rich. So my dear father had to resort to some... less than scrupulous methods to secure our wealth."
"What does this have to do with Darien? He's just your lawyer..." Serena trailed off. Somehow she was beginning to doubt that he was just a lawyer.
"Darien has unconventional ways of thinking. He's extremely perceptive... vigilant... and he knows how to get what he wants. These are all excellent qualities that are needed to be one of our employees. You see, Darien found loopholes in the law... ways to cover up indiscretions... all tasks that needed to be completed to ensure the welfare of the company."
"You mean... Darien is a..." Serena couldn't complete the sentence. If it really was true, if he really was a criminal, everything he'd ever said would be a lie.
"Yes, darling. Your brilliant little fiancé is indispensable to Vandergrift Inc. for a reason. He knows all of our secrets. He's even participated in what the judicial system likes to call 'white collar crimes' for the good of the company. What do you think about him now? Will you leave your fiancé now that you know about his criminal activities?"
Serena wanted to cry but she couldn't let Beryl see that. "Why should I? I'm sure I could forgive him... one day..." she replied uncertainly, almost to herself.
Beryl raised a thin red eyebrow. "Maybe not, dear. Think back to Ann's funeral. Weren't you just a teeny bit suspicious that a twenty five year old died of a brain aneurysm?"
"No," Serena said tearfully, "I was too grief-stricken at the time to question it."
"You really are naïve," Beryl commented, referring back to their conversation at the funeral service. "If you'll remember, Ann was an employee at Vandergrift Inc.. She was a smart girl, but too inquisitive for her own good. Somehow poor Ann managed to stumble upon some of our misdeeds while researching for a project. The silly girl was planning to go to the authorities and we simply couldn't let that happen. My family would go to prison for life. So we decided to take care of her. And your dear, sweet, noble Darien allowed me to kill her. He didn't do a thing... he just stood there and watched as I murdered your dear old friend. And then he made sure that it didn't get out. It's amazing what a little money can do to cover something up... along with Darien's genius of course."
Serena shook her head furiously, "It can't be true... he would never do that..."
Beryl smiled arrogantly, "Yes, he would." She handed the heavy folder to Serena. "Here's the proof: written logs, tapes, CD's... it's all there."
Although she could barely see through her unshed tears, Serena briefly looked over the files. Beryl was right. There was all the proof in the world to put away the family for life. She looked up at the triumphant woman. "Why would you tell me this?" she asked confusedly, "I could go to the police with this and they'd arrest you immediately."
"I don't think that you'd want to do that, Serena. Yes, those files contain information that would put my family in prison, but there's a wealth of information about Darien too. He'd be locked up just like the rest of us." Beryl tilted her head to the side, "Do you really want to send your fiancé to prison?"
The tears could not be held at bay any longer as Serena began to cry. Grabbing her purse and the folder, she stood up in her chair and glared at the woman who was crowing with delight. "I hope that one day someone does catch you. I hope you spend the rest of your life rotting away in prison!" she spat, storming out of the restaurant.
Beryl simply shook her head at the comment and watched her rival leave. "Some people are so ungrateful."
Serena blindly ran down the street to her car. Weakly falling into the front seat, she let herself sob freely. After a few moments, she wiped her tears and looked over the files more closely. Everything was in Darien's handwriting. From what she could tell, he was involved in some serious crimes. Reaching for her cell phone, she took a shaky breath. She had to talk to him. She needed to hear an explanation from him. Dialing his number, she wondered what she would say to him. What was she supposed to say? 'Hi Darien! Say, were you involved in any criminal activities the past ten years?' A ringing sound broke her out of her misery. To both her chagrin and relief, his answering machine picked up.
She took another shaky breath before speaking after the beep. "Hi Darien, it's me. We need to talk. Please call me when you get this... or come over... I really need to speak with you." She hung up the phone and sighed when she realized that it was completely obvious that she'd been crying. Starting the car, she headed towards her apartment. An explosion was imminent and she wasn't sure that she'd be able to handle it.
By the time Darien returned Serena's call, it was nearly six o'clock. Apparently he'd been in meetings all day with his phone turned off. She didn't even want to know what kind of meetings they were. When he'd called, he immediately picked up on her distraught tone and insisted upon coming to her apartment right away. She wondered if that kind of perceptiveness was acquired from working under Beryl's father for so many years...
The sound of her doorbell cut through the eerily silent room and she wearily trudged to the door. Slowly opening the door, she leaned against it for support. The sight of him nearly undid her. He was the epitome of perfection; it was almost impossible to believe that he could commit any type of crime.
As soon as Darien caught sight of her disheveled form, he took her in his arms. "My God, Serena, are you okay?" he asked with utmost concern, "Are you sick? You look like hell."
Yes, she imagined that she did look like hell. That was what nearly four hours of crying did to someone. She knew that her eyes were red and puffy and that her hair was unkempt. Somehow she didn't have the heart to care. Leaning into him, she nearly began to cry again when she realized that it could be the last time he held her as an innocent man... the man she always thought he was.
"Serena?" She looked up at him tearfully and said nothing. "You must be sick... you're not talking!" he said with a lopsided grin. When she buried her face in his chest, the grin fell from his face. "Okay, I'm putting you to bed right now."
When he tried to move her in the direction of her room, she shook her head, "No," she said in a paper-thin voice. "I'm not sick."
He looked at her worriedly, "Then what's wrong?"
Suddenly, she began to cry, "You'll hate me..." she mumbled amidst her tears.
Chuckling slightly, he shook his head in disbelief, "I'd never hate you." He tilted her chin up with his pointer finger, "Now tell me what's wrong."
Taking his hand, she led him to her room where she had put his files. Sitting on the bed, she motioned for him to sit as well. Confusedly he did so.
