Wedding disaster.

Aria POV

The day is finally here.

I stroked my hands over the wedding dress and smiled.

I sighed as I sat down.

What will I give to have my mom here with me? I wondered sadly, blinking back the tears threatening to fall.

I walked to the kitchen. “Good morning,” I smiled widely at Ma’am Serena and Becca.

“Morning, dear,” Ma’am Serena smiled back.

“Morning to the latest bride in town,” Becca squealed.

I chuckled. “Is there anything I can help with?” I offered.

“What nonsense, girl? Today is your wedding day, you are absolutely doing nothing but looking beautiful,” Ma’am Serena refuted.

“But I…”

She cut me off. “No, dear, this is your special day, a day every girl dreams of from the day she was born,” she argued, then flashed me a warm smile.

Instinctively, I leaned in to hug her.

“Thank you so much for everything,” I whispered, my voice breaking down at the end.

She rubbed my back soothingly.

“Now let’s get you ready, the makeup artists are here already,” Becca chirped excitedly, dragging me by the hand.

We walked back to the room and I was shocked by the sight before me.

My wedding dress lay on the floor in shreds while Martina stood with a scissors in her hand and a satisfactory smirk on her face.

“What did you do!” I shrieked.

“What you deserve! You really think I would let you be happy, huh!” She yelled in my face.

The tears in my eyes fell freely now as I bent down to pick the pieces of my dress.

“What’s going on here?” Dad thundered.

Martina quickly dropped the scissors and began faking tears, playing the victim card.

“Dad… Aria…she hit me,” she lied.

Dad looked at the dress on the floor and then at Martina again.

“Serena, find a new dress for her,” he simply said and walked out, without even sparing a glance at me.

He didn’t even bother to ask what actually happened.

I fell to the floor as cold tears raced down my cheeks.

Ma’am rubbed my back soothingly as she consoled me,

“It’s okay, dear, we will get you a new one, I promise.”

“But how? The wedding is almost about to start,” I sobbed.

“That witch.” Becca hissed in annoyance.

Then someone cleared their throat, we all turned to look and it was Ma’am Celine.

She held a wedding dress in her hands.

“This is my wedding dress, I hope it fits. It’s not a wedding if the bride doesn’t have a dress,” she uttered monotonously and dropped it on the bed then left.

“Wow, I guess someone has a little conscience in her,” Becca huffed.

“Come on, try it on, Aria.” Ma’am Serena suggested.

I tried it on, and it fitted perfectly.

“Thank God,” Ma’am Serena and Becca breathed out in relief.

“So, we have a dress. Now let’s get you really ready. We can’t have the bride going late to her own wedding.” Becca joked.

Martina POV

“What did you think you were doing?.” Mom yelled in my face.

“I had to do something since you didn’t do anything!” I hissed.

“Shut up, girl!, just shut up!” She pulled harshly, forcing me to sit down on the bed.

“What were you thinking destroying her dress? and At this hour!, When the wedding is almost about to begin, if I hadn’t given her my dress…”

I cut her short as my eyes widened in surprise and my blood boiled in anger,

“You gave her your dress?.”

“Yes! I had to do. Where do you think she would have seen a dress by this time huh?, and do you know what happens when she doesn’t see a dress, the wedding doesn’t hold, and your dad would kill you!” She barked.

“I don’t care,” I rolled my eyes uninterestingly.

She shook her head as she eyed me,

“Respect yourself and be calm Martina. Do not provoke your father,” she warned sternly and stomped out of the room.

I screamed in frustration and thrashed my dressing table.

“You will never be happy Aria, not under my watch,” I gritted angrily.

With Clenched fist, I walked outside.

The veranda was all ready since the wedding is taking place there and then the dinner afterward.

I would give anything to not be here right now, but like mom said, that would only provoke Dad further and I can’t afford that.

He gets really scary when he’s angry and I’m afraid if I push his button, he might just forget I’m his precious daughter. I have to be smart about this.

“You have to use your head, Renee.”

I heard someone whisper, then I turned and saw Theodore’s cousin, Renee and his aunt, Salma, talking behind a flower.

But I wondered why they were whispering?, so out of curiosity, I decided to lean in to hear what they were saying clearly.

“I can’t, Mom. I just can’t. My husband is getting married to another woman, and I’m supposed to just pretend like his cousin and give his hand out?” Renee whispered harshly, her voice breaking at the end.

My hands flew to cover my mouth as I gasped in shock.

She and Theodore are married?.

“Just act according to the plan!, you know this whole marriage is fake, Renee. You know you are his legal wife, not her,” Salma advised in a sharp whisper, and tugged her hand, urging her to compose herself.

I slowly removed my hands from my mouth as I tiptoed away.

My brain still couldn’t fully process what I just heard because of shock.

Theodore is already married, and this marriage with Aria is fake?.

Then my eyes widened in realization as a wide smirk appeared on my face.

Aria thinks she stole Theodore from me, but she’s walking straight into a trap.

I couldn’t help but laugh out wickedly.

“oh, poor Aria.”

This new information brought a certain peace to my soul, knowing that Theodore didn’t want Aria, it was just all a game to him.

