“When Aimee Embers announced on her website that she was going to take a break from movie-making to go back to that ‘special place’ for another vacation, I knew it would be the one chance I had to finally find you, Jeremy,” Victoria said to me, as she sat in a fold-up chair within my private suite. I was perched upon the bed, while Lindsay was taking it easy in a lounge chair off to the side. Needless to say, I could not believe that Victoria was here...
“I have watched that webcast a million times where Aimee has sex with her,” Victoria said, pointing over at Lindsay, “before she pulls you into the picture, Jeremy. I didn’t get a good glimpse of your face but I KNEW that person was you. Oh God... I spent whole nights watching that webcast. After years of searching, I finally found you.”
“Aimee always said on her website back then that she was on vacation in a ‘special place’...” Victoria went on. “I actually met her at a porn convention three months ago, and asked where exactly her ‘special place’ was. Aimee wouldn’t tell me, but did say it was an island in the South Pacific. A very remote island, in fact.”
“So on her website, last week, when Aimee said she was coming back here... I knew it was my chance. I’ve been looking for you, Jeremy, for five years.”
“I... I hired a private detective. He followed Aimee and her girlfriend, Stephanie Sexxon, all the way to Peru. Then he got into a boat and followed her to this island. I... I had to find you, Jeremy. This was my only way. The man I hired did some research, and found that you owned this island. He took some pictures of you at the airport, then flew back to Los Angeles and told me everything.”
“Someone followed us here in a boat?” I asked, my eyes narrow. “That is not a good thing. I thought I had better security measures than that...”
“Security?” Lindsay said, surprised.
“He didn’t step foot on your island, if that is what
you’re concerned about,” Victoria responded. “I paid him real good money to find out where Aimee was going on her vacation. I had the hope of wherever it was, I would be able to find you, Jeremy. And... I did. After all these years, I found you. I finally found you...”
As a new flow of tears began streaking down Victoria’s face, there was only one question which needed to be asked on my part. It was all I really wanted to know.
“What are you doing here?” I paused and added, “I... I don’t want you here. You-You destroyed my life nine years ago. I bought this island so I could get away from...”
Victoria began crying, which cut me off in mid-sentence. “You don’t know what a mistake that was for me!” she roared back. “I... OH GOD... if I could go back in time and change what happened that day - July 9, 1993 - I would. Believe me Jeremy, I would! I WOULD!”
“I don’t want you here,” I said to her, the years of bitterness within my system over-ruling my more sensitive nature. “I want you to go home, Victoria. Wherever it is you came from, go back to it. Right now.”
“This is not any of my business,” Lindsay said, looking at me. “It’s definitely not. I was 10 years old back in July of 1993, and this is between you and her, Jeremy. But wouldn’t you like to hear an explanation? Or a reason why Victoria did what she did to you?” Lindsay paused and added, “You have long wanted an answer from Pamela like this. You may be mad now, Jeremy, but this is your chance to get an answer from Victoria. I imagine if you want an explanation from Pamela, you’d want one from Victoria, too. In fact, you said that exact thing to me about Victoria before.”
“Who is Pamela?” my ex-fiancee asked, wiping a stream of tears away from her face.
I held back a laugh before answering, “The one person in the world who hurt me more than you did. That’s who Pamela is.” I hesitated before continuing, “Okay... okay. Let’s hear you out, Victoria. Not only did you leave me standing at the altar nine years ago, but you professed your love for Mindy - your best friend - in front of all my friends and family members.” There was a tent of anger in my voice as I went on, “You and her ran off together... into the night.”
“I had no idea anything was up between you and Mindy, Victoria. I was left alone at the altar with hundreds of people - friends, family members - staring blankly at me. They all knew you had left me for another woman. It... it was the most humiliating experience of my entire life.”
Lindsay gulped her throat and said, “I think I should leave now. This seems too personal.”
“No!” I exclaimed, looking at her. “I want you to stay here, Lindsay. You’re the only thing... which is keeping me from flying off the deep end, here. I want you to stay.”
Victoria glanced at Lindsay, who settled back down into her seat, before returning her attention to me. “My God... where do I start? I’ve waited for this opportunity for so long, Jeremy. I don’t even know what to say...”