She decided that the best method would be to let him confess before she accused him. Sighing, she stared at his hand entwined with hers as she spoke. "Have you... Have you been totally honest with me during our relationship, Darien?"
He looked at her strangely, "Of course I have! Why would you think otherwise?"
From the defensive tone of his voice, it was evident that bringing Beryl into the conversation would need to be postponed until absolutely necessary. "Why won't you tell me what happened after you dumped me? Why don't you trust me?" she pleaded, watching as his position turned into an angry, defensive one.
She could she the thin wall of ice building over his eyes as he physically and emotionally withdrew from her. "What are you talking about?" he asked icily.
A cold, quiet dread filled her as she realized that her assumptions were correct. Darien never got defensive unless he was in danger. And from the look on his face, he was most certainly in danger of being found out. "In all of the time that we've been together, you've barely opened up to me. I can't help but think that you're hiding something..." she assumed that playing ignorant would be the best way to make him open up.
He glared at her. "Don't be ridiculous," he spat, his eyes moving to the painting above her bed.
She finally grew angry. "Look at me Darien," she commanded, turning his head to face her with two shaking hands, "and promise me that you're hiding nothing. Promise me that I can trust you," she spoke firmly now, intent on getting an answer.
"Now you're just being stupid," he growled, attempting to distract her, "Just like you were when you were fifteen."
Serena had reached her limit. Before she even realized what she was doing, her hand shot out and slapped Darien across the face. "Don't you DARE ever speak to me like that again, Darien Shields! You know I'm smarter than that. Now answer my question: have you lied to me? Have you been hiding something from me?"
Darien reeled back in shock at the force of her slap. His glare persisted, though, "Which one would you like me to answer?" When he realized that she was about to boil over in rage, he ceased his sarcasm. "Fine. No, Serena, I haven't been hiding something from you. Happy now?" he asked in annoyance.
Rigidly, Serena stood up and walked over to her dresser. Opening the top drawer, she pulled out his files. Stiffly walking back to him, she threw the thick folder on the bed. "Then explain this."
"How did you get this?" he picked up the file and stared at it in a mixture of shock and fear.
She smirked, "So you have been hiding something."
He shook his head in denial, "My records... all of them... no one was supposed to see this..." he looked up at her in dread, "You weren't supposed to see this..."
"Why didn't you tell me, Darien? Did you think that I couldn't be trusted?"
Staring up at her, he began to look sick. "You would have left me if I told you."
"How long did you think that you could cover this up? These aren't petty crimes, Darien!" She took out a page from the files, "Look at what you were supposedly involved in! Bank fraud, embezzlement, paying and accepting bribes, insider trading, murder?!?"
He looked away.
"So it's true then? You covered up for Beryl's family all these years?"
"It's not entirely what it looks like," he said weakly.
Frustrated, tired, and disappointed beyond belief, Serena fell onto the bed, "Then explain it to me. Explain to me how you could commit all of these crimes... how you could lie and cheat and steal and not feel remorse... how you could watch Ann die?"
"I can't," he whispered tearfully, avoiding her stricken gaze.
She got up from her dejected position on the bed and looked at him, "How could you keep that from me? I gave you so many chances... and you still couldn't trust me..." she felt hot tears pour down her cheeks and she swiped at them furiously.
He tugged on her hand and she reluctantly looked up at him, only to find his blue eyes staring down at her in remorse and guilt and something else unidentifiable that made her cry even harder. "I wanted to protect you..." he whispered hoarsely.
Her eyes narrowed in fury, "Don't give me that crap!" she raged, ripping her hand from his grasp, "You don't have to lie to me anymore, Darien! It's over! No more pretenses! Tell me why!"
"I can't," he said painfully.
Serena's heart ripped in two at his softly uttered words. How many times had she gone through this with him? How many times did he have to lie to her before she gave up on him? She was done with being the naïve Meatball Headed teenager that ran back into his arms after he broke her heart time and time again. Wrenching the brilliant diamond ring off of her finger, she threw it at Darien who barely caught it in shock. "If we can't trust each other, then we have no business being in a relationship! I can't marry you... I don't even know who you are!"
Darien shook his head and tried to give the ring back to her. When she refused, he spoke in a desperate, hushed tone: "Serena, you don't understand... I can't explain what I've done, but I want to marry you... I love you..." he trailed off with a lost and confused look on his face.
"No you don't..." she cried, pushing his hand offering the ring away. "You can't love someone you don't trust and you obviously don't trust me, Darien. Even after all this, you can't at least tell me why you did it. I can't take this anymore! You've broken me too many times. I'm done," she stated firmly, stalking out of the room to her entryway. Darien blindly followed.
When she opened the door it became clear that she wanted him gone. Darien, however, remained rooted to the spot behind her. "Serena, you don't understand... if you'll just wait... I'll be able to explain it to you..."
She laughed bitterly, "I'm listening."
He ran a hand through his hair in frustration and sighed. "I can't tell you now... but... um... soon..." he stumbled over his words clumsily.
"When, Darien?" she asked impatiently, disbelievingly.
"I don't know," he confessed sorrowfully.
"Then we're done," she whispered in defeat. "Just go. Don't worry... I won't tell anyone."
Darien's eyes began to tear, "No... that's not it! If you could just wait-"
Serena's jaw tightened and she lashed out at him, "I have waited ten years! And now I want you to leave!" her voice went from a sharp hiss to a shout, "Just leave! I don't want to see you ever again!"
The remaining broken pieces of her heart shattered as he walked out the door in defeat. Softly closing the door behind him, she slid to the floor and cried. She finally completed what her head had been telling her to do for years. She'd done the most logical, moral, and probably safest thing possible. Then why did it hurt so much?
