Lana

"I'm nervous Eric.... I don't think I can do this." Stuttering I told him while he got ready for office in the closet. Eric wanted me to meet his family today. He belongs to the upper society and it made me hell of a nervous about it because I belonged to a middle class family whose parents were no more.

"Lana there is nothing to be nervous about, they are my family and they will like you," He told me while adjusting his blue tie which made his eyes look more beautiful. However, his words were not able to ease away my nervousness.

"What if they don't like me, Eric? I do not belong from your upper class world. What if they see me as someone just trying to get your money? What if they think I'm not up to your standards? I really won't be able to take such idiotic and wrong accusations against me, Eric." I sighed in frustration. "Maybe we shouldn't have fallen for each other." I said while looking at the fingers in my lap as I sat on the edge of the bed.

"Look at me," he pleaded crouching down next to the bed. I looked at his face and was lost into his blue eyes.

"Do you trust me, Lana?" He asked looking in my eyes. I  gave him a weak nod.

"Do you trust in our love?" He asked and I nodded again.

"And do you love me?" This time, I said yes, while smiling at him.

"Then don't worry. They are my family and if I love you they will also love you. Their opinion doesn't matter to me though, I would prefer if they like you, but remember this Lana that I love you and I will always love you. They can say whatever they want, but I trust you and our love. I will never leave you regardless of whatever happens. All I care about is my love for you and not about anyone else's opinion. You are my life and there is nothing more important to me than you." He told me looking straight into my eyes. His every word made my heart swell with happiness. I never imagined of finding someone who loved me with all his heart and his life.

"Better now?" he asked.

"Yes." I pecked him on the lips and started to get up only to be stopped by him by a hold on my wrist. "Lana that was not fair of you, just a kiss is not enough," he said to me with a small frown on his face while tugging me towards him.

"I need more" saying that he crashed his lips on mine, which turned into a long love making session. Long forgotten was his office and work, it was only me and him and the only thing that mattered to us was our infinite love. It was only me, him and our love.

End...........

I woke up remembering something good from the past. Sometimes I relive the good memories but many times painful ones greet me. However, they have stopped bothering me anymore. I have outgrown from them. Not wanting to dwell into those thoughts anymore I got up and got ready for work. After having my breakfast with Ally, I made my way to the restaurant. Ally being herself was going to come late as she wished to sleep in a little more which surely meant more than an hour. Sometimes I just have to give up on waking her up and not being late.

While entering the restaurant, I was greeted by the sight of Mr. and Mrs. Anthony. They were a lovely couple in their early fifty's who still held a lot of love for each other. They have a daughter, Amelia, who has been studying in Nevada but they consider me theirs too. These two people were like my second parents. They gave me that same love and care as my real parents would have given. My parents died when I was in the first year of college. Rachel Anthony helped me a lot by bringing me back to life more than once. If she had not been there for me, I wouldn't have been able to move on in my life. Greg Anthony helped me in building up myself again, like a therapist would have done. They had welcomed me in their life with open arms.

"Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Anthony." I greeted them as they talked to Rick.

"At last, you are here Lana!! I have a good news to tell you." Rachel said cheerfully. I smiled at her with curiosity glimmering in my eyes.

"Amelia is coming and she is engaged to that boyfriend of hers. They will be coming with some of their friends and family next week. They are even going to stay here for a while. We have a lots to prepare for." She told me enthusiastically. It felt so good to see her happy. I was glad for Amelia. This will be going to be the first time that we will meet her boyfriend. No one has seen him, not even her parents.

"We have so much to do Lana. We have an engagement party to plan for them, prepare accommodations for them. God knows how many people are coming? Where will they stay? God! What are we doing standing?" She asked more to herself than me. She was practically getting more and more worried which was not good. She was blabbering.

"Rachel, calm down, we will work it out. I assure you that you don't need to worry about anything? We will all get everything done, right?" Greg said while embracing her in his own arms. They were the perfect couple and sweethearts.

"Okay, Rachel and Greg why don't we settle down and make the plans," Rick asked them. "And Lana I guess you should finish your work as early as possible because we will be soon overloaded with work," he told me. With that I was set on completing my work quickly so I could concentrate on planning budgets and other arrangements for the Anthony's.

The day went on and I got busy in files more and more, but it was all worth it. I had completed almost all the files I intended to. Relaxing on my seat, I thought about the memory that resurfaced this morning. All the things Eric said to me that day were lies. Eric said he loved me and trusted  in me and our love, but it was all a lie. He didn't trust in me or our love. He believed what he was told and made assumptions that he thought to be true. He broke our marriage and me just because of wrong assumptions and accusations.

FLASHBACK

I got out of our house and stayed at a hotel that I could afford. I never stopped calling him or any of our friends. I wanted to know what he was accusing me off so that I could clear our misunderstandings. No one picked up my calls. Desperate to know my mistake I went to Sarah's house who was one of our friends. She was not fake and was also lovely, she also belonged to a middle-class family like me and was married to Ryan who belonged to this posh society.

Reaching Sarah's home, I knocked on her door hastily. Sarah opened the door and her smile turned into a frown as she saw me.

