Chapter 4
A week after Bucky left town, Y/N is greeting people at her father's front door, an ostentatious, 5 carat, oval cut diamond ring on her left ring finger and a demure pink cocktail dress. The ring felt like an anchor, dragging her down and nothing like she would ever choose to wear.
Of all the days she needed her mothers support, this was a big one but she wouldn't be coming.
Mrs Pierce was in the hospital, in a coma, after an 'accidental' trip down the stairs. The official story was her vertigo caused her to lose her balance. That's what Mr Pierce said but Y/N knew better, her mother had been trying to help Y/N find a way out and ensure her horses were safe but her father found out.
Pierce took it out on his wife because he knew Y/N would be getting a lot of attention in the coming months and he didn't want to take the chance of injuring her in a way that others might notice.
Y/N had begged her mother to leave it alone, after Charlie she wasn't taking any chances but her mother wasn't deterred, the guilt she carried for letting things get so bad forced her to do something, anything.
Of course her father insisted that the wedding plans go on, not wanting to alienate or offend any of the important people he was helping John Walker court. Both men were more concerned with them than with Y/N or her mother.
John was standing next to her with a large smile on his face, he would finally have Y/N in his bed and she had no choice once they were married. Add the fact that her father was powerful, well connected and determined to help John to the top, politically, and he was on cloud 9. He was trying to figure out how to get Y/N to warm up to him but no luck so far. He accepted he had to wait because of her 'miscarriage' but he had a couple of girls to help him through that. He pretended to be sympathetic and willing to wait.
Y/N just smiled and offered banal small talk, counting the minutes until this farce was over and she could go home to her horses. She could feel Brock's stare and felt sick, which reminded her of the baby she lost, that Brock had killed. And the man who deserted her, who she had believed was the love of her life. She still had a tough time believing Bucky had left and blocked her. Even Peggy had shunned her. There was a ache in her heart that she didn't think anything could fix and spent most of her nights crying
When Mr Pierce announced her engagement to the guests, a familiar woman came up to Y/N with hatred on her face and slapped her.
"You! Of all the women I know, you were the last one I thought would do something like this. Stealing another womans man." Olivia Hoskins, Johns ex was livid and started yelling, calling Y/N every name in the book before Brock and Jack Rollins dragged her away.
Y/N was standing in shock, holding her face where it stung. John walked away with some friends and she was left there, no one even caring to ask if she was ok. She excused herself to the restroom and barely held the tears in until the door was locked. This whole situation was just getting worse and it had only been a week.
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6 months later Y/N was waiting for her father to walk her down the aisle. Nothing about this day was anything like the wedding she would have chosen but her father insisted. He spent enough money on this one day to buy a house.
She carried a small silk bag to keep tissues and lipstick in case she needed it. She was thankful she found a mascara that didn't run because the tears wouldn't stop.
Her mothers absence was strongly felt, she had passed in her sleep 3 months ago. Mr Pierce insisted the wedding must go on, claiming her mother wanted her secure and settled down. Y/N wasn't convinced that her father wasn't involved in her mother's death but she had no proof and every time she dared to even politely disagree he reprimanded her swiftly and brutally. She still had a slight limp from when he had Brock break her leg, which Pierce and John blamed on a riding accident. She was resigned to her fate and only hoped to keep her horses safe.
The wedding night was awful. Y/N knew she couldn't turn John down anymore and tried to get her body to cooperate but no luck. John didn't care. He didn't care if she was wet or prepared and definitely didn't care if she came. The only good thing was that it was over soon and John rolled over and fell asleep quickly. She was also thankful that Helen Cho was helping her with birth control behind Mr Pierce's back, she definitely didn't want to get pregnant.
She stared at the ceiling of the suite near the airport where they were leaving for their honeymoon in Bali, the next morning, filled with dread.
Every day of their honeymoon was worse than the day before. Even though he was fucking local girls during the day, John expected her to do her wifely duties, as he called it, every night, hoping to get her pregnant. He was mean and degrading when he talked dirty to her and all it did was make her feel like trash. One night she started crying and John laughed, licking the tears off her face.
When they returned John surprised her with a newly decorated penthouse in Manhattan, far from her horses. The decor was all modern and sleek, black and white and grey. No actual color anywhere, even the fresh flowers were all white. It was nothing like she would choose. Like everything else in her life now.
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Over 2 years later and Y/N was a shell of the woman she used to be. She had lost 50lbs and had seemingly permanent circles under her eyes. She had given up on disagreeing or trying to assert herself, it only made things worse. Her only joy was with her horses but thanks to John's demands she was lucky if she got to see them more than once a month. Pretending to be a loving wife on the campaign trail and interviews was torture.
