The Devil's Ember

Emberline's POV

"I need to get some fresh air" I murmured, my voice wavering.

Consequences of drinking red wine on your wedding day. I didn't feel good one bit. I wasn't sure if I could walk down the aisle without one in my system, my shyness would probably skyrocket my anxiety which would make me get my vows wrong and I would become a laughing stock.

Well not today, today Emberline would get married without being embarrassed like the way she have been her whole life. If I say so myself.

The wedding starts in an hour, I was too dizzy to stand up straight. My only hope was not to fall down on my face when I walk down the aisle.

In an uncertain movement, I tugged at my wedding dress as I walked down the corridor of the hotel, my steps faltering akin to those of a sailor navigating uncertain seas.

Along the way, I encountered a doorway that sparked a flicker of recognition-an inkling that it might lead to the chamber Jaxon, my fiancé, occupied.

Despite the wine's muddling effect on my thoughts, a magnetic pull urged me onward.

They say if someone see their fianceé in their wedding dress it means bad luck, still I didn't mind. I do not believe in such nonsense.

I pushed open the door, a gush of wind blowing against my face, his cologne filled the room like water in a tub.

To my astonishment, the room stood vacant, no sign. of human presence. Jaxon's suit still on the hanger. Untouched. A soft chuckle escaped me.

I guess maybe it's fate that we do not see before the wedding.

My delicate fingertip trailed along the fabric, a fond smile gracing my lips in the midst of the solitude.

With a private smile, I felt anticipation send a tingling sensation through my veins. I longed to hear the titles-Mrs. Iron, the Queen of the Northern Isles, or perhaps even His Majesty-addressed to me.

I would let go of everything about me. About my past. About my beating. I would be free.

I took a deep breath, packed my wedding dress in my hands on turned to leave. I already felt a bit better.

As I turned, ready to leave the room, a sound stopped me in my tracks.

It didn't feel real at first until I heard it again.

The unexpected moan that shattered the silence.

"Yeah...please..." The female voice said. I felt as if cold water had drenched my dress as I stood there, face ashen, gooseflesh all over my skin.

"Turn around, I want to fuck you from behind"

My heart was beating fast against my chest. It couldn't be true, it can't be true. There is no way, right? Please someone tell me I didn't just hear my own fiancé voice.

I wanted to remove the voice from my head and act like I didn't hear them but I couldn't.

The sounds was coming from the separate bedroom, pulling my focus like a magnet.

A frown tugged at my forehead, and my steps turned deliberate as I traced the source. I prayed silently that it wasn't true.

Guided by the noise, I approached a nearby doorway. It led to a secluded bedroom, the sounds within growing more distinct.

It sounded like the wild mumblings of a man and woman in great pleasure.

An uneasy ripple coursed through me, it couldn't be...could it?

With caution, I guided my feet towards the door, my fingers wrapping around the cool doorknob. I wrap my fingers around the doorknob. With a deep breath, I turned it, my heart beats frantically within my chest.

The door creaks open as I held my breath.

The scene before me shattered my world, my heart plummeting like a stone. Jaxon and Aurora lay amidst disheveled sheets, his hand pulling her hair back as he ramped into her from behind.

I could hear my my own heartbeat ringing my my chest, I felt as if I was suffocating as I stood there rooted to the spot.

No tears, no anger, just shock.

The room seemed to tighten around me, a grip of betrayal constricting my chest.

My pulse surged, emotions storming within me. There I stood, my hand on the door, suspended between disbelief and the stark truth.

My Fiancé, the man I loved was cheating on me with my stepsister.

My hands were shaking I couldn't find the words to speak.

I felt dizzy all of a sudden as I stumbled back.

Everything. The wedding. The love. The honeymoon, everything was crashing before my eyes.

They were so into it that they didn't even notice me there.

"Oh Jaxon, does my sister give it to you like this?" Aurora said in a lewd voice.

"Never, she never...does anything" Jaxon replied between breaths.

As I lingered by the bedroom door, the sting of betrayal still fresh, I pondered how something so beautiful became so tragic.

Have you ever felt that pounding headache of when you want to cry, but just couldn't.

That was what I felt at that very moment.