"What are you doing here Lana? Can't you understand that no one wants to talk to you?" Her voice stern. She tried to shut the door right then and there, but I stopped her.

"Sarah please don't shut me out. I don't know really why no one is talking to me. Eric is dead set on divorcing me and accusing me of being a gold-digger and a whore. I don't know what is even happening. I just want to know what I did wrong. What is my mistake? Please tell me what you know, Sarah." I begged her for some answers.

"You don't know what you did Lana? You cheated on Eric with Deaton and who knows who else. Everyone knows that you married him for money. He told everyone that you and him were having an affair for months behind Eric's back. You were soon going to leave him for Deaton after taking his money, so you and him could have your happily ever after. And don't you dare say that it is a lie, the night after the party he saw everything himself. You told us you left early because you were unwell and tired, but it was all a freaking lie, you were just spending the night with Deaton. Eric saw you and him together in bed Lana and still you say you don't know what your mistake is!" She yelled the last part over me. I was stunned for a moment all this was very much a lie. I would never cheat on Eric, even in my wildest dream I wouldn't think of such a thing.

"Sarah I can assure you that I never had an affair with him. I only love Eric and I have eyes for him only. I don't know about Deaton and me in bed together, really. That day I was feeling tired and was suffering from the worst headache. I took my sleeping pill before going to sleep and waking up the next day I only know about Eric ordering me to give him a divorce. You know me, Sarah, and that too very well. I will never... Do something like this....? To him." I sobbed while many tears rolled down my cheeks.

"Believe me, Sarah please" I pleaded to her.

"I know you Lana and for once I can believe you, but what about the others and... Eric. How will you make them believe?" she asked me. I didn't know what to do, how to do it.

"Help me, Sarah. Please help me in making them believe." I pleaded her while holding her hands only to have them retrieved by her.

"I can't Lana I'm sorry. I can't help you." She checked her watch and added, "I think you should leave, there is a gathering today here and no one will be happy to see you here. Please, just go." She said looking past me.

"Sarah maybe we can clarify this misunderstanding to all. Please just help me, Sarah." I pleaded to her once again.

"I'm sorry I just can't. Just please leave Lana I don't want anyone to see you here. Please understand," saying that she closed the door on my face. For the very first time, it felt like I had no friend and family, this was never expected from Sarah.

I knew I was alone in this journey to make people believe the truth, to prove my innocence. I went to Eric's house to somehow make him believe that I didn't cheat on him with Deaton and he was lying, this was some misunderstanding. I still had the spare key to our house. I got inside with hopes of finding him. All the lights in the house were turned off telling me he wasn't home yet. So I waited in the living room for him. Minutes passed and suddenly I heard noises from within the house. Slowly making my way towards the source of the noise I found myself in front of our bedroom. I knew by the noises of grunting and moaning that what was happening inside, but my heart did not believe it to be true. Tears were now falling down my cheeks. I slowly opened the door and found Eric and Chloe, Deaton's sister, inside the bed together making love and pleasuring each other. A sob escaped my mouth and Eric noticed me, but still went on making love to Chloe. Her moans grew louder and louder, tearing away what was left of me part by part. Unable to take any more I ran out of there and made my way to my hotel with tears rolling down my cheeks.

That night I cried till I could not shed any more tears and my world was fully destroyed. I knew Eric, I knew he won't listen to me anymore. Everything was over between us.

It was me only who was left more broken.

END..........

Remembering that day I felt stupid for befriending people like Sarah. I felt like an idiot trying to save my marriage. That day only resulted in breaking me more and more.

There was a knock on my door. I adjusted my clothes which have wrinkled due to slouching in the chair.

"Come in". The door opened to reveal none other than Rick. "Hey, did you finish the work?" he asked generously.

"Yeah, accounts are settled. I want to start helping the Anthony's and as far as I know the party is going to be held here, to which I'm looking forward to." I was literally excited to make arrangements and help the Anthony's.

"Yeah, me too" he seemed happy too. He treated Amelia as his own sister. We both were just discussing plans for Amelia's engagement party and laughing at some past memories of Amelia that Rick has brought up, when Ally barging in my office putting our talks to halt.

"Isn't it my favorite couple?" she said grinning from ear to ear. Rick and I both rolled our eyes, we tried our best to make her understand that we were not getting together.

We both had our own pasts to overcome and forget. Ally knew mine, but I was the only one who knew of Rick's past. He had a girlfriend, Melanie in another state who was pregnant. They both had a fight one day and he came back here angrily. Only a day after the fight, he came to know the bad news of his life, Melanie died in a crash the night they had the fight. He loved her a lot and no one was capable of taking her place for him. I only came to knew about it when I confronted him one day when everyone got too much fed up of his snapping. She still holds a large part of his heart and always will. He had blamed himself for the crash that night for months to come and maybe still does.

"I heard that Amelia is engaged. I'm so happy!!" she was bouncing and twirling around in happiness. God, I have one of the awkward friend, but I still love her. We all sat and started discussing plans for Amelia and her finance's friends and family. For once I thought things are going to be good in my life.

Little did I know that things never remain the same