“They approached me and made it sound so easy. They made it sound like the girl would live in luxury in some palace with some rich asshole from Dubai or something. I thought, she’s our enemy anyway… I didn’t even really know what I was doing. I made a mistake, man. I was desperate,” Bardil pleads. But his words fall on deaf ears. Marlen clearly isn’t interested in hearing anything his brother has to say.
Marlen turns his back on Bardil. My heart aches for the pain in his expression.
“Bardil, you need to leave,” he says darkly.
“Marlen…”
“Get the fuck out of my house,” he snarls.
Bardil presses his lips together and swallows nervously. He takes a reluctant step toward the door. “I’m going, ok, but Marlen, please…”
Marlen walks away, not listening to whatever Bardil was going to say.
Bardil looks at me, his eyes lost and bewildered. He says nothing as he turns from me and leaves the mansion.
I glance toward where Marlen left. Do I go after him? Do I try and talk to him?
Now hardly seems like the best time.
Instead, I walk back to the living room and sit down on the sofa. I’m in complete shock over everything that just happened.
Shock and relief.
The truth is finally out. Marlen knows.
When he’s ready, he has to help me convince my brothers he isn’t the enemy.
I sit quietly in the living room, watching the sky grow darker outside. Marlen doesn’t come down for dinner, so I make him a grilled cheese sandwich and carry it up to his room. The door is closed. I knock lightly and call his name.
“Marlen?”
He doesn’t answer.
“I made you something to eat. It’s at the door. I’ll just leave it on the floor here,” I call out.
My heart pains for him. I want to hold him and tell him that everything is going to be ok.
Setting the plate down outside his door, I head to my own room.
His door clicks open, and I glance back to see him reaching for the plate, then closing it again.
It reminds me of when I first arrived here, when he left food at my bedroom door.
Chapter 23 - Marlen
My brother’s betrayal has shattered my view of him. I desperately want to believe he is a good person who made a stupid mistake, but I’m too angry to think straight.
How could he do this to us? How could he keep lying about it for so long afterward?
I’m standing in the kitchen, staring into the fridge. I’ve been looking for the milk for a few minutes now, even though it’s right in front of me.
Sighing in annoyance, I grab it and pull it out, carrying it over to the coffee machine. I’m tired and emotional after last night’s confrontation with Bardil.
The only things that bring me comfort at this point are my thoughts about Stefania.
She was being honest with me. All this time, I’ve been pushing her away, but she’s the one who was real.
There is too much guilt in my chest to face her yet. Last night, I knew it wasn’t fair that I closed her out. I should have spoken to her and told her how sorry I was. But I couldn’t process what happened with my brother and deal with that, too.
