The Forbidden Ties

Happiness POV

Age 17

"Oh baby, you look stunning." My mom, Daisy, gushed at me.

I scan down my outfit for today's event, and I'm quite satisfied with what I'm wearing. A halter neck styled Tosca dress that crosses over to the front, fitted waist, leg slit. This should be appropriate enough to attend one of the biggest events this year.

I glanced at my Dad, who is still grumbling about how big his munchkin has grown, as he got into the driver's seat of the car. He has been grumbling since he saw my dress, and mom had told him to look at how much of a woman I have become. We got into the car and we headed to the airport for the wedding.

The event has been attracting the media's attention since the moment the Smiths first announced it. And that is their son's wedding.

Mason Smith's wedding. Today, at the age of 29, Mason would tie the knot with his future wife. That is why we are all here in the car heading to the most phenomenal wedding hall in Los Angeles.

On getting to the building, my heart was beating fast as I stared at the grand entrance. The place is packed with celebrities, too many faces I recognize from TV– actresses, actors, politicians, socialites, supermodels, singers and business people.

When we arrived at the reception - a hall so huge and glamorous, filled with even more well groomed guests - my breath caught in my throat. There are reporters interviewing some guests and the media staff interviewing the event. This wedding will definitely be aired on television, though it might not be broadcast live.

My mom strides towards Mira, Mason's mom, who's standing in one of the rows near the altar, looking beautiful in her silver, long sleeve gown,her hair styles in an elegant twisted bun. She waved when she saw mom, and we approached her. She greeted mom with a hug, and a light peck on her cheeks. She greeted my Dad with a hug too.

"Happiness." She beams, finally turning to me,her eyes sparkling with delight. "Look how big you've grown. So beautiful." We hugged each other, a warm smile on my lips.

"Thank you ma'am." I said, pulling from the hug.

"Come sit here." She gestures for us to sit with her. Mom sits beside her. Dad is next to her, and I am on her other side. I can't help but travel my eyes around the place. I have never been in a hall this big.

Mr Smith Snr came over to our table to talk to his wife. He seemed overwhelmed, they both do. Of course their son is getting married, they must be feeling emotional. I looked around trying to find my uncle, Max, but he was nowhere to be found.

"I can't believe it's finally happening." Mom's voice brought me back, causing me to shift my attention to her. "Can you believe it? He's finally getting married to the love of his life. They're finally tying the knot after seven years of being together." She smiled lovingly.

"They wanted to do it earlier, but they had to wait until Sandra finished her PhD degrees in London." A woman behind us said. "Two years of long distance was nothing to them, in fact, it made their relationship even stronger. Once she came back, everything went so fast, and here we are now." She tells her partner.

"I heard Mason visited her almost every weekend. I'm so happy for them both. She is Mason's first love." Her partner said.

"Mom, I can't find Uncle Max. Can you text him to know where he is? I haven't seen him in ages." I said to my mom, tuning the women behind me out.

"Okay dear. Let's see." Mom said bringing out her phone and texting him. "He said he's upstairs, in the groom's room. Room 245." She told me, and I stood up to excuse myself.

"Don't stay long, the ceremony is about to start." My Dad advised.

"Okay Dad. I'll be right back." I told him as I walked towards the exit.

I asked the security around how I could get to the elevator and he directed me. After getting off the elevator, I strolled down the hallway, my footsteps light and eager on the soft carpet, I couldn't help but glance at the doors along the way, each one holding the quiet promise of a different story. Finally, I spotted it-the door with the number 245. I paused for a moment, before pulling the doorknob.

There's someone in a suit and matching trousers facing the window, deep in thought. He didn't even realize he was not alone.

I tiptoed to his back, and I hugged him.

"Oh my darling Uncle. I missed you so much. Why didn't you come to visit?" I said while hugging him as he was backing me.

"Uncle?" A different voice asked and it seems to come from the person I'm hugging. He turned around with me in his arms and I stared into his eyes. Dark eyes. Uncle Max's eyes are blue, like mine.

I let go of him immediately like I had been burned and blushed furiously. "Uhm... sorry. I... I thought you... were my uncle." I told him facing down.

A chuckle brought my attention back to his handsome face. "Hello cutie, why do you think your uncle is here?" He said, his voice sending shivers down my body.

"My mom said he would be here, in the groom's room." Then I glanced at his tailored suit matching trousers, and gasped. "You're the groom." I whispered but he heard me anyway.

"Yes darling. I am." That voice again. He brought his hands to my chin raising my face to meet his, the movement sending electricity through my body and I gasped leaning towards him.

"Your-" He was cut short by the door opening and we pulled apart.

My uncle walked in with a frown but smiled upon seeing me.

"Happiness." He gushed, hugging me, trying and failing to carry me. "You've become big. I can't even carry you like I used too." He frowned.

