XXIV | GALA
****
"AHHHHHHHH!" Roxanne cheered as I showed her my ring.
"Bestie, I'm trying to process this. You're getting engaged to Alex!? THE Alex Carter!?"
"It seems so. I haven't fully decided on my decision if I wanna go on with the marriage. I don't even know when the date is set." I got up from her bed and began putting on my shoes.
My hair was in a low bun, I had some lipgloss and mascara on, I wore black ripped jeans, converses, an orange crop top, and had my backpack.
This marriage thing seems confusing as fuck. Everything is going so fast, I just can't seem to process everything.
"Ready for the trip to hell?" I asked, grabbing my keys.
"It's hell for you, not me. Plus, you're the one who makes it hell for everyone, meanwhile I, stay in the principal's office." She winked as we walked out her front door and into my car.
Music played through the speakers while I drove us to school, with Roxanne fixing her makeup.
"My ex," I started, "He's back in town."
"He is!? You don't mean–"
"Yep, it's Blake. How did you know it was him anyways?" I raised my eyebrow curiously.
"Girl, everyone in the whole state knows about you. Not even the state, the world. Everyone already knows about your engagement, thanks to Mr. Carter. Even before the engagement, everyone knew you and your reputation. You're that bitch." She responded, putting on her lipgloss.
"As I should be," I smirked, "What is everyone gonna say when I show up to school?"
"I can't predict what come outta those bitches' mouths, so honestly, I don't know what to tell you. You just gotta go on with it. I doubt Alex will come to school, per usual." She answered.
"I guess. All this shitty drama has been spinning in my head." I sigh, parking into the school lot.
"Relax. You'll be fine! Dominique Carter can do anything!" Roxanne reassured as we're getting out the car.
"You did not." I deadpan as we began walking together to the school.
"Oh, yes I did." She smirked, putting on her sunglasses before entering hell.
****
"I hate you!" I yell with tears in my eyes.
"And I fucking love you, okay!? I don't know how but I do! More than the world! Please, don't do it!" He yelled with tears pouring down his face.
"I-I have to..." I stared at the gun in my head pointed to my stomach.
"Dominique, I'll do it! Just don't do this to yourself!" He walked closer to me still sobbing.
I had to do this. Everything was my fault.
I fell in love with someone that I wasn't supposed to fall in love with.
I fell in love with the one and only, Alex Carter.
I made a promise to myself to never let him get to me, but I couldn't help myself, could I?
Now I'm here, with a gun in my hands pointed towards my body.
I don't deserve him. Everything he's done for me and now I've screwed everything up.
It's better if we just hadn't met at all.
All it gave were more confusing feelings.
Everytime I was around him, I felt nothing but happiness. After ten years of being together, he still made me feel like the only girl in the world.
But I don't deserve it. I don't deserve HIM. It would kill me to see him get killed, so why don't I do it first to save myself from the worst?
"I love you, Alex. I love you so fucking much."
"No!"
"Dominique Carter!"
I shook from my sleep only to look up at an angry teacher.
"School is for an education, it's not a sleeping camp! Either you wake up because if you sleep again, you're getting out of school suspension." She warned.
I rolled my eyes and sat up, ignoring the laughs from girls.
A few moments later and Alex walks in the class and of course, sits beside me, attracting everyone's eyes and whisperings filled gossip.
"Hey, wifey."
"Would you shut it?" I mumbled, not looking at him and continuing to write on my paper.
"How was your morning?"
Don't respond, Dom.
"I said, how was your morning?"
Don't.
"You're just gonna ignore me?" I could see him raise his eyebrows in the corner of my eye.
No reply.
"That dumb bitch. I still can't understand how she bagged someone who's a whole one thousand out of ten and she's a hard five." A girl giggled with her friends.
"What the fuck is your problem!?" I shot my head up and looked at her, annoyed as fuck.
"How the hell did you get engaged to Alex? A pig like you can't be getting engaged to that icon." She scoffed.
"Says the pig with a skirt that shows half her bare ass with a terrible failing grade, slept with about fifty guys this month, you might wanna check if you have an STD," She gasped as well as the class. "—so do not ever ask dumb questions without looking in the mirror. For everyone asking about my engagement, you need to shit out that jealousy and deal with it, or don't, I don't care, just leave us the fuck alone. You got a problem, meet me in a parking lot."
