Her long dark hair perfectly curled and tucked behind a golden pin, Nera Bradford wore a white ball wedding dress paired with a cathedral-length lace veil. The dress was very expensive, not bought with her family's money as they could not afford it but she loved it. She kept examining and gashing over herself in the mirror.
She wore little makeup, allowing her green eyes to stand out. Her eyes were one of her physical features that he admired the most, so she did not want to deprive him of the opportunity to be taken out of breath during the wedding proceedings.
Being his wife was always her dream ever since she first lay her eyes on him. Growing up in San Antonio, a rural area with limited resources, most young ladies wished to marry into rich families and that was what she was about to do.
She had other ambitions, but financial constraints prevented her from pursuing them; however, being a bride came free. It was one of those dreams that only required finding someone special, someone who understood her on an emotional and spiritual level and cared about her happiness. Someone who admired them understood her and inspired her to be a better person.
That special someone was Greg Blair, her high school sweetheart. He was tall, with dark curly hair and brown eyes. He drew a lot of attention from the opposite sex, but he only had eyes for her.
He was her first, first love, first kiss, the first touch, and she willingly gave up her virginity to him and never looked back.
He was the only man who had ever seen her naked, and she made sure of it during their five-year relationship. He treated her like a princess, so it was only fair that she treated him like a king.
After five years, he finally proposed. They were moving from high school sweethearts to husband and wife in a matter of hours. She had always imagined the day but never imagined it would come so soon. Her dream was going to come true at the age of twenty-one.
She looked at her watch as the door opened and her best friend, Nicole, walked in, all excited and screaming. She was medium height with blond hair and blue eyes. She was the more popular between the two and more outgoing.
"The time has come," she said as she tucked a strand of hair that had fallen out of place.
"How is the atmosphere outside?" Nera, who was nervous, inquired.
"Huge, Greg's mother invited the entire town," Nicole responded with a sigh.
Nera's uncle, Luke Bradford knocked on the door, and he slowly opened it. He was tall with a bit of a potbelly and practically raised Nera on his own, and now he had the honor of walking her down the aisle.
Luke approached Nera, his eyes welling up with emotion. "Butterfly, you look stunning. Your mother must be beaming with pride looking over her precious child," he sobbed as he kissed her on the cheek.
Nera smiled sadly, she would have given anything to have her mother with her on her special day, but death had other plans and took her too soon.
Her uncle noticed her nervousness and took her hands in his. "That man is one of the luckiest men in the world to have you. Don't worry, you'll make an excellent wife."
She smiled again, "I think it's the other way round and I am the luckiest," she replied, tears of joy running down her cheeks.
"Hey hey...this is the most beautiful and happiest day of your life and has no place for tears," he tried to lighten her up.
The two were interrupted by the sound of the bell.
"I think that's us," her uncle stated.
Nicole knocked at the door, calling on the two to hurry.
Luke hugged his niece tightly before extending his arm for her to wrap her arm around.
"Don't worry, you'll be fine," he reassured her.
She smiled as the two walked out to the music.
The bridesmaids were the first to walk in, followed by Nicole, the maid of honor. The cute flower girls followed, and it was finally time for Nera and her uncle to enter the church hall.
She took a deep breath in, trying to calm herself.
"Are you ready?" he inquired.
"Yes, I am very ready," she replied with a smile.
When the door opened, Nera looked down the long aisle. The hall was tastefully decorated in green and orange colors. The two colors were not her favorite, but Greg's mother insisted on them being fashionable, so she had no choice but to comply since the woman was sponsoring the wedding.
Greg stood at the end of the aisle, handsomely tucked into a tuxedo and his hair perfectly trimmed. He was stunning, and his presence took away all of Nera's nerves as she began to take the steps in.
The entire crowd turned, mesmerized by the beautiful bride in her beautiful gown. She looked like a fairy tale princess. Girls her age were envious while the men wished they were standing at the end of the aisle.
The niece and uncle pair were almost halfway down the aisle when the screen behind the groom and pastor began flashing, drawing everyone's attention away from the bride and toward the big screen.
A video of two people having passionate sex started playing on the big screen, and it didn't take long for everyone to recognize the two people having rough sex. It was Greg, the groom on top of the maid of honor, Nicole, Nera's best friend. The two were moaning loudly and screwing each other to death.
Nera came to a halt, her eyes fixed on the screen in horror. Her skin turned chalk-white as she let go of her uncle, her hands twitching spastically. He tried to hold her, but she pushed him away.
Nera gaped, uncertain whether to breathe or scream in horror...
