Page 14 of The Billionaire Revenge

“What are you doing here?” she asked when he was on stage in front of her.

“I have something to say,” he said.

“I hurt you” he began “the only woman I’ve every loved. You told me you grew up on Oberlin Ohio but I lied when I said I didn’t know the place; that’s where I grew up also. And I remember you as the beautiful girl I had fallen in love with from the sidelines. I know you won’t remember me but even then I had loved you but you had rejected my proposal to be your date to the dance and ever since then I’ve been living with the heartbreak”

He watched as a tear rolled down her cheek.

“I never meant to hurt you,” he said trying not to choke on his tears “I didn’t even know how much I loved you until I saw another man making you laugh.”

“I loved you all along” she said, “I didn’t want you to leave.”

“I know,” he said as he got down on one knee and reached for the box he had picked up on his way there. He wasn’t sure if it had been the ring she had envisioned but he had walked into the jewelry store and bought the biggest diamond he could find.

“I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you happy so that I can make up for every second you were sad because of me” he said “Carrie, will you be my wife?”

He watched as hesitation and disbelief flashed across her face.

“Do you promise to never leave on me again, Malachi?” she asked with tears in her eyes, but with strong resolve.

“ Yes, Carrie, never again”

“Do you promise to never hide anything from me? Even small things like we went to middle school together in Ohio” she questioned him further.

“Yes, absolutely, Carrie, never again will I hide anything from you.”

“ Do you promise to take me out for fried chicken at least once a week, Malachi?” she asked as the hall erupted in a giggle.

“ Fried chicken? Carrie?”

“ Yes or no, Malachi”

“ Yes, Yes! I absolutely will,” said an elated Malachi as he saw the smile on Carrie’s face.

“Then it’s a, Yes,” she whispered in his ear after what seemed like an eternity.

As he slipped the ring unto her finger, the crowd behind him erupted in cheers. He blocked it all out as he stood and wrapped her in his arms and kissed her for what seemed like the first time in an eternity.

“I will never leave you, again” he said.

They both laughed and turned to face the crowd of friends and colleagues. Carrie knew in that moment that she had gained much more than he had ever lost and by the look on his face she knew that no one could love her more than Malachi.

*****

THE END