Page 20 of Legally Yours

“Cassandra, I miss you and I want you back.” His voice has no remorse or sadness in it.

“Nope, it’s not gonna happen.” I look at him. I make sure to communicate every bit of the disdain I feel for him. There is no love left for someone who would cheat on me.

“But, Cassandra, please! Don’t look at me like that.” A weak, pleading tone enters his voice. “I made one mistake. Just one. Can’t you forgive me?”

I know what his answer will be to the question I’m about to ask him. “If I do, would you stay faithful?”

“I-I’ll do my best.”

I raise one eyebrow as I glare at him. “Not good enough. For someone who says hemissesme, your answer is pretty wishy-washy. You’re not even sure that you can be faithful! How can anyone trust you?”

I consider asking him how many times he cheated on me but decide not to. Knowing would probably make me lose my lunch.

“David, will you just get away from me? Leave me alone!” I shout this one as loud as I can.Where is everybody?“No, we aren’t getting back together. You cheated on me with my best friend. How else do you want me to react? It’s too late. I’m already married. Just go enjoy your life with Emma.”

I turn and leave my dressing room. When I look back, I see David is following me! That’s when I realize that he will never stop pestering me and begging me to take him back again.

“Please, Cassandra. I’m sorry! How the hell else do you want me to display my regret? And aboutyoubeing married. How do I know you didn’t have Anderson on the side while we were dating? You married pretty fast after you left me.”

“I’m not defending myself. I did nothing wrong. I don’t want to see you, talk to you, or even spot you in the distance. Just go!”

Finally, I spot a room where I might have some protection from him. I turn and start walking as fast as I can. Dammit! He’s still following me! I speed up until I’m almost running. I turn this way, that way and another way. Still, he sticks to me like lint on my favorite dress.

“David, will you just leave me alone! Go away!” My voice isn’t quiet at this point. I’m trying to get anyone’s attention so they can help me to get away from him. I hear his footsteps getting faster. He’s getting closer to me.

“David! Get away from me!” He has me cornered. “What are you doing?” I try to push him away. But I can’t move him. I smell his breath.Oh, yuck. He definitely has been drinking.

David crowds me, pushing me into the wall. He grips my upper arms hard so I won’t get away from him. I watch him as he draws closer to me. I do everything I can to avoid those lips. They brush against my cheek. I stomp down on his foot.

“Agh! You bitch! That hurt!” David steps back, and I run.

Pushing my shoes off, I sprint as fast as I can. “Leave me alone! Get away!” I’m shouting now. I hear his drunken footsteps behind me.Finally, I can be grateful that I’m not too tall.I begin running faster. As I do, I keep screaming.Why is this part of the building so far away from the stage? I know that’s where everyone is.

Looking back, I see I’m increasing the distance between David and me, but he isn’t stopping. I run in the direction of the stage. Maybe people are still there. Maybe that’s why there isn’t anybody backstage.

From one step to the next, I feel myself pulled back as my legs fly up in front of me.

“Will you stop? Let me talk!” David is furious. He has a death grip on my arm, and it hurts. “Why won’t you forgive me?”

I glare at my arm, then at David. He loosens his grip just a little bit.

“Any man who would cheat on me after asking me to marry him doesn’t have much recommending that we get back together. Why me? Am I the one that got away?”

David’s eyebrows mash together, and the look in his eyes tells me he is enraged. Damn my tongue!

“Little bitch! You're not the one who got away. You’ll see soon that I am the only one you’re going to be married to.”

I notice that David’s grip is loose enough for me to get my arm back. “Oh, I don’t think so,” I snap. “That is Liam.” I wrench my arm out of his grip, whirl around and begin running again. I raise my voice the closer I get to the stage.

“Help! I need help!” I keep running and I also hear more footfall pounding behind me. I run faster, then I don’t hear David running. Instead, I hear him retching. That alone makes me run even faster. “Help! David won’t stop chasing me!”

Do I hear people running toward me? Or is that my heartbeat?

19

LIAM

Ihear the commotion from backstage and listen more closely. That’s Cassandra’s voice! I step past the curtain with a bouquet of flowers in one hand. Cassandra comes running up to me, out of breath.