“THEN GO HOME!” I told her, pointing toward the door.
“I... it’s... that was such a long time ago, Jeremy,” she offered. “We were only 19 back then. We... we had just met a year earlier. You proposed to me in just six months. I did say yes... but I was so young, and so confused. It got much worse for me as the wedding drew closer.”
I nodded my head and quipped, “And all those nights you said you didn’t feel good, or was busy... you were banging Mindy behind my back.” I held back another laugh.
“I was with Mindy long before I was with you,” Victoria countered, which caught me off-guard. “Mindy and I grew up together. We were neighbors. I became really close with her once we were 14. We... we kept it a secret.”
I shrugged my shoulders and said, “So? If you loved her so much, you should have never agreed to marry me. You should have never even agreed to GO OUT with me. Then, I wouldn’t have had to go through all that humiliation.”
“I didn’t know what I wanted!” she exclaimed, her voice cracking once again. “That’s the whole point! I was only 19... things were happening so fast!” Victoria paused and allowed herself to settle down before adding, “Most 19 year olds are not as mature as you were back then, Jeremy. You knew what you wanted. I didn’t know yet myself.”
“That still doesn’t excuse what you did to me,” I told her. “Nothing ever will. It would have been one thing if you called our wedding off. You didn’t have to bring Mindy into it, though. My great grandmother... 95 years old. Her last memory of me before dying weeks later was my fiancee leaving me for another woman.” I fought back my own tears while saying, “You think I’m proud of that?”
Victoria covered her eyes with a hand and shook her head. “I’m sorry, Jeremy,” she offered, now looking at me. “I... oh God... I was so stupid back then.”
“Why are you here?” I asked her again.
“I don’t know...” Victoria responded, starting to cry
once again. “I... I don’t expect you to forgive me. I... I just thought you deserved to know the reason why. I still remember you telling my father that night that you deserved some answers. That was just before... he th-threatened you. He was going to call the police and file a harassment suit if you didn’t leave us alone.”
“I remember that very clearly,” were my words.
“Mindy and I would break up a year later,” Victoria said,
before taking a deep breath. “I caught her cheating on me, which absolutely broke my heart.”
Boo hoo for you, I said to myself. YOU DESERVED IT!
“After Mindy, I had a long list of both boyfriends and girlfriends. But none of them were ever any good for me. I got to be so unhappy... so unfulfilled, in life.”
“I guess by the time I was 22 or 23 - when I started to smarten up in life - I realized what a bad mistake I had made in 1993.” A single tear seeped from Victoria’s right eye as she proclaimed, “I should have married you, Jeremy. No one ever treated me any better than you did...”
For the time since her arrival, Victoria and her words had struck a definite nerve within me. I gulped my throat and bowed my head, my eyes closed. Why is this woman back in my life now? I did not want her here...
“I know that I cannot go back in time and change what I did to you on that day, Jeremy,” Victoria went on. “But... I always remembered that argument you had with my father on our wedding night. After awhile, I started to realize that yes, you were owed an explanation. That’s... I guess, the real reason why I wanted to find you, Jeremy. You never did a thing wrong to me. It... was all... my fault.”
Victoria hid her face as she broke into a rage of tears. “I-I-I... I’ll l-leave you-you al-alone n-now. My sp-speed b-boat is down at the b-beach...”
Victoria turned around and made a motion to exit my personal suite, but my words stopped her.
“You destroyed me,” I said, as she turned and looked at me. “You destroyed me. What you did... it took me a good six years before I could bring myself to trust anyone again. I thought if I couldn’t trust you, I couldn’t trust anyone.”
“I’m sorry, Jeremy,” she whined, reaching out and trying to grasp my wrist with her hand.
I backed away, though, not allowing her to touch me. “I bought this island - in the middle of nowhere - so I could escape from society. So I could escape from all the pain... the humiliation, I felt. No one could hurt as long as I kept to myself on this island.” My voice turned cold as I went on, “I spent three years here, in solitary confinement. No one else was around... all because of you, Victoria. I was too afraid of someone else shattering my soul.”
