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"I Promise." These words hold such huge amount of assurance in it. Whenever you need a confirmation, you ask for a promise. You give a promise when you feel the need of a confirmation.

A promise is an agreement, a pact. It's like a commitment. But what one should make sure before making a promise is that if they would be able to keep it. If they have full control over things and they are positive they wouldn't have to break it at any point in their life.

I had made a promise, that I won't leave Carter no matter what. And at that moment all those things never crossed my mind. Any of the possibilities like these never came near me. I never wanted to break my promise, but I had no other choice. Promise was not the only thing I broke that day. I broke his heart too. The only heart that loved me with every cell of it, I hurt it. I crushed it into tiny particles. And now every single particle of his heart loathed me.

Guilt was nothing compared to what I was feeling at that moment. You see, when I made that promise to him, the things I had in my mind were totally different than what I was facing now.

There was happiness all around me. It was like I was pulled out of the chilly surroundings and was wrapped in the blanket of joyfulness. And the blanket held so much love and warmth in it, I couldn't believe it was me who actually deserved it. I couldn't get used to the warmth at first knowing the that I did not belonged there, knowing that it was a temporary happiness but it started to feel like permanent. I started to feel like I deserved it.

And just as I made myself used to the warmth of the blanket, it was ripped off me. It was ripped off me, exposing my vulnerable self to the same, old, frighteningly chilly surroundings. All the warmth, the happiness, the joyfulness vanished into a ball of dark nothingness. I felt empty, like a part of me had been snatched from me, stolen from me.

And all I could do was cry. All I could do was cry about how things turned out. Hot tears kept escaping my eyes but they never took the pain with them. They never ran down my cheeks with my heartache. The heartache kept increasing as each tear rolled down my cheek.

"Fuck. You." I cringed when Carter's words rang in my head. It sent chills throughout my body. It wasn't the words only, it was the hatred filled in them and the loathsome tone that he had used on me. He was right, fuck me. Fucking fuck me! "Fuck me!"

As I was sprawled on my bed, sobbing, I heard someone knocking on my door. If I had opened the door I could've done something terrible because of my disturbed mental state and so I chose to ignore it. But the knocking never ended, in fact it intensified by each passing second. I still chose to ignore it until I couldn't take it anymore. "What the hell is the matter with you?! Can't you get the hell away from my door?!"

"Sophia, it's me. . . Lucas. Can we talk?" His voice was soft and to say I was surprised by his presence would a complete understatement. I hated that guy but he was a chance to make things right. He was like a possibility, a tiny hopeful ray of sunshine.

Standing up I wiped my cheeks and walked towards the door swallowing all anger I had in me for him. I opened the door to see him smiling at me. At that time even though I couldn't think about anything yet, I wondered how he could smile all the time.

I opened the door wide and walked back to my bed without giving another glance to Lucas.

"He sure loves you a lot."

His sentence made me stop in my steps and I snapped my head back to him. Just then I noticed the gift in his hand which so carelessly missed seeing. It was the same gift that Carter had dropped off in the garden earlier that day. "He did, Lucas, he did. But not anymore. He hates me now." Tears burned my eyes but I couldn't let them stain my face.

As if I already didn't looked like a weak, pathetic joker.

"You can't stop loving someone like that, Sophia." Lucas emphasized, his tone strangely weird. I gulped, reaching out for the gift he had in his in his hands. As I took hold of it my heart snaked even more. Carter cared too much, he loved me too much and I didn't deserve it.

Sitting on my bed, I stared at it, afraid to unveil it from it's wrappings. Lucas stood at the door awkwardly but that wasn't my concern. Slowly, with shaky hands I started to peel off the tapes from the gift and unwrapped it.

I gasped staring the masterpiece that laid before me. I blinked severely but it was still there, looking undeniably pretty. Tears could no more remain in my eyes and I let them fall. I sniffed, rubbing my eyes to get a clear view of it, to admire it, to feel happy again even if only for a mere moment.

It was a painting of me. Carter had painted me. And I didn't had words to describe how beautiful it was. With wobbly fingers I traced my features that Carter had drawn softly, my lips quivering at my helplessness.

"This is beyond beautiful!" I didn't know either to smile or to cry my eyes out because I was a mixture of emotions. I hadn't noticed that Lucas had walked towards me until my blurry vision settled on his shoes.

Putting my attention back on the painting I sobbed, my hands going beside me to grab my bedsheets as I cried even harder. "Why is it always me? Why me? Why? Why? Why?"

"Zee, zee, zee." Lucas whispered, sitting beside me on the bed. I looked up to meet his shining eyes and there he was again with a smile on his face. I shook my head at his attempt of making a joke and looked down at the painting.

"Sophia, we'll try, okay? We'll try to solve this issue together. They can't get you married to me just like that." Lucas assured me taking my hand in his as he squeezed it. I nodded my head trying to regulate my breathing.

"What about you, Lucas? You don't have a girlfriend? You don't love someone?" I found myself questioning him as I witnessed his expression changing into a sad one. He chuckled humourlessly at my question and shook his head.

