The convenient marriage - Chapter 38: Chapter 38

Fifteen years in the past
It was a clear beautiful and quiet spring day, when out of the blue the sternest man of the Langdon clan, the leader of the main family, released a peculiar request... to say the least.
The old master invited the families that made up the branches of the Langdon clan to a party held at the mansion of the main family. One would think that generally it was not that strange to receive an invitation to a family gathering from the leader's clan, but they would be absolutely wrong.
Since the daughter of the old master had disappeared one day ten years earlier, the old master had buried himself in his businesses, not wanting to participate in absolutely anything even remotely festive like. He had occupied himself with as much work as possible, that one would not be able to see him, unless it was work related.
For ten years, most of his closer related relatives, or more distant related alike, could count using the fingers on only one hand the number of times they had met the old master, with some not encountering him at all during this time.
So not only to receive an invitation to visit the main mansion, but to also participate to a party... they could only wonder what had brought about such a decision from the man.
They could only speculate the reason, as the invitation had not specified it particularly, making the matter even stranger. Did it have something to do with Eliza Langdon, the missing daughter? Had she returned?
The apple of the eyes of the old master, and the only heiress of the main line had vanished into thin air without anyone knowing the smallest of news of her disappearance. The only one who certainly knew the exact reason was the old master who seemed even sterner without his daughter as each day passed. But of course no one could ask him what exactly happened.
They valued too much the connection to the main house, to anger the old master. Though of course rumors between them, far from the man's ears and eyes, still existed. To leave like she had, it was surely because of an argument with her father.
Otherwise, the most beloved daughter of the somber man wouldn't have been allowed to be away from the mansion for ten years already, without as much as a word or news about her.
As such, to host a party after all that time and under such circumstances made everyone curious as to what was the motive behind it. And being asked expressly for the presence of their daughters to accompany them, only served to intensify their bewilderment further.
The closest related to the main family, Darren Langdon, also participated in the said party accompanied by his wife and daughter, a young nine year old Aileen.
And not only took part in the gathering, but also greatly profited from the reason the party was held, as the young Aileen unexpectedly became the young heiress presumptive of the old master.
Perhaps losing hope of having his daughter back, the man had decided to adopt one of the daughters of his relatives to inherit the main family's fortune as his granddaughter. Weirdly enough, the only condition the old master imposed for them was to rename the girl as Aria Langdon.
Present time
Jillian Monroe, daughter of William Monroe, the older illegitimate brother of Darren Langdon...
Jillian Monroe, an orphan girl who had lost her parents at an early age and was raised in her uncle's house out of pity...
Jillian Monroe, a conniving sneaky woman who had stolen the future meant for another...
Jillian Monroe, the cause of Aileen Langdon's misfortune.
Ironically, although born on the same day to different sons of the Langdon family, the two girls' fates were miles apart.
One, was the daughter of the legitimate line of the branch family of the Langdon clan.
Although, not as prosperous as the main family of the old master Langdon, Darren Langdon's fortune and favor as the heir of his father could not be compared to his older illegitimate brother, who had not even received their father's last name and thus no recognition as being part of the Langdon clan.
The other, was the daughter of an illegitimate man.
A girl who, although born from the eldest son, had nothing to her name that she could take pride in. It could even be considered she had in fact nothing to do with the Langdon family at all. She had nothing to make her eligible to take over Aria Langdon's position. She was not even invited to the party to determine the one who would become the adopted granddaughter of the old master.
Education, nobility, pure blood, adequate status, intelligence... everything that a proper heiress should have... all of them could be used to describe Aileen Langdon as possessing, never Jillian.
But here she was living the life she was meant to have, Aileen angrily thought, as another vase was flung to the ground, where it shattered in numerous pieces.
'What are you doing? That was an antique?!' Her mother called in shock, when she saw her prized possession broken on the mahogany ground.
The woman had just arrived to check up on her daughter, when multiple crashing sounds alarmed her, as she thought something had happened to Aileen. Frightened for her daughter's health and safety, she had urgently opened the door, only to notice the disordered state of the room. Several high priced objects, items she had painstakingly collected over the years, were now totally ruined at the hands of an otherwise gentle Aileen.
'Have you lost your mind?' Her mother continued asking with a harsher tone, when Aileen still did not answer her question. She was only standing in the middle of the room, her body tensed in anger and a disgusted expression decorating the previous beautiful face.
'I have. Of course, I have. How can I still be sane when that woman won once again like a sneaky snake she is.' Aileen spout out words that seemed truly misplaced in the usual gentle manner the people who knew her were accustomed to.