The whole morning, as soon as I walk into the building, I hear my name come out like thirty people's mouths at once.
"Watch your language, Ms. Smith."
"Whatever," I rolled my eyes and continued doing my work, ignoring the dirty looks from people.
I'm continuing to write in my journal and I see Alex pull out a large bag of sour patch.
no. he. did. not.
"Are you kidding me!?" I whisper-yelled, finally turning my head and looking at him.
"What? I can't eat a bag of Sour Patch peacefully?" He shrugged innocently.
He knows exactly what he's doing. He knows that I absolutely love Sour Patch Kids.
He put one in his mouth, then one more, then another, then–
"Fuck you." I cursed while whispering, snatching the Sour Patch bag off his desk, causing him to throw his head back in laughter.
"You're welcome." I rolled my eyes in response, eating some Sour Patches.
The class goes by quickly and the bell finally rings. I
stand up and sling my backpack over my shoulder, getting ready to exit with Alex.
"Dominique, come here for a second." My teacher called me over. Ms. Haynes was a pretty nice teacher. Nothing against her, she just was hella boring.
Alex mouthed a, 'I'll be waiting' and left the classroom.
"Yes, Ms. Haynes?"
"I heard about your engagement. May I see the ring?" She asked. I showed her the ring and she looked at it in amazement.
"It's a beautiful ring. Must've been very expensive."
"Yes, it was. About three hundred thousand."
"Alex must love you very much. We can all see it," She chuckled.
hmm.
"What exactly do you mean by that?" I raised my eyebrow.
"The constant flirting, the jealousy, the arguments, you guys were basically already married the way you both acted."
"Oh, haha." I sort of laughed. Even she saw it?
Wait, what is "it", even?
"Anyways, I just wanted to congratulate you, and if it makes you feel special, I think you're the most mature eighteen year old there is in this school." She smiled.
It's a lie, maybe, but it's a compliment.
"Thank you." I gave her a small smile and walked out the classroom. I look to the right and Alex is standing near the lockers, talking with a girl who's twirling her hair. He probably likes her.
Who cares?
Not me.
I scoffed and began walking to my class in the opposite direction.
A few seconds later, I don't even realize he's standing next to me.
"What's wrong?" I increased my pace, only for him to increase his as well.
He asked me what was wrong again, but I continued to ignore him. I could hear him scoff then all of a sudden I'm being pulled into the janitor's room and placed onto the counter.
"What?" I ask angrily with my arms crossed as he turns on the light and locks the door before facing me. Basically now he's between my legs and there's not much space between our faces.
"What's wrong, princess? I'm not going to ask you twice." Now, he's ticked off.
"Nothing." I lied.
"Tell me what it is and now, princess." He snapped.
I sighed, "I had a nightmare."
I don't know why, but it felt like a nightmare. It didn't feel like a dream. Not because I was killing myself, it was because I was hurting someone I lo–
"What was it about?" He interrupted my thoughts.
"It was about you," I started, playing with my hands. I told him everything that happened in my nightmare word for word.
"You'll be fine, okay? We'll be fine." He held my hands. I gave him a small smile, but it instantly dropped when I thought about the girl he was with.
"What?"
"That girl you were with." I crossed back my arms.
"She was looking for Art class and I was helping her, calm down." He chucked, unfolding my crossed arms making them fall into my lap then holding them again.
"I love the way you handled that situation in class." He smirked.
"Shut up, it was a reflex." I rolled my eyes.
"Not gonna lie, it was hot seeing you stand up for me." He winked.
"I didn't stand up for you, I stood up for m–"
"Us. Not just you." He winked once again.
ugh.
"So what? It's not a big deal." I shrugged.
"It is," He lifted my head up and placed his lips on mine. I love that exciting feeling when our tongues collide. His soft pink lips make me just want to never let them go.
****
"I need you to help me squeeze my boobs in this dress!" I called Roxanne.
"I can't fit these double-D boobs into the dress myself!"
"Fine, I'll try." I heard her scoff. It's very odd that I have a flat stomach, an hourglass body, yet huge titties.
Interesting...
"Okay, got it. Turn around." Roxanne clapped in amazement as she looked at me up and down.
Im wearing a Maurita Gold Sequin Mermaid Prom & Formal Gown with Saint Laurent heels, I have my hair slicked back in a low bun, gorgeous red lipstick, smoky, gold eyeshadow look with eyelashes, and a pair of earrings along with a white Saint Laurent small clutch bag.