"When you've failed to visit to see how I am. How would you know?". I asked mockingly. "Of course you wouldn't know I have grown. I'm almost an adult uncle, don't carry me like that again." I rolled my eyes at him, and a chuckle reminded us that we were not alone anymore.

Uncle Max looked up to his friend, smiled, and clapped his shoulder. "Big man, I see you've met my not so little niece." He was rewarded with another chuckle- one that sends shivers down my body- from the groom. "Happy, meet the man of the Day. Today's groom, Mason Smith." He said, while gesturing to the groom. "Bro, this is my niece, Happiness."

"Happiness, such a nice name for a beautiful lady. It's so nice to put a face to the name I've been hearing for a while now. It's nice to finally meet you." Mason said, fixing his heated stare on me. He stretched his hand for a handshake and I took it. I can feel his gaze on every part of me, sending electrifying sensations as his eyes trailed, making me blush.

"The pleasure is mine." I threw him a dashing smile, still holding onto his outstretched arm.

My uncle, oblivious to what's going on around him, said in exasperation. "Man, I had no idea how much went into planning this! I feel like I haven't had a moment to relax in over 48 hours." He said, lying down on the bed. "Thank God this is a once in a lifetime thing."

"Oh yeah? Thank God then." Mason said, removing his hand from mine but still staring at me.

"Sorry uncle. You're sounding stressed. Would you rest instead of attending the wedding?" I asked, facing him.

"No. I'd see it through. I'll rest after they've gone on their honeymoon." He said, winking at Mason.

Mason opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by the door opening. His mom came in. "Darling, that's your cue." She and my brother escorted him out, and he turned back when he got to the exit and nodded at me.

I went back to join my family at their seats. "What took you so long, honey? The groom is about to walk out." Mom said, and I shrugged.

The groom walked out. His eyes are focused ahead, his face a mixture of nervous anticipation and quiet joy. The guests' murmurs fade into a hushed silence as he begins to walk down the aisle, each step deliberate yet filled with the weight of the moment. His posture is proud, but there's a softness in his gaze as he looks ahead toward the entrance, anticipating his bride's entrance.

The hall was filled with an air of anticipation, the soft hum of whispers buzzing through the seats as the guests eagerly awaited the bride's grand entrance. The heavy doors swung open, revealing a lady looking skittish, as she walked toward the altar- to the groom.

"The bride is nowhere to be found." She breathed, but it was heard in the silent hall.

Two years later; Happiness 19

"It's a beautiful campus, isn't it?" I can't count the number of times I've asked that. My heart is filled with excitement as we drive through the campus.

Dad, who is sitting across from me, stares at me with a mixture of happiness and sadness. He is happy that I am happy, but he doesn't like me moving out of the house. "You remember the rules, right?"

I sigh, and nod. Mom sitting next to him shakes her head knowingly.

"Words munchkin." He looked at me disapprovingly.

"Yes Dad." Another sigh. "It's just for a session." I muttered.

Dad scrutinizes me. "A year, Happy. That's not a short period." He said, sounding offended.

"I'm sure during that time she will gain so much from joining one of the best classes of business technology she's been dying to have." Mom said, patting his arm reassuringly. That is the reason he agreed in the first place.

"The rules, Happy."

"No drinking. No clubbing. No walking alone at night."

"And don't talk to strangers on the street." He wags his fingers.

"I'm not a toddler, Dad." My voice is laced with frustration.

Mom watches us with amusement, shaking her head in disbelief.

"You are not. But there are criminals out there. You never know –"

"Fine Dad. I get it." I cut him off, not wanting to bear his speech about criminals lurking around.

"Good." He said. "And the last one?"

"No boys." I said, defeated.

"No boys. Absolutely no boys." He said with implacable authority.

"God, I'll never meet my soulmate." I muttered. "Maybe I'll just become a nun."

"Your soulmate is not in college." He corrected me.

"How would you know?"

"That's obvious. I'm not allowing you to date yet. So you'll meet him years from now." He said like it's so obvious.

"Years? Until I'm 30?"

He nods, and it's mom's turn to sigh. She knows this conversation is endless. Thankfully, he drives into the apartment compound.

Rays of sun hit my face as I stepped out of the car when Dad packed. The apartment building is one of the most extravagant I have ever seen. It's so tall and grand, definitely high-class.

"I'm going to miss you mom." I hugged her tightly, missing her warmth when we parted.

"You're going to have a great time here, honey." She cups my cheeks tenderly. "Have fun. Meet a lot of friends. Don't stress yourself." She whispers, even though some of her words contradict her husband's statement.

Dad is already spreading his arms wide when I turn to him. He engulfs me in a hug and I try my best not to cry when I realized I'll be left alone.

"Don't worry about me, Dad." I said as we pulled away. My heart swelled as I saw the sadness in his eyes.