The pain in me had left me frozen, I didn't want to watch anymore, I needed to leave but I couldn't. My foot felt rooted on the spot. I wanted to say something. To shout out of anger but all I could feel was pain.

The lips I was supposed to kiss was being kissed by her. The hands that were supposed to touch me was on another woman's vagina.

That was suppose to be us tonight.

But instead it was him and Aurora.

Anger fueled my actions as I turned to leave, I didn't care if they heard me as I banged the door.

I yanked my shoes from my feet, feeling the cool air on my skin as I sprinted through the corridor, my heart racing with urgency.

Reaching my bridal room, I slammed the door shut, the sound reverberating with my frustration. A primal scream welled up within me as I angrily removed the crown from my head, flinging it with a fierce toss.

It collided with the mirror, shattering the glass into a thousand glimmering fragments- it looked like my shattered dreams. I can already see it happening, me being pushed aside by her.

My dress became my enemy, its layers of delicate lace transformed into restraints that I fought to escape. My blonde hair spilled from its braid as I tugged at the pins, each one a prison that held me captive in a life that had become a mockery.

I took a deep breath, embracing the rawness of my emotions.

Aurora took my dad from me. She took my toys. She took my room. Now she is taking my fiancé, my title and my freedom.

I crashed to the floor and wept.

(You can read more on webnovel. More chapters are available there.)

The tears flowed like an open dam, gushing down my face like a waterfall.

The pain in my heart was intense, I did not know what I was going to do. Everything I had planned all gone, my freedom is gone, my escape is gone.

All my life as the Stark first child has been nothing but sorrow the moment my mother died. My father had married another woman as soon as she died, the lady who had a grown up daughter already.

It was a shock when I saw Aurora and her evil mother step into our mansion. Even though I was hurt by the fact that my father was already having an affair long before my mother died, I still welcome them with open arms.

Because that's what my mother taught me, I was the eldest, the heir to the Stark coperations, I must have the etiquette of one. I took care of Aurora, but she backstabbed me every time I tried to help.

Like when I taught her how to ride the scooter, she fell and lied that I pushed her. That was when the beating started, my father made sure to beat me calling me a disgrace, saying I reminded him of my dead mother, that I am awful. My step mother would even join in, adding pepper to the injury.

That had been my life for the last ten years, and when I met Jaxon in college. A prince from the northern isles, he loved me, he protected me. He was the best thing to ever happen to me. My father for the first time felt proud as the company would sky rocket.

And now like everything else I have owned, Aurora had stolen it as well.

I found it so hard to breath as I cried, my makeup flowing down my face. The room felt as if it was pressing down on me.

I didn't realize that someone was knocking on the door until I heard Hailey's voice, my only best friend and maid of homor "Ember, are you alright in there?"

Inhaling deeply to steady myself, I replied, "Yeah, Hailey, I'm okay."

No I wasn't, my life had been destroyed. Every meticulous wish and plans, all vaporized.

The door swung open, revealing Hailey's astonishment at the room's disarray. Don't ask, please don't ask.

I begged from my mind but she asked "What on earth happened here?"

And it all came crashing down. The tears I have been trying to hold in started flowing again.

" Hailey," I mumbled, my voice barely above a whisper. Tears welled up in my eyes, threatening to spill over. "I-I just don't know what to do anymore. Everything's falling apart, and I feel so lost." I paused, taking a shaky breath, my nose running.

Hailey's face shifted to disbelief as she stepped closer to me placing a hand on my shoulder. "You are not making sense. What happened?"

"Jaxon... he is having sex with Aurora at the very moment," I angrily wiped the tears with the back of my hand. "I thought we had something real. I thought I was strong, but now it just hurts so much. I don't think I can handle this." My words wavered, the fragility in my voice echoing the cracks in my broken heart.

"I-I just can't believe it, Hailey," I stammered, tears streaming down her face.

"I thought Jaxon and I had something, you know? And then I walked into that room, and... and he was kissing her. Having sex with her. Right there, on our wedding day in his wedding suite. " I didn't care if I was repeating myself. I just...can't take it.

Hailey reached out, me "I can't imagine how painful that must be, Ember. It's okay to let it out. Cry if you need to."

