Broken Pieces, L. S. [brene brown rising strong .txt] 📗

golf course where they set up a huge white tent. Each side has ten rows of white wooden chairs for the guests to sit on. In the center of the chairs is an aisle where there red rose petals scattered on the each sides of the aisle. I was amused by the simple arch they’ve created for the altar.

I’ve only met Frank and Lisa once at the auction where I first saw Adriana Krueger. I like both of them, Frank is in a Publishing business while Lisa is an interior designer. Carter is supposed to be part of the entourage but because he had all caught up with the Paris construction he had to back out last minute but promised Frank that he won’t miss the wedding.

All eyes remained on us as we took our seats minutes before the ceremony started. For sure everyone is aware about the scandal and made me uncomfortable but I’ve kept it myself since I don’t want to worry Carter anymore. Frank greeted us cheerfully like he always does, he even told Carter to not take the issue seriously cause it will die down eventually without us even noticing it. The wedding started and I tried my best to enjoy every second of it. Lisa was so beautiful wearing her very simple white strapless wedding gown. I almost cried when they exchanged the vows that came from the bottom of their hearts. Carter was holding my hand tightly all throughout the ceremony.

The reception was held at the function hall of the country club. The room was filled with beautiful decorations, chairs and tables neatly organized and covered with silk cloth. The day is going smoothly as I prayed for it to be. The staring and whispering about me had minimized a bit as we went to our seats at the reception. People’s attention was focused on Frank and Lisa and their guests who started giving message to the newly-wed.

I left Carter for a while as he was caught by some colleagues he hasn’t seen for years. I went to the bar to get us a drink when someone bumps into me. I almost fell on floor good thing I was able to find my balance. I looked to see who it was and I froze to my horror when I saw Adriana Krueger wearing a strapless black sequined long gown that shows half of her breast. Her hair was tied up on the side and she looks beautiful with her light makeup.

“I didn’t realize you still have the guts to show your face here,” she told me with her raised brow.

I know she is talking about the scandal that she put me through. And I know I should be the one who should be angry at her for doing such thing to me but I don’t want to cause a scene. This is Frank and Lisa’s event, I’ve already taken half of the spotlight earlier from all the staring and whispering coming from their guest whenever I passed by. I fixed my dress and turned my heel to walk away from her. The night is almost over so I just need to keep my distance from her. Carter is almost on my sight when she grabbed my hair so tight causing me to step backward.

“Adriana, let me go,” I whispered trying not to catch any attention.

But I was too late because people are already staring at us as she dragged me to the floor, placed herself on top of me and started slapping my face non-stop. I put my arms over my face for protection.

“You’re a slut, you don’t deserve Carter, you are nothing, you’re a trash, and you don’t belong here!!!!” she screamed at me over and over.

My arms are in so much pain but I kept them over my face. I didn’t expect Adriana can be this strong, I don’t know what happened to her but it seems like she lost control of herself.

“Let me go!!!” she yelled.

I opened my eyes and saw another guy took her off of me then Carter went to my rescue.

“Are you alright?” he asked as he helped me get up.

I pulled my dress down to cover my legs and Carter took his jacket and wrapped it around me. People’s attentions are on us, I can see Frank and Lisa walking their way to the scene. Adriana still doesn’t want to be stopped, Marcus and Jim are holding her arms but she is trying her best to let go.

“Let’s get out of here,” Carter whispered.

He put his arm on my shoulder and usher me to the exit. When we pass Adriana by, she clasps his arm stopping both Carter and I.

“Carter, don’t go with her, she is a slut, she got fucked everywhere,” she said to him as tears falls from her eyes.

It pained me to hear what she is saying so I kept my eyes down.

“Please, let go of me,” I heard Carter whispered to her.

“No! She fooled you, can’t you see? She is only using you for money, please wake up. Everything that’s on the news is true, I have proof, please listen to me Carter,”

I saw Carter took a deep breath.

