EPILOGUE.
Six months later…
Scarlett walked into the room and met Richard's gaze. He hadn't changed a bit— it's just been six months, she didn't know why she was expecting him to change. She sat down in front of him and they were both silent for a few minutes.
“I heard you were sick.” She broke the silence, finding it hard to look at his face, considering everything he had done.
“I don't need you to care, Scarlett.” Richard scoffed, also avoiding eye contact.
Scarlett chuckled, “My question is not out of care, it's simply because I want to be sure that you're suffering in here, that's all you deserve.”
“Just tell me why you're here.” Richard sounded pissed off.
Scarlett could not deny the fact that she was still very hurt by her uncle's betrayal, the shock and the dark paint of it all were plastered on her heart and she couldn't get over it. It pained her that he was acting so nonchalant, he was indeed a great actor. He spent years pretending to care about it, he was indeed callous.
“To see how miserable your life has become and honestly, I'm not impressed. Your beards should have grown so much that your face is no longer visible, you should be groaning in agony.” She huffed, folding her arms and struggling to fight back her tears.
Richard released a sigh, “I know you want answers, but unfortunately, I can't give you any.”
“Why not?”
“Because I did everything out of pure hate, there is no good in me Scarlett, absolutely none. Trust me, I don't regret anything I did.”
Scarlett fumed as soon as those words left his mouth. She sprang to her feet, banging her fist on the table that was between them. He didn't flinch or even look up at me.
“You should have been hanged instead of a life sentence! I regret ever knowing you!” She bit down on her lip harshly, fighting back her tears.
“I wish you a painful death, Mr Richard.” She sniffed and walked out in a hurry.
As soon as she got to the car, she cried her eyes out, her heart aching from the brutal betrayal. She lifted her face and wiped her tears after some minutes and then headed home.
Lily and Nelly were sitting in her room when she got home. She was surprised to see them there because they didn't inform her that they would be coming.
“What are you guys doing here?” She questioned, joining them on the bed.
“Well, your mom said we could come in,” Nelly answered, typing away on her phone.
Nelly and Kevin had gotten really close over the past few years, but they only recently started dating. Scarlett was happy that she could bring them together, after finally convincing Nelly to get over her obsessive crush on Ethan.
Ethan on the other hand, had moved overseas to take care of his father's business, so they didn't really hear much about him anymore.
“Oh yes! I almost forgot.” Scarlett got out of the bed again.
“What?” Lily queried with a raised eyebrow.
“I have to speak to my mom about her trip, I'll be right back.” She left the room and went into her mother's room. She met Vivian throwing clothes out of her closet.
“What are you doing Mom? Are you packing already?” She questioned, walking over and picking up some of the clothes that were scattered on the floor.
“Yes dear, I have to do the packing today,” Vivian answered as she continued to rummage through her closet. Scarlett sighed sadly, she was used to her mother taking trips, but this one affected her the most.
“Mom, how can you leave? My birthday is tomorrow.” She revealed and Vivian turned to face her with a smile on her face.
“My baby, I won't leave until after your birthday. You know I can't miss it.” She answered and Scarlett beamed.
Vivian had decided to go for a long vacation in Europe. She needed some time to work out, unwind, and get rid of the negative energy that had lingered around her for too long. In her own words, she needed to cleanse herself after everything that had happened. She wanted to become a better person and leave work for now, especially since Scarlett had taken over everything.
“That's good news! Come on then, I'll help you pack.” Scarlett walked over to the closet and they started to pick out clothes together.
“Your friends are waiting for you, you don't need to help me pack,” Vivian said.
“You're traveling soon mom, my friends are here with me. I'm sure they can spare me a few minutes to spend with my mother.” She argued and her mother pulled her into a hug.
“I'm happy that things are falling into place, my dear.”
“I'm happy too.” Scarlett hugged her back.
~~~
“Happy birthday bestie!!” Lily jumped on Scarlett as soon as she opened her eyes and Scarlett yelped, feeling pain in her abdomen.
“What the hell is wrong with you? Do you want to kill me on my birthday?” She fumed but Lily laughed.
“I'm sorry, I couldn't hold my excitement. Today is just a very special day.”