“Oh God...” she breathed, dropping to her knees. “I had no... oh God... I had no idea...”
A tear even streaked down Lindsay’s face, I noticed, as she sat silently by in the lounge chair in the corner.
“How can I forgive you?” were my words for Victoria. “I don’t know if that is what you REALLY want. Is it? I could never forgive you, Victoria. I have nine years worth of anger... of HATRED, built up inside of me. Everything that happened back then... I really lost out on five whole years of my life. Ages 19 to 24... I just wanted to die. I did not get over you until I was 24. I could not trust anyone until I was 25. You... destroyed those six years.”
There was a long bit of silence, as it appeared Victoria was much too shaken to even speak. So, I went on, “You see that little princess sitting in the chair?” Victoria kept an eye on me as I made my way over to Lindsay. I placed a hand upon my sweetheart’s shoulder and said, “This here, is Lindsay. Much like you were back on July 9, 1993, Victoria, Lindsay is 19. I’m going to marry her. She is not young and naive, or young and stupid, as you claimed you were. She is simply young - the same age you were back then.”
“Everyone matures differently,” Victoria offered in a timid, weak tone. “Age really has nothing to do with it. You’re right, Jeremy. You were always right. I... I was more stupid back then... not young.”
Victoria turned toward Lindsay and said, “You’re lucky, honey. You really are. If Jeremy loves you and you’re going to marry him... you don’t know how lucky you are.” She shook her head and added, “Don’t ever let him get away.”
“I won’t,” Lindsay responded with a smile, while grasping my hand as I touched her shoulder. The 19-year-old then looked up at me and said, “Again... this is really none of my business. I have no place in saying this to you, Jeremy. But you should be more accepting of Victoria’s apology.”
“WHAT?” I exclaimed, completely shocked that Lindsay would say such a thing to me.
“It’s none of my business,” she reiterated. “But still, I can tell how sorry Victoria feels. I’m not saying you should totally accept her apology, and forgive her. No one is perfect, Jeremy. What you should do is accept the fact that Victoria made a mistake which she now regrets. She did not leave you back then to break your heart, Jeremy. She was confused... things were happening too fast for her.”
Lindsay paused for a moment, then kissed the back of my hand and looked up at me with tears in her eyes. “I don’t like seeing you this way, Jeremy. I’m sorry all those bad things happened to you. But you’re not this vindictive or cold-hearted. You could at least acknowledge Victoria and the fact that she came all this way to say her peace.”
“What do I owe to her?” I exclaimed, pointing at Victoria while glaring down at Lindsay. “I didn’t ask her to come here. I don’t WANT her here.”
“The Jeremy I know and love would not be all bitter and mean right now,” Lindsay said, which struck another nerve within me. “I’ve always known you to be so very calm and level-headed, Jeremy. I know I have no right in adding my opinion to this mix. On the other hand, though, you’re the one who wanted me to stay here for this conversation with you and Victoria. So, I am adding my opinion to it.”
“If nothing else, Victoria being here right now can give some sort of closure to that chapter of your life. I know you have long wondered why she left you, Jeremy. You can accept her words for what they are, and never have to worry about that time of your life again. You never have to ask yourself again WHY.”
Oh God... Lindsay was right.
I had nine years worth of bitterness and frustration built up inside of me, and it had all boiled out over the past several minutes. Why did Victoria leave me standing at the altar for - of all things - another woman? Why did she totally humiliate me in front of my friends and family like that? Did I say or do something wrong, to trigger this from her? Was there anything I could have done differently?
“It does add closure,” I quietly said, which brought a smile to Victoria’s face. Oh wow... that smile. It used to drive me insane - just like Lindsay’s smile does today. I felt my heart flutter within my chest as for the first time since that fateful day nine years ago, a positive emotion concerning Victoria went swirling throughout me.
“I’d hate me too... if I were you,” Victoria murmured. “I... I can’t even began to understand what it is you went through back then, Jeremy. I’m... I’m so sorry. I’ve wanted to say that to you for the past five years.”
