Deceit Behind Her Marriage [English]

CHAPTER 4

While driving, Lauren's eyes flickered toward Finn, his features softened in slumber as he rested in the passenger seat, breathing peacefully.

"This is crazy," she muttered to herself, questioning why she allowed herself to be drawn into this situation again.

Why was she driving him home when she shouldn't even care? Maybe she should have left him to sleep on the roadside if he couldn't make it home. Once Brett discovers what she's done, Lauren can already anticipate the heavy weight of his disapproval bearing on her shoulders, his words of reproach echoing in her mind like a relentless storm.

It took them a couple of hours before they arrived at Magallanes. Finn's family resided in a gated community. The guard recognized Finn's car and allowed the vehicle to pass through.

Her heart raced as they approached the familiar house where they last parted ways. Lauren parked the car gently in front of the sprawling villa and lightly tapped Finn on the cheek.

"Finn!"

He groaned in response, clearly irritated by her persistence, even in his slumber. Turning his face away, he seemed oblivious to her attempts to rouse him. Lauren felt her patience waning, realizing too late that she had no means of transportation out of the village, especially at this late hour of the night.

Lauren's hand trembled as she reached out to knock on the Burnhams' gate. The weight of her nerves seemed to double with each passing second, but the urgency of informing them about the man's presence drove her forward. Stepping out of Finn's car, she made her way toward the doorbell, her heart pounding. The mist enveloped her, sending a shiver down her spine as she realized she was only half-covered.

As Lauren waited for the Burnham family to answer, she wondered if they would still recognize her after six years. The gate opened sooner than expected, revealing Elsa, the family's maid.

"M-Miss Lauren?" Elsa's disbelief was evident in her tone.

"Good—" Lauren glanced at her diamond-studded watch, noting it was one in the morning, "Good morning, Elsa! I just brought Finn here."

"Sir Finn?" Elsa's surprise was palpable as she noticed Finn's car.

"I-I'm here because we have a reunion party tonight. I'm unsure where his friends were, so I brought him here," she explained.

"What's happening, Elsa?"

They both turned to the woman from the door entrance, where Mrs. Burnham had appeared. Lauren felt her heart quicken as they turned, her palms growing clammy with nervousness. She couldn't help but wonder what impression Mrs. Burnham and the rest of the family had of her.

"Madam, it's Lauren!"

Mrs. Burnham approached, clad in a nightgown and robe.

"Lauren! It's you, dear!" Finn's Mom exclaimed as she drew nearer.

The unexpected kindness left Lauren momentarily speechless, her eyebrows lifting in astonishment.

"Good evening, Mrs. Burnham. I just escorted Finn here. He got drunk at the reunion," she explained.

"What a surprise! If you hadn't brought that man here, he wouldn't have visited this home," Mrs. Burnham remarked.

Confused by the lady's words, Lauren gratefully accepted Elsa's help getting Finn out of his car and into the house. He could barely walk due to his drunkenness and was merely moaning. Together, they carefully maneuvered him to the second floor and placed him in his bedroom.

Lauren couldn't help but notice that everything remained unchanged from when she left six years ago—the bedspread, curtains, paint color, and even the items in the room seemed untouched.

"Dear, it's better if you rest here too. I won't let you go home; you might get into trouble. It's a pity our driver isn't here now because he accompanied my husband to the province for a business trip," Mrs. Burnham suggested.

"Oh! Mrs. Burnham, I-I'll just go home," Lauren hesitated.

"Stay here, dear. I won't feel at ease if I let you leave in your condition. I'll prepare the room where you can sleep," Mrs. Burnham insisted.

With their insistence, Lauren found herself unable to refuse. Left alone with Finn lying on the bed, she took the opportunity to observe him more closely. With Finn now asleep, she had the chance to study his face, unable to do anything but watch him.

They couldn't deny the passage of time; they had undeniably aged. Gone were the days of their youth, reminiscent of their teenage years. It had been a decade since Lauren first crossed paths with Finn. Now twenty-six, he stood a year older than her.

