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Breaking the Engagement (Elena x Henry) |
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“I’m sorry, Henry,” I whispered, my fingers reaching for the ring sitting on my left hand, the jewel suddenly weighing a hundred times what it should, making my hand and heart heavy. Before it left my finger, he grabbed both of my hands, preventing me from doing the inevitable. Preventing me from doing what we both knew I’d regret later.
“No, Elena,” he whispered, shaking his head of blonde hair as he green eyes radiated into my brown eyes, looking down at me with tears threatening to fall. “Please, you can’t…” I almost gave in then; I almost let myself become weak and give in. There was no denying I loved Henry Toole with my entire being, but that was why I had to go. I wasn’t what he needed or deserved. Sure, I was beautiful. Despite my doubts about it before he had taught me that. But I wasn’t emotionally or mentally prepared for his lifestyle. How cruel other women would be or how his mother frowned upon me because of my not-so-privileged background.
I’d made up my mind in my room before I had come down to his. After I had heard the conversation between he and his mother, about me, of course.
“She doesn’t belong, Henry! Your father is not getting any younger or in any better health and we can’t continue to play these games! She’s not prepared for this!” His mother had scolded in hushed tones, as if that would prevent me from hearing it. Perhaps she had said it loud enough on purpose. Maybe this is what she wanted all along.
Henry had retorted some kind of remark, but I hadn’t heard that. I had gone numb, my chest suddenly feeling heavy with uncried sobs. I didn’t want to tear his family apart; he loved his mother and father very much...and he was all they had. I couldn’t ask him to come back to my home with me, though I’m sure he would if he could; he always talked about how much he loved it there…
“I have to,” I finally cried, trying to pull my hands away from his, but he held tight, lacing our fingers together as he tried to plead with me to stay. “I’m not what you need. This whole thing was a mistake. I’m sorry, Henry. I would have never come if I had known that this is what would come of it.” There was truth in my words, every single one of them. I’d always been the dreamer of my three sisters. I had thought Henry to be my knight in shining armor, my prince charming. Perhaps he was. But his family and his happiness was much more important to me than my own. Sure, he would miss me for a little while, but he would find a wife and have children and be happy. Without me.
“Who are you to decide that me bringing you here as my fiance was a mistake?” he said, anger and disappointment in his gaze as he moved his hands to my shoulders, preventing me from leaving. “I love you, Elena Davlos! I don’t give a ******** as to what anyone else thinks! You are perfect for me. I love you. Does that not matter?” He shook me, probably a little harder than he had meant to.
“I’m tearing your whole world apart! You’re constantly having to defend me, defend your decision to bring me here with you. Your family does not approve--”
“My father thinks you are wonderful.”
“Your mother hates me and I don’t need my being here to tear up the twenty-year marriage of your parents, Henry.” I stopped, just long enough to pull his grandmother’s ring off of my finger and hold it in my clenched fist as I tried to muster the courage to finish this. “She’s right. I’m not trained on how to host tea parties or greet important guests. I don’t know how to follow these silly fashion trends that change every five minutes. I cry at the slightest scorn or unkind word, and there is a lot of that in this world. I’m not...I’m not strong enough for this world of high society.”
He stared at me for a long time, the gears in his mind turning at a million miles per minute, searching for some way to fix this problem. Finally he shrugged, a small smile appearing on his lips as if he’d come up with the perfect plan. “Then we will both leave. Run away and never come back.”
“Now you’re just being ridiculous,” I snapped, making my way to the door of his room, doing my best to not shed tears. Not here, not now. The ring still felt heavy in my hand as I looked for a place to lay it down. However, before I could, Henry had grabbed my other hand, his face full of shock and anger.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean you’re the only child of your parents and everything they have accomplished will one day fall to you. You’ve been training to take over this business your entire life! You can’t just leave that behind, Henry.”
“Of course I can. I will, for you. My uncle did it for God, so why can’t I do it for the woman I love?” The tears were on the brink of falling. How could he choose now of all times in our relationship to be stubborn and not let me win. I turned to face him completely, shaking my head.
“First of all, your uncle had your father to take his place. Who is to take your place when you are the only child?” I pushed, my eyes glaring right into his, my hand searching for his. “Second of all, I won’t let you.”
“Why not, Elena?! Why won’t you just let me love you? Why do you have to make everything so difficult?”
I didn’t mean the words that popped out of my mouth next. I’m sure he knew that, but he had let me go immediately after I said them. I was just frustrated and already hurting so deeply that I would be returning to my previous life, unsure if I was going to be accepted there either after my atrocious behavior. I dropped the ring in his hand. “Because I don’t love you! I don’t think I ever can….”
And like that I was out of his room and in my own, packing my things as best as I could. They had, of course, gotten rid of all of my patched up clothing the minute I had arrived and more...suitable dresses had taken their place, but I had picked the most simple of the dresses and one pair of sensible flats before quickly writing Henry a short letter with my deepest apologies. Before long, I found myself dragging my bag out of the room that had been designated my own during my stay here at the Toole household.
“Please help Ms. Davlos with her bags and take her back to her home in Dunsberry,” I had heard Henry say in a strained voice before a door slammed. I flinched, heart aching to go tell him I was sorry. But deep down I knew that was not a good plan. This was better. For both of us...right?
Wordlessly, I slipped the paper under his door and allowed the coachman to take my suitcase to the carriage as I followed silently behind, the letter I had left for Henry still pressed firm in my mind:
My beloved Henry,
I’m sorry I have caused you and your family so much pain, especially you. I didn’t mean what I said--I didn’t know what else to say that would make you let me go. It’s what’s best. For both of us. I wish you nothing but a lifetime of happiness with a wife that deserves you and everything you can offer her. Please write me, as I will write you. Despite the way things ended, I would like to remain friends. That’s all I ask.
Forever yours,
Elena.
 Awesomely Awkward Allie · Sun Feb 14, 2016 @ 06:34am · 0 Comments |
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