"But this... it's like the ground beneath me disappeared. I feel so lost."

"It's okay not to be strong all the time," Hailey whispered. "Let yourself feel, Ember. I'm here for you."

I exhaled the tension I hadn't realized I was holding. Even when I was beating beaten, even when Aurora taunt me for the fact that I was color blind, even when I was bullied I never cried. But today, everything I had been through had flowed down my eyes.

"Help me out of this wedding dress, please. I don't want to think about it anymore"

After a brief hesitation, Hailey stepped forward to assist. As the layers of lace and silk fell away.

As I changed into a more comfortable pair of slacks, I made sure to leave the room and leave the entire hall to walk aimlessly until I end this horrifying life that I was born into.

But my feeble attempt at solace was abruptly disrupted by a tentative touch on my arm. I turned, finding my father, Joshua, standing there. A glimmer of hope fluttered within me, desperate for his understanding.

"Dad," I mumbled, my voice tinged with a mix of frustration and relief. I hoped he would notice me without my wedding dress, know that something was wrong and help me.

I really do hope he would understand even though he never had.

His gaze bore into me, an expression of stern concern etched across his face. "Ember, where's your wedding gown?"

A jolt of irritation surged through me, and I hesitated before responding, "I... I tore it."

His frown deepened, and he grasped my hand, the pressure turning uncomfortably painful.

A twinge of discomfort alerted me that something was amiss. Before I could voice my unease, he started pulling me with a forcefulness that left me feeling powerless, inching towards the exit.

"Wait, Dad, what are you doing? You are hurting me." I protested, my heart racing with confusion and growing fear.

His jaw was tight, his voice stern as he spoke through gritted teeth. "We're going outside. Now."

His behavior was so out of character that it sent shivers down my spine. As he dragged me away from the reception hall, I glanced back at the party I had planned for so long, now slipping away from my grasp.

My dad's strong grip led me outside into the night, and I felt mixed up and worried. His hand, once gentle, now held on so tightly that it hurt a little.

"What's your plan, Ember?" he asked, sounding really mad. "What do you want to mess up now?"

I felt my determination flare up again, even though I had an uneasy feeling. "Dad, I'm hurt," I told him, hoping he'd understand more than anyone.

"Hurt? By what?" he snapped back, his voice sharp. "What pettiness are you trying to cause trouble with now?"

"Pettiness?" I repeated, feeling surprised. "I've always tried to be perfect, to meet your expectations. But not this time." My voice shook as I went on, "Jaxon cheated on me, with Aurora. I loved him and he..." I held my chest as I tried to hold back the tears.

My father was taken aback and for a second, I thought he might get it, that he'd feel sorry for me. The injustice that I have faced. But his response hit me like a surprise slap.

"So what?" he said coldly. "You can still marry him. Men have lots of wives, and they're okay with it."

I stood there, shocked by what he said. My hope crashed down, and I felt really let down. His words hung in the air like he didn't care at all. It was like a punch in my heart, realizing he didn't have my back. In just one moment, I saw that he wasn't on my side against all the lies and tricks.

I loved Jaxon, but I would never lower myself to be with a man who will not value me.

"Dad, this is me you're talking about," I said, my voice shaky. "I can't do that. Don't you care about my well being? Do you think it's nice to watch the man you love sleep around with your younger sister"

"Women are such babies,"He looked at me with a serious expression. "It's for the greater good. You're not being selfish now, are you? The wedding must go on." His tone was cold.

Tears pricked my eyes, frustration building up. "No, Dad, I can't. I won't marry a cheater."

His gaze remained cold and emotionless. "Fine. Your loss then. Aurora will marry him in your place. I won't let this opportunity slip away."

The weight of my father's words crashed upon me, a chilling realization of the depths he was willing to sink to for his own gain. The sense of betrayal cut deep, leaving my heart in tatters.

"It's always been like this, hasn't it?" I erupted, my voice shaking with suppressed anger. "Whenever I'd throw a fuss, you'd just hand it over to Aurora. Let her take your room, let her have the better place, let her take everything. And now, she's taking my wedding too. Soon she would take my life."

