Chapter 1 Abandoned At The Altar

Ellen's POV

"Elly! Elly!" I heard my mom's voice call me as I slowly regained consciousness. "You are going to be late for your wedding." She whispered into my ears and I jumped up as the sleep instantly vanished from my eyes.

I looked at the time and it was 7 am.

"Mom! You should've woken me up earlier." I screamed as I stood up and began running into the bathroom.

" I tried my best, Elly, but I'm sure the drinks from the bridal shower last night did a good job on you." My mom muttered as she stood up from my bed and watched me running around, trying to find my towel and toothbrush.

"I didn't drink alcohol, mom. Shit! Talking about alcohol, please, help me wake my bridal train from the guest room. Thank you, mom. I love you!" I yelled at her as I ran into the bathroom to have a quick shower.

"Be quick! The make-up artists and hair stylists are already here." She screamed after me.

I had told Elfreda, my younger sister not to bring alcohol as part of the drinks for the bridal shower but she had refused and brought lot's of bottles.

"A little bit will not hurt anyone." She had said, but right now, I don't think she was right about that, because my whole bridal team was still asleep and I knew that.

Waking up late on my wedding day was already a bad omen and I felt a tinge of guilt in my heart.

I wasn't supposed to do this to the love of my life. If not anything, I should be the most punctual today.

In a few minutes, I was already out of the bathroom and rubbing lotion on my body. I put on the white underlays I had laid out the previous night before running out of my room.

"Make-up artists and hair stylists come up!" I stood up the stairs and screamed in my excitement and when I saw two ladies running up with assistance, I knew I was good.

A glance at my wall clock and it was 7:30 am already, so I sat on my seat like a molded creature and counted the seconds as both stylists did their wonderful job on my face.

"Elly! Are you with my eyeliner and lip gloss?" My younger sister, Elfreda asked as she ran into my room and I pointed in the direction of my make-up kit.

"I'm not with yours, but use mine to save time," I told her and she whispered thank you and ran in the direction I had pointed.

"And the girls?" I asked as she was about to take her flight the way she had come.

"Still dressing up, but they'll be done in time," she said and stared at me with a smile.

"What?" I asked, smiling sheepishly.

" They aren't through with you but you already look so dashing, sis." Elfreda stood at the door and commented as my smile widened.

She was my chief bridesmaid for the day and wasn't one that easily made comments or gave compliments to me, so I accepted it with all my heart knowing she was doing this because it was my special day.

" Thanks, Elfreda," I responded with a smile.

" See you soon." She said and winked at me before running out of my room.

*****

I was whispering Thanksgiving prayers by the time I got to church and my time read 9:30 am, which meant I still had thirty more minutes to calm myself down before the service commenced.

I watched the crowd I and Hammond had pulled to come to witness our wedding today and smiled inwardly. The paparazzi and newscasters were everywhere, waiting to capture the latest couple, as well as our business partners and colleagues.

Getting married to Hammond, my childhood lover, was one thing I knew my parents wouldn't think twice about, because Hammond was an independent entrepreneur who had built a powerful empire on his own, despite not having his father around.

"Elly! It's time. Are you ready?" My mom whispered and I nodded smilingly at her.

The next face I saw through the door was my dad's. He smiled proudly and gave me his hand which I held as he helped me down from the car. The photographers did their best to capture every smile and every move I made as I stepped down from the car.

"You know I'm proud of you." He whispered into my ears and I laughed.

"Thanks, Dad," I responded, smiling at him.

"Elfreda is in there and will be coming down soon." My mom said and just before she completed her statement, the door to the car behind mine opened and my childhood friends, Elfredas's friends and colleagues as well stepped down from the bus and waved excitedly at me, blowing kisses in the air and then my sister came out last.

She was in a simple white gown that hugged her curves perfectly, which made me raise my brows in thought. We had agreed she was going to wear a gold gown to compliment the color of the day, so, why the change of mind? I watched as she walked towards us.

"Are we good?" She asked and my dad nodded. I tried to meet her eyes but she refused to meet mine and instead went behind me to help arrange my long white dress and make sure it was well laid. Before I could say anything, the organ inside the church began playing and I allowed my dad to lead me into the church.

My mind left every other thing when my eyes met the handsome god that would be my husband in the next few minutes. He was smiling widely at me making my heartbeat pulmet.

"Hey babe," Hammond whispered when my dad handed me over to him and I smiled widely at him.

"Hey!" I whispered back, almost laughing.

" Has anyone told you how breathtaking you look?" He asked and I laughed.

" Now, we will commence the solemnization of holy matrimony between Mr Hammond Kent and Miss Ellen Bennet." The priest announced and the church sat down.

" You know I love you right?" Hammond whispered and I nodded smiling at him.

" I know babe, and I love you too," I told him as we faced the priest who kept talking and reading scriptures from the Bible.

"Do you Miss Ellen Bennet take this man whose right hand you now hold to be your lawfully wedded husband..."

I didn't have to wait for the priest to finish when I responded.

"Yes, I do."

The church giggled at my impatient response and my smile widened.

" Do you Mr Hammond Kent take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?" The priest said again but to Hammond this time and I sighed and closed my eyes, waiting for his response to complete my joy for the day.

" No! I don't." Hammond's baritone voice echoed around the church and my eyes snapped open as I could hear gasps from every corner. The photographers even took their videos more seriously at that moment.

"Hammond!" I whispered, praying it was a slip of the tongue.

"I'm sorry, Ellen. Believe me, I'm sorry." He said and left my hands.

I watched with a sinking heart and an embarrassed facial expression as the love of my life walked out on me on our wedding day.

If only he had walked out of the church into the street or his car, maybe, just maybe, it would've been less painful but I watched my Hammond walk up to my sister, Elfreda and took her hands in his.

Without saying a word, he led her out of the church, and all hell broke loose.