Betrayed By The Hero, Loved By The Lord
Chapter 104: Backstabbed (2)

Chapter 104: Backstabbed (2)

"He is my husband, so I needed to follow what he wanted. You already know that I am not like you. I am not that strong to just walk away. I didn’t want to do it, but he wanted me to pick between the two of you, and I could not lose him. You must understand," Fiona pleaded.

Fiona counted on Selene, who knew her well, to understand why she did what she did. Selene was well aware that she never wanted to lose Oliver. Not every woman in town had the courage like Selene to just up and leave without a plan.

"I do not have a family to take me in like you or money to fall back on. There isn’t some kind of noble waiting for me if I leave Oliver. It is not the same for me as it is for you," Fiona said, hoping Selene would understand.

"You had a friend who would have helped you. I could have found a place for you here and you know it. You chose to follow your husband. I am quite angry with you but because I know you so well, I understand it," Selene replied.

Fiona reached out to hold Selene’s hands. "I don’t want to lose you."

Selene smiled as she pushed Fiona’s hands away from her. "You misunderstood me. I understand why you did what you did but it doesn’t mean I forgive you and want to remain friends. You knew what would happen after speaking lies. Do not act like you didn’t know."

"Well," Fiona started but she couldn’t make up an excuse. She was in between a rock and a hard place because of two people she cared for. Selene didn’t know how much she was against it at first.

"We were struggling a lot. The day you came over, I had spent the morning tidying up the home myself, doing the baking and was in the garden a bit. I didn’t want to show anyone needed money," Fiona said, ashamed to admit it now.

"I am well aware of the reason you did it. I also know there were more reasons why Oliver did it. Your reasons won’t change my mind, Fiona. I cannot trust you anymore. I never said I was having an affair. You lied about me just so you wouldn’t lose him," Selene said, annoyed.

Why did Fiona think she could just come back here and everything would be fine? That she could share her excuses and Selene would take pity on her?

"You knew that I dealt with a lot of people turning their backs on me after what happened to my parents. To protect you, I did not mind that we met in secret. You know how I spoke of never forgiving those people. You must accept that we will never go back to being friends. This is the last time I want to see you," Selene said, the decision hard to make but very needed.

"I just..." Fiona once more tried to explain herself. She understood why Selene didn’t want to be friends but at the back of her mind, she did have hope that they would go back to being friends after this all blew over.

Since they were speaking about how they felt, Fiona had some things to say too. She was angry. There was so much she held in over the years. So much which helped her understand what Oliver felt about Selene.

"It was all too sudden. Regardless of what I said, the town already believed that your quick divorce and new marriage meant you were having an affair with Lord Blackthorn when Gabriel was away. I know that I added to the fire but you should have thought about how your actions would look," Fiona argued.

Before Oliver came to her with the plan to speak about Selene having an affair, Fiona was already suspicious of Selene’s marriage to Xavier.

Since when were the two close for them to get married? Was it during her marriage to Gabriel? Selene didn’t have enough time after Gabriel’s return to convince Xavier to marry her.

Many of the ladies Fiona sat before did not believe it.

Selene laughed at Fiona. "What you said makes me wonder if you were always this way. So ready to find excuses and cast blame onto someone else. I did not have an affair. I know it is very likely your husband went to Gabriel about this. I know that you also suspected it."

Fiona bit her lip. Selene was clueless about how much it pained her to help Gabriel when she did not like him. "Oliver never told me about who was protecting him just like you never told me that you were close to Xavier. You’ve messed up in your ways."

Selene smiled as Fiona made countless mistakes with what she said. "It is good I kept how I became close to Xavier away from you. Who knows how you would have spun the story? You reminded me of how people will do anything for money and to save their marriages. It is quite scary."

Selene turned to go back inside. "Please leave. I have much to do today."

"You never understood me, Selene. You don’t know what it is like to struggle. To truly struggle. It never made me feel good when you reached out your hand to offer me money. It made me feel little. It made me realise how horrible my life was and I hated that you never knew what it was like in that position," Fiona shared her feelings.

"You grew up in a good home and even after the accusations against your parents, you married a man like Gabriel and then a lord. You never had a moment to suffer to understand the world for the rest of us and I hated it. I understand Oliver’s desperation to get our own money," Fiona said.

Fiona knew it was wrong but she was going to stand by her husband. At the end of the day, Oliver was all she had.

Selene thought differently. She had suffered with her parents’ death and everything that came after. There were accusations of her being involved and the court wanted to kill her as well, but she was luckily found innocent.

Selene had to bear with people hating her for something they believed her family did. Dealing with people who thought could use her as they liked at her weakest moment.

"So, you wanted me to struggle to feel good? If you hated the times that I offered you money, why didn’t you say no? Why did you take it and at later times hint for more? What does that say about you? I had been wishing the best for you and all along, you wanted me to suffer," Selene said, hurt by this revelation.

It was evident that she cared for Fiona more than Fiona ever cared for her.

"Perhaps I was wrong. You and Oliver deserve each other. I hope the money you received was just as you wanted. Unfortunately, you will find how fast this town moves on to other things and they will not need your lies. You will be right back as you started," Selene said, certain of it.

Fiona didn’t believe it since there were plenty of women who were quite friendly with her. What she needed now was Oliver.

"Oliver didn’t come home last night nor did he return in the morning. It is not like him to not return to me. I fear something might have happened to him and the first person I thought of was you," Fiona said, knowing there was a chance he was here. ’Please let him go and I won’t say anything."

"Let him go? Why would I bring Oliver into my home? He is not here so you must go elsewhere to search for him," Selene replied.

"I know it is you!" Fiona exclaimed, refusing to believe Selene knew nothing. It might not be Selene but her husband might know something.