He was never mine

The sunlight reflected into the room, and the peaceful sound of nature echoed through the atmosphere. Carmen smiled as the makeup artist applied a thin layer of primer to her moisturized skin. Her eyelashes gently touched each other as an eye primer got added to her eyelids. She could feel the softness of the brush when it touched her face as the lady applied the foundation to brighten her skin tone.

The door opened, and a classic woman stood at the doorway with a bright smile on her face.

"Mini, Is the bride ready?" She asked.

"No, I am still touching up her makeup, " Mini explained as she put some cream concealer on her finger and lightly dabbed her fingertips on areas that looked dark on Carmen's face.

Carmen turned her head to gaze at the woman, and her lips curved in a grin. "Mom! What are you doing here? I thought you were out there greeting the guests."

"I want to see my daughter transformed into a beautiful bride." Her mother said with a smile.

A few minutes later, Mini stopped working on Carmen's face after she had layered the color on her lip. "My job here is done. Mrs. Smith, how would you grade my work." She said with a beam on her face as she laid down the lipstick and turned Carmen's chair toward the door.

Mrs. Smith's smile became broader, and her eyes sparkled, seeing how elegant her daughter seemed.

"Mini, you are amazing. She looks like the most stunning bride I have ever seen, and for that, I give your work an A-plus."

Mrs. Smith said. She walked away from the door and approached Carmen. Her hand gracefully touches her daughter's face, and her eyes got teary. "My beautiful baby." Mrs. Smith cried.

"Mom, " Carmen whispers sadly. Her mother's emotional outbursts were negatively affecting her mood.

"Mini, can you excuse my daughter and me? I want to assist her in wearing her wedding gown." Mrs. Smith said with a slight smile.

"Okay. I am going to leave now." Mini replied and left the room

Carmen knew that there was more to her mother's statement. She looked at Mrs. Smith and saw that her smile had disappeared, leaving only sadness on her face.

"Mom, what is this actually about?" Carmen asked with an aching heart.

Mrs. Smith pulled a chair in front of her daughter and sat down. Carmen and her mother were now facing each other.

"Does Liam love you?" Her mother asked.

Carmen laughed at first, but then her smile faded away when she noticed that her mother was being serious.

"Oh, you are serious. Mom, today is my wedding day. I am going to be his wife in less than an hour, and you choose this moment to ask me such a question?" Carmen said in a shaking tone.

"Carmen, I could not ask you this question since I thought you and Liam were just a flame for you, and you were going to get over him soon. Plus, your grandpa seems to like the fact that both of you were in a relationship." Mrs. Smith said as she held onto her daughter's hands.

Carmen pulled her hands from in her mother's grips. She was now tearing up and felt thankful to Mini that she had used waterproof makeup on her face.

"Why now? Why are you saying all this to me now?" Carmen cried. The tears were now falling from her eyes uncontrollably. She wipes her face with the back of her hand and sniffs.

"I did not want to go against you and your grandfather's wish. But baby, this is you guys marriage you are talking about now. You and Liam have to live under the same roof and see each other every day, and I want to make sure that he does love you. Because I don't feel like he does." Mrs. Smith explained. Her daughter's teary face was aching her heart, but she knew this was the best decision she had made for Carmen.

"He loves me. If he did not, then why are we even getting married? Why will his family and his friends be here? Why would anyone want to be in this building?" Carmen screamed. Her heart was racing, and she could not understand what she was feeling, but Carmen could tell that it was not joy.

"Fine. Please stop crying. It's my fault. I should not have assumed." Mrs. Smith said as she embraced her daughter.

Carmen rested her head on her mother's shoulder and wept bitterly. She knew her mother was right. Liam never told her that he loved her, not once in their relationship. But she thought it was because he's shy. Now that her mother had brought the subject up, she felt deep down in her heart that Mrs. Smith was right.

After Carmen's had cried her fear and pain out, it took her a few minutes for her to calm down. From there, her mother helped her wear her gown, and they did not talk about what had happened. There was only silence cycling within the room.

Liam was the only one in the groom's dressing room. He had not worn his suit yet. His hair was messy, and his face looked frowned. He was on a call, and his expression appeared gloomy.

"I don't think I can do this. It's not fair to you and me." He said.

"You can't do this to her. We both can't break her heart." The caller replied.

"How can't you expect me to marry a woman that I don't love? Are my feelings not as important as hers is to you!" Liam lashed back in anger.

"That's not true. I love Carmen, and for her, I am willing to sacrifice the love I have for you."

Liam ended the call in rage. He looked into the mirror and hated his reflection. "Why do I have to suffer for you? You denied me the chance to be with the woman I love, and now I am going to do the same for you. Every single pain I am feeling, you will undergo the same until you divorce me." Liam stated.