"I used to have a girlfriend. But it doesn't matter anymore." There was this bitterness in his tone that I came past for the first time but it wasn't directed towards me. His tone had made me understood he didn't like to talk about it and I decided to drop it.

"How long did you know about. . . This arranged marriage thing?"

"Two years." He stated, his eyes staying glued to my painting. I gasped just as I registered the meaning behind his words. "Two years?" I repeated trying to overcome the shock. Lucas nodded his head, looking up to meet my eyes. "Two freaking years?"

"Yes. But before meeting you in person at the mall I never knew that you have no idea about any of it. I didn't know you had a boyfriend or the fact that you both are in love with each other." Lucas explained, his hand not leaving mine.

I blinked back the tears that had pooled inside my eyes. "Then why didn't you stop it? Why didn't you tell me to stop it Lucas? Why?"

"Because you looked so happy, so in love, I didn't want to ruin it for you. I wanted to do all I could to stop it before you got to know it. But luck really wasn't on our side, I guess." Lucas mentioned, answering me.

"I tried, Sophie. I really did. My parents have never listened to me in the past, yet I tried. I rejected to marry you but you of all people should know how powerful they are. Didn't you try to reject this deal too?"

"I tried to reject the deal Lucas. Richard threatened me about Carter's life if I didn't agree. I could, in no condition put his life to risk. I couldn't be that selfish." Lucas nodded, understanding, and smiled at me.

"We both will keep trying till the day of our marriage. We both will keep trying." He assured.

"Why can't you just reject me? What's the worst your parents would do? Your Mom and Dad look nice. At least somewhat better than mine." I shrugged, pointing out the difference. Lucas did a fake laugh thing before sighing.

"It's call greed, Sophie. My parents are great but they can be very cruel when they're greedy. They won't spare a chance to kill anyone who comes in their way."

"But- they-uhm. . . Don't look like that kind of people to me," Stating, I leaned back on the bed resting my head on the pillow after removing my hand from Lucas's. He smiled widely, his creepy signature smile, his dimples showing, "your parents didn't look like that either, love. What I don't understand is why you didn't tell him yet? Why would you let him get to know the way he did?"

"Because of you!"

"Where did I come from, huh?" With creased eyebrows he questioned me.

"I thought I could talk to you and ask you to reject me. That maybe we could do something together to stop the wedding before Carter knows. Just like you tried to do everything before I got to know," I smiled sadly at him. "And like you, I failed too. And trust me, I don't think there is anyway left to solve this issue anymore."

"We can try. We can keep pressurizing them. Maybe they'll realize how wrong this is. That we're not some objects they could play with." Lucas was the last hope I had, the last way I could think of to try and put this wedding drama to an end. And at that point of time my sinking heart got crushed again. I knew Lucas was willing to fight but it was clear as a crystal to me that there was no way to stop the wedding.

My eyes were dry by then. No tears were there in them. I had cried so much, no tears were left to be shed. But if you believe it, my heart was crying. My heart was crying hard, it was sobbing. Though I looked fine from outside, I was dying inside.

My phone rang indicating I had received a message. Hoping it was Carter, I ran towards it. I knew very well that Carter would not message me, I knew he hated me and no sane person would message me if they were in Carter's shoes.

And when I saw it was from an unknown number, curiosity got the best of me and I opened it.

After reading out the message, I walked towards the bed again with the phone in my hands all hope gone from my heart which was being under heavy pressure. "Is it him?"

"I wish it was him." I held the canvas in my hands and walked towards the wall where I thought I could hang it. Removing a random frame from there I hung the painting there and smiled at how perfect it looked. It showed how much Carter loved me, how much I loved him. It would always remind me that I had fallen in love with the most talented person of America.

"Is your family still here? I mean. . . Are they still downstairs? Maybe, you know staying for the dinner?"

"Oh, no. They went after the photographer got some pictures taken. I stayed. You see we needed to discuss. I needed to be there for you. And, seeing you had made it clear to me, you hated me. I felt the need to explain things to you, Sophie." He said after clearing his throat. "You can hate me all you want, but I had to explain you my side of the story," Lucas continued.

I shook my head sitting beside him. "I don't hate you Lucas. I mean yeah I did. . . But now I know the reason you kept it away from me. And also why you can't do anything to stop what our parents have planned for us. So, I don't hate you."

"But I'm still a creep?" He asked with both of his eyebrows raised as a small smile crawled up my lips. "You're still a creep!" I nodded, answering.

"You know, you should talk to Carter about what just happened. . ." Lucas suggested, examining my face. Sighing, I nodded my head trying hard to figure out how to actually talk to Carter.

"But what do I tell him, huh? That my parents have arranged my marriage with someone who I barely know and I couldn't tell you because I was trying to solve this issue myself but now I cannot and you got to know this before I told you so I think that is it. We can't be together anymore, because guess what? My dad is after your life. And even though I want to be selfish, I can't be selfish because I want your life more than I want to you." I finished with my blabbering when I felt Lucas putting a finger on my lips indicating me to shut up.

