Fink – Truth Begins

In the morning, I woke up from a loud knocking at the door. Harry was tight asleep, his hair closed his face. The guy was lying on his back and snuffling quietly. Unwillingly, I threw the blanket off and gently removed Harry's hand from my waist, so that he didn't wake up. It must be Jessica who returned home earlier and she couldn't wait to wake me up. I somehow reached the door and opened it slowly, so that my friend couldn't break into my room and see a sleeping Harry. I opened the door and froze, it wasn't Jess.

"Hello, Emily..." dad said.

I kept standing like that with an opened mouth, unable to say a word.

There were so many thoughts in my head. How did he get here? Why didn't he call me before coming? And the main question - what will happen next? Dad understood everything by my facial expression, he opened the door abruptly and saw Harry.

"I knew it!" dad yelled, bursting into my room.

Harry woke up and jumped up from the bed. I wanted to grab dad's hand and try to force him out from the room to talk alone, but dad jerked his hand out abruptly. He almost came close to Harry. I rushed and tried to stand between them.

"Dad, that's not what you think it is..." I started making excuses.

The guy began dressing up quickly, he felt himself awkward and didn't know what to do. I was also in total confusion. I needed to force my dad from the room, before he told more than necessary. Harry mustn't find out the truth from my dad. I need to tell him. I was confused after last night.

"What I supposed to think about? What are you doing, we talked about that already!" dad started yelling at me.

I handed Harry his shirt with trembling hands. Harry felt that I was trembling in fear, but he couldn't understand what I am afraid of. I looked at dad and pleaded him not to tell Harry. He is so precious to me. I was scared to imagine, what will happen, if he finds out the truth. I don't want to marry Michael.

"Do you know that she's lying to you?" dad asked, shifting his gaze on Harry.

My heart leaped into my mouth - happened what I was so afraid of. The brunette looked at me bluntly, waiting for explanations, I froze in fear and looked at him silently.

"Soon, Emily will be married to Michael!" dad finally said.

I was afraid to hear this phrase more than anything in the world. But I was thankful to him to some extent that I didn't have to say that. Dad did it instead of me. I came closer to Harry, he opened his mouth in astonishment and looked at me. Harry didn't believe to what he heard. The guy fumbled and began pulling the edge of his shirt.

"Emily, that's not true, right? You can't..." Harry started asking me, looking at me and dad.

I didn't know what to say, I didn't what to lie him anymore. I couldn't even work up the courage and look into his eyes. I know what I will see there: resentment, pain, disappointment. It's my fault, if only I had told it earlier. I am guilty. I looked at the floor, as I lowered my head.

"Emily, tell me that it's not true?" the brunette kept asking me.

I looked aside. Right now, my answer can kill or save him. In any way, my answer will hurt either dad, or Harry. As I pulled my self together, I finally looked at the guy.

"It's true..." I replied with a trembling voice, Harry's face distorted with pain.

His eyes were pleading me to say that it's not true. Then, his gaze changed, looks like he hates me now.

"Harry..." I continued and touched his face, but the guy pulled away from me abruptly and rushed towards the door.

"Harry, stop..." I started shouting back to him, but dad stood in my way.

"He mustn't know that this marriage is fictitious. Lie to him, hurt him and he'll never appear in your life again," dad commanded, my heart squeezed because of his words.

What? I don't want to hurt anyone. Not him. I can't imagine my life without Harry, I need him.

"I can't, I need him, dad..." I replied, almost crying.

Dad hugged my shoulders and looked into my eyes knowingly. I blinked with my wet eyes and looked on father plaintively.

"I know, but it can't continue like that..." he replied as soft as possible.

His words sounded like an echo in my head. I went out of the room and ran after Harry, hoping to catch up with him. I saw Jess in the living room, she was sitting like a ghost; pursing her lips, my friend looked at me. So that's how dad got here, of course, how didn't I realize that earlier. She called him. I didn't have time to sort things out with my friend, I passed her by and ran out of the apartment. I started looking around for Harry, but he was nowhere to be seen. I ran outside barefoot. People passing by looked at me laughing. I realized that I had only a T-shirt on me, but I didn't care. I saw a familiar figure in the crowd that was moving away from me. I ran after him without a second thought. As I caught up with him, I grabbed his arm and tried to turn him with his face to me.

"What else do you need?" he asked with an angry voice, turning around.

"Harry, we need to talk..." I babbled.

"To talk? When did you want to tell me?" Harry yelled, pushing me.

"I-I-I," I began stuttering.

Passersby crowded around us, enjoying the show. Harry was angry and upset with me. I didn't want to argue, I completely agree that I am guilty.

"You don't love him, Emily," Harry said, suddenly making his voice softer.

He came closer to me. The guy bent and nuzzled into my hair, I hugged him.

"I know that you don't love him..." Harry whispered, hugging me.

My inner voice shouted to me: "run with him right now and come what may". He's telling the truth, I don't love Michael and I have never loved him. I know what I need to do right now, I must lie to him and make it as convincing as possible. Either dad, or Harry. I made my choice.

"No Harry, I forgave him. He proposed to me and I said yes," I whispered, clenching my fists in pain.