“I know who she is and I also know that it was you who spread the news but this is what I am going to tell you, so please listen, I don’t care about her past simply because I love her with all my heart. So please stop this non-sense, give yourself some respect and don’t ever try to be near me or her cause the next time you laid your hands on her, I promised you I will forget that I was once your friend. Grow up Ade and please get a life.” He told her seriously.

Carter turned to me and put his arm on the small of my back as we made our way out of the function hall. 

Chapter Eleven

 I woke on a summer morning with the sun shining brightly on my face and an empty sheet beside me. The curtains covering the balcony are open so I get off the bed and went to see if Carter was there but I found nothing. I checked the digital clock on our nightstand; it is six in the morning. Summer is really on and the sun does rise as early as six AM. I reached for my silk robe hanging on back of the door to cover my almost naked body and was on my way downstairs when I heard the bathroom door opened.

There I saw Carter looking fresh from his early morning shower wearing nothing but a towel from waist down.

"Morning," I greeted him though his face was serious. "Why are you up so early?"

He made his way to the walk-in closet so I followed. He opened to glass door and took a pair of his hundreds of suit and tie. I watched him dress up while I wait for his answer.

"I have an early meeting with this new publicist," he answered.

I am getting used to the "serious Carter" all the time. The scandal really did hurt his image and his company. A week after the news spread out, a group of female communist from San Francisco we're promoting a boycott to all Carter's hotels all over the US. They believe that keeping a young stripper in his home is immoral and should not be condemn. People are thinking that I am being held against my will. When Carter had his press release I offered to give my side my his agents refused saying that showing me to the media will only increase the interest of the people. So I'd kept my silence though it killed me that Carter and his company is suffering because of me. The thought of the issue dying down weeks after did not happen after all.

Carter's investors pulled their shares out from the company and it's really hurting his financial status. I wanted to help his so badly but I don't know how. So I've just kept my silence, made myself available when he needed me and focusing on my studies when he is not home.

Adriana is aware of everything that happened, after the incident at the wedding she has been trying her best to apologize to Carter but it seems like the latter is not interested. We have been talking on the phone without Carter's knowledge, she was sorry and she told me that she didn't mean everything to happen. She said that she just want Carter to leave me so she can get her chance to him but that didn't happen. Worst Carter cut all his connection to her.

I know what she did was awful, she was very cruel but I kind of understood her. She did it because she loves Carter so much and she can't accept that Carter loved someone like me. She invited me for a coffee a couple of times but I just can't do it now because I am all guard up. My friends thought the idea of communicating with Adriana is a bad idea, a very bad one but I think I just need to make her know me and I want to get to know her too. I can feel she isn’t a bad person, she is used to in getting everything she wants so having Carter not loving her in a way he wants to is a new feeling for her that I think she is having a hard time dealing with.

“Do you want me to fix you anything for breakfast?” I asked trying to spend a little bit more time with him. “I think I’m in the mood for pancakes.” I added trying to sound happy.

He glanced at his wristwatch.

“Rain check, I’ll be late for my meeting, I’ll see you later,” he answered and he gave me a peck on the lips.

I sighed in frustration as I watched him turned his heel and made his way out of the room. Carter is acting way different now than before. He isn’t my romantic Carteranymore; he is most of the time frustrated and quiet. It’s not that he is abusing me but I feel like we live in different worlds now. I get why he is like that, he worked hard for the company he built on his own and it kills me to know that I was the reason why his company is struggling. I wanted to help him but I just don’t know how so most of the time I just keep my distance and focus on my studies. However, summer is totally on, class ended last week and the only thing left to do is to go to the beach, lie on the sand and get perfectly tanned but I don’t feel it is appropriate for me to do all those things with our current state. I feel like I have no rights to be happy and be joyous. Christy often tells me that I shouldn’t blame myself but I can’t help no to cause somehow I feel responsible for it.

Carter was planning on taking me to Paris for the entire summer so he can supervise the hotel construction while we are together. It will also save him the time to