END CHAPTER NINE
AN: Don't you just hate me now? I've actually been dropping a few hints here and there in the past few chapters about Darien's past. You're probably very confused right now. Rightfully so. In the next chapter, we'll find out what really happened. I've decided to put flashbacks of Darien's past in the final chapter, so all of your questions will be answered. Chapter Ten is going to be very long, so it may be a while before I get it out. I would make it two chapters, but there's really not a good break-off point. I'm making no promises, but I'll try to get it out as soon as I can. Chapter Ten will also be my last regular chapter. I'm pretty sure that I'll have an epilogue though. I guess that's about it for today. Thank you to the people that read and review my story! I appreciate it!
By Usabelle
AN: I'm back! It seems that after the last chapter, some people thought the story was over. No, my friends... I still have more to put my poor characters through. I could have left it there, but there are so many things that have gone unexplained and will hopefully tie in nicely in the last two to three chapters. grabs tissues Only a few chapters left! How sad! Well, in the mean time, I'd like to thank everyone for reading and reviewing. Lots of people have given me great suggestions for the title for my story. Unfortunately, I have my story posted on a couple of sites and if I change it for one site, I have to change it for them all so I don't create confusion. The problem is that I'm unable to change the title on some sites, so it looks like it's going to have to stay untitled. :( By the way, if you have time, please leave a review. They make me smile... unless they're mean... and then I cry... Anywho, enjoy Chapter Nine and I'll see you at the end.
Standard Disclaimers Apply.
Chapter Nine
A light breeze fluttered through the thin red and white-checkered tablecloth on the patio where Serena sat with her friends. She'd chosen the quaint little Italian restaurant because she'd assumed that it was the perfect place to break the news to her friends. Not only was the place obscure, but no one would recognize them as well. She was sure that her friends would make a scene when they found out that she'd waited a week to tell them, so she had to take preventative measures. Who could blame her if she wanted a week of peace with her brand-new fiancé before her crazy friends and obtrusive family threw china patterns and gift registries at her nonstop?
She sighed dreamily at the thought of her fiancé. Fiancé. The word sounded so good... and she hadn't even told anyone yet. After the plane ride from hell, they'd decided to let things calm down before telling everyone about their engagement. Poor Darien was ready for intense psychotherapy after the experience and she wasn't sure if she needed it as well. She giggled into her menu as she thought of the look of pure relief on his face when they changed planes and finally said goodbye to the spawn of Satan.
The waiter coughed and brought her out of her reverie. She blushed when she realized that he'd been waiting for her to order and looked over the menu briefly. "Um, sorry... I think I'll have... the fettuccine alfredo," smiling gently at the elderly waiter, she handed him her menu.
As soon as the man walked away, Mina squealed, pointing frantically at the ring on her finger. "Oh my God, Serena! Darien proposed?" Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed Serena's hand, jerking her across the table, "It's huge! You lucky, lucky girl! He has good taste! Where did this happen? Wait, when did you guys get back together? When's the wedding? Can I be maid of honor?"
Raye smacked Mina. "I'm going to be the maid of honor, you moron. You'll be too wasted to even walk down the aisle after her bachelorette party," she deadpanned.
"Well you'll be too fat, Mommy Dearest!" Mina shot back, pointing to Raye's rather pregnant belly. She turned to Serena expectantly. "You are having a bachelorette party, right?"
Amy sighed tiredly, "You do realize that Serena hasn't even explained the ring yet, don't you?"
Serena sat silently, amused by her crazy friends. Suddenly Lita smacked her on the arm. "Well, speak up! We're waiting!"
Sighing, Serena smoothed down the wrinkles in her light sundress. "I don't even know where to begin... Well, we got back together in London. He was at the funeral, but that's a whole different story. He saw me and Allan together, got pissed, and ended up getting absolutely plastered at a bar that we went to. I took him back to the hotel and he told me he's been in love with me since he was eighteen. I told him I loved him too. The end." She sighed happily, resting her chin on her hand.
"So did you sleep with him?" Lita asked bluntly, her dark eyes showing absolutely no shame at the uncouth question.
Serena rolled her eyes and adjusted the napkin on her lap. "Not that it's any of your business," she drawled, "but no, I did not. He's intent on marrying me before we do the dirty."
"Sucks to be you," Lita replied easily, taking a sip of her wine.
"Anyway," Serena glared at her reproachfully, "he didn't actually mean to propose when he did. He told me after a whole lot of coaxing on my part that he bought the ring right before we broke up and was planning to propose the night I dumped him."
This time Mina glared at her reproachfully, "Shame on you for dumping such a sweet man!"
"This comes from the person who encouraged me to get revenge on the man that made my life hell." When Mina shrugged, she shook her head and continued, "As I was saying, for some reason he brought the ring with him to London, I suppose it was just in case we'd reconcile. He proposed on the plane back- another long story- and of course I said yes. We're getting married in two months... Darien likes the weather in November."
All of the girls at the table sat silent for the moment before Raye began crying hysterically. "That... was so... beautiful!" she sobbed. When everyone looked at her in shock, she dried her eyes, glaring at them all the while. "It's the hormones!"
"You're getting married!" Mina squealed in a voice that was horrifyingly close to a pig's. "Do you know what this means?" Everyone looked at her, stupefied. "We're going shopping!"
Three weeks later, Serena stood outside of a bridal shop tapping her foot in frustration. Her fiancé was supposed to have met her fifteen minutes ago. Deciding to waste some time, she pulled out her cell phone and called Raye.
"Hello?" Raye's normally agitated voice seemed strangely elated.
"Raye? Is that you?" Serena asked, bewildered.
"Who the hell would it be?" Yup, it was Raye.
"I'm bored," Serena whined.
"So you called me. I'm flattered," Raye said dryly. "Hey, weren't you supposed to try on wedding gowns today?"