'What are you talking about? You only went to work. What could have upset you so much that made you lose your composure? I have always asked you to pay attention to your surroundings, even at home to be at your best behavior. And you have listened to me so far, now what happened?' Aileen's mother asked, somewhat railing in her harsh tone into a scolding coaxingly one. To make Aileen outraged like this, it was certainly something important.
'That woman, Jillian, she made Zane fall in love with her!' Aileen yelled in anger, as big tears surrounded her emerald eyes. She could not bear to call the current Aria Black by her adopted name. The one who stole the future meant for her, why should she give her such honor?
She had waited for such a long time, she had looked forward to the day Zane would be rid of Jillian, whether through a divorce or through even better death. But now, now would he let her go when he possessed feelings for her?
'That's not possible. Aileen, is this the reason for your anger?' Her mother sighed, relaxing her mind as she heard her daughter's plight.
''You know as well as I do, Zane has not fallen in love with her even though they've been married for more than three years already. Why would he start loving her now? You are worrying for nothing. Is this about what you told me before? The fact that he protected her when she came to the office last time and took revenge on Davis and Faye?
You are still a child, how could you see such an action from his part as love? I already told you, he is a stern and cold man who does not like to be messed with. He only made an example that his authority in the company and the rules he had set must be respected.
He only wanted to frighten the other shareholders into submission, and just used Jillian as a catalyst for his actions. And as expected, the rest of them really started behaving themselves.
You only have to wait just like I and your father have told you. You just have to stay put until she gives birth. We will handle the rest.' Aileen's mother reasoned, while she left her daughter's gaze to look at the broken shards again. Her heart ached at the sight.
'Wait... wait... wait! This is all I have heard from you and father since they got married. How much longer should I wait? He will not divorce her after she gives birth. Those spawns of hers will only bond them tighter together. Why would they separate then? Why do you keep telling me to wait? Can't you see my heart is as shattered as this vase? Mom, I am dying of sadness.' Aileen spoke hoarsely as her higher pitched tone turned wearily.
'Aileen, my child. I am so sorry, really my heart breaks with yours. But they will really get divorced and then we will see from there. Alright? My daughter is so lovely, who wouldn't fall in love with you? He and Jillian, their connection is because of a promise nothing more.' Aileen's mother softened her tone even more, as she reached out a hand to pat her daughter's head.
Really, it had only been an unexpected event for the old master to visit them to discuss the proceedings of the adoption at their home all those years ago, a few days after the party in which he had selected Aileen to be adopted was held.
Both her husband and she had been ecstatic then. The fortune of the main family was many times more than their branch's. For their daughter to inherit it all, how could they not be pleased with it?
Renouncing their parental right in favor of the old master hadn't been an issue for them at all, as the old man had only wanted for the paperwork to be completed and for their daughter to change her first name. Their child would remain by their side just like before.
They would still be her parents, and life would carry on like usual. It was only a name changed, and they even sounded similar... Aileen or Aria, the only noticeable difference between them would be a vast inheritance.
The problem was that when they were discussing about the adoption process in the living room, the small Aileen had overheard the conversation and had thought she was to be given away from their side.
Bursting inside the room, her daughter quickly ran to her side, crying bitterly to not be abandoned. A small girl of nine years of age would not understand the matters of the adults, so they hadn't bothered of explaining this fact to her. They would have detailed the matter when she would grow up a little more.
Comforting the girl, with their hearts a bit on the edge, afraid the old master would change his mind about adopting Aileen, they had been careless to observe the daughter of William Monroe, who had followed Aileen inside the room.
They were too preoccupied explaining to him their daughter's reaction, when the old master laid his eyes on the orphan girl they were pitifully keeping inside their home.
Wanting to increase the old master's opinion of them, and also because he had no choice but to, Darren Langdon had introduced the girl as the daughter of his deceased brother, Jillian Monroe.
From that time, everything went downhill. To adopt an unwilling girl who kept clinging to her mother, even though it was only a formality nothing more, or to adopt an already orphan girl, who the lonely man could keep by his side to raise himself, molding her into the heiress to his liking, a girl uninfluenced by potentially manipulative parents... naturally, the old master would chose the latter.
'It is no longer only a promise. It's more than that already. The way he looks at her, the way he treats her... everything is different. He even created a set of rules for when she comes to the company, so no one can come up to her to bother her. It's like a fricking queen comes to inspect the office, when in reality she just comes for a casual lunch break. Even the whole top floor had to be cleared today, because the lady can't handle anyone's gaze on her... have you heard anything so stupid before?' Aileen quickly began recounting her reasons, with a cursing ironic tone.