Greg locked his gaze on Nicole who had a smile on her face. He could tell it was her behind the horror on the screen. She had warned him about exposing their affair, he never thought she would go that far considering Nera was her best friend. He quickly ran to Nera's side but her uncle barricaded him. The groomsmen got on top of the stage and quickly tried to switch off the projector but they couldn't find any cables or the switch.In shock, the guests held their hands over their mouths, while those with children attempted to cover the little innocent's eyes and ears. The sex in the video was loud and wild, with the pair moaning on top of their voices.Some guests were laughing, while others were enjoying the intense love-making session.Nera, whose beautiful world was turning upside down in front of her eyes, felt her throat go numb as she tried to scream. She turned her gaze to Nicole, who was still holding her bouquet of flowers, unfazed by the chaos going on around her.Nicole r
Luke quickly grabbed her and took her inside, locking the door behind them."What are you doing? I thought I told you to stay in your bedroom?"Breathing heavily, Nera tried to push the door but it was locked. She wanted to hit Greg so badly that he would at least feel some of the pain that she was feeling.But unable to get past her uncle she retreated back to her bedroom. Her wedding dress was now heavy from the soaking plus the mud on its edges.Nera tried to take it off but could not locate the zip. Irritated, she grabbed a pair of scissors in the drawer and began cutting pieces of the dress. She went on tearing portions off her wedding dress as she breathed loudly and frantically. She pierced and sliced her flesh at some point but didn't feel anything or care to quit. The only agony she could feel was the one emanating from deep within her heart.She kept cutting and changing the sides of the dress based on the angle she believed it was heavy on. The entire floor was soon covered
The trip to the party house was peaceful, despite the fact that she was with a stranger who was most likely escorting her to her death. She was comfortable; she was all over the vehicle, touching all the costly drinks and utensils. It was her first time being in such a luxurious vehicle.Marcus could tell the whiskey was working. They finally arrived at the house party. Before entering the main room, they had to walk through a dark lane.Nera's heart began racing for the first time. She was now convinced he was taking her to her death but still couldn't bring herself to flee or scream. She willingly followed him as they approached a door with an X on it.Marcus knocked, and a bouncer walked out, asking for his invitation, which he supplied.The two were permitted to enter.Nera gulped, her pulse beating as she followed the elderly from behind.She could hear drowsy music playing."You appeared to be one who wanted to relieve her tension," he said as the groaning became audible for Ne
Nera shifted her aching body to the other side of the bed, her eyes heavy with regret. Her entire body felt as if it had just run a country marathon in a satisfyingly short amount of time. She wanted to believe her wedding had gone so well and her exhausting body was as a result of her husband's never-ending lovemaking in her honeymoon bed.But the reality was far from the truth, she was quite aware she had just spent a wild night with a stranger, and not just any stranger, but an elderly man old enough to be her father. She tightly closed her eyes, afraid they would not open without her consent.But heavy hands grabbed her naked body from behind and drew her closer."Are you finally awake, princess?" The old man asked, his intoxicating breath warming her bearskin. A wave of uneasiness rushed through her as she tried to move away, but his grip was too tight for her. She could feel his manhood rubbing against her, making her very uncomfortable as her eyes popped open in shock.A smal
Nera walked to her bed slowly, taking a seat. She knew she was disrespecting her uncle, but the frustration swelling deep inside of her needed to be unleashed on someone, and it was just unfortunate it was her uncle in her presence.She wanted her uncle to slap the living snot out of her. She had hoped a slap would pump some sense into her, but to her disappointment, her uncle walked to her bed and sat next to her.She could tell he was trembling and struggling to keep his cool. There was a brief pause as if he was contemplating what to say. Before asking, he cleared his throat. "Did he, at the very least, wear protection?" Nera's eyes shot up as a lump formed in her throat."You know there are a lot of diseases plus pregnancy," he whispered, trying to hold back his tears.Nera's jaw grew tense with strain, her brows pulling up, knitting in the middle. She thought she had screwed up because it was a sex party and she did it with an old man, but the thought of diseases and pregnancy
"Good day, Princess. I've been calling and searching for you all day," Marcus whispered softly as he leaned down to match her height.Nera kept staring at him, her words stuttering.Marcus noticed she had become entangled in a trans and reached into his pockets to retrieve the item he had gone to give her."Oh, I just came to give you something you left in our love nest," he said quietly again. Something about the way he spoke made it appear as if he was about to say something forbidden at the end of his sentences.Nera quickly snapped out of her trans, looking around the yard to see if anyone was watching them. An old man in an expensive Porsche car had just parked in front of her house, and he was about to hand her underwear in broad daylight for everyone to watch.She quickly reached out and pushed his hands back into his pockets, making sure they stayed in there."What the heck are you doing?" she whispered back trying not to yell and attract any attention.Marcus fixed his gaze o