A few minutes later, the building got crowded with relatives, friends, guests, and family of the bride and the grown. Everyone finally got seated in their respective seats, waiting on the groom to make his appearance. Five minutes passed, and the groom did not show up. The hall got busy with noise.

"Where is your good for nothing son?" Liam's dad screams at his mother in a rage.

"Why are you shouting at me? Is he not your son too!" She angrily replied.

The groom's family seat on the front roll became boisterous with questions, and Liam's parents were taking all the heat from their relative. They tried to give an excuse for their son to remove the tension off them.

Things were getting out of control, and the whispering got more emphatic. People kept mumbling and turning to the next person seated by them to gossip.

"Since the groom is not ready, we are going to call the bride inside. May we all stand as the bride enter." The clergyman announced.

Everyone stood up from their chairs as the large wooded door opened, and the entire hall became peaceful.

The musical started performing the bridal chorus, and Carmen marched gracefully down the aisle. Her glamorous white gown, veil, and a matching diamond head-piece brought out the bride in her.

She slowly walks as her eyes search the stage for her groom. Her finger clutched tightly around her white silk bouquet when she did not see Liam. But Carmen kept her head high and continued walking. Halfway down the aisle, her dad walked up to her and she held onto his arm as he took her to the stage.

"Don't worry, baby. He will be here." Mr. Smith whispered in his daughter's ears before going to his seat.

But Carmen did not believe in her father's words as another two minutes passed, and people started getting restless. They kept looking at the door to see if the groom would walk in since his bride was already there. Then another five minutes passed, and another four minutes. Carmen could feel her tears flowing again. Today was her happy moment, and yet she did not feel like the luckiest bride in the world.

All hope seemed to be slipping away from her heart when the door suddenly banged open. Liam walked inside. Carmen turned her head to stare at her groom, and instead of feeling happy, her tears seemed to pull more. She did not believe he entered the wedding hall wearing a t-shirt and jeans.

"What is going on in the head of that mischievous son of yours?" Liam's grandfather shouted at his daughter-in-law and son.

Liam's parents could not answer. They could only bend their heads in shame. Their son had brought embarrassment to the Davis name, and they did not know why he did.

The hall became clamorous again. But this time it was a bit louder than the last. The whispering became more lucid for Carmen to hear, and the scandal people had to say about her wedding was unbearable for her to handle. Their mocking statements and ridiculous remarks wounded her as much as seeing the scowl on Liam's face.

Liam walked up to Carmen and faced her. There was hate in his eyes when he gazed at her. She bent her head the entire time the clergyman was speaking.

Carmen did not want to see the hurt and anger on his face, and the sad thing about this situation is the reality that she did not know why he was mad. In her mind, she puzzles over whether it was her fault that he acted this way and what she did to get treated in such an awful manner on her wedding day.

"Now I need the groom and bribe to say their vows. The bride can go first."

Carmen lifts her head and gazes directly into Liam's eyes. His expression had not changed. His face seems to be stiffer, and she hopes that her vow will make him forget and forgive whatever she had done to him.

"From today onward, I belong to you and only you. I will love, stay by your side, trust you, and cheer you on for the rest of my life. From the moment you wrote that confession note to me, I have kept those words close to my heart, and never will I forget them. I love you, Liam Davis." Carmen said with a smile.

'Here we go again with this damn love note. It was never written for you.' Liam thought.

"Groom, it's your turn." The clergyman said, but Liam did not answer. He seemed too focused on his thoughts to hear what was being said to him. It took five calls to get his attention.

"Liam! It's your turn to say your vow to the bride." The clergyman awkwardly reminded him.

"Oh, I did not bring the paper that I wrote my vow on, and I can't remember what I wrote, " Liam replied in a sarcastic tone. He casually put his hand in his pocket like he did not care about what was transpiring.

"Haha, You have humor. But let's put the joke aside, don't you have anything to say to your bride?"

"Wait, you are right. I do have something to tell my bride. Carmen's face lit up upon hearing his words. She felt a little better. Liam drew close to her and whispered in her ear. "I don't love you. I never did, and I never will." He then pulls away from her with a sly smile on his face.

Carmen stood still and emotionless. She did not want to believe what she had heard. So when the clergyman asked Carmen if she would take Liam to be her lawfully wedded husband, she said "yes" without any hesitation, and Liam did the same.

"I now pronounce you guys husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Liam removed the veil from over Carmen's teary face and when in for a kiss. "Ouch, " she cried as the salty taste of blood pulled upon her tongue. When Liam removed his lips from her, Carmen could feel the pain from the bite mark he had left on her mouth.

The cheering and clapping sounds within the hall were loud, and the excitement on the faces of people was joyful. But Carmen could not forget the cold expression Liam wore when he whispered to her, "You made your choice. Now you have to dine with the devil."