Serena sighed, "Yeah. Darien is fifteen minutes late." Normally she would have been fine with his tardiness but it was slowly becoming a habit. He left dinners with friends, meetings with the wedding planner, even dates with her, claiming to have "emergencies at work." She was sure that Beryl was behind it and it made her sick. How many times had she asked him to apply for a job elsewhere? She shook her head as she glanced down at her watch once again. Sixteen minutes and counting...
"Do you think that everything is okay? It's not like him to be late..." Raye trailed off quietly. She and Chad had become friends with Darien over the past month following their engagement. They'd warmed up to him after a while... well, a long while for her... and they'd been double dating with Darien and Serena ever since. However, she had noticed that he'd been different lately...
"Raye, I have to go, I think I see Darien," Serena exclaimed, "Bye!"
Raye rolled her eyes as her friend hung up on her. Sighing, she remembered when she was in the "honeymoon stage" of her and Chad's relationship. Looking down at her rounded belly, she smiled. "Those were the days, little one. Those were the days..."
Meanwhile, Serena sighed in frustration after she realized that the man she thought was Darien turned out to be an elderly lady. Just as she was ready to call him on her cell phone and cancel, she looked up to find a harried Darien crossing the street. "Darien!" she called, gazing at him worriedly, "Where have you been?"
He looked up distractedly from the pavement, "Am I late?"
She frowned; he was officially more flighty than she was! "Only about fifteen minutes," she drawled sardonically, kissing him on the cheek.
"Oh, sorry," he said in a non-committal tone, following her into the store.
Taking his hand, she turned around to face him. "Are you all right?"
He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Yeah... I just had a tough day at work."
Smiling sympathetically, she walked with him to the front desk, "I'm sorry. You don't have to think about work anymore, ok?" She turned to the saleswoman at the desk. "Hi, I called about trying on some gowns earlier."
The woman shook her hand, "Miss Tsukino?" Serena nodded. "Nice to finally meet you." She looked over at Darien. "You must be the fiancé!" Turning to Serena, she whispered conspiratorially, "You lucky, lucky girl! You got a good one!"
Serena grinned, squeezing Darien's hand and gazing up at him. "I know."
Six dresses later, Serena sat in the fitting room, moping. She hadn't liked a single dress! Furthermore, the only response from Darien was an occasional "It's nice" in between checking his pager and cell phone.
The dissonant sound of a ringing cell phone snapped her out of her pity party. Waddling out of the fitting room in an exceptionally poofy white gown, she found her fiancé talking in a hushed, angry tone on his cell phone. Plopping down in a chair, she waited for him to end his conversation with what seemed to be a business client.
"I can't right now... No I'm busy... Fine...fine... I'll be there in ten minutes. Yes... yes... no problem..." Darien nodded, "Goodbye." Serena glared at him as he guiltily turned off his phone. He walked over to her and kneeled in front of her.
Her eyes narrowed, "You're on my train."
He looked down and removed the tulle from under him, blushing. "Baby," he spoke softly, coaxingly, "I have an-"
"Emergency at work," she finished for him, scowling.
His soft cobalt eyes showed immense guilt as he nodded. "But tell you what... you pick out your favorite dress, on me of course," he handed her his platinum credit card, "and when I'm done I'll come over and we can order dinner?"
She sighed in defeat. "I guess that's okay," she pouted. "But I'm not using your money for the dress," she stated firmly, handing him back the credit card.
He looked at her, bewildered, "My money is there for you to spend it. Why do you think I put in the extra hours?" He tried to hand the card back to her but she refused to take it.
Rolling her eyes, she picked up his cell phone and pager that were left on the chair and put them in his pocket. "I feel like breaking into a chorus of 'My Love Don't Cost A Thing' but I don't think the other shoppers would appreciate it," she said sarcastically. She smirked. "You're going to be late."
Her words set him into action as he frantically gathered his things, kissing her quickly on the lips before jetting out the door.
Serena turned to the saleslady who had watched them in amusement, "Let's try another one."
Fifteen gowns and a few thousand dollars later, Serena walked out of the bridal shop. Deciding to walk the few blocks to her apartment instead of hailing a cab, she strolled down the bustling sidewalk.
As she lazily walked along the strip of high-end stores, an intricately designed wedding cake caught her eye in the window of a bakery and she stopped. Searching in her purse for paper and a pen, she scribbled down the name of the bakery on the paper and shoved it back into her purse, juggling her bags all the while.
Out of nowhere, a red blur slammed into her, sending her bags flying. Her face smacked into the glass with a resounding 'thud.' Looking up to see the rude person who'd knocked her over, she groaned when she recognized who it was: Beryl.
"Oh, is that you, Sienna?" Beryl's artificial face held a look of shock. "I didn't notice you with all of the weight you've gained."
Serena dusted herself off and busied herself with collecting her bags, ignoring the ridiculous insult. "Hello Beryl," she greeted with fake enthusiasm, "Is that a new nose?"
Beryl scowled and looked at Serena's bag, "Doing some shopping for the wedding, darling? I assume Darien will be paying for everything... how could you on your meager salary? That is unless K-Mart comes out with a bridal line."
"I'll have you know that I paid for my gown at one of the most expensive boutiques in this city," she spat. Her face was flushed in anger and she chided herself for getting angry over that worthless piece of trash.
Beryl shook her head in pity, "But darling, you shouldn't spend your life savings on something that isn't going to last."
Taking a deep breath, Serena willed herself not to strangle the arrogant witch. "I suppose it will pain you to learn that Darien and I are very much in love. I assure you that our marriage is going to last."
At this comment Beryl began to laugh hysterically. Once she quieted, the same false-piteous look crossed her face. "What is a marriage without trust?"