"You look stunning!" She cheered.
"Look at you!" I smiled. She was wearing a Mermaid Sleeveless Spaghetti Straps Backless Evening Dress with white stilettos, a beautiful red ombré eyeshadow with eyelashes, a pair of studs along with a glitter chain clutch bag.
"Okay, the limo should be outside. You got everything?" Roxanne nodded as we walked hand in hand out my house then into the limo.
The driver began driving as soon as we were buckled in our seatbelts.
This should be fun.
****
You can play the music now!
"Mwah!" I blew a kiss to the paparazzi with flashing cameras everywhere. I posed and posed until I realized I was probably late to the Gala by now.
Roxanne and I finished posing and strutted down the rest of the red carpet to the main door.
"Names, please?" The security guard asked.
"Dominique Smith and Roxanne Jewels." I answered.
"She's here." The security guard spoke into his microphone.
I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion as I shot a look at Roxanne but she sent me a shrug. She must've been confused too.
"Come with me, Ms. Smith. Ms. Jewels, you may enter. Josh, cover for me for a second." The guard took my hand and Roxanne and I entered the gala. It was HUGE.
There was a large chocolate fountain, tables of amazingly smelling food, white tables with elegant chairs, people dressed in gorgeous dresses, this was a whole wonderland.
"Ms. Jewels, you can wait here and roam around or talk to people while I take Ms. Smith for something." He didn't let Roxanne agree and we began speeding past people to god knows where.
This gala is like, the red carpet is leading to a huge building yk?
So there's the red carpet that leads to a huge building where the gala is. I don't exactly know the full meaning of gala but it fits the description for this specific gala. This is sort of an engagement announcement.
We finally reached backstage it seems.
"Here you go, Mr. Carter." There were a group of men surround in a circle talking with each other till they turned around when the guard spoke.
Alex.
Even amazing wasn't enough to describe his looks.
Amazing would be an understatement.
Our eyes didn't break apart for about half a minute. He looked at me head to toe. Actually, all the men did that were currently in the room.
"Alex." I spoke dryly. The men all walked up to me. There were about four or five of them all in black suits with a white shirt and a silk tie.
"Ms. Smith, it's lovely to see you in person. I've heard a ton about you." One of the guys shook my hand and gave me a smile. His figure was okay, he had sort of a skinnier figure than the other four men. He was a curly head and had a pretty smile.
"Thank you. May I ask what your name is?"
"Derek Waters." He smiled again.
"Nice to meet you." I sent him back a smile. Alex was too focused on me to be jealous at the way Derek was looking at me, or the way every guy was.
I met the other two guys, one was very attractive and muscular who's name was Antonio something, the other was also very muscular and attractive who's name was Henry Sparks.
The other man was Mr. Carter himself. We had a nice conversation, he just explained to me how everything was gonna go and gave me some compliments. Now it was time to talk to Alex while the other men sat somewhere else and were talking together.
"Hey." Almost half my confidence flew out the window as I greeted him.
"You look breathtaking."
yep, all my confidence just flew out the window.
"Thank you," I could feel my cheeks turn red. "You look very handsome."
"Thank you, princess. I'm glad you came." He gave me a kiss on the cheek and butterflies erupted in my stomach crazily.
"Of course I did." I smiled. We kissed for a while before Alex pulled back.
"Cmon, it's time for the speech or introduction I think." We interlocked hands before opening the curtains a little and stepped onto the stage, receiving claps and cheers.
Alex and I as well as the other three men stood on the stage. Alex and I were in front of the glass podium with the white microphone attached.
"Good evening everyone, I'm glad everyone came to show support to my beautiful fiancé and I. If you don't know who I am, I'm Alex Dwayne Carter, son of Ryker Carter. We're here to celebrate our engagement as well as the business production of Rykers business.
Dominique is probably the most beautiful woman I've met in the whole world. Dominique and I's relationship was very rocky at first, but as we got older it improved tremendously. Dominique has always been there to support me, no matter the circumstances, which is what makes her special to me.
Over the time, yes, we've argued a lot, you might've seen the violent videos of us being physical, but Dominique knows I love her with my entire heart. I'd do anything for this woman, even if she wouldn't. Every time I look at her, she still glows. She's the sun to my sky, the light to my darkness and whatnot.
You are my happiness the only