Because of her words, Aileen's mother who had wanted to reassure her daughter again was mummed into silence, as she was only now genuinely starting to listen to what her daughter had to say. Even the broken vase no longer entered her mind.
'You and dad have told me to wait and be at my best behavior... and I did. You told me to still speak and act friendly to that woman, to not cut any connections to her until she was no longer useful, and I did. You told me to just further my education and become the best I could be, and I obeyed.
You would never tell me the reason why you guys sounded so sure they would separate, but I listened to your words, because I knew you meant only the best for me. And I could also understand that to intervene in their relationship rashly might destroy any shot I had to become Zane's wife. So I followed your advices to the last letter.
But what has everything I did so far gotten me? Nothing, absolutely nothing. I just gave them time to further their relationship, to cultivate their feelings for each other.
That woman told me today their marriage was great, she told me they were happy now. She smiled in my face, glowing as a proper mother to be.' Aileen stated bitterly, as a disgusted ironical smile appeared on her face because of the words she was repeating.
Hearing the last part of Aileen's words, her mother relaxed a bit her tension, as she thought that Jillian's view of her own marriage couldn't be trusted. That woman was either lying to herself or getting dumber than she already was.
So with this assumption, Aileen's mother wanted to refute her daughter's naïve worries, but Aileen did not let her utter more explanations with her barely opened mouth.
'And before you say not to care about what Jillian has to say, Zane's actions towards her when he was with her confirmed her words directly. He called her little one, he coaxed her gently, he hugged her in front of my very eyes like I was nothing, like I was not even there with them in the same office!
Could you really say that nothing has changed? When has he ever done those things in the past, before her accident?' Aileen finished her words bitterly, as her desperation overtook her with each thought she directed to remembering the meeting, their interaction, his coldness...
Her mother was at a loss for words. She had also known that Zane had never put Aria in his eyes, had never cared about her. The facts that Aileen recounted were never possible for that somber man to show, even if there was an ulterior motive from his part. Zane was too sure of himself in everything he did, to ever use underhanded measures. Thus his care towards Aria was probably real, as that man would have never bothered to act like he had otherwise.
'Wait. Let's start again from the beginning. Tell me exactly what happened.' The older woman asked confused, trying to make head or tail of what had triggered the change in their relationship.
'I thought something was the matter with Jillian, because she changed too much after her accident. I mean the rumors I've heard in the company about her visits to the office, the different kind of a feeling she gave off when I caught a small glimpse of her yesterday, coupled with her confused gaze towards me today... I thought she might have lost her memories or something close to that.
So I divulged some things about her from the past, to try to test her, and she really seemed unaware about everything I said. She seems to have forgotten everything, and because of that she lost her coldness, her unapproachable manner, her arrogance. She appeared so gentle and frail, a woman perfect for any guy's protective instincts to kick in.
She also seemed happy to be pregnant and...' Aileen started explaining with a lot more logic, as she wanted her mother's own opinion on the matter.
At Zane's apartment
'Aria.' Zane called the small woman who, although held a book in her hand, hadn't flipped a single page in the last quarter of an hour. She was only staring distractedly at the book, as though she wasn't really seeing it.
'Aria.' He called again approaching more the couch she was seated on.
In the faint light of the final razes of the setting sun, which gently shone on the fair face that appeared even whiter and translucent framed by the slightly curled waves of dark brown hair, the small person seemed unreachable... she appeared as though she would disappear any second now.
Although he had only wanted to direct her attention towards the glass of water he held in his hand initially. The sight of her lost distant look and somewhat expressionless face, for some inexplicable reason, reminded him of the previous Aria, sending a shiver through his entire body.
He hadn't really cared about her at that time in the past, but it was still impossible not to know at least faintly about the kind of a person she was, when there was only the two of them together in private. The few instances when they were in the same room, the previous her was also like this. She did not pay much attention to her surroundings and kept a constant silence.
Though at that time it did not concern him in the slightest, his Aria wasn't like this. She wasn't an aloof person, he would know... her every usual expression were etched deep inside his mind.
'Aria.' This last call was forceful and urgent, unlike before. It was meant to snap her out of her pensive state.
Only with this last resort to get her attention, coupled with his hands that had already placed the glass on the table, and were now holding her small cheeks, forcing her head to look at him directly, did Aria finally locked her hazel eyes with Zane's blue ones.
'Yeah, did you call me? Sorry I was too focused on reading.' She confusedly replied, apparently a bit too shocked at Zane's sudden action.