Lauren scrutinized Finn as she approached, noting the changes time had wrought upon him—the pronounced thickness of his eyebrows, revealing his emotions more evidently; his straight nose; and his observant eyes, ever watchful when open. His jawline remained defined, unadorned by any facial hair.

With a subtle gesture, Finn shifted to make room beside him, silently inviting Lauren to join. She slipped off her shoes and settled in beside him.

"Why did you break my heart, Finn?" she queried, her gaze fixed upon him.

Perhaps it was a cocktail of exhaustion, the faint influence of alcohol, and the chill of the air conditioning that lulled Lauren into sleep beside Finn.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Burnham and Elsa quietly entered her son's room. As they stepped inside, they saw two figures nestled together on the bed, their bodies entwined as if they were lost in a deep slumber. The sight stirred emotions within Mrs. Burnham, and tears welled in her eyes as she gazed upon them.

"She's truly back, Elsa," Mrs. Burnham murmured, referring to Lauren.

"Should we wake up Miss Lauren, Madam?"

"No. After six years, Finn has returned to his room. Let them have this moment," Mrs. Burnham decided.

With that, they quietly closed the door, leaving the pair undisturbed in the room.

***

Lauren first encountered Finn in the bustling school library of DLSU Senior High School; she was sixteen years old, while Finn was seventeen.

She vividly recalls the moment she found herself in the vast expanse of the school library, diligently searching for a specific book to aid her in completing assignments and reports.

Upon procuring the required book, her attention was arrested by a pair of eyes across the book-lined shelves. Finn stood on the opposite side of the aisle, engrossed in a volume he had plucked from its place. As their eyes met, a surge of adrenaline raced through her veins, synchronized with the intensity of his gaze.

Her heart fluttered nervously as their eyes met, prompting her to return the book to its shelf momentarily. Taking a moment to compose herself, she reclaimed the volume only to find Finn absent from his spot. The encounter felt surreal, like a fleeting dream.

As Lauren scanned the library, her gaze settled on the familiar sight of the guy seated at a table, absorbed in his studies. Summoning her courage, she approached him and asked him if she could share the table. The guy agreed. Day after day, they returned to their shared sanctuary, their bond unspoken yet palpable to those who observed them. The library became their haven, a space where they found solace in each other's company, untouched by the chatter of their peers.

Lauren fell in love with Finn since then.

At sixteen, she developed special feelings for the guy even though they didn't talk much. Until he graduated from high school.

Finn was popular, so it wasn't difficult for Lauren to uncover his college plans. Upon discovering that Finn had enrolled in a business program at ADM University, she quickly decided to pursue the same path. With determination, she approached her parents and sought their permission to attend the same university.

They continued sharing a table in a different school, where Lauren harbored a desire to confess her feelings to Finn. Unfortunately, her hopes were dashed when she stumbled upon an envelope in one of his notebooks. Given their proximity at the shared table, it was impossible for her not to notice it—a love letter.

The situation took an unexpected turn when one of Finn's classmates teased him, prompting him to seize the envelope and read its contents aloud.

"I become a little weak when it comes to speaking my feelings in front of you, so I have thought to pen down what I feel inside, as I did not want to miss a chance to let you know that you are an angel—that's what I thought when I first saw you. On this day, I want to reassure you of my lifetime commitment to you. It's you, or I am nothing, Finn," he read.

"And who is this lucky girl?" inquired his classmate.

Finn's gaze shifted towards Lauren, who maintained an air of indifference, engrossed in writing in her notebook as if unaffected.

"Kori! Happy?" Finn retorted.

Her pen halted, and she tightened her grip on it, feigning nonchalance despite the pang in her heart. This marked the onset of Lauren's first heartbreak with Finn, as it became evident that his affections lay with their mutual friend.

When the news of her arranged marriage to Finn Burnham surfaced on her eighteenth, she agreed without arguing. Her only wish then was to marry Finn. But a year later, on Finn's twenty-first birthday, he broke her heart and spirit.