Your wedding day, they say, is an important event in every young woman's life. But why don't I feel happy?
Rather, I feel relieved that I have managed to salvage the reputation of my family name from the claws of the media.
As I sat here, surrounded by my guests, I couldn't help but fix my gaze on Alana, my sister, the trophy daughter of Williams Woods. Her makeup is beautifully done, with just the right amount of elegance and subtlety that perfectly complements her natural beauty.
One who's not a family or a close family friend might not be able to differentiate us because we could pass for twins. The only difference between us was the mark on the right side of my face, a reminder of the mishandling I suffered at birth by a public hospital midwife.
As I caught sight of her, I was taken aback by her pale and unhappy appearance, and a wave of realization struck me.
Was my marriage to Raymond not what she wanted?
This thought kept running through me as I tried to concentrate on the glass of wine I was drinking earlier on. Suddenly, I heard my father’s voice and jolted back to reality.
“I want to thank you for giving my Elena this beautiful wedding she deserves. I want you to remember that this is not the culmination of your marriage but the beginning of great memories.”
“Raymond I listened to all the promises that you made to Elena and I hope that you fulfill them. I only want to see my daughter happy because that is the dream of every parent. Congratulations”
His words amazed me because he knew that those promises were made up. But I could tell that he was passing a message to me and Raymond.
It's been two long hours since we said our last goodbyes to the last guest at the party. Of course, we were made to put up a smile. We tried to stay happy on the surface, but deep down we were exhausted.
To the rest of the world, we seem like a perfect couple. Our wedding was picture-perfect; it looked like it was planned by heaven itself.
Still, in my Kleinfeld dress, which is one of the best bridal accessories stores in the city of Network, I sat down on a seat that was made for just the bride and groom.
This seat, meant only for the bride and groom, makes me curious about the new life I've ahead and the uncertainty of the world I have worked into.
RAYMOND POV
Every time I met her eyes, all I saw was a life sentence
“Why does my father keep doing this? Does he hate me enough to marry me as if I were some kind of property”?
Well, the deed is already done, I said to myself
I just have to find a way to avoid her, that's all. At least the house is big enough so I just have to prevent our paths from crossing.
Just as I was having our final words with the planner Daniel, when my chauffeur walked up to me saying “Sir your car is ready, would you want to leave now?”
"Yes, please. Thank you." As I was about to leave the event, I heard a familiar voice calling my name. I turned to see Elena, who looked upset.
As she confronted me her eyes were mixed with hurt and anger. “You planned on leaving me?” she said.
Leaving you? I replied as my mind went blank. I couldn`t remember agreeing to leave with her
I realized that being married is going to be more complicated than I thought.
ELENA’S POV
On our way home we passed a short road that led to St Cyprian's Orphanage. It was a place where I always felt at peace.
As I sat there, memories of the past came knocking, bringing a sense of comfort and hope
I remembered Amaya talking about her sweet, fairytale-like 16th birthday party where she would wear Cinderella's ball gown with a huge castle cake.
Sadly I haven't heard or seen her since I was adopted 2 decades ago. I said to myself, “I hope she had her party with everything she desired”
Suddenly, a voice interrupted me as I was lost in thought “Prepare the car by 8 am tomorrow I have a meeting to be at”.
I turned around to see why the car had stopped and realized we had arrived at Laurence's residence.
“Welcome to the Laurence family’ Make Yourself Comfortable. The stewards have prepared one of the master bedrooms for you and Raymond”.
“The family dining is over there, the kitchen and the store are over there, the laundry room. The rest would be introduced to you as time goes by”. Said Mrs Laurence.
I watched as she walked into one of the hallways in Laurence and slowly disappeared from my sight.
Just as I was about to take a seat in the luxurious Laurence mansion when one of the Stewards approached me.
With a polite tone, he addressed me as "ma'am" and informed me that he had been instructed by Mrs Lawrence to guide me to my matrimonial bedroom. Without hesitation I followed him into the hallway I saw Mrs Larresnce walk into.
The hallway leading to the master bedroom was amazing, everything was orderly and beautifully decorated.