“I don’t hate you, Victoria,” I told her gently. “I could never hate anyone, not even Pamela... well, maybe I could. But not you. I could never trust you again, nor do I want you to be a part of my life. But, I cannot believe I’m about to say this. I don’t forgive you, but it’s time to let the anger go.” I took a deep breath and begrudgingly said, “I’m not mad at you anymore.” Lindsay patted my hand in happiness as I concluded, “It was a long time ago.”
“Oh wow... that makes me feel so much better,” Victoria offered, new streamers of tears cascading down her face. “I wanted... yes, I wanted to hear something like that.” She rose up to her feet and took a deep breath. “I... I should really be going now. I’ll never intrude on your life again, Jeremy. I have to get back to Los Angeles.”
I took a deep breath of my own before saying, “Why don’t you stay here for the night? Get cleaned up, get something to eat. You could stay in a guest room.”
“I have an airline ticket to return to California at seven o’clock tonight,” she told me. “If I stay, I’ll miss my flight and then have to buy another ticket tomorrow. I can’t afford to do that.”
“I’ll buy you a ticket tomorrow,” were my words.
“I can’t ask you to do that...” she countered, her voice
defiant. “It would be too expensive for you.”
I offered a gentle laugh before saying, “Don’t worry. I can afford it. Trust me.”
Victoria took a step back and quietly mused, “You really want me to stay here tonight? Why?”
Maybe because down deep, I still harbored some feelings for Victoria. It was a very small part of me which felt that way. But at the same time, that very small part was currently overcome with a mixture of happiness and relief. It was so grateful that Victoria had come back to me...
“I don’t want us to part on bad terms,” was my answer for her. “I... you can be my guest tonight.” I turned toward Lindsay and said, “All of this is okay with you... isn’t it?”
“Of course it is,” the teen-ager replied. “I think it will do you good to have Victoria here tonight. You know me, Jeremy. I’m not the possessive or jealous type.” She smiled and added, “Plus, Victoria can tell me stories of what you were like in 1993. When you were the same age I am now, and before you became a billionaire.” Lindsay giggled as she concluded, “I bet you were the same way you are now.”
“You’re a... BILLIONAIRE?” Victoria asked, shocked.
“Yeah, I am,” I told her. “I umm... helped pioneer one
of the largest Internet service providers in the world. I sold all my stocks and controlling interest in 1996, and decided to move to this island. I... I didn’t like all the people around me everyday. I wanted to be left alone. I was still in a pretty bad shape then, even though it was a good three years after you and I were to be married.”
“If I had a billion dollars,” Victoria mused, “I would buy an island like this, too. This... it’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. The beach, the forest, this mansion... Your fiancee and I even spotted some deers in the forest. I love watching wildlife.”
You could have shared in this money too, Victoria, if you didn’t publicly dump me at our wedding ceremony. That was the exact thought which flashed through my mind.
“I’m not his fiancee yet,” Lindsay said, getting up and making her way over to Victoria. “But that day will come.” The little enchantress turned toward me and said, “Do you mind, Jeremy, if I take Victoria away for awhile? She can get cleaned up, and a change of clothes. Her and Stephanie look to be the same size, with the same body type.” My eyes went wide at those words as Lindsay added, “I’m sure ‘Steph will not mind Victoria borrowing one of her dresses.”
What if Victoria - of all people - was subjected to the sight of Mistress Amy and submissive Stephanie?
“Stephanie Sexxon?” Victoria gushed. “Oh wow... her and Aimee Embers are my two favorite pornstars. I remember, she was coming to Aimee’s ‘special place’ too. You really think she wouldn’t mind me borrowing a dress of hers?”
“We can always ask her,” Lindsay mused. “But I can tell you right now that Stephanie won’t mind. She’s... not the type, to mind.” Next, Lindsay hooked arms with Victoria and offered her a playful giggle. “C’mon, let’s go. I want you to tell me every silly, little story about Jeremy from back then that you can think of. I want to hear all of them!”

* * *

In perhaps the most surreal moment of my life, I watched in a mixture of awe and stunned silence as my past (Victoria) and my future (Lindsay) walked out of my private suite, their arms entwined as they giggled together.
“Lindsay is attracted to Victoria,” I whispered to myself.
“OH MY GOD...”

<<<- End of Part 5 ->>>