Serena's eyes narrowed, "Excuse me?"
Beryl shook her head. "There is so much you don't know about your dear, sweet, noble Darien. Oh, the stories I could tell you! You may want to know about them before you walk down the aisle. He's not the man you think he is."
Serena's jaw tightened before she smiled. "Brilliant attempt to break up the engagement, darling," she clapped for good measure, "but you can't manipulate us anymore."
Beryl's green eyes flashed but she kept a serene smile on her lips. "Suit yourself. But if you ever want to know, give me a call." She walked away for a bit before turning around. "I hope the dress is refundable."
It was dark by the time Serena returned to her apartment. After the confrontation with Beryl, she dropped off her bags and went for a walk to clear her mind. Checking her watch, she realized that her walk had lasted over an hour and that Darien was probably wondering where she was. That is, if he didn't have another 'work emergency.'
She opened the door to her flat expecting to find a dark, empty living room. Instead, she found her fiancé lounging in her loveseat, quickly emptying her candy dish. His socks and shoes were scattered on the floor and she winced at the imprints they made on her clean white carpet. Normally she wouldn't care, but she just cleaned for company; this was a once-in-a-lifetime event for her!
Closing the door quietly, she padded silently to his prone position in the chair, fully intent on scaring the crap out of him. Reaching out from behind him, she grinned evilly. This would teach him to mess up her clean apartment!
"You really should get better candy. I'm surprised you even get company with this crap." Darien's voice sliced through the quiet room and she screeched in shock as she fell backwards at the sudden noise.
"How did you know I was there?" Serena asked, lying awkwardly on the ground.
"I saw your reflection in the mirror," he deadpanned, looking down at his fallen fiancée. "You have way too many mirrors in this place," he commented pensively as she got up, "Do you have some sort of narcissistic disorder that I don't know about?"
For this comment he received a piece of "crappy" candy in the face. "I'll tell you where you can shove that crappy can-"
The doorbell interrupted her and she looked at him questioningly. He smiled and pulled out his wallet, walking to the door, "Since you were late getting home, I took the liberty of ordering Chinese."
She came to the door as well and despite his objections, paid for half of the meal. When she was about to walk away, the delivery boy got her attention. "Does the pretty lady want a fortune cookie? It brings good luck!"
Smiling at the man, she took the cookie from his hand. "Why not? I could use the good luck," she mused, "Thanks."
As soon as the door was closed, Darien pouted.
"What?" she asked amusedly.
"I didn't get a fortune cookie."
She grinned, "That's because you're not a pretty lady." Bringing two of the cartons into the kitchen, she looked at them curiously. "What did you get?" she asked excitedly, just as a hyperactive child would.
Darien shook his head. "You and food... Will I ever be your first priority?" When he received a glare, he grinned. "Cashew chicken for me and shrimp lo mein for you- no carrots, of course."
She hugged him, "So you DO pay attention!"
Serena artfully picked up a long noodle with her chopsticks out of the white carryout box and took a bite. When she noticed that Darien was looking at her in shock, she swallowed and asked, "What? Do I have something in my teeth?"
Darien grinned. "No... I was just wondering how the Queen of Uncoordinated ever managed to use chopsticks so dexterously."
She threw a packet of duck sauce at him and attempted to stare him down. To her chagrin, he caught it easily. "I haven't been klutzy since high school! Get your facts straight, buddy!"
He smiled, taking a bite of his chicken and swallowing. "I know... I'm just amazed with how much you've changed since the days of old."
She gazed at him contemplatively. "You know what's weird about you?"
Glaring into his meal, he looked up and mock-pouted, "I don't think that I want to know."
Putting down her box on the glass coffee table, she grinned easily and persisted. "Well, you're going to hear it. You ask a million questions about me, not that I mind, and whenever I ask anything serious about you or your past, you change the subject. You act all open, but in reality you're a very closed-off person. You only let people see what you want them to. It even took me two weeks to pry your favorite food and color out of you!"
Darien swallowed uncomfortably and slowly put his box down. His eyes fell on her reluctantly. He gave a weak smile. "I'm interested in you, not me. Believe me, I'm boring... uneventful..."
She frowned. "I don't think you're boring." When he began to squirm under her speculative gaze, she grew suspicious. She thought back to her conversation with Beryl. "Are... are you hiding something, Darien?"
His wide eyes flew to her face, "No, why?"
Shrugging, she decided to change the subject. So he didn't like to talk about his past. Big deal. She didn't either. "No reason... You are the dark and mysterious type, remember?" she replied lightly. At his silence she continued, "I guess sometimes I feel like I don't know what makes you... well... you."
After a moment of silence, he picked up his box again. "I see the 'dark and mysterious' thing is working in my favor. You want me," he said with an arrogant grin.
"What I want is to finish my dinner without having to wonder about the mystery that is you," she deadpanned, reaching for her fortune cookie and opening it. Quickly reading the small slip of paper, she froze at the neatly printed words.
'Beware of the person closest to you.'
Darien's face held a look of confusion when he saw Serena freeze after she read her fortune. "What does it say?" he asked, bewildered.
Serena quickly shoved the fortune into her pocket. "Nothing," she replied quickly. Too quickly.
"Liar," he said easily, "I saw numbers on the back."
"Lucky numbers!" she laughed nervously. "Can you imagine a fortune cookie with no fortune but lucky numbers?"
His brow furrowed and he reached for her pocket, "I think you're lying."
She laughed the same nervous laugh as she backed up. "Why would I do that?"
He shrugged. "Maybe it's because it says something like... 'You want to have wild, passionate sex with your fiancé.'"
Rolling her eyes, she jammed the fortune even further into her pocket, trying to be inconspicuous. "Sorry to disappoint you, but no."