As we entered the bedroom, I wondered how much money Mrs Lawrence spent to sort everything out, our matrimonial bedroom was a sight to behold.
Without further delay, I quickly took off my wedding dress and headed straight to the shower to wash off the day's activities.
However, as I was about to retire for the night I was surprised to find that Raymond had carefully marked his area of the bed. It was funny and I wondered what else he had planned for our first night as a couple
As he looked at me it was obvious that he wasn't thinking about sharing a bed with me.
"Do you think I'll sleep with you? " You're not even up to my standards. How do I tell my friends that I married the black sheep of the Woods Family?
What did my parents promise you? What would you stand to gain from ruining my life? Why did my father choose a lowlife like you as my bride? He said.
I couldn't help myself as he spewed nonsense at me.
I didn't realize it at all when I shot back at him. ''I swear, I'd rather be anywhere else than here, dealing with some over-pampered child who thinks he owns the place''
''I never asked to be your wife, but just like you, I'm stuck in this because I didn't have a say''
''Sure, I'd be happy to be your partner just on paper, but that's as far as it goes. I never imagined my matrimonial life turning out with a truckload of trouble like you''.
As I whined and complained I'm pretty sure that all he wanted to do was to shut me up and end the flow of complaints coming from my face.
"Well, I gotta say, I'm glad we understand ourselves,” he remarked with a sly grin.
“Out in the world, we can put on a show, in this house, you might as well be a ghost to me,” he muttered as he turned over, and drifted off into sleep.
ELENA’S POVAs the first glow of dawn came in through the curtains, a wave of nausea hit me like a tonne of bricks. For some time now my morning sickness had become an unwanted companion, a relentless force determined to disrupt my day. The harshness was beyond my expectations, as I had never experienced such discomfort before. No matter how much I tried to avoid it I had a continual reminder that a new life was developing within me.Every breakfast seemed like a battle, a fight to keep my meal down. My stomach always cramps in protest, as I struggle to keep eating just to give my baby something to munch on. In times like these the very thought of food caused my stomach to twist and spin, and my mouth watered with the possibility of vomiting. Even the smell of my favorite oven-fried chicken brewing in the kitchen made me flee to the protection of the wash basin.My morning sickness symptoms extended beyond nausea. Even after a full day's sleep, I would feel exhausted. As the days
ELENA’S POV"Who is the father of that thing you are carrying, Elena?" Mrs Lawrence's voice echoed through the sitting room, full of irritation and anger.I felt the weight of her question push down on me, filling me with guilt and resentment. I strained to compose myself, my heart beating as I searched for the appropriate words. "I...I don't know," I muttered, flushed from humiliation.As the seconds ticked by, all I wanted was to disappear into thin air, free of the implicit accusations and bearing the burden of my doubt.I heard that old wall clock ticking away in the background, mixed with the eager chatter of the stewards who were eager to listen to Mrs Lawrence's conversation."Once again, my mother-in-law's voice sliced through the sitting room air like a rusty blade. 'Who is the father of that child?' she demanded. I jolted back to reality, a guilty flush creeping up my nerves."I tried to reply to Mrs Lawrence.“I…I can ex…p…lain” I muttered trying to catch my already
Elena go upstairs, you aren't moving an inch out of this house” Mary! Sabatine!. “Move these bags upstairs right now”. Said my dad as he walked from the garden to the sitting room where I was standing.You don't have any moral justification to throw your wife out. Yes, your wife because Elena is your wife and she must be treated as such. Honey, I didn't expect this attitude from you. You are a woman you should know better. Elena is a member of this family and that child is a ‘‘Lawrence’’. The earlier you accept It the better for everyone. Dad’s face fell with disappointment as he walked out of the sitting room. Knowing who my dad was, I expected him to kick her out without blinking an eye. But why is he on Elena’s side? Why is he protecting her? My mind wondered.As he made his points clear my mom and I gazed at each other in confusion. It was obvious that he meant every bit of what he said. Still in shock, I sat down on the sofa to process the shocking news that I just heard m
