Loving Madeline

Hunter's POV

It was summer when I first meet Rebecca, and I was eighteen years old at that time. She looks so beautiful watering the plants in our beautiful garden. She was wearing a simple floral dress, and I couldn't stop myself from looking at her.

"Hey, Hunter, are you interested in Carmen's daughter?" Frank asked, and I blushed.

"No, I am just looking at her because she is new, and I didn't realize she was Carmen's daughter." I answered immediately and avoided Frank's eyes as I get inside the passenger's seat, and he turns around to go to the driver's seat. He has been our driver for a long time now. And Frank was among the persons I like, including Calixto, my father's assistant. I was on my way to go fishing, I can drive the car, but my father insisted that Frank come with me. 

"Her name is Rebecca, just in case you want to be friends with her, I can tell you like her, and you are just ashamed to talk to me about her, come on, Hunter, you can tell me anything." Frank said, and I smiled that I know her name, but I didn't reply to Frank.

I was thinking about Rebecca the entire time, and in the end, only Frank caught fish because I can't concentrate. And I am frustrated when I didn't find her again when we came back to the Divenson mansion. 

I woke up early the following day, hoping I will find her again, but I didn't see her for the entire week, and I thought I lost my chance to meet her. It was the weekend, and I just got up from bed, and I was on my way to the dining hall when I found her in the living room wiping the life-sized painting, and I can't stop my heart from beating so fast. I know many girls came to me in school ever since I was in my first year of high school, and some girls will ask me to have a date with me, and I love girls and their attention given to me, but I only love flings, and I never got serious to any girls. That is why some call me a playboy, until I meet her.

I am not a playboy because I never ask anyone to be my girlfriend. They just threw themselves at me, and sometimes I can't resist because I am just a horny teenager, and sexy girls will parade themselves at me. But this girl is different. She made me sleepless at night, and I find it hard to talk to her and introduce myself.

"Are you a thief?" I asked, and I hate myself for asking her a corny question.

"What? Can't you see I am busy cleaning this stuff?" She replied, and when she turned her head and looked at me, I am amused with her reactions. Her whole face turned so red, and she smiled shyly at me.

"I don't mean about that stuff; I am talking about you stealing my heart." I said, and my words made her even redder. She went down from the movable ladder and faced me.

"Wow! It seems what they say about you were all true." She responded, and I raised my eyebrow.

"Who?" I asked, confused.

"The girls in school." She said.

"Are we studying at the same school?" I asked, and she nodded.

"Yeah, I am also in senior year in your school, and you don't know me, but I know you because you are the most popular guy in school." She replied, and I smiled; I am not proud about being popular in our school, but I felt excited about it because I want to know her.

"So, what those girls told you about me?" I asked.

"You are a playboy." She replied, and I laughed.

"Well, those girls don't know me, and you have to know me first before you can judge me." I declared and moved closer to her, and I can tell she was nervous and excited at the same time.

"I am Hunter Divenson." I said as I offered my hand to her, and I can see how she blushed, and I can see the uncertainties on her face, and it took her a long time to shake my hand.

"Rebecca Anderky, " She answered, and when I clasped my hand against her, I can feel the sparks that traveled my entire frame, and I know from that moment she will become mine. Rebecca is beautiful and innocent. I court her, and we dated until we became the hot couple in our school, and she became famous among the student body, and if before she always walks around campus alone, many girls want to know her because of me. But I am always around her, and I became obsessed with Rebecca because I always want to see her.

Every weekend and school break, she spent her time in our mansion to help her mom, and I didn't care if she was only the daughter of our cleaning lady because I fell in love with her. And we meet secretly in my room and made love every chance we can get. She is not my first, but she is my first love, and I am her first boyfriend, and she gave up her virginity to me, and I was so happy. We keep our relationship secret. After all, she begged me because she was afraid my parents would be against her, but I want my family to know her. And one day, my mom came to my room and talked with me about my secret girlfriend.

"Hunter, I heard rumors from the maids that they found Rebecca coming out from your room." My mom asked me, and I found my chance to tell her about Rebecca.

"Mom, Rebecca is my girlfriend." I said, and my mom's eyes widened, and I saw a smile on her face, but the worries that registere on her face are evident.

"Oh, son, I am so happy that finally, you told me you have a girlfriend. Still, Hunter, you know your dad will be against it because he always wants you to marry someone from the elite society for business stability, and as you can see, our business is sinking. I don't want to tell you about this, but I am afraid five years from now, our mining company will declare bankruptcy if we can't find investors or suitable business partners, and you are the only one who can help your father, Hunter." My mother said, and my face darkened with anger towards my father.

"Mom, I will talk with dad; I will help him after I became a mining engineer; tell him to wait until I can work for him, and my love life has nothing to do with our company; this is personal matter, mom." I said.

"It is not that easy Hunter, marrying Kaye would be the best option." She declared.

"Mom, we are just friends. I don't love Kaye, and I love Rebecca, mom. Please, you need to help me tell dad about her." I begged my mom, and her face softened.

"Don't worry, Hunter, I will try my best to convince your father." She replied, and I was so happy at that time, but my mom's effort was futile.

"Hunter, there is no way you can have a relationship with the daughter of one of our maids. How could you do this to me, son? Stay away from Rebecca." My father snarled. He summoned me to his study after my mom asked him to allow me to date my girlfriend.

"I love her, dad." I said.

"Son, love will not give you comfort. You should know that. I didn't love your mom at first, but because she is the daughter of the wealthiest man in the country, I needed to marry her, so I don't need to worry about the future, and now you should do the same. Love is only for those who are weak.

"I want you to marry, Kaye." He said with authority, and I gave him hard stares.

"You don't have the right to look at me that way, Hunter." He said.

"Father, I am begging you, please don't interfere with my love life, I promise to help you with our company, just wait for me until I will graduate from college, and I will show it to you that I don't need to marry a wealthy woman just to keep the company afloat." I said.

"It will never happen, Hunter, my order is final you should break up with Rebecca." He said and he got out from his chair and left me feeling so lost and hurt.

"Are you okay, Mr. Divenson?" Cal said, and I almost forgot he is sitting in front of me because I thought about Rebecca.

"No, Calixto, I am far from okay." I replied, and he looked at me with so much concern on his face.

"You can talk to me, anything that you want." He said.

"Do you think I should not marry, Madeline?" I asked, and he looked at me in the eyes.

"I know your purpose of marrying her because of your father's desire to have an heir. And you don't want to marry anyone from the elite society because only Maddie is safe to become your wife. And she is in love with you, but if you think there is no chance in your heart that you can love her, then I guess you should not marry her; you better let her go." He said, and I don't understand why it feels so hard to let Maddie go.

"I don't know, Cal, I don't want to hurt Madeline, but there are moments I can't help myself from hurting her feelings, just what happened tonight. I thought I saw Rebecca when she descended on the stairs." I replied.

"You have to accept the fact that she is gone, Hunter. You need to give yourself a chance to love someone, and I witnessed how you looked at Madeline; you like her, Hunter. I can see it in your eyes." He said, and I can't disagree with Cal because I know the attraction that I have for Maddie, but I don't want to keep breaking her heart.

"But how can I make her happy when I am imprisoned with my past love, guilt, and resentment? How can I forgive myself for killing Rebecca." I replied.

"Hunter, you didn't kill Rebecca. It was an accident."

"I was there, Cal, and I could have saved her.." I said, and I couldn't control myself from crying as I remember that dreadful night.