“What makes it so special? This isn't my first birthday.” Scarlett scoffed, pushing her off and getting out of bed. She walked into the bathroom after taking a brief look at her phone.
“Because we're going out! There's this fancy new restaurant that opened up, it's art-themed and I'm sure you'll love it.” Lily answered from the room.
Scarlett emerged from the bathroom after washing her face and stared at her phone again like she was expecting something.
“You made plans to celebrate my birthday?” She asked.
“Of course, it's gonna be a blast.”
“Where's Nelly?”
“She's downstairs with your mother, they're making you a special birthday breakfast.” Lily clapped.
Scarlett got dressed and they headed downstairs for breakfast but she picked up her phone and went through it. She was waiting for Adrian's call or text but nothing came in. Did he perhaps forget that today was her birthday? Her whole day would be completely messed up if he didn't call.
Night fell and there was still no sign of Adrian's call. Scarlett became restless, her different personalities finding it difficult to decipher why he hadn't called.
“Maybe he forgot.” She bit her lip, pacing from one end of her room to the other, her short dress seemingly bothering her. She was all dressed up to go out with her friends but she didn't feel like it.
“What if something happened to him? Is he okay?” She said again and let out a groan.
“I should call him.”
“No, I shouldn't.”
“Scarlett! Who are you talking to?” Nelly entered. “We're ready to leave, come on. Your mom is joining us.”
“Nelly, I'm worried about Adrian, he hasn't called all day. My birthday will be over soon and..”
“Let's just go, I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for whatever he's doing.” Nelly dragged her out of the room and all the way downstairs.
They met Lily and Vivian downstairs, got into the car and the driver drove off to the destination.
When they arrived, Scarlett was amazed by the beautiful ambiance of the restaurant. For a moment, she was immersed in the beauty of the art-themed restaurant, forgetting about Adrian.
“I knew you'd love it.” Lily giggled as they took their seats. They placed their orders but when the waiter returned, he didn't bring Scarlett's food. She was confused and demanded to know why her food was not brought when the waiter asked her to turn around.
Scarlett swung her neck around and her eyes widened in shock when she found Adrian kneeling on one knee behind her, a beautiful, little box in his hand. His beautiful smile adorned his face, making him look irresistible.
“Adrian?” She called softly, getting up from her seat. Lily, Nelly, and Vivian all took out their phones to capture the beautiful moment, and other restaurant guests were not excluded.
“Happy birthday my love… did you really think I would forget your birthday?” He chuckled and tears gathered in her eyes. She couldn't believe what was happening, it all seemed to be happening too fast, but she preferred it that way.
She looked over at her friends and they were cheering her on, she realized that they were part of this plan all along.
“Adrian, you..” she paused, at a loss for words, her palms cupping her face.
“I lost you for three years, three agonizing years. It only dawned on me then that I couldn't live my life without you, I knew I had to find you no matter what.” He said and opened the box, the reflection of the big diamond almost blinding those who dared to look at it.
“Oh my gosh Nelly, that's an original Bleu royale!” Lily gushed. Vivian was all smiles as she watched, tears almost falling from her eyes.
“And now that I have found you, I never want to lose you again. I want you by my side, until eternity. So, Scarlett Davenport… will you marry me?” Adrian smiled, waiting for her response.
“Are you kidding me? Yes! Yes! I'll marry you!” She stretched out her hand, shaking from excitement as he placed the ring carefully on her finger. She screamed and jumped on him, the whole place erupting in applause and cheers.
“Congratulations!”
“Congratulations!!”
Vivian hugged her daughter and kissed her forehead, “Congratulations my darling, I hope you find nothing but happiness.”
Scarlett went back to hug Adrian and this time around, they shared a passionate kiss.
“I love you so much, Adrian.” She confessed, placing her head on his chest instantly.
“I love you… Princess.” He returned.
Scarlett shut her eyes and allowed the moment to sink in, the applause and cheers continued as Adrian caressed her hair. She had never been happier, everything had never seemed so perfect in her life.
She had incurred a lot of losses, but she was also thankful for the gains along the way. She desperately hoped that she would not encounter any further heartbreaks, but live a long and happy life with the ones she loved dearly.
But life is unpredictable, and there's always a balance between good and evil.