The cursed union

Chapter three. The Cursed Union

Overwhelmed by Mary’s words, he became light-headed and his legs buckled, causing him to drop to his knees as he looked at the pregnant, frail lady he was about to be forced to marry.

She looked at him with sorry eyes while her arms were wrapped around her belly. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to do this to you. It wasn't my fault. I was drugged,” she said sympathetically. Her parent on the other hand, were smiling from ear to ear, overjoyed that their daughter was getting married to the most powerful family in London.

‘She was drugged. It must have been Kenny, I should have known.’

“How far along are you?” Luke asked, to which she replied, “three months,”

‘The party was exactly three months ago. No doubt about it, Kenny must have drugged us both and put us in the same room, which means that I had intercourse with a stranger that night,’ Luke finally figured it out but it was too late.

Luke stood up furiously to confront Kenny but was interrupted by the wedding officiant. 

“Hold on sir, I have been briefed about the sudden change of events by Sir Connor Von Aleister himself, and I was instructed to officiate the shotgun marriage as per traditional dictates.

Upon hearing the words of the wedding officiant, Mary burst into tears, overwhelmed with shame. She covered her face with her palm and turned around to walk away.

The pregnant lady’s parent, upon hearing the words of the wedding officiant, let out a joyous scream of celebration while hugging each other and applauding.

“You can’t leave, madam Mary. It is customary for you to stay as a witness to your son’s wedding,” the officiant said with eagerness to commence the ceremony.

Mary obliged with a heavy heart and an expression of evident disapproval in her eyes. She couldn’t object to it. The Von Aleister family has always been a Conservative, traditionalist family. They hold their tradition as seriously as they hold their business empire. Anyone who acts against the tradition is punished, Connor Von Aleister makes sure of that.

“Who wants to go first with the wedding vows?’ The officiant asked, but neither of them replied. The pregnant lady’s mother nudged her from behind to give her wedding vows.

She walked forward and spoke while she trembles, “I’m so sorry about all of this. I have always admired you from a distance and I thought I could never have you. It pains me that it’s happening in such a way. If I had the option, I would opt out of this marriage and hope that one day, somehow, we will be brought together by genuine love.”

Tears dripped from her chin as she passionately makes her vow. She snorts for a while then continued, “but it is destined to happen like this and for that, I promise to be your honest, faithful, and loving wife for the rest of my days. I will try my best to alleviate the heartache that this marriage caused you.” She concluded her vows with her arms trembling throughout.

“Beautiful,” said the officiant, “Sir Luke Von Aleister, it’s your turn.”

Luke was standing, lost in his thoughts of how to get back at Kenny, when the officiant asked for his vows. Luke was silent. He had no vows for a lady he doesn’t even know. His vows were for Rose Ashton, the girl he always dreamt of marrying.

After waiting for a while without any response from Luke, the officiant proceeded. “I hereby pronouns Sir Luke Von Aleister and madam...” 

“What’s your name?” the officiant whispered to the pregnant lady, to which she responded, “Pamela Newman.”

Clears throat multiple times

“I hereby pronounce Sir Luke Von Aleister and Pamela Newman, husband and wife,”

“Whoo,” Pamela’s side of family cheered delightfully, giving hugs to each other in celebration.

Luke’s side of the family was scornful, making rude comments such as, 

“a peasant has been forced into our family,”

 “how are we supposed to live with that thing?”

 “I say divorce her tomorrow.”

 “What a shame, out of all people, Luke is the least I expected to rubbish the family name in such a manner.”

Pamela was grieved by all the contemptuous comments. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she sobs uncontrollably. No one from her husband’s side came to embrace her. They all seem to hate her. Her husband, Luke, stood there, lost in his thoughts, also not consoling her or even showing any sign of sympathy. She was as much of a victim as he was, but people only sympathise with Luke and vilify Pamela.

“You may now kiss your bride,” uttered Pamela mother enthusiastically.

Luke didn’t heed Rachel’s (Pamela’s mother) words at all. The wedding was officiated and all he could think of was getting his revenge.

Connor Von Aleister stood up from his high chair and roared, “Luke, you dare bring shame to this family after everything thing we gave you, you ungrateful prick.” His deep, commanding voice struck fear into everyone present, despite his old age.

“Losing the Ashton family can cost us tens of billions, all because you couldn’t keep it in your pants.”

“I had high hopes for you, Luke. I thought you would be the next grand patriarch of this family. Luckily, you showed us you aren’t fit for that position before it was too late.” He paused a little as the crowd anticipates his next sentence. 

The hall was dead silent, with everyone focused. Connor continued, “As the grand patriarch of the Von Aleister family, I hereby declare this Union cursed.” 

Luke stood in utter disgrace as cold sweat drips from his beard, his face was darkened with sorrow and his heart was boiling with anger. He looked around for Kenny, but it seemed like Kenny had left the premises. 

“Rudolph,” 

“We have a score to settle,” he dashed out the hall into his grand wragner SUV and drove off in search of Kenny Barron, leaving his new wife to the mercy of his family.

Mary stared at Pamela malevolently, and then uttered in the coldest manner, “you have transgressed against my family and made us lose the favour of the grand patriarch, for that I promise you a severe punishment. You will be moving in with me and I will personally make sure of that, you vile peasant.” 

Pamela became even more frightened, so she ran to meet her family, who were overjoyed and still celebrating. 

“Mom, I can’t go with them. Please let me spend some more time at home,” begged Pamela, who was gripping her mother’s arms.

“Girl, you don’t have a home with us anymore. Your home is with your husband. So you better go with them, be a good wife, make them happy and make us proud,” said Rachel as she forcefully tries to pull her hands out of Pamela’s grip.

While Pamela was fidgeting and weeping, she said, “Please mom, please dad talk to her.”

Pamela’s dad, David Newman, was quiet for a while, nodding his head sideways, expressing sympathy for his crying daughter as his wife Rachel continues to celebrate.

“You know your mom is only doing what’s best for you, I’m sure you will come to appreciate her in the future,” David spoke softly in an attempt to comfort Pamela, but Pamela’s tears did not relent, she wasn’t made at ease.

“We have to go now, Madam Pamela. Madam Mary said she wants alone time with you as soon as possible,” said a man dressed in a black suit. He seemed to be a chauffeur.

Pamela quivers upon hearing that. ‘Mary Von Aleister is so eager to commence her promised punishment,’ she thought.

“Go join them in their magnificent castle, my beautiful Pamela Von Aleister.”

Rachel and the rest of her family wave her goodbye as she stares at them through the SUV window in desperate need of help, knowing very well that no help is forthcoming.