DARK ROMANCE - After playing a reckless game, a spoiled and gullible girl did not expect to find herself in a serious relationship with an intriguing and no-nonsense guy who starts to discipline her.
Excerpt:
She listened as he stepped forward with...
After the confrontation with Lemuel, Inara remained quiet and distant with a forced smile here and there as her family became cordial again. They were gradually accepting the state of affairs concerning her.
Her father and Lemuel had exchanged phone numbers and he had told her that Lemuel said the wedding could take place in seven days and that he would formally have her engaged in two days. The information frightened Inara.
Amara was excited but Inara didn't share in her excitement for obvious reasons.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
***
On the day before her engagement, her mother drove her and her sister to a boutique to buy an engagement dress. Inara chose a black long dress which her mum and sister frowned at, with her mum saying that it wasn't a funeral.
"Pick what you want then." Inara said and her family happily did, agreeing on a long lacy red dress with fitted long sleeves. When she wore it, it fit perfectly. And she liked it because it didn't hug her curves. She was not a model.
Her mum and sister watched her in it and she saw her mother's eyes well up.
"Come on mummy." Amara said. "What are you going to do when you see her in a wedding dress?"
"I can't help it." her mother admitted emotionally. Amara and Inara hugged her for a moment during which she regained control of her emotions and they disengaged.
Inara realized that neither did she and the man she was getting married to, have each other's number and her family didn't even know it.
What will she say if she was even asked, she wondered but not for long. There were a lot of answers for example, I flashed my phone so I just lost it. She had gotten good at lying and the thought shamed her.
When they got back home, she received a video call from Zee and she was pleased to see that Zee was looking her age and back to her own room. For the first time in a while, she let herself smile and Zee smiled too.
"Welcome back Zee."
"Thanks. So what's the update?"
"I'm getting married."
Zee was shocked.
"To him? How can that be? He accepted it just like that? I don't believe it."
"Well, he didn't accept it at first but along the line, I can't explain it but he suddenly did... in a vengeful sort of way for my ears only."
"Girl, you're in deep shit."
"You're not helping." Inara whined.
"I'm sorry. Look, can't you back out?"
"That will not be following the dare through, remember?"
"What was I thinking?" Zee lamented, blaming herself in a remorseful tone "I am really sorry dear, what can I do?"
"You can be my Maid of Honor."
For a beat, an uncomfortable silence stretched out between them and they both knew why.
"Your family doesn't like me." Zee pointed out.
"I guess all brides can get away with one thing or the other. Besides, my sister would probably be occupied with checking on things."
"I'll be honored then. Keep me posted."
"Definitely. Take care Zee."
"You too Inara."
The call ended and Inara sat down at her dresser, her eyes on her reflection in the mirror. She wished that she could go back in time and erase the day that she played the last dare.
The thought of her engagement the next day made her feel nauseous so that she rushed into her bathroom and started throwing up into the sink.
Her mother found her and rubbed her back to help her finish.
"It's okay dear." she soothed, "I threw up a lot during my first pregnancy too."
Amara walked in by then and shrugged.
"With all this drama, I don't think that I want to have children." she said.
"Beware of your words before you curse yourself with barrenness." her mother cautioned. "Now reverse that nonsense talk immediately."
"I want to have children." Amara said.
"Again." their mother insisted.
"I want to have children." Amara repeated.
"Good. Please help your sister clean up." She said and walked out, leaving them alone.
The moment she was gone, Inara and Amara chuckled and then Inara remembered her engagement, her expression gloomy again.
"You'll be fine dear." Amara said, encouraging her.
"Thanks."
"By the way, I will love to be your Maid of Honor but who will make sure everything is fine? I can't leave mum alone for that."
"That's why I asked Zee."
Amara tensed at the information and an awkward silence played for a beat.
"Well, I guess we have no way around that. Just have her dress decently."