Marcus scrutinized the lovely, innocent woman seated next to him. He admired her ability to switch from clean to dirty thoughts in a split second while maintaining her innocence. He hadn't said much, but she thought she knew exactly what he was thinking.Nera swallowed hard, trying to come up with the right words to get out of the sticky situation for the second time in a row."I... can't," she said quietly."How can you refuse something I didn't ask for?" Marcus smiled.Near looked at him, puzzled, before turning away."I'm not that type of person," she added, her gaze fixed on the outside. "You must have understood our earlier encounter," she added."No, you are that kind of person," he replied. "In fact, you are perfect."Nera turned to face the man, her nostrils flaring. She was tempted to slap the living snot out of him. Her expression turned brisk and businesslike. It looked like he had mistaken her for a prostitute that he could just call for sex whenever he felt like it.Befor
Nera clenched her fist, ready to punch anyone who was going to say the next stupid thing."What are you going to do? Punch me?" Greg's mother asked, noticing Nera's stance."She wouldn't dare!" Nicole spoke up, holding her armsNera studied the two; they were holding hands like some stupid family. Greg's mother was supposed to be on her side and not with the woman who her son cheated with.She was the victim, but the woman was looking at her with so much spite."You have no shame, sleeping with old men? Was it for money?" Nicole asked, making sure she was audible for the customers in the restaurant. "Does Greg pay you when you two are fucking?" Nera finally found the words. She was not going to let them bully her when it was they who were not supposed to be ashamed of themselves.Greg realized things were going to escalate. The entire restaurant was watching them. He stepped in quickly and asked the three women to calm down, but his mother and Nicole had other plans.His mother pushe
Nera froze in horror. Texas was too big for Elijah to find her address in a single day.She was asleep and it was all a nightmare, he couldn't have guessed the right address. Someone must have told him, but she doubted Frank did. Now that she thought about it, she never told Frank either."Stay in here; I will handle this man to man," Frank said, asking her to lock the door.He walked downstairs and found Elijah spinning little Aria around who was giggling in excitement."Put her down!" Frank yelled.Elijah frowned and put the little girl down."Let's talk outside," Frank ordered."I am here for Nera and not you," Elijah politely replied."This will only take a second unless you are not a man and scared of a little talk," Frank stated.Elijah chuckled and led the way outside.Nera walked downstairs and ordered Sam to take Aria upstairs while she locked the door. She did not have time for the two fools, though she was curious to know what they were talking about so she stayed in the k
"How did you get in without knocking?" Uncle Luke got up, irritated. "Nera, talk to me!" Frank ignored him. "Are you carrying my baby?" He was at the door and about to knock when he heard the word "abortion."Nera looked away, irritated."Nera, you cannot abort my child! You cannot punish the unborn child for my mistakes," he began pleading with her."It's not your baby," Nera replied without thinking. She wanted him out of the house. He had no right to listen in on a private conversation.She walked up to him and folded her arms."You were not the only one that I was fucking in that house!" She yelled at him.Frank felt a sharp pain in his heart as he moved a step backward. He had tried to ignore the fact that Nera was fucking Elijah too but it looked like she wanted to hurt him it.Uncle Luke stared at Nera out of words and decided to walk out of the house. All the anger he had intended to throw Frank out of the house with, vanished. He was tired of the drama and just wanted to go
Uncle Luke finally came to his senses as he breathed in and out. His hand was covered in blood from the punches he had landed.He looked at Frank, whose face was also covered in blood and still in a kneeling position.Nera had her hands over her mouth in shock. Everything was happening so fast.Greg quickly pulled Uncle Look out of the room and told Nera to close the door in order to prevent Sam and Aria from entering the room.Nera thanked him and closed the door.Frank was still motionless on his knees."Are you okay?" Nera asked, not sure what to say."I am fine, Nera," he replied.Nera walked to the bathroom and grabbed a towel for him."Would you get up from the floor?" She instructed."How can I get up when I am still trying to tell you the other side of my story?" He asked."Frank, you are hurt!" She yelled at him, irritated."Not as hurt as the feeling in my heart," Frank replied. "To be honest, I did not feel the punches. The pain is in my heart, and I am not leaving until yo
A week elapsed, with Nera spending most of her days in her room. The crying stopped days ago, and usually, she just stared out the window.The window that she had jumped out of the night of her wedding which eventually led to her meeting Marcus.The door opened, and Sam ran in excitedly."Mommy, Mommy, JR will be here," he said.Nera smiled. She was only glad the horror happened when her two children were too young to understand anything."Is this the new friend you made?" She asked."Yes, his father wants to take us to see the horse rides," he said.Aria ran into the room too. "Mom, I want to go too," she said."I do not think..." Nera tried to speak, but Sam interrupted her."His father says he knows you, and if you want, you can tag along," he said."What?""Please, Mom, let us go," Aria began pulling on her.Uncle Look walked into the room."Let them go; JR is a nice kid," he said."You know this boy? Who are his parents?" She asked.Uncle Luke cleared his throat. "Yes, JR has bee
Nera slowly opened her eyes. A white ceiling was staring back at her, and she could tell she was not in hell yet, though she would have preferred it."Nera, thank God you are finally awake!" Uncle Luke rushed to her side.Nera looked around, surprised that he was in Georgia."Uncle Luke," she whispered."Yes, dear, it's me. I came as fast as I could when I received a call from that nurse," he said, holding her hand."Aria…Sam?" She asked."They are with the nanny; I called her too," he explained.Nera closed her swollen eyes."According to the nurse, you fainted when you read the DNA results," he asked. "Whose DNA results are they?"Nera was quiet; she did not have the energy or will to explain the horror she found out, and that was why she had hoped to have woken up in hell."Nera, please talk to me; I am your uncle, and I promise I will not get mad," he said to her.Nera opened her eyes. "Take me to Texas; I will do something stupid if I stay in this place longer," she requested."