A few minutes later, the building got crowded with relatives, friends, guests, and family of the bride and the grown. Everyone finally got seated in their respective seats, waiting on the groom to make his appearance. Five minutes passed, and the groom did not show up. The hall got busy with noise.

"Where is your good for nothing son?" Liam's dad screams at his mother in rage.

"Why are you shouting at me? Is he not your son too!" She angrily replied.

The groom's family seat on the front roll became boisterous with questions, and Liam's parents were taking all the heat from their relative. They tried to give an excuse for their son to remove the tension off them.

Things were getting out of control, and the whispering got more emphatic. People kept mumbling and turning to the next person seated by them to gossip.

"Since the groom is not ready, we are going to call the bride inside. May we all stand as the bride enter." The clergyman announced.

Everyone stood up from their chairs as the large wooded door opened, and the entire hall became peaceful.

The musical started performing the bridal chorus, and Carmen marched gracefully down the aisle. Her glamorous white gown, veil, and a matching diamond head-piece brought out the bride in her.

She slowly walks as her eyes search the stage for her groom. Her finger clutched tightly around her white silk bouquet when she did not see Liam. But Carmen kept her head high and continued walking. Halfway down the aisle, her dad walked up to her and she held onto his arm as he took her to the stage.

"Don't worry, baby. He will be here." Mr. Smith whispered in his daughter's ears before going to his seat.

But Carmen did not believe in her father's words as another two minutes passed, and people started getting restless. They kept looking at the door to see if the groom would walk in since his bride was already there. Then another five minutes passed, and another four minutes. Carmen could feel her tears flowing again. Today was her happy moment, and yet she did not feel like the luckiest bride in the world.

All hope seemed to be slipping away from her heart when the door suddenly banged open. Liam walked inside. Carmen turned her head to stare at her groom, and instead of feeling happy, her tears seemed to pull more. She did not believe he entered the wedding hall wearing a t-shirt and jeans.

"What is going on in the head of that mischievous son of yours?" Liam's grandfather shouted at his daughter-in-law and son.

Liam's parents could not answer. They could only bend their heads in shame. Their son had brought embarrassment to the Davis name, and they did not know why he did.

The hall became clamorous again. But this time it was a bit louder than the last. The whispering became more lucid for Carmen to hear, and the scandal people had to say about her wedding was unbearable for her to handle. Their mocking statements and ridiculous remarks wounded her as much as seeing the scowl on Liam's face.

Liam walked up to Carmen and faced her. There was hate in his eyes when he gazed at her. She bent her head the entire time the clergyman was speaking.

Carmen did not want to see the hurt and anger on his face, and the sad thing about this situation is the reality that she did not know why he was mad. In her mind, she puzzles over whether it was her fault that he acted this way and what she did to get treated in such an awful manner on her wedding day.

"Now I need the groom and bribe to say their vows. The bride can go first."

Carmen lifts her head and gazes directly into Liam's eyes. His expression had not changed. His face seems to be stiffer, and she hopes that her vow will make him forget and forgive whatever she had done to him.

"From today onward, I belong to you and only you. I will love, stay by your side, trust you, and cheer you on for the rest of my life. From the moment you wrote that confession note to me, I have kept those words close to my heart, and never will I forget them. I love you, Liam Davis." Carmen said with a smile.

'Here we go again with this damn love note. It was never written for you.' Liam thought.

"Groom, it's your turn." The clergyman said, but Liam did not answer. He seemed too focused on his thoughts to hear what was being said to him. It took five calls to get his attention.

"Liam! It's your turn to say your vow to the bride." The clergyman awkwardly reminded him.

"Oh, I did not bring the paper that I wrote my vow on, and I can't remember what I wrote, " Liam replied in a sarcastic tone. He casually put his hand in his pocket like he did not care about what was transpiring.

"Haha, You have humor. But let's put the joke aside, don't you have anything to say to your bride?"

"Wait, you are right. I do have something to tell my bride. Carmen's face lit up upon hearing his words. She felt a little better. Liam drew close to her and whispered in her ear. "I don't love you. I never did, and I never will." He then pulls away from her with a sly smile on his face.

Carmen stood still and emotionless. She did not want to believe what she had heard. So when the clergyman asked Carmen if she would take Liam to be her lawfully wedded husband, she said "yes" without any hesitation, and Liam did the same.

"I now pronounce you guys husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Liam removed the veil from over Carmen's teary face and when in for a kiss. "Ouch, " she cried as the salty taste of blood pulled upon her tongue. When Liam removed his lips from her, Carmen could feel the pain from the bite mark he had left on her mouth.

The cheering and clapping sounds within the hall were loud, and the excitement on the faces of people was joyful. But Carmen could not forget the cold expression Liam wore when he whispered to her, "You made your choice. Now you have to dine with the devil."