"Okay." He nodded. "Don't forget to always pick up when I call." He smiled, and we hugged each other again.

"Yes Dad." I said as we parted.

"Remember." He eyes me with a warning look. "Don't skip meals."

I fight the urge to roll my eyes, but at the same time, I know I'm going to miss this part of him.

Now that I watch Mom and Dad leave, there's a battle in my heart. No matter how eager I am to live on my own, it's hard to be away from them. Dad rolled the car window down and they waved at me.

"Bye." I say cheerfully, despite the sadness in my chest.

"We'll see each other again very soon honey." Mom smiles, knowing they will come here soon to check up on me. "I love you."

"I love you, mom." Dad huffs. "I love you Dad."

Dad starts driving, and I watch them go until the car disappears behind the property gate. With determination, I stepped back into the apartment.

I walked into the lobby and found the security guarding the door. He nods briefly at me, greeting me with a smile. I return his smile politely even though uneasiness stirs inside me from his gaze. The looks he gave me made me shudder, and his eyes are roaming my figure longer than they should. I quickly pass by him even though I can still feel his stare as I walk into the elevator.

He had stolen glances at me when my parents were around and were not looking, but I thought it was normal because I'm new. However, now that they are gone, his gaze is uncomfortable. I press the button next to the elevator, and shake my head in denial. I should be worrying about my new semester in college, not about a normal security guard trying to keep an eye on a new occupant of the apartment.

I laid down trying to get some rest after the busy day I've had, but my rest was interrupted by the ringtone of my phone.

'That might be Dad'. I shaked my head as the thought came.

Reaching for it, I noticed it was Nadia calling, and picked the call.

"Wassup babe." I initiated our conversation and we talked for a while before I started feeling sleepy, and I had to promise to call her tomorrow before she lets me off.

I glance at the wall clock. 10PM. How time flies. Before going to bed, I checked the door and the things around me, making sure they were in the right space. I turned off my bedside lamp, causing the room to be dark except the lights coming from the city lights sparkling outside my bedroom window. As I lay my head down on the pillow, my phone rings and I snap my eyes open. I groaned as I grabbed it from the nightstand.

"Munchkin, how are you? Did you like the space? Is it comfortable?" Dad's anxious voice rings loudly in my ear. "Can you sleep comfortably? Is there any neighbour –"

"Dad." There's a hint of frustration in my voice. "I was just trying to sleep. You've called me four times after leaving today."

I heard my Mom chuckling in the background.

"I was just wondering if everything is okay over there. I was starting to worry about you not being able to sleep." He said, his voice laced with worry.

Even though it's sometimes frustrating, I can't help the smile on my face from knowing how much Dad is concerned about me.

"Don't worry so much Dad. Everything is good here." I assured him. "I'm a big girl, remember?"

Dad sighs. The call lasts for a few more minutes during which I tell him about my plan for tomorrow. After we hung up, I threw my head on my pillow and went back to sleep.

A noise coming from the living room woke me up sometime later, and since I didn't close my door to the bedroom I sat up and faced that direction. I'm positive I was just hallucinating because no one can come inside my apartment unless they have the key.

Silence fills the air again. I can feel my heart thumping wildly in my chest. My mind is going crazy from thinking of all sorts of possibilities. I can't even decide which is worse. My heart almost stopped as I heard the door closing. It's impossible to miss the sound of the person's movement in this dead silence.

'Oh God. It's a burglar.'

With a shaking hand, I grabbed the telephone on my nightstand and called the operator. They have security guarding the apartment 24 hours.

"Good evening. How may I help you?" A voice greets me from the other side of the line. I almost drop the handle of the phone from fear as the shadow moves closer to my bedroom.

"Someone just–" I almost choke due to the panic consuming me. My voice is shaking uncontrollably. "Someone just broke into my apartment."

My body goes numb because of how frightened I am. The footsteps are getting closer. The sound of the person's shoes stepping on the wooden floor becomes clearer.

"Are you calling from your bedroom, Ms McGregor?". The lady's voice becomes alert in an instant. "If you are, can you lock the door to your bedroom while the security is coming? I'm sending them right now."

I shoot up from my bed to do as she told me. Just when I'm about to close the door, a force pushes me back so hard I hit my head on the floor, and I screamed.

When I looked up, I saw a man wearing a security uniform staring down at me. He's tall, and even with the small amount of light in the room, I can still recognize his face. He's the middle-aged security guard who was in the lobby downstairs.

The sight of him and not a burglar makes me startled. The moment I noticed his dark eyes roaming down my features, chills ran down my spine. He doesn't move, just standing there staring at me like I'm the most precious object in the room. I moved back as my pulse quickens.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, even though I know he's not here for his duty. "Are you checking my apartment? But I didn't call anyone." I keep talking, praying that I'm able to buy time before the security gets here.