"So then what does it say?"
"I have to pee!" she exclaimed, jumping off the couch. She was dying to see what the fortune was about and she couldn't do it in front of him. So, of course the most logical place where he wouldn't follow her would be the bathroom!
"Huh?" he asked confusedly, looking at her strangely.
"I really have to go..." she handed him her food, "Here, enjoy! I'll be back."
His eyes followed her as she all but ran to the bathroom. When the door slammed shut, he shook his head. "I picked a weird one... a good one," he conceded, "but a weird one."
Meanwhile, Serena yanked the fortune out of her back pocket and read it again. Oh, there were numbers on the back all right! A telephone number! Serena sat in the middle of her bathroom, terrified and slightly paranoid. Why would someone give her that? How would they know about her current dilemma? She decided that the only way to find out was to call the number. Luckily, her cell phone was still in her pocket. Taking a breath, she quickly dialed the number.
"Hello?" a grating and somewhat familiar voice answered the phone. Who else could it have been? She smacked herself in the head for her foolishness. Beryl. Of course it was Beryl.
"Why did you send me the fortune cookie, Beryl?"
"Wasn't that a cute little touch? Very 'Nancy Drew Mysteries,' don't you think?"
"What do you want?" Serena asked tiredly.
"For you to be completely informed before your wedding day."
"Go bother someone else," Serena spat, about to hang up the phone.
She could almost see Beryl smiling across the city. "He wouldn't tell you about his past, would he? About what he really does for a living?"
"He's your lawyer, you moron. That's it."
"Oh, he's much more powerful than that, darling," she said smugly. "He's an asset to daddy's company for several reasons... he has quite a colorful past with Vandergrift Inc., you know. But I'm getting ahead of myself... you don't know about that."
Serena stayed silent, doubt beginning to cloud her mind.
"If you'd like to know, and I'm assuming you do, meet me at the restaurant on 24th and Main at noon. And come alone, darling. I don't think you'll want this information to get out to the public."
"Why should I trust you?" Serena asked suspiciously.
"Because I have tapes and papers as proof. Darien is a meticulous documenter of his work. Have a good night's sleep, darling. You'll need it for tomorrow."
Suddenly, Serena heard a click and her nemesis' voice was gone. She groaned. Which was worse: going behind Darien's back to get information or walking down the aisle blindly? She felt like a heel for even calling Beryl. She felt even worse that she was going to meet her.
The next day, Serena wrung her hands under the ornately carved table. She was seated in the far corner of the lavishly decorated restaurant, as per the request of Miss Vandergrift. It was already ten minutes past noon. Trust Beryl to be late the one time she needed to see her. Groaning in frustration, she ordered a glass of wine. If she was going to receive the shock of her life as Beryl had told her, she might as well be wasted for the event.
Just as she was about to leave out of guilt for betraying Darien, the Artificial One made a grand entrance into the expensive restaurant. A purple sequined and feathered number adorned the heiress and Serena shook her head. If she wanted attention, she got it. Every head in the place turned as Beryl made her way to her seat, giggling obnoxiously as the host pushed in her chair.
"Hello darling!" She greeted Serena as if she were a long lost friend. "I do believe that I'm a tad late... fashionably late they say... so I suppose I'm excused..." she mused, opening her menu.
Serena rolled her eyes and looked at the menu as well. Fifty dollars for a steak the size of her fist? That would never happen. She looked for the cheapest item on the menu: a salad. A fifteen dollar salad. Groaning inwardly, she closed the menu and waited in silence until a waiter came and they placed their orders.
When the waiter walked away, Beryl wore a look of contrition on her wildly made-up face. "Silly me, I didn't even think about the prices here! You can't afford these things on your meager budget! How embarrassing!"
Serena's face was taught with anger, yet she managed a calm tone, "Don't worry about it. One overpriced lunch won't kill me." When Beryl laughed at her response, her eyes resembled chips of blue ice as she glared at her. "Let's get down to business, Beryl. I'm not here to chat over lunch. Just tell me what you've been dying to."
Beryl shook her head as she reached into her matching feathered bag and pulled out a thick folder. "No tact, dear... you have absolutely no tact. I suppose it's the way you were raised, though... Poor breeding is one of the saddest-"
"The folder?" Serena cut her off, glaring at her icily.
"Tsk tsk... I need to preface first. Let me see... A long time ago, a brilliant young man came under the watchful eye of my father. He had raw and untapped talent, but he was reckless... unruly... Nevertheless he was a genius in law and business practices. So my generous father took the poor boy under his wing. Daddy gave him the best education money could buy and trained him personally. Eventually the boy came to work for Vandergrift Inc. That boy is your fiancé."
Serena sat in silence. Why wouldn't Darien have told her that? Did he think that she would have looked down on him? She frowned. Something just did not make sense. "Lovely story, Beryl. Now if you'll hand over the folder?"
Beryl shook her head, a conniving grin etched on her face. "So hasty... you won't understand unless I tell the whole story dear. Patience. Now, where was I? Oh yes, my father took Darien under his wing. Here's the thing about being rich: it's hard to get rich, and in the dog-eat-dog world of business, it's hard to stay rich. So my dear father had to resort to some... less than scrupulous methods to secure our wealth."
"What does this have to do with Darien? He's just your lawyer..." Serena trailed off. Somehow she was beginning to doubt that he was just a lawyer.
"Darien has unconventional ways of thinking. He's extremely perceptive... vigilant... and he knows how to get what he wants. These are all excellent qualities that are needed to be one of our employees. You see, Darien found loopholes in the law... ways to cover up indiscretions... all tasks that needed to be completed to ensure the welfare of the company."
"You mean... Darien is a..." Serena couldn't complete the sentence. If it really was true, if he really was a criminal, everything he'd ever said would be a lie.