"No, Sophie. You need to talk to him. Either talk to him in person or on the mobile phone telling him to come meet you somewhere. The park maybe or a restaurant. Because the position he saw us in was not really the best one and you need to explain things to him as quickly as possible." I bobbed my head in understanding before I picked up my phone in order to call Carter.

Though my heart was beating faster and faster each button I pressed, I had to get over with it. I had to let him know about the position I was in. I had to try and make him to not hate me as much as he did. I pressed the device to my ears only to be disappointed at not hearing the fresh voice of Carter.

.

You have no idea how much I love you, Carter. And you have no idea how much I'm hurting. Sighing, I started to record a message. "Carter. . . Carter. . . Umm. . . Carter. . . Cart-" a sob slipped from my lips making me stop in my sentence. I closed my eyes, a tear making its way down my chin. I had thought there were no tears left but there were. They were waiting in my eyes for a moment like that.

"Carter. . . Carter. . . Car-" my eyes caught Lucas mouthing me, "yes, fine. Now say something else!"

"Carter. . . we really need to talk. I-I know you hate m-me. But you need to listen t-to me Carter. I will exp-plain everything to you. I promise. Just listen to me once Carter. I will explain every-thing to you. I promise. Ju-st hear me out."

"Carter, I know you a-are mad. But, I'm here to clearing everything. Just- let's meet somewhere. Please, Carter. Reply me, okay?" Tears stung my eyes as I let out, my hands gripping the mobile tighter.

I waited for Carter and I kept waiting but I never got a reply from him. Lucas had left me alone after he gave me false assurances of things being better at the end. Exhausted, I called Jack. "Hi stranger!" Jack answered the phone.

"Jack, have you met Carter? Where is he?"

"Last I checked, he was at your house with your gift." He answered casually, having no idea of what a destructing hell of a storm had hit me. More big of a storm had hit Carter.

"Jack, Carter knows. He got to know everything!" I exclaimed, letting out.

"Shit!" Jack whispered from the other side of the phone.

"He got to know in the worst ways possible, Jack. And he left. He was mad! Now I can't contact him. Just let me know if he's at his house, that is he safe? Tell him I want to meet him and explain things." I wanted to meet Carter, no matter what. I was considering sneaking out of the house.

"Will do it Sophie, don't worry. How did he get to know?"

"Jack, Richard and Victoria just made me doll up. I had thought it was one of their stupid parties but guess what? It was something even stupid than that. It was a fucking picture session! Can you believe it? God, they made Lucas and I exchange rings! I mean if it wasn't already sick, Carter had to see all of it! God he must be hurt! I need to see him Jack! Do something, go see if Carter is okay, please?"

"No way! He saw that?! I'll check up on him. I don't think he would be able to handle such kind of an information without doing something very stupid. I'll call you later and fill you in okay?"

"Okay, Jack. Bye." Whispering that to him I hung up, my heart beating fast at the worst possibilities that crossed my mind. If I had thought my eyes had cried enough for the day, I was wrong.

No matter how exhausted I was of crying, how much my eyes stung, I cried more. I cried again, fully. I wanted to let it all out. I wanted to cry all I had to that day because I didn't want to cry again. I wanted to be a strong girl the next day I woke up. I wanted to let it all out and then forget all about it. Forget that the weak me ever existed.

My eyes landed on the painting Carter had gifted me. It reminded me of how much of a loving man Carter was. That was the best gift anyone had ever given to me. And what had my parents given me?Pain.

But Carter came into my life as a blessing, as a ray of sunshine. He brought me out of the darkness, showed the world how strong of a person I was. He made me recover from the dark surroundings. No matter how unlucky I might have been, I was the luckiest girl to have had a man like Carter loving me. I was the luckiest girl on the whole planet to have had a chance to be with the most amazing boyfriend.

A knock on the door startled me but I remained the way I was. I did not stand up from the ground I was sprawled on. I did not make a move to stretch my dress to cover my body. I did not lift my head from the carpet. The dress was uncomfortable but I did not want to change it. I wanted to ruin it. The jewellery I had worn in the morning was still on and troubling me, but I made no effort to remove it.

The sun had gone away. This world had a moon that appeared at night. But in my world, when darkness appeared there was no single source of light. No stars, no moon, nothing. Leaving me alone to myself in the creepy darkness.

"Sophia?! You're still-" hearing Richard's voice had caused something to stir inside my mind. I started to breath harder, trying to control my anger. But it was almost impossible when he entered inside my room and eyed me like I was a piece of shit.

His hands reached out to hold the painting Carter gave me which was laying beside me. He scoffed at it and it flipped me. It did the deed. "Keep your filthy hands off that, you asshole!" Without sparing him a glance I yelled. "Get the fucking hell out of this room! Get out!"

"Pft! See how-" I could let him complete.

"I said get out of my room! GET OUT!"