The light in the room flickered, and the air got more chilly as the breeze blew the window curtain open. The white bedsheet appeared whiter from the glow of the bulb, and the bedroom seemed mystic because of the sophisticated furniture.

"I will take the guest room, and you can take this bedroom, " Carmen said. She anxiously stood there, waiting on his reply. Her heart kept pounding, and she seemed tense. With every passing second that Liam did not answer, Carmen felt more uncomfortable.

She hugged herself tightly and stared at a well-built man sitting in a chair, gazing at her like some prey he could not wait to devour. Her sleeveless nightgown did not make her feel comfy at the very least. Carmen wished Ala didn't persuade her to wear such revealing clothes on her wedding night, and now she hated herself for wearing them.

"We are a married couple. Why do we have to sleep in a separate room? Isn't this what you wanted by forcing my grandpa to marry you to me. You want to act innocent when you dress in such a manner. Don't pretend to be a virgin when you are actually a slut. Ha! What a joke." Liam coldly said.

Every single word he spoke felt like a knife stabbing into Carmen's heart. She pulled her dress down, but it came back to its original length.

"Yes, I did ask my grandfather to ask your grandpa to get us married. But I did it because I thought that's what you wanted." Carmen nervously mumbles.

"What did you say?" Liam harshly asked as he got up from his seat.

"Nothing, " Carmen cried and turned her head to the left, trying to avoid his soulless gray eyes.

She stood still as she heard his footsteps approaching her. A second passed and Carmen felt the toughness of his manly hand on her thigh. She tightens her eyelashes together while Liam's hand when further up her nightgown. The cold air did not stop Carmen from feeling his warm lips upon her skin as his tongue licked her neck.

"Do you still want to sleep in the guest room?" Liam said before his other hand pulled down her nightgown hand and fiercely kissed her body, leaving bite marks all over her skin.

"Ouch! No! Yes! I mean, I think we should sleep in a separate room since you don't have feelings for me." Carmen mutters. She could hardly get the words out. Liam was touching places on her body that made her feel uncomfortable, yet excited.

"That's not for you to decide. You wanted this marriage, and now that you are in it, there's no escape for you!" Liam angrily said. He grabbed Carmen, lifted her, carried her to the bed, and threw her on it.

'I've made him mad.' Carmen thought. She bit her lip as she watched Liam remove his shirt, then unbutton his trousers. Her eyes felt wet, and she held the blanket tightly, knowing what would happen next. Carmen refused to open her eyes, even when she felt his weight above her.

With every passing second, her body trembles when Liam roughly touches her. Carmen could now sense his fingers rubbing against her bosom. The tension from his touch had Carmen's body in pain.

"Ouch!" was the only word she kept repeating. Then Liam suddenly stopped, and Carmen could not feel his movement anymore or sense his presence on top of her.

'He didn't put it in.' Carmen thought as she slowly opened her eyes. She turned her head to the right and watched Liam wear his clothes. When Liam felt her eyes on him, he stopped buttoning his shirt and gazed at her.

"As you said, I don't love you. So I think its best not to have sex with you. I will take the guest room. You can keep this one since the bedsheet is already filthy with your scent." Liam said.

Carmen's mouth felt dry and her heartache when she saw Liam walk out the door. At that moment, nothing made sense to Carmen, and her mind was filled with confusion. She did not know why he claimed not to love her when he was the one that sent the love confession note to her.

"Liam, you are misleading me. Why can't you tell me why you stopped loving me. Instead of making me wait on you to love me back." Carmen mumbled. She got out of bed and went to their closet. Her nightgown slid down to the floor, and she removed her legs from in it and put them in her pajama pants.

After closing her shirt button, Carmen climbed back into bed and cried herself to sleep.

Liam entered the guest room and slammed the door. He felt restless, angry, and turned on inside. His heartbeat raced as though it could burst from the rage and passion he was undergoing.

"Damn it, Liam. You can't fall for her tricks. You can't allow your heart to beat for the woman that took away the chance for you to be with the love of your life. Carmen is a selfish person, and she does not deserve your love." He told himself, yet his heart did not play along with his words.

Liam aggressively rips his shirt off his body and heads into the bathroom to cold off. The water pulls from the shower with force and beats upon his skin as he tries to relieve himself of the sexual tension.

A few minutes later, Liam came out of the bathroom with only a towel tied around his wrist. After drying his hair, his phone rang, and he answered it.

"Congratulations, you are now a married man." A lady's voice echoed through the phone.

"I wouldn't be if you didn't force me to do so." He replied in a calm tone.

"As long as your heart is mine, I don't mind Carmen having you. You still love me, right?"

"Yes, I do!" Liam softly answers.

After their call ended an hour later, Liam laid in bed under the darkness of the night, gazing at the shadow ceiling with the images of Carmen's hurt expression replaying in his mind, and he did not know if he could keep on pushing her away.