Frank and Ireen sat in the garage in silence. They heard the gate open and a car driving in and out, and they knew it was Nera leaving. Frank was supposed to run after her and tell her his side of the story, but he had no energy to get up. His entire world was crushed in front of him. He never expected Nera to find out about the contract, and even if she did, he pictured an environment where he sat her down peacefully and told her everything himself. But seeing how she attacked him and the hurt in her eyes, it numbed him down. "You have to get up, Frank," Ireen said, breaking the silence. Somehow she was relieved the woman got to know about the contract, even though she did not like how she discovered it. Now they needed to start planning for the aftermath. There was a slim chance Nera was going to press charges, but she was a scorned woman, so anything was possible. "You need to call your lawyer and get ready," she replied. Frank looked up at her. "Is she ever going to forg
Nera's stomach contracted into a tight ball as a wave of acid welled up from her belly. Her eyes were completely dry; she had cried already, and there were no tears left.She grabbed the phone from Elijah and played the recording again. This time, memories came flooding back of how difficult it was for her and Marcus to have a child.It had taken Marcus a long time to take a test, and even when he got the results, they tried, but she did not get pregnant. He refused to adopt or for her to undergo artificial insemination.He insisted on having Rashwell blood and kept insisting they make a baby the natural way. Then they went to Alabama, and he came with the beetroot herb and the sex drugs.The sex became hot; it was different, but she thought it was the herb because she was slow in the head, and she finally got pregnant. But after they found out that Sam was allergic to dairy products, they tried to have a child again and failed. Every test came out negative until Frank showed up. Mar
Without warning, Ireen landed a hard slap on Nera's face and screamed in frustration.She did not move, and neither did she flinch."Don't you have some dignity?" Ireen yelled. "What will your children think of you? What explanation would a mother give to her children when she brought them into a stranger's house to have a good fuck?" Nera kept her eyes fixed on the floor in silence."You couldn't even leave them with a relative, but you brought those innocent kids for your prostitution rides!"Nera finally looked up, her hands clenched into fists. Her breathing became rigged, and she was tempted to punch the woman in the face, but it took all her might to control herself.Ireen paused her words for a second."I will ask you, woman to woman, mother to mother, please leave. If you really love my son, then free him and let him go," she begged, getting on her knees.Nera moved away in confusion; she was not expecting to see the woman on her knees considering how she had stormed into th
Nera could hear her own heartbeat as the woman began moving closer to her. Even though the two never met, Nera had seen photos of Ireen, and she knew what the woman looked like.And from the way she was looking at her, she could tell she was not there for a friendly visit.Frank quickly grabbed Ireen's hand before there were any confrontations."Let go of my hand now," Ireen yelled."Mom, calm down. What are you doing?" Frank asked her, his eyes searching for the presence of Shelby."Please, Mom, not here; Shelby is home," he pleaded with her.Ireen looked at her son, who was breathing heavily, then at Nera, who averted her eyes. "Mommy, I am hungry," a little girl said as she walked from the kitchen. "Mommy, come and finish making the porridge," she said, pulling on Nera.Nera's eyes were fixed on the floor, she did not move or flinch. She thought she had prepared for the day she would meet Ireen but she was wrong.Aria looked up at Ireen."Uncle Frank, who is that?" She askedIreen