Joshua did not seem to care about it, nor did he look surprised when I told him that Aurora had taken my fiancé.

That was when I realize. "You changed your mind so quickly, didn't you, father? You knew, didn't you? You knew Jaxon was cheating on me... and yet, you pushed me into this. Why, father? Why?!"

Tears welled in my eyes, each word I spoke weighted with the burden of a lifetime of manipulation, deceit, and the crushing realization that my own father had played a part in my suffering. The intensity of the moment was suffocating, the pain so acute that it felt as if my heart was being torn apart.

Joshua scoffed, "Mind the way you talk to me Emberline Stark. I am still your elder. And I did you a favor to marry a prince since you were the one he proposed to first. If he wanted Aurora it would have been a added gift. It was his choice and he was a prince did you expect some true love story from a book? That he would remain with you forever?"

The words erupted from me, a torrent of emotion that I had suppressed for far too long. "Yes, yes, I was delusional enough to believe that the man I loved would be mine and mine alone. Prince or not, I expected it to be him and me. I never saw any of this coming, and I certainly never thought my own father would be the one to betray me like this."

Joshua's expression remained resolute, unyielding in the face of my anguish. "I'm a businessman, Ember. My decisions are driven by what's best for the business, not emotions. I don't let sentimentality dictate my choices like you women do."

His callous words cut through me like a blade, the pain of his disregard mingling with the weight of his betrayal. I had laid bare my heart, my vulnerability, and he had met it with cold detachment.

"If Mum were here," I retorted, my voice trembling with a mixture of anger and grief, "she would have slapped you across the face ten times over."

But before I could even finish my sentence, a sharp sting erupted across my cheek as his hand struck me. I stood there, stunned, my skin stinging from the impact. His spiteful words followed, a bitter reminder of the divide that had grown between us. "Never mention that woman in my presence again. Now get out. You're causing a scene."

Tears welled in my eyes as I absorbed the harsh reality of the situation. I was alone, abandoned by the very person who was supposed to protect and cherish me.

"And if I see you 2km close to this reception building, you won't like what I will do to you. Daughter or not" His threats hung in the air.

As I turned away, the pain in my heart was matched by the searing pain on my cheek.

Tears blurred my vision as I sprinted away from the chaotic scene. My body felt heavy, a symbol of a broken promise, and my heart ached. I couldn't believe he had cheated on me, and my father's harsh slap stung both physically and emotionally.

I stumbled forward, my sobs echoing through the empty hallway. Then, in my hasty escape, I collided with a stranger. His strong arms reached out to steady me, and when our eyes met, I found myself staring into the most beautiful pair of eyes I'd ever seen.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concern etched on his face.

But I couldn't respond. My voice was lost amidst the pain and confusion. Without a word, I pulled away and continued running, leaving the handsome stranger behind in my wake.

Dark seemed to mirror the darkness that had enveloped my world.

Tears streaked my cheeks as I exited the building, each step a burden under the weight of betrayal and despair. I forcefully wiped away the evidence of my pain, as though erasing those tears could somehow erase the torment inside. Above, the sky darkened, a reflection of the turmoil consuming me.

Rain cascaded from the heavens, a deluge of emotions that matched my inner tempest. Yet, I paid no heed.

Mum always had a glass of wine to ease her pain.

Maybe I should get drunk to ease mine. I looked up at the sky and said, "Mummy...I miss you"

I went to a restaurant. The warmth within embraced me as I stepped through the threshold, the aroma of food and the chime of glasses weaving a momentary haven amidst the turmoil.

I seated myself and ordered a glass of wine.

"Cheers to my awful life" I said taking a deep sip.

Sipping the wine, its warmth radiating through me, I found a fleeting respite.

I approached the bartender and requested two more glasses of champagne, opting for the stronger variety. The evening had taken unexpected turns. I was single, I was alone, probably disowned and soon I would be dead.

Call me a coward, but this life, this earth is not worth living in.

I needed to be so drunk, so when I jump I would not feel the pain.

As I settled back into my seat, a voice sounded beside me, accompanied by a gentle tap on the shoulder. I turned to see a stranger, someone who had appeared seemingly out of thin air.