'Are you alright?' He asked perturbed beyond measure, as he quickly moved his eyes to check thoroughly her expression. Although she appeared to still be a bit out of it, her gentle and tender look had mostly returned to her face, making his high beating heart rate finally beginning to calm down.
'Of course I am alright. I was just getting to the good part.' She humorously spoke, as her lips' corners rose up in a small smile.
'You were?' He asked slowly, as he repeated her words, though he did not believe her barely covered lie.
'Yes.' She said again and even nodded her head to sound more convincing.
Letting go of her face, Zane seated himself near her, but did not ask further about her lie. She would have said the same no matter how many times he asked. Instead he thought it was better to talk some more about the discussion from yesterday. He had a feeling somewhere inside that little pretty head of hers she had misunderstood something in a wrong way, but because of his brisk manner from yesterday she did not dare voice her concerns anymore.
He really did not want to speak about the past, even more with the earlier fright that he had just gotten. But he really did not like feeling her so distant and lost.
He was also not sure what Aria had spoken with Aileen for certain, and if it added to her melancholic state.
As soon as the small woman had left after his lunch break, he immediately called Ryan and ordered him to bring the CCTV recordings from his office. He wanted to check for himself what that woman actually told Aria. He hadn't insisted with his questions towards Aria just because of this fact. After all, he could just watch the video.
This was his intention, but when he asked the assistant, Ryan had informed him that he had ordered for the CCTV to stop recording for half an hour each day exactly during lunch break. Only then did Zane remember this fact, he had wanted the lunch break with Aria to be private, unrecorded and possibly watched by his subordinates. So unfortunately he really had no way of knowing about the subjects of their conversation.
'Aria, about yesterday when you came for lunch. The discussion of the past before your accident...' He wanted to apologize for his brisk manner, but was unable to as Aria, like never before, cut him off.
'I don't want to know of the past. You were right, it could affect my brain. So I'll just let nature take its course.' She quickly stated, trying to stutter less as best she could.
She wasn't expecting Zane to open this matter again, but she knew she really didn't want him to. As long as she did not have any memory and knowledge of the past, in his eyes, then even if he were to find out she was adopted... it wouldn't be her fault.
Moreover, she really felt she was incapable to hear more. Though she had brushed her inattentiveness just now as a consequence of being too immerged in her reading, it hadn't really been this. In fact, she heard him calling, but she wasn't able to move her body. She wasn't able to command it to open her mouth and answer him, until he forced her head to look at him.
This had never happened before, she had always been in control of the previous Aria's body like it was her own. The only things that were changing was her finding more things about the past, and becoming disheartened with each new thing she learnt. She wasn't sure if the two had a connection to each other, but one thought was certain, it was an instinct... a question she couldn't shake off no matter what.
Was her time running out? Was the body starting to reject the false heart?
'Yes, I did say this. But the way I spoke had been a bit too forceful, and this was wrong of me. And also, some minor details to tell you about, they shouldn't cause problems for you. Do you want to know something in particular...'
'No, I don't want to know anything.' She denied again, not letting him finish his words, as her heart jolted inside her chest.
'But...' Zane wanted to insist.
If he could just say they were not too close but also not too distant, but he wanted to change how things had been and wanted to be closer to her now, to become a real loving couple, perhaps their relationship might take a turn for the better.
'I am your wife, I was in the past and I am now also. They were only memories, I can survive without them. I have to go to the bathroom, sorry the children are pressing on my bladder..' Aria stated to close off the discussion, then used the restroom as an excuse to make sure he really wouldn't talk more.
'Let me help you to it.' He offered as he heard the irrefutable reason that really could make them unable to prolong the discussion further. Though for some reason, Aria's admittance that she was his wife in the past and she still was, did not really sit well with him. He couldn't explain it, but for him it was like there were two separate Arias. He hadn't felt this strangeness when he had told her this himself, but hearing the same words coming from her mouth irked him a bit. But naturally, he wouldn't show this, he did not want to upset her.
'No, it really isn't necessary. It's just a few feet away, I can handle it.' She vehemently refused his help, as she only permitted his assistance in raising on her feet.
'Alright...' Reluctantly he did not insist.
'Aria, you and the children are the most important for me. You know that, right?' He spoke sincerely, just as she was walking away.
At his words, she turned around her head in his direction and smiled a bit, trying to rail in even more her thoughts and fears from showing.
Only a perfect gentle expression could be seen. This time covering to the best of her abilities the pain, a perfect mask was adorned on her fair small face.
Heart is true, but unacknowledged will cause the hopeless girl no place left to dwell.