The Billion-Dollar Marriage Contract [SAMPLE ONLY / FREE ON TAPAS!]

Chapter 6- Nightmare (4)

"The Billion-Dollar Marriage Contract" by Alyssa Urbano is available internationally through: Amazon, Kindle, Smashwords, CreateSpace, Barnes and Noble, Nook, Itunes/Ibooks.

For the Philippines, printing is per batch. You can pre-order and the books will be shipped to you.

Full details and links are on my blog: http://aerithsage.tumblr.com/tbdmc

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CHAPTER 6- NIGHTMARE (Part 4)

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Do you, Nikos, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love and to cherish, to have and to hold; and do you promise, forsaking all others, to cleave to her and her alone, for as long as you both shall live?”

Nikos did not hear the question and he did not understand the words. He assumed that it was just a part of the things that a priest must say so he remained silent. But he felt Antonio nudge him. He looked at his friend and Antonio mouthed the words “I do” repeatedly.

The priest coughed and repeated the question. Once more, this caused their beloved guests to laugh. Nikos finally understood it and he said “I do.” But he said it in a voice which just showed everyone how drunk he was.

“Do you, Cassia, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love and to cherish, to have and to hold; and do you promise, forsaking all others, to cleave to him and to him alone, for as long as you both shall live?”

“I do,” Cassia replied.

Antonio’s heart broke for her once more when he heard that her voice was barely a whisper. He also heard all the heart and humiliation that Cassia kept bottled up inside of her.

“Please repeat after me,” the priest instructed and Nikos obliged. But it took them several tries before he was able to finish his vows.

“Is there something wrong with the groom? He seems drunk. This wedding should be stopped,” the priest whispered to Antonio.

“No!” he cried.

Then he coughed to right himself.

“He just had some nerves and we gave him some medication. He reacted badly to it and he became very drowsy. But he is fine. Please just bear with him. Thank you. We are almost at the end. It would be such a shame to have to reschedule,” Antonio implored.

“Very well then,” the priest agreed after a long silence which Antonio spent sweating bullets.

Nikos tried to say his vows once more.

“I, Nikos Demakis take you...err...Cassia... to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part. By God's holy ordinance I pledge to you my faith...” Nikos managed to stammer after a few tries.

Antonio shook his head at Nikos who looked at him like a child awaiting praise for having said something so profound.

The priest turned towards Cassia this time and made her repeat the vows. And she did that in a voice that both the audience and even the priest himself barely heard.

“I, Cassia, take thee Nikos, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer,  in sickness and in health,  to love and to cherish, till death do us part. By God's holy ordinance... I pledge to you my faith.”