"What? I don't understand..." the brunette asked, pulling back. He started slowly moving backwards.

In order not to cry, I squeezed my fists and dug my nails into the skin so much, that a half-healed wound from a cut began to bleed.

"He's rich and successful, I'll have a great future with him..." my voice was trembling traitorously.

My every word wounded him and slashed my heart with a knife. How is he still listening to me? I felt bad from my words myself, but I was trying to talk as convincing as possible.

"So, you were just playing with me?" he asked.

His hands were shaking and eyes looked as if they were on the verge of tears.

"Yes..." I lied.

"You don't care about me?" Harry asked.

"Yes, Harry. I don't care about you, you mean nothing to me," I kept lying, it was necessary.

If I hurt him, he will disappear from my life once and for all. Harry couldn't listen to me anymore, he turned around and went further down the street.

"Harry..." I called him, but he was almost gone from the sight.

"You're precious to me..." I whispered, knowing that he won't hear that already.

Unable to hold on anymore, I sat down on the ground, my body was trembling, I thought that I will pass out right now. People crowded up above me and started whispering to one another.

"What a trash, serves her right," someone whispered in the crowd.

I didn't know what to do and just clutched my head.

"Rat..."

"Bitch..." the crowd kept whispering.

"Give me a way! What are you doing, shameless people, you see that she doesn't feel good!" I heard a woman's voice.

I lifted my head and saw a familiar face. It was my neighbor. That granny, who was spying after us in the hallway.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" she asked, bending to me.

The face of an elderly woman was all in wrinkles, and her blue eyes were as if looking into my soul and warming me up. I didn't even know her name, but I was happy to see her. She gave me her hand smiling and I took her hand without a moment's hesitation. She's like a guardian angel, who came to the rescue and saved me. I got up with her help and looked at her.

"Let's go, I'll walk you home..." granny said, stroking my back.

We walked slowly, she was still cursing those passersby, who crowded around me. As we were coming closer to the house, I finally asked her.

"What's your name?" I felt awkward, I have been living here for a long time now, but still didn't know her name.

"You can call me grandma Jody," she replied, with the same sweet smile.

"And you're Emily?" she asked.

"Yes..." I answered, looks like all the passersby knew my name.

Thus, we reached our house. Jody didn't look like an ordinary grandmother, there was something unique in her, something majestic. Gray hair was nicely worn up and her face was framed with only a couple of hair locks. She looked good for her age. As she was holding my hand, I could feel how soft and velvet her skin is. Of course, she was shorter than me, but it didn't deprive her of a certain nobility, she was pacing proudly, holding her posture. We came to the door.

"I'm just interested in one thing, why did you lie to him?" Jody asked with a calm and musical voice.

I raised my eyebrows in surprise and didn't know what to answer.

"You hurt him..." she added.

I lowered my head and remembered my words which I told Harry.

"But during the years I understood one thing. When we truly love someone, we're capable to forgive anything in the world..." she said sweetly.

I looked at her bluntly.

"He won't forgive me..." I replied after a moment.

Grandma Jody didn't answer anything and just smiled. As we said goodbye to each other, I headed over my place, there's a lengthy conversation with my friend and dad awaits me. I entered the apartment, dad and Jess were sitting on the couch. As soon as the saw me, they exchanged looks.

"We need to talk, Jess!" I said angrily, she jumped off the couch and ran to her room.

"Don't be mad at her, it's not her fault..." dad said, getting up from the couch.

"Why are you defending her?" I was still angry.

"If there is anyone to blame, then it's you!" dad cut me off, pointing at me.

He was right, it's my fault. If I would have told Harry the truth...I sat down on the couch, not knowing what should I do next. Why didn't I tell Harry everything yesterday?

"You wouldn't have been together anyway," I heard a voice above me.

"What?" I asked, lifting my head.

"I searched information about this guy," dad continued speaking, I didn't like his tone.

"There's nothing about him, no data at all, as if he erased all information about himself. There's nothing about his parents, he's like invisible, Emily. He's hiding something and I'm even afraid to imagine what."

"How dare you to rummage in his past!" I started yelling, defending Harry.

I got up from the couch and began to walk around the room.

"He's not a good match for you, Emily..." I heard Jess's voice.

She came out of the room and was standing behind me.

"How dare you to let me down? You're my best friend!" I kept yelling, throwing all my anger at her.

"We're trying to help you," dad started to speak.

"Friend? When did you want to tell me that you're getting married?" the bond started yelling at me.

"So that's what pissed you off? Because I didn't tell you about the wedding? What Harry supposed to do with this? Why did you call to my dad?" I yelled, almost throwing myself on her.

Dad managed to get between us, until we started to fight.

"Screw that wedding, I was trying to save you from him, you idiot!" my friend yelled over dad's shoulder.

We both got red in anger and looked like two mad furies.

"What do you know about him that I don't know?" I cried.

Jess opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but stopped short and looked at my dad. She turned around and went to her room without missing a beat.

"I also have to go..." dad said, heading over the door.

After a moment, I was standing furious in a spacious room, all the people who are dear to me left me: Harry, Jess, dad. And now I was silently standing alone and realized, that it's all my fault. How can I fix everything? Looks like I piled lies upon lies...