"Yes, darling. Your brilliant little fiancé is indispensable to Vandergrift Inc. for a reason. He knows all of our secrets. He's even participated in what the judicial system likes to call 'white collar crimes' for the good of the company. What do you think about him now? Will you leave your fiancé now that you know about his criminal activities?"
Serena wanted to cry but she couldn't let Beryl see that. "Why should I? I'm sure I could forgive him... one day..." she replied uncertainly, almost to herself.
Beryl raised a thin red eyebrow. "Maybe not, dear. Think back to Ann's funeral. Weren't you just a teeny bit suspicious that a twenty five year old died of a brain aneurysm?"
"No," Serena said tearfully, "I was too grief-stricken at the time to question it."
"You really are naïve," Beryl commented, referring back to their conversation at the funeral service. "If you'll remember, Ann was an employee at Vandergrift Inc.. She was a smart girl, but too inquisitive for her own good. Somehow poor Ann managed to stumble upon some of our misdeeds while researching for a project. The silly girl was planning to go to the authorities and we simply couldn't let that happen. My family would go to prison for life. So we decided to take care of her. And your dear, sweet, noble Darien allowed me to kill her. He didn't do a thing... he just stood there and watched as I murdered your dear old friend. And then he made sure that it didn't get out. It's amazing what a little money can do to cover something up... along with Darien's genius of course."
Serena shook her head furiously, "It can't be true... he would never do that..."
Beryl smiled arrogantly, "Yes, he would." She handed the heavy folder to Serena. "Here's the proof: written logs, tapes, CD's... it's all there."
Although she could barely see through her unshed tears, Serena briefly looked over the files. Beryl was right. There was all the proof in the world to put away the family for life. She looked up at the triumphant woman. "Why would you tell me this?" she asked confusedly, "I could go to the police with this and they'd arrest you immediately."
"I don't think that you'd want to do that, Serena. Yes, those files contain information that would put my family in prison, but there's a wealth of information about Darien too. He'd be locked up just like the rest of us." Beryl tilted her head to the side, "Do you really want to send your fiancé to prison?"
The tears could not be held at bay any longer as Serena began to cry. Grabbing her purse and the folder, she stood up in her chair and glared at the woman who was crowing with delight. "I hope that one day someone does catch you. I hope you spend the rest of your life rotting away in prison!" she spat, storming out of the restaurant.
Beryl simply shook her head at the comment and watched her rival leave. "Some people are so ungrateful."
Serena blindly ran down the street to her car. Weakly falling into the front seat, she let herself sob freely. After a few moments, she wiped her tears and looked over the files more closely. Everything was in Darien's handwriting. From what she could tell, he was involved in some serious crimes. Reaching for her cell phone, she took a shaky breath. She had to talk to him. She needed to hear an explanation from him. Dialing his number, she wondered what she would say to him. What was she supposed to say? 'Hi Darien! Say, were you involved in any criminal activities the past ten years?' A ringing sound broke her out of her misery. To both her chagrin and relief, his answering machine picked up.
She took another shaky breath before speaking after the beep. "Hi Darien, it's me. We need to talk. Please call me when you get this... or come over... I really need to speak with you." She hung up the phone and sighed when she realized that it was completely obvious that she'd been crying. Starting the car, she headed towards her apartment. An explosion was imminent and she wasn't sure that she'd be able to handle it.
By the time Darien returned Serena's call, it was nearly six o'clock. Apparently he'd been in meetings all day with his phone turned off. She didn't even want to know what kind of meetings they were. When he'd called, he immediately picked up on her distraught tone and insisted upon coming to her apartment right away. She wondered if that kind of perceptiveness was acquired from working under Beryl's father for so many years...
The sound of her doorbell cut through the eerily silent room and she wearily trudged to the door. Slowly opening the door, she leaned against it for support. The sight of him nearly undid her. He was the epitome of perfection; it was almost impossible to believe that he could commit any type of crime.
As soon as Darien caught sight of her disheveled form, he took her in his arms. "My God, Serena, are you okay?" he asked with utmost concern, "Are you sick? You look like hell."
Yes, she imagined that she did look like hell. That was what nearly four hours of crying did to someone. She knew that her eyes were red and puffy and that her hair was unkempt. Somehow she didn't have the heart to care. Leaning into him, she nearly began to cry again when she realized that it could be the last time he held her as an innocent man... the man she always thought he was.
"Serena?" She looked up at him tearfully and said nothing. "You must be sick... you're not talking!" he said with a lopsided grin. When she buried her face in his chest, the grin fell from his face. "Okay, I'm putting you to bed right now."
When he tried to move her in the direction of her room, she shook her head, "No," she said in a paper-thin voice. "I'm not sick."
He looked at her worriedly, "Then what's wrong?"
Suddenly, she began to cry, "You'll hate me..." she mumbled amidst her tears.
Chuckling slightly, he shook his head in disbelief, "I'd never hate you." He tilted her chin up with his pointer finger, "Now tell me what's wrong."
Taking his hand, she led him to her room where she had put his files. Sitting on the bed, she motioned for him to sit as well. Confusedly he did so.
She decided that the best method would be to let him confess before she accused him. Sighing, she stared at his hand entwined with hers as she spoke. "Have you... Have you been totally honest with me during our relationship, Darien?"
He looked at her strangely, "Of course I have! Why would you think otherwise?"
From the defensive tone of his voice, it was evident that bringing Beryl into the conversation would need to be postponed until absolutely necessary. "Why won't you tell me what happened after you dumped me? Why don't you trust me?" she pleaded, watching as his position turned into an angry, defensive one.
She could she the thin wall of ice building over his eyes as he physically and emotionally withdrew from her. "What are you talking about?" he asked icily.
