Chapter 8

Penelope went back to her empty hotel room after confirming and going through everything with Doornail Corporation. She had first suggested to Eric that they hold their wedding at a venue that was the closest to the blue skies above. That was the main reason why Eric chose to have their wedding at Snowtop Hills, which was right next to Maybelle City. Penelope was very happy with the arrangement. There were plenty of hills and highlands in Snowtop Hills, which also meant that there were a lot of cliffs around too. Doornail Corporation found the perfect place for her as her "scene of death". Penelope also chose to have her pre-wedding photos taken at that very cliff. There was a sudden knock on the door. Penelope went to answer the door and was met immediately with Eric's red eyes. "Penelope…" Eric sobbed and pulled her into his arms. His familiar scent wafted into her senses, and she was momentarily stunned. It felt as though they hadn't seen each other in a few days. The last time they met, Eric had been busy explaining things between himself and Ingrid. He had squeezed out that sliver of time to look for Penelope one night, telling her that he only saved Ingrid the other day because she was the girlfriend of one of his best friends. Eric then bought three expensive sets of jewelry for Penelope as a way to try and make it up to her. Penelope had smiled while accepting the jewelry gifts, and Eric had relaxed, thinking that she believed every word he said. But why was he crying now? Had he sensed that something was amiss? Or had his guilty conscience pricked him, and he had finally decided to tell her the truth about everything? Penelope's heart thumped erratically in her chest. She tested the waters without giving herself away. "What's the matter, Eric?" Eric's voice was nasally as he replied, "Penelope, I've been neglecting you lately because of work and the wedding preparations. I feel really sorry for that. It's going to be our wedding tomorrow, and we can finally be husband and wife… "I swear that from tomorrow onward, I'll always love you and protect you. I'll never disappoint you…" She felt Eric nuzzling against her neck as warm teardrops soaked her collarbone. His tears were starting to wet her bra, so Penelope took a step back without causing any suspicion. She stared at Eric's face and asked quietly, "What do you mean by that? Have you done something to disappoint me before?" Eric shuddered. However, he quickly masked his guilt by plastering a fake smile on his lips. "Of course not! Have you forgotten that I made a promise before your parents' grave to only love you, cherish you, and never let anyone hurt you for the rest of my life?" He rested his chin on Penelope's head and said, "Penelope, I haven't been accompanying you lately. But from the wedding onward, I'll always be by your side." Penelope smiled very slightly, letting him pull her into his arms once again. However, her eyes flashed with self-ridicule. Eric sure knew how to make promises he never intended to keep. He also knew how to betray her to the fullest. "Alright. Let's go to the hilltop for our pre-wedding shoot right after I'm done with my makeup tomorrow." When they got to the top, she was going to leave him with a memory he would never forget for the rest of his life. Penelope then pushed Eric away and went over to the chair on the balcony before taking a seat. She didn't spare him another glance. Eric was stunned. This was the second time today that she had pushed him away when he tried to hug her. His guts told him that something was wrong. He hurried up to Penelope and pulled up a chair next to her before sitting down. He then held her icy-cold hands tightly in his own and asked, "What's the matter, Poppy? Are you feeling unhappy?" Penelope didn't turn to look at him. She just looked up into the sky and suddenly smiled in a weird way. "Our wedding is tomorrow. What's there for me to be unhappy about?" Eric frowned slightly but didn't press further. He just held her hands tighter, trying to warm her up. For the past few days, Eric had been traveling non-stop between his company and Snowtop Hills where the wedding was to be held. He made sure to handle everything by himself, from the wedding planning down to the wedding decor and centerpieces, just so that he could give Penelope a perfect wedding. He knew that he had done her wrong by cheating on her. That was why he poured another billion dollars into the wedding budget to make sure every little detail was perfect, even if it tired him out or made him run out of oxygen—literally. He did all these to make it up to Penelope, even though she wasn't supposed to know what he had supposedly done wrong. This time, Penelope didn't shake his hands off, which meant it probably wasn't a very serious issue. She was most probably just having some pre-wedding jitters. Eric was sure that Penelope would feel very touched when she saw how grand and perfect their wedding was tomorrow. She would be so touched that she wouldn't be able to stop crying. When that happened, any of the so-called jitters would surely fade away. That was the reason why Eric didn't press further for details. He just leaned against her and looked up into the sky, admiring the stars with her. Suddenly, Eric's phone lit up. He stole a glance at it and turned it off before throwing it to the side. However, the person who sent him the first text message just wouldn't let up and continued sending five or six more messages, one after another. Then, the person started calling him non-stop. Eric rejected each call. He was just about to shut his phone off when he finally read the text message displayed on the lockscreen. And then, he froze. Ingrid told him that she felt an immense pain in her belly and that she was on the way to the emergency room. She was worried that something terrible had happened to the baby. Eric was faced with a huge dilemma. After an internal war, he turned to Penelope, who was still in a daze, and said, "Penelope, my company…" When she heard that, she chuckled softly and interrupted him, saying, "Another emergency at your company? Hurry along, then. Just don't miss the wedding tomorrow." It sounded as if she really didn't mind at all—she even sounded like she was teasing him. Eric suddenly felt flustered and panicked. However, Ingrid still wouldn't stop messaging him. She had to be in great danger for her to do this. Gritting his teeth, Eric leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Penelope's forehead. "I'm sorry, Penelope, but I promise that once the months-long auditing period for my company is over, I'll never leave your side again. You'll be the only one in my world. None of this will happen again." Eric had made up his mind. He would wait a few more months until Ingrid gave birth to his baby. Then, he would pay her a handsome sum of money to buy her silence and make sure that she disappeared off the face of the earth for good. He wasn't going to let himself indulge in the lust that would hurt Penelope anymore. In response, Penelope just nodded very slightly before closing her eyes and drifting off. This reaction was nothing like her. Eric felt his heart squeezing in his chest. However, he kept consoling himself, saying that they were going to marry tomorrow. They had arrived at the venue a few days before and were already staying at the provided accommodations, so nothing could possibly go wrong the next day. And if something were to happen… Then, Eric would make it up to Penelope after the wedding. He patted Penelope on the head before grabbing his phone and rushing off. He would never learn that Penelope had stared at his disappearing silhouette with a self-deprecating yet determined smile. Tomorrow... She had put all of her soul into preparing for the wedding tomorrow. He had better not miss it.