I moved back again, and to my horror he stepped closer to me. He tilts his head, still eyeing me. A calm smile touches the corner of his lips.

"Ms McGregor," his low voice echoes in the room. It's filled with lust, and makes my stomach churn. I feel like vomiting. "You're pretty. Don't you know that?"

His words make me freeze. The security guard who's supposed to protect the occupants of this building is apparently a crazy stalker. Tears spring to my eyes as I look around for something I can use to protect myself against him. During that moment of distraction, he's already towering over me.

My lips tremble as I let out a soft cry. He gazes at me, as I lay down helplessly in front of him, his eyes glinting with excitement. He's sick.

Before his face draws closer to mine, I kick between his trousers with all the power I have in my body. A groan escaped from his mouth as I grabbed the bedside lamp, and hit his head with it. The action causes another groan from him, this time filled with anger.

I ran away from the room but he grabbed my leg, making me fall onto the ground with my face lying flat on the floor. I whimper with pain, and that's when I heard the sound of the front door banged open. Rushed footsteps and sounds filled the room, and before I knew it, the psycho's tight grip on my leg was gone.

Another security tried to help me up, but I screamed and abruptly snapped his hands away. I pushed back against the leg of the bed as I watched the scene before me. The psycho struggles as two other guards pin him on the floor. Another secured a handcuff around his wrist behind him.

"What the Fuck are you doing, Smith? Get off me." My stalker hissed furiously at his friend, who looked shocked but did his job regardless.

The other guards have disbelief on their faces too. They probably can't believe their colleague has become insane, while here I am, feeling like being consumed in the darkness.

They're friends. How can I be sure that I can trust them? What if they're all the same? I can't help but think.

The guard who was trying to help me looked at me apologetically, noticing my fear. I wrapped my arms around my body, still curling on the floor and shaking.

"We're deeply sorry for what just happened, Ms McGregor." There's only sympathy in his voice. "We apologize for this incident. We didn't expect Dave would commit such a crime."

A tear drops to my face as I listen to him, but I know even though I've been rescued, this place would not be the same to me.

About half an hour has passed. I'm now sitting at the edge of my bed with a blanket around me. The police are on their way here.

I watch as the chief security talks to his subordinates. He looks furious and devastated. I've lost count of the number of times he has apologized to me.

I'm safe now, but my body is still trembling and I still haven't spoken a word. A female employee is sitting beside me. She's been assuring me that everything will be okay and this kind of incident will never happen again.

The siren of the police brings me out of my reverie. They came inside and they talked to the Chief security who briefed them on what happened. Some of them are taking pictures of my room and collecting evidence, I think.

One of them approached me. "Hello Ms. McGregor. I am officer Turner. Can you tell me what happened here?" He asked, and I shaked my head no, still trembling. "Okay. The Captain will be here soon."

He looked towards the employee beside me and she shrugged. "She hasn't said anything since we came here." She told him and he nodded then left to meet his colleagues.

"Do you want us to call your parents?" The Chief security asked me as he came over.

I freeze, then shook my head no, and he sighed. "Do you want to go to the hospital? You need to get checked."

I shook my head and he left with a sigh.

I am yet to call Mom and Dad. They still don't have any idea about what happened. The reason I haven't done that is because Dad would surely drag me back to Texas if he knows, and my mind is still debating whether I should let that happen or not.

I have worked hard to get accepted into this exchange program, and I don't want my dream to vanish into thin air because of one night.

"Would this not cause a problem for my neighbours?" I whispered to the female staff beside me. "If they find out about this, wouldn't it be a problem to the management?"

The lady shakes her head. "There's no one else staying on this floor, Ms. McGregor. Only you."

My eyes widen at the information. "What?" I whispered in disbelief. "But that's not possible. I'm sure this floor was fully occupied when I purchased it."

The lady sighed. "That's right Ms. McGregor. However, most of them don't really live here. They go overseas a lot."

My mouth drops open. I just can't help but think about the worst case scenario that could have happened if I had not called the operator in time. Even if I'd screamed at the top of my voice for help, no one would have been able to help.

I ball my fist on my thigh, feeling frustrated than ever. Before I could open my mouth to talk again, movement from the door caught my attention.

"Here he is." The officer that came earlier announced. "This is Captain Smith, Ms. McGregor."

A man appeared at the door, looking absolutely deadly. His chest heaves up and down, evidence that he's been in such a hurry. His jaw is clenched, showing how unhappy he is about the situation.

My breath catches in my throat because his features are absolutely familiar.

Tall, sandy brown hair, dark eyes, and broad shoulders. The man, dressed in his uniform, strides into my room. Each of his movements speaks authority.

He's the boss, the one in charge, and the one feared by people. He's the man whose name still sends electricity down my body every time it's mentioned.

He is Mason Smith.