2 Breaking the news

I stood in the cramped room with my stepmother who was trying to show some emotions on her Botox face but she couldn't.

"Who will break the news to Mr Wellington?", said my dad nervously. I felt bad for him. I knew he liked to have Mr Wellington to be his son-in-law. Damn her for putting us through all this.

" I will tell him", I said wanting to ease his distress.

"You will tell him in front of everyone? You are a stupid girl. Bring him here we will tell him ourselves. He may even agree to postpone the wedding Heidi said she will return soon", said my stepmother.

I sighed she might be drunk or high. There was no way he will agree to marry Heidi again. I walked towards the room where the groom was getting ready. I gently knocked on the door. I heard a faint come in.

I saw him working on a laptop he looks ready but this wasn't how one spends his wedding day. Doesn't he ever get nervous if I was him I would be before the mirror giving myself a pep talk.

" You want something?", he raised an eyebrow at me. I gave him the letter preparing for a backlash.

He rose from his seat and looked at me. I think it was the first time he ever noticed me. I shivered in response. I was always afraid of him since he was my indirect employer. I doubt he knows if I work for his company. I'm sure he was going to fire me. I braced myself for his wrath.

He scanned the contents with a hard expression he looked unreadable his mouth twitched while he uttered a simple word, "Shit". I looked at him alarmed. I was prepared for an outburst but not this. He looked as though someone ruined his school drawing pissed but not sad. Except he was no schoolboy.

" Come with me ", he said in a lower voice. It concealed a threat and I followed him simply.

" Take me to your parents", he said. I felt like a schoolgirl being led around by a teacher. I was only 21 and fresh out of college and I joined his company three months ago. I thought I was the luckiest girl in the world. How things change!

I only hope I get to keep my job. I will be very inconspicuous in the office and he will never find out. Who am I kidding? The Hr is only looking at the reasons for firing people. His company has a very bad reputation for handling employees. I believe I even saw an employee being kicked out for taking sick leave.

My stepmom was laying on the sofa pretending to be unconscious I rolled my eyes at her antics. My poor father was pacing around like a dog was chasing him.

"What the fuck is this?", Dane threw the letter before them. I sucked a breath and I knew it was going to be very bad. Dane is not going to forgive her as my stepmom hoped.

" We swear we didn't know", said my father. My mother had resorted to crying now that her unconscious ploy wasn't working.

"I didn't pay for this fancy-ass wedding to make a fool of myself", he thundered. I shuddered beside him my father is a heart patient. I only hope he survives this ordeal, Dane is showing no mercy to us.

" I saved your sinking company and even paid for that designer gown", he said gesturing at my dress. I tugged at my gown again. I wanted to tear it down and never even wanted it in the first place. But I was indirectly accused of wheedling money out of him.

"I will fucking ruin you so you will know what happens to those who cheat me", he boomed. Well technically, Heidi cheated him not us but I didn't think that makes a difference to him.

" We are extremely sorry for what Heidi did", said my father. I'm afraid he will grovel before Dane if he asked.

"Sorry is not going to fix it. I was going to get married today and I will marry your daughter ", he said.

" We don't know where Heidi is even if we", my father hesitated. Dane held a hand not allowing him to continue his words.

"I wasn't talking about Heidi", he said and turned his cold calculating eyes on me.

I leaned on the wall for extra support. I was too numb to say anything. I wanted to say no but my body was frozen.

" I have a meeting now make sure she is there for the ceremony by 12 if not then I won't have to tell you the consequences", he said and with one last look at me, he left.

"I don't want to marry him Daddy", I said with tears in my eyes.

He was cold and calculating he will never love me. I have always dreamed of getting married but not like this. I wanted my best friend to be my bridesmaid, the decorations have to be simple and above all I want my husband to look at me like his life begins and ends with me. I know it's a cliche but I wanted my husband to be a sappy romantic. I had a boyfriend and I was kind of saving myself for our wedding night not for my sister's ex-fiance.

" I can't believe he wants her. She is nowhere near as pretty as my Heidi", said my stepmother. I looked at her astonished. She dared to criticise me even after her daughter did something like this.

"You can rest well. I will never marry him ", I said strongly. My self-confidence has taken many blows but for the first time, I decided to give her back. I won't tolerate her pettiness anymore. She and her daughter had done enough.

I heard a loud crack and saw my father lying down on the floor. I immediately went to him and my stepmother for the first time in her life looked concerned about something other than her.

We managed to get him on the sofa. He laid there a hand clutching his heart. My eyes flowed with tears. I'm going to lose my daddy too.

" Oh no! Daddy, please talk to me", I said to him. God! Please let him be Ok. I can't bear his loss too. I prayed inwardly.

His hands squeezed my hands. I opened my eyes he looked so distressed. Poor daddy! I thought.

"Promise me you will heed Dane says. If I die you and Ella will be on road. The company I had is now owned by Dane. He will never forgive anyone who crossed him. I can't die in peace knowing you all will be taken out of our home", he said.

" What? You even lost our home?", Ella fired at him. I quelled her with a look.

"I want to take you to a hospital right now the rest can wait", I told him.

" No, you won't. You will be here as Dane asked or I won't go to a hospital at all", he said weakly.

"But I can't get married while you are in hospital Daddy", I whispered to him.

" I will be Ok there since I have Ella. I can be at peace that now you have agreed to marry him", he said with relief. What I meant is who will give me away? But it is not in his thoughts and it shouldn't be in mine. It is not a real marriage.

"I will do anything for you Daddy", I said my voice breaking.

The tears began flowing more freely. Now they have found their way out of my eyes I can't seem to stop it.

He gently wiped my tears which he hadn't done in a long time. Not since after his marriage to Ella. But I can forgive her because I know that Ella loves my daddy in her way. She may be a selfish bitch but I can trust her with Daddy.

I watched him getting wheeled away in a structure to an ambulance. I went back suddenly feeling angry at fate and most of all Dane for putting me in this position. I wore the dress and Heidi was right the dress was bad and so was my future husband.