The Mourning Bride

“In the name of God the father, the son and the holy spirit, amen,” the priest prayed.

It all sounded like a whispered echo to Ava.

Ava's world just turned darker. Not once has she ever seen the world as a beautiful place since her mother died.

Her father became addicted to gambling, drinking and whoring around, abandoning Ava and her younger sister Holly. That was how he sold off their properties and sold her off as well.

At least she was sold off to a billionaire, although he's considered a monster among everyone in town. Ava didn't care, as long as her sister would receive the best treatment for her leukemia.

Nothing prepared her to be wearing black on her wedding day. Nothing prepared her to be standing by the graveside.

She watched as people ran for shade as heavy rain began to pour. But why would she run from rain? Her life is already flooded.

Ava stood still as the water cascaded all over her body. Her dress plastered to her body, revealing every curve and every line but she didn't care.

She stared into the grave of the man she was supposed to get married to today. Into the grave of Orion Miller. Her eyes shifted to the diamond ring on her finger and tears poured out uncontrollably.

The ring was mailed to her two nights ago. Mr Miller didn't even bother to propose to her in person. She didn't even know what he looked like. All her father told her was that he wasn't so bad looking.

Ava thought back to the hours she waited, standing in front of all the guests and he never showed up. But the News of his accident came bursting through the door instead.

Ava thought back to the minutes that she paced around the hospital in her white plain wedding dress, waiting for the doctor to come out with news about the surgery, which seemed to take forever.

“You witch!!” A furious looking woman barked, slapping her hard across the face, “If I had known it would be bad luck getting my son married to a beggar like you I would not have agreed to the deal your stupid father offered,” she yelled with so much venom.

Ava just stood still, her expression blank. She silently prayed for Mr Miller to be OK. At least, that would save her from the wrath of her father and this woman. But fate was not on her side.

This would have been her way out of this nightmare called life.

Her thoughts briefly went to her sister, Holly. How would she cope now? Will they be thrown out onto the street? Her father made it clear that she should not return. In his words, “My new woman is not in support of accommodating two strangers.”

Here she was. A twenty four year old young bride, mourning on her wedding day.

Ava looked up at the sky and laughed out crazily. Fate must be some twisted old woman who derives joy in watching her suffer.

People started leaving the graveyard, one after the other. She was left standing, alone.

With no where else in mind, Ava left. She walked barefooted to the hospital, drenched in rain.

She couldn't let her sister see her this way.

“Excuse…me nurse Linda?” she stammered in a croaked voice, “Please can I get something dry to put on? I don't want my sister to see me this way,” she pleaded with tears streaming down her face.

“Of course baby. But it might be a bit bigger on you,” she said lightly, rushing to her side and squeezing Ava’s shoulders in a comforting gesture.

Nurse Linda has been nothing but kind to them since Holly was first admitted to the hospital.

She took her to the restroom and gave her a gown to wear. It didn't even fit in any way. Ava didn't care. She thanked the nurse and went to her sister’s room.

“Ava!!” Holly cried out excitedly when she saw her sister, “Why did you come here? You should be on your way to Paris maybe? Wearing a classy dress, looking like a princess and…”

Ava’s thoughts drifted away. Her sister was more excited about this wedding than she was. Anything that will get them out of their father's clutches.

“Ava?” Holly called, yanking her sister softly, “What's wrong? Why are you here alone dressed like that? Where's my brother in-law?”

Ava couldn't hide it anymore. She bursted out crying. Her sister joined in and they sobbed for a while.

“So what are we going to do now? Where are we going? Nurse Linda said father hasn't paid the bills and that I can't stay here any longer.”

Ava squeezed her sister's hand. Holly shouldn't be concerned about all these. She's just 14!! The more Ava thought about her father, the more her hatred for him grew. He's not a father. He's a selfish monster.

“I'll figure a way, Holly. Don't worry about it,” Ava whispered to her sister and hugged her tightly.

Fate is a monster.

Ava didn't know she slept off on the hospital bed with her sister. The slap on her thigh jerked her off the bed in shock.

“You witch! To think you would be sleeping, having a little get together with your dying sister, when my son lay dead is preposterous!!”

“Don't you dare say that about my sister. She's not dying,” Ava retorted, getting off the bed and meeting her supposed mother in-law's eyes squarely.

“How dare you raise your voice at me?” the woman barked and slapped her.

“Leave my sister alone!” Holly cried.

“Pathetic!” the woman spat. “You bunch of sorry losers are pathetic. And to think I was doing your father a favor?” the woman raged.

She was bereaved. Ava understood. But she had her own fair share of misfortune as well.

“Ma, you can't do this here, this is a hospital,” a nurse said politely to Mrs Miller.

“I can buy this entire hospital and every staff in it with just a flick of my finger so be quiet!” she barked at the nurse who cowered back immediately.

Ava’s eyes were swollen with tears. She stared down at her feet. She was still barefooted. Could this day get any worse?

“How do you intend paying me back? I can't lose so much money for a pathetic family like yours.”

Just then, Ava noticed the figure of an older man, leaning by the door. He had a walking stick supporting his steps as he limped forward.

He looked Ava over like some object to be auctioned away. “Well, well, well, if it ain't my dead son’s fiancee,” he blurted out.

“Not now Richard. What are you even doing here,” Mrs Miller scowled.

“Well it's my money involved, not yours Priscilla and I know just how to get it back,” he retorted with a sick smile.

Ava clamped her palms together. What could this scrawny looking man have for her? She bit down on her lips nervously, glancing towards her sister's tear streaked face.

“Since it's a wedding deal, it has to go ahead as planned,” he continued, with the crazy smile still dancing on his lips.

“What do you mean by that Richard? We only had one son!” she retorted, through gritted teeth.

“Yes. She would be marrying me,” he replied in a voice that made the hair on Ava’s neck stand.