A cold, quiet dread filled her as she realized that her assumptions were correct. Darien never got defensive unless he was in danger. And from the look on his face, he was most certainly in danger of being found out. "In all of the time that we've been together, you've barely opened up to me. I can't help but think that you're hiding something..." she assumed that playing ignorant would be the best way to make him open up.
He glared at her. "Don't be ridiculous," he spat, his eyes moving to the painting above her bed.
She finally grew angry. "Look at me Darien," she commanded, turning his head to face her with two shaking hands, "and promise me that you're hiding nothing. Promise me that I can trust you," she spoke firmly now, intent on getting an answer.
"Now you're just being stupid," he growled, attempting to distract her, "Just like you were when you were fifteen."
Serena had reached her limit. Before she even realized what she was doing, her hand shot out and slapped Darien across the face. "Don't you DARE ever speak to me like that again, Darien Shields! You know I'm smarter than that. Now answer my question: have you lied to me? Have you been hiding something from me?"
Darien reeled back in shock at the force of her slap. His glare persisted, though, "Which one would you like me to answer?" When he realized that she was about to boil over in rage, he ceased his sarcasm. "Fine. No, Serena, I haven't been hiding something from you. Happy now?" he asked in annoyance.
Rigidly, Serena stood up and walked over to her dresser. Opening the top drawer, she pulled out his files. Stiffly walking back to him, she threw the thick folder on the bed. "Then explain this."
"How did you get this?" he picked up the file and stared at it in a mixture of shock and fear.
She smirked, "So you have been hiding something."
He shook his head in denial, "My records... all of them... no one was supposed to see this..." he looked up at her in dread, "You weren't supposed to see this..."
"Why didn't you tell me, Darien? Did you think that I couldn't be trusted?"
Staring up at her, he began to look sick. "You would have left me if I told you."
"How long did you think that you could cover this up? These aren't petty crimes, Darien!" She took out a page from the files, "Look at what you were supposedly involved in! Bank fraud, embezzlement, paying and accepting bribes, insider trading, murder?!?"
He looked away.
"So it's true then? You covered up for Beryl's family all these years?"
"It's not entirely what it looks like," he said weakly.
Frustrated, tired, and disappointed beyond belief, Serena fell onto the bed, "Then explain it to me. Explain to me how you could commit all of these crimes... how you could lie and cheat and steal and not feel remorse... how you could watch Ann die?"
"I can't," he whispered tearfully, avoiding her stricken gaze.
She got up from her dejected position on the bed and looked at him, "How could you keep that from me? I gave you so many chances... and you still couldn't trust me..." she felt hot tears pour down her cheeks and she swiped at them furiously.
He tugged on her hand and she reluctantly looked up at him, only to find his blue eyes staring down at her in remorse and guilt and something else unidentifiable that made her cry even harder. "I wanted to protect you..." he whispered hoarsely.
Her eyes narrowed in fury, "Don't give me that crap!" she raged, ripping her hand from his grasp, "You don't have to lie to me anymore, Darien! It's over! No more pretenses! Tell me why!"
"I can't," he said painfully.
Serena's heart ripped in two at his softly uttered words. How many times had she gone through this with him? How many times did he have to lie to her before she gave up on him? She was done with being the naïve Meatball Headed teenager that ran back into his arms after he broke her heart time and time again. Wrenching the brilliant diamond ring off of her finger, she threw it at Darien who barely caught it in shock. "If we can't trust each other, then we have no business being in a relationship! I can't marry you... I don't even know who you are!"
Darien shook his head and tried to give the ring back to her. When she refused, he spoke in a desperate, hushed tone: "Serena, you don't understand... I can't explain what I've done, but I want to marry you... I love you..." he trailed off with a lost and confused look on his face.
"No you don't..." she cried, pushing his hand offering the ring away. "You can't love someone you don't trust and you obviously don't trust me, Darien. Even after all this, you can't at least tell me why you did it. I can't take this anymore! You've broken me too many times. I'm done," she stated firmly, stalking out of the room to her entryway. Darien blindly followed.
When she opened the door it became clear that she wanted him gone. Darien, however, remained rooted to the spot behind her. "Serena, you don't understand... if you'll just wait... I'll be able to explain it to you..."
She laughed bitterly, "I'm listening."
He ran a hand through his hair in frustration and sighed. "I can't tell you now... but... um... soon..." he stumbled over his words clumsily.
"When, Darien?" she asked impatiently, disbelievingly.
"I don't know," he confessed sorrowfully.
"Then we're done," she whispered in defeat. "Just go. Don't worry... I won't tell anyone."
Darien's eyes began to tear, "No... that's not it! If you could just wait-"
Serena's jaw tightened and she lashed out at him, "I have waited ten years! And now I want you to leave!" her voice went from a sharp hiss to a shout, "Just leave! I don't want to see you ever again!"
The remaining broken pieces of her heart shattered as he walked out the door in defeat. Softly closing the door behind him, she slid to the floor and cried. She finally completed what her head had been telling her to do for years. She'd done the most logical, moral, and probably safest thing possible. Then why did it hurt so much?
END CHAPTER NINE
AN: Don't you just hate me now? I've actually been dropping a few hints here and there in the past few chapters about Darien's past. You're probably very confused right now. Rightfully so. In the next chapter, we'll find out what really happened. I've decided to put flashbacks of Darien's past in the final chapter, so all of your questions will be answered. Chapter Ten is going to be very long, so it may be a while before I get it out. I would make it two chapters, but there's really not a good break-off point. I'm making no promises, but I'll try to get it out as soon as I can. Chapter Ten will also be my last regular chapter. I'm pretty sure that I'll have an epilogue though. I guess that's about it for today. Thank you to the people that read and review my story! I appreciate it!