Chapter 2 Wedding day chaos

Chapter 2

ADELINE

"Dad, I swear to you. I was raped, and I'm sure that Annika had something to do with it; her hand was in this." I am trying to explain, but no one seems to be listening to me as tears stream from my eyes down to my face while Annika's mum, 'my stepmother' glares at me.

"Stop with all the lies, Adeline. You're lucky I need this alignment with the Headnor's and his grandfather pi- Scratch that, else I would have sent you out into the streets as that's where you originally belong." I step back and nod as the tears flow out freely.

My father had completely settled in his head that all I was saying was some kind of made-up story, and I had willingly given myself to be used. I wish I had done exactly that. Then, I wouldn't be filled with hurt and guilt.

"But dad-" The accusing look in his eyes, followed by his warning, cut me off immediately, and I just stared on with tears in my eyes and my heart aching like I would have heart failure anytime soon.

"No more words from you, Adeline," turning to face Annika who had just entered the room, he said, "Please make sure no one gets a whiff of what happened, especially the media and the Headnor's "

"Yes, father." She smiles mischievously and I wonder if no one else had eyes to see through her glamor. It was written all over her.

"Dad?" I call and he raises his eyes to meet mine.

"You were going to talk about how Stuart's grandfather did something but hesitated? Is there -"

"Adeline, you ask too many questions!" My dad bangs his hand on the table as veins pop out of his veins, and I yelp before taking another step backward. This man was no longer my father, I think my father died alongside my mum because my father wouldn't be acting this way to me.

And wow, he and Annika have used the exact line because of the same question. They were hiding something and doing everything possible not to let me learn of it.

"Alright, I believe if Mum was alive, you would say exactly this. Or wait, you wouldn't. You would have-" I felt a burning sensation on my cheeks, and I whimpered; he had slapped me as he glared at me like I had said a forbidden word.

Of course, I had. Mentioning my mum was a taboo of its own.

"Don't you ever think of mentioning your mother's name to me?" The tears rolled down my cheeks, and I nodded as I began taking slow steps out of the room.

*

It is the wedding day already and I can feel a knot twist at my back as we are fitting on the wedding dress. I let out a sharp gasp as they tightened the corset, and the iron buttons pinched my skin.

They tighten it yet again so my stomach and waist look snatched and perfect for the Headnor's. The perfect bride, that's who they are creating.

I'm standing, void of emotions staring at myself in the mirror as I try to think of what would become of me after this marriage. The trauma of being raped still lingers in my memory when a certain tap on my shoulders disrupts my thoughts.

"A little more smile would be needed on your face, Adeline." I scoff, swerving to meet the owner of the voice, who is unmistakably my half-sister.

Some of the young ladies concur with what she said, so I nod, unable to say a thing, when my eyes fall on a red lipstick lying on top of the makeup table, and an idea creeps into my head.

"Of course, a smile is needed." I remove the cap of the lipstick and draw an arc with it from the right corner of my lips till it gets to my cheeks, just above the blush area.

I repeat the same procedure on the right side, and there, my big red smile is formed.

"Is it better now?" They gasp when I turn to face them, and my stepmother freaks out, grabbing a paper tissue.

"You vile ungrateful child, You can't even try to behave properly on this day. Do you need me to remind you that you would be disowned from this family if you sabotage anything?" She wipes off my smile and in the process of wiping it off, she is wiping off the heavy makeup they had bestowed on me.

I could barely recognize my face as I stood at the mirror a few minutes back but now that she had wiped it off, my lips curve up in a smile. A real smile this time, one that was made out of satisfaction.

"Now your makeup is ruined and we have to start all over." The makeup artist sighs, and I make a mental note to apologize to her after all this is done.

"At least, I didn't wipe it off myself," I mutter in a low voice that no one hears.

"It's a few minutes to the bride's procession, I'm afraid she'll have to go in with her natural face. We don't have the time to start the session all over." I grin though they don't notice, and just in cue, the priest announces the entering of the bride over the speaker, and a bouquet is pushed into my hands.

"Look at the brighter side, girl. You'll be away from your family issues." Ana, my best friend and bridesmaid, whispered into my ears, and I chuckled lightly.

I'm glad she's here. My dad had said that Annika would be my bridesmaid, and I had kicked against it. Thankfully, she wasn't interested either.

Right now, I'm standing in front of my soon-to-be husband, and vows are being exchanged. With every look he gives me, my heart does a little thump.

He is about to slide the ring onto my finger when his groomsman stops closer and whispers something into his ear. He paused like he was in contemplation and pivoted to face the priest.

"I don't think we would be able to go through with the wedding." My face contorted in surprise, and before I could think, he stepped forward to the microphone.

"Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for gracing my wedding, but unfortunately, there would be no wedding taking place." Murmurs and gasps fill the hall and I am too surprised to say a word.

From the corner of my eyes, I can see my parents in a low argument with his parents, the soft smirk on Annika's face, but the most disturbing one is the pair of Cold eyes staring at me with a smile that seems so maniacal from the congregation.