The only good news was that she hadn't gotten pregnant.
One afternoon she received a phone call from her father's assistant/mistress, Sharon Carter.
"Y/N? This is Sharon. I wanted to let you know your father had a heart attack and we are at St Joseph's. It doesn't look good so you should get here as soon as you can."
A week later and she is dressed all in black, thanking people for their condolences and happy the veil on her hat covers her face because shes having a rough time keeping a smile back.
John was still a problem but she was almost 30 and her fathers death meant no one to contest her grandmothers will. She hadn't been so happy in years.
Y/N had the wake at her father's house, just calling the caterers she knew and let them handle everything. She went out to the garden to get some fresh air and a little space. As she stared into space daydreaming about leaving John and this miserable life behind, she didn't hear someone approaching until he spoke.
"Where you going, Star?"
Y/N turned and was momentarily speechless when she saw the blue eyes she used to love so.
Her face dissolved into fury.
"What the fuck are you doing here?"
Bucky flinched "We came to show our respects"
"We?" She looked behind him and saw Sam, Steve and Peggy. And Dot.
"Oh. You." she sneered.
"Consider them paid, see yourselves out" she spat before looking towards Dot "Watch yourself, this one" she poked Bucky in the chest "will lie and claim he loves you, then abandon you."
Y/N pulled her shoulders back and walked away, holding everything in until she could get to somewhere where she could fall apart in private.
Bucky turned to follow her but Steve grabbed his arm "Maybe you should give her a few minutes to calm down. Or just let her go."
Bucky shook his head and stormed off after Y/N. When he found her in her fathers office he closed the door and locked it.
"What was that crack supposed to mean?" Bucky asked angrily.
She rolled her eyes "Seemed pretty self explanatory to me."
She looked him up and down, trying to keep herself from killing or fucking him, she wasn't sure. His hair was slicked back and he was wearing a suit, something she had never seen on him before. He carried it well, obviously a quality suit.
Bucky calmed himself "Look Star, we need to talk-"
His head turned as she slapped him.
"Don't fucking call me that. We have nothing to discuss, you made yourself very clear when you left town without a word and blocked my number. Then you show up 3 years later, after I've been through Hell and back and I'm supposed to give you my time? Wrong.
Now. Get. Out."
Bucky looked confused "But I-"
He was interrupted by the door opening. Brock stepped in "You need anything Mrs Walker?"
Y/N shot him a foul look and was going to give him a mouthful but decided on a better course of action.
"Yes, Brock. Mr Barnes and his associates weren't invited. Could you show them the way out."
Brock nodded but Bucky protested "Please, doll. It's not what you think. I need to talk to you. Please, I-"
Brock grabbed his right arm roughly and started shoving Bucky towards the door. Rollins was in the hall ready to help.
Steve saw Bucky being pushed out and went to follow.
Bucky looked at Steve and shook his head, he didn't want to start a brawl at a funeral.
Once they were all outside Steve looked at his best friend "Well that went as well as expected."
Bucky grimaced "Yeah, I knew this would be a hard sell but I gotta get her back."
Steve shook his head "At this point, I'm not sure that's even a possibility."
"Did you look at her, Steve?" Peggy asked "She looks terrible and she's lost a lot of weight."
Bucky nodded "She said she's been through Hell and back" and dropped his head "Its my fault, I never shoulda let her go."
Sam spoke up "I do want to know what Rumlow is doing here. All I heard was that he bailed on the club right after we left. How long has he been working for her? Or Walker?"
Steve nodded "Good question. It looks like he turned on us and sold Star out. Pierce probably gave him a buttload of cash." He looked at Bucky sadly "I'm guessing he never gave her your message."
Bucky growled "I'm gonna deal with him but one thing at a time. I need to figure out how to convince her to give me a chance to explain."
Back in the house John was livid about the unexpected guests and took it out on Y/N, cornering her in the office.
"What the fuck are they doing here?" He grabbed her chin and squeezed "Are you fucking Barnes again?"
She tried to shake her head "No, John. I haven't even spoken to him since that day and I don't want to. I don't know why he's here. That's why I had Brock kick him out."
John let go and she sighed in relief until she felt her head moving from his hit. Closed fist, knocked her into one of the chairs.
"I better not see him sniffing around you again. I'll have Brock kill you both."
John looked down at her "Don't hide in here for too long, there are a number of important people here and I expect you by my side." And left the office.
Y/N just sat there, head swimming. What the hell was Bucky doing here after all this time? What did he want to explain. She shook her head, didn't matter Bucky was her past and she intended to keep him there.
For now, she took a shot of her dad's scotch, pulled her veil back over her face, squared her shoulders and headed back to the guests.