RAYMOND’S POV.I woke up feeling rusty and sluggish. Figured it may be the alcohol of the previous night doing its job.Headed downstairs for lunch since I missed my breakfast some hours ago. As I descended the stairs, I noticed Elena was already seated at the dining table, likely waiting for Mary to get her lunch.Lately, Elena and I barely exchanged words. We say a few hellos and hi's whenever we came across each other.I sat at the dining table and responded to her “Hello” while requesting some oven-dried chicken with macaroni Pasta salad. Hmm, back at this issue again. The president doesn't give a damn about you all. You go on protests every other week and nothing changes," I muttered, staring at the television. "Yet you still believe them. That's the difference between you guys," I pointed at the television, "and the rich, ha ha," I scoffed as I forced a piece of dried chicken placed in front of me."Bring me some orange juice," I called out to one of the housekeepers standing
ELENA’S POVMy marriage with Raymond has become a real puzzle since the discovery of my gestational age. My once close bond with Mrs Lawrence has turned sour, and now she acts like I don't exist. Nobody seems to care about me or my feelings, but thankfully my father-in-law and Mary treat me with the love that I desire.My stepmother and step-sister have never stopped by to say hi, and they never check in on me. Anytime I try to visit, I'm always stopped by one of the new stewards who politely tells me that they are busy at the moment or they aren't at home.The last time I heard my stepmother's voice was when Mrs Lawrence called about my pregnancy. And my dad, well he calls but it's not as often as I'd want him to. Our conversations are always short, and it feels like he is always rushing to get back to work.Raymond, my supposed husband, does nothing to make the situation better. All he does now is come home drunk and mess around with women.Even though Doctor Lucas and his parents
Raymond's POV.After my dad had scolded me about my supposed wife, I stormed out of the room with my car keys and drove off to Concave Bar. No matter how much my mother tried to chastise me, I just couldn’t get enough of this place. “I can't put up with Elena anymore, she is driving me nuts I need to find a way to get her out of my life,” I said as I began to ponder on my misery.I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket with a shrill sound, I glanced at the screen and noticed that it was Lucas. “Why are you calling?” I questioned with a gruff voice. His nosy call was interrupting my good time here in the bar. “I just wanted to know where you are, your mom called again she sounded worried, bro where are you? I could come meet you yunno” said Lucas“Sorry Lucas, I can't tell you. You're just gonna spill to mom again.”“Absolutely not, I would never do that” Lucas replied with a gentle smile. “We simply just need to talk, I'll even treat you to your favorite whisky, what do you say?” he
Raymond's POVAs the sun beat down relentlessly on the Roman Blinds, I looked at the Harbor Red Wall Clock positioned at the center of my office and discovered that it was lunchtime.Immediately, I walked down and crossed over to The Hakkasan Restaurant directly opposite Lawrence Steel to grab lunch. On the verge of placing an order, a lady spoke to me. I raised my head in curiosity and discovered it was Violet.I sat there gazing into space, still pondering why she had followed me to the restaurant.“Hey, Raymond.” she greeted in a soft tone.“Why don't we meet at India Coast Hotel at 10 pm?”. She said as she moved a few meters from me to get a lunch pack. She asked as she stared at me seductively. I could see her lips moving, perfect lips for a blow job. The imagination of her moaning my name hit my mind. If I were correct, my dick prints were now visible.Don't be late.” she said strongly and assertively as she headed back to the office swaying her hips. I could feel the warlord
Raymond's POV For the first time in a while, I was very excited to get to work early. I was dressed in a black shirt and white trousers, alongside my black blazers and silver cufflinks. I made sure to dress pretty well today as I'll be seeing Violet in the office again. I got into my car and drove to work with excitement written all over me.Good morning sir..Good morning sir.” Greeted my teammates as I walked briskly to my office. My heart pounding, my mind racing with anticipation for when I’ll be meeting up with Violet again after work hours.I could feel the excitement in the air as I flipped through the flies that were placed on my desk and began the day's hustle. Elena's POV.My eyes widened with fear as I stared at the droplets of blood on my bed.“Oh God, ma'am! ma'am! You’re bleeding, I'm going to get help,” said Mary as she rushed out of my room. With Mary’s help I was able to walk down the stairs and in no time Sabatine drove as fast as he could to the hospital. Doct