I smiled and took a glass of champagne from the waiter.

“Why are you smiling?” My mom asked, startling me.

She stared at me suspiciously.

I rolled my eyes and gulped down my drink.

“What now, mother? You said I should be patient, I’m being patient.” I lied defensively.

She squinted her eyes at me one more time before walking away.

My smirk returned to my face.

“Don’t worry, Mom. Your daughter has everything under control.”

Aria POV

I rubbed my sweaty palm across my dress for probably the 100th time.

“Calm down, everything will go great,” Becca reassured me with a smile.

She was my bridesmaid, of course.

I was really nervous but having her by my side calmed me down a bit.

The bride entrance song started and it was time for me to walk in.

Dad approached me with a pretentious smile and stretched out his arm to me.

Shakily, I reached out to it.

He was really putting up a show for Theodore, if there was a way, he could get out of this, I knew he wouldn’t think twice.

“I suggest you smile, you fool.” He whispered harshly and I forced myself to let out a weary smile.

I looked up and my eyes locked with Theodore, standing at the altar in his all glory, still dressed in his usual black on black attire but this time, he had a small white rose in his pocket to match my bouquet.

My fake smile immediately turned to a real and bright one, when I noticed his lips stretch into a smile also.

We finally reached the altar and Dad immediately let go of my arm, as though it burned him, I also let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Theodore took my hand instead as we turned to the priest.

“We are all gathered here to witness the union between the De’Leons and the Romanos…”

After the brief introduction by the priest, we both said our vows and exchanged rings.

“You may now kiss the bride,” He announced.

My shortly gone nervousness returned fully as I realized what I was about to do, Theodore smirked as he noticed I was shy.

He wrapped his large hands around my small waist and pulled me closer,

“It’s time for our first kiss, Bella,” he whispered softly.

I gulped and lowered my head from his intense gaze. He raised my head slowly with his index finger and leaned forward.

I closed my eyes as I felt his lips on mine.

Oh my God! My first kiss, it’s really happening, and it’s everything I have dreamed of.

The butterflies presently swimming in belly was more than enough evidence.

Slowly, Theodore reluctantly disengaged the kiss, almost as if he didn’t want to let go.

He stared straight into my eyes but with a small frown on his face.

My cheeks must be glowing red from the incessant blushing.

I watched his facial features soften as my lips stretch into a bright smile.

The guests clapped cheerily, pulling us out of the trance we were in.

He cleared his throat and took my hands as we made way to our table.

The dinner went great. The guests stopped at our table congratulate us one more time.

Soon, it was time for us to leave,

“Shall we?” Theodore smiled at me as he intertwined our hands together and gently pulled me up from the seat. I giggled at the gesture.

My eyes roamed around as I searched for little Paola but I couldn’t find her, she might be in bed already. I wouldn’t want to wake her.

I made a mental note to come and visit her, of course after the honey moon.

The thought of that alone made me feel shy.

I made sure to hug Ma’am Serena and Becca before we left,

“I will miss you guys so much,” I croaked as tears brimmed in my eyes.

“It’s okay, my child. You know where to find us. We are always here for you. Now go on, you don’t want to keep your husband waiting.” Ma’am Serena smiled at me.

I hugged them again, then walked over to Theodore, who was outside the mansion already.

His friend and bodyguard Pancho was ahead of us and had the car door opened.

“Where do you think you are taking her?”A voice thundered and I turned around to see Simon, pointing a gun Theodore.

My eyes widened with fear,

“Simon, what are you doing!” I shrieked.

“Saving you from him, Aria. I know you don’t want to marry him. You don’t have to.” He yelled, but he seemed drunk.

Pancho defensively brought out his gun and aimed it at Simon too.

I shook my head and lowered his hand,

“No, no! please, he is drunk, he doesn’t know what he is doing,” I intervened, quavering with fear.

Theodore grabbed my hands, pulling me to his side.

“Pancho, take him inside!, come on Aria, let’s go.”

Simon cocked his gun this time,

“I said you aren’t taking her anywhere! She belongs here, with me!”

I could feel Theodore getting angry as his grip on me tightened,

What is this clown saying?” He gritted in annoyance.

“Aria, you don’t know, but I have always loved you since we were kids,” Simon continued, running his hands through his hair in frustration.

I shook my head slowly, in disbelief and also shock,

“No!, Simon, you don’t know what you are saying, please stop this for God’s sake!”

“I’m not leaving here without you, Aria,” he insisted stubbornly.

“Then you will have to pass through me.” Theodore pushed me to his back protectively and brought out a gun too.

“No!” I shrieked with fear and instant worry.

This was escalating real quick and I was beginning to get scared because someone could get hurt.

“Please, let’s just go, Theo, please! He doesn’t know what he is saying.” I pleaded with him.

He slowly lowered his gun and took my hand, leading me to the car.

“I said you aren’t taking her,” Simon charged towards us, but Pancho was quick to tackle him to the ground, kicking his gun off his hand. I watched as they struggled on the ground.

“Simon, please stop it!” I cried out.

“Aria, let’s go!” Theodore urged me into the car and sped off.

I placed my hands over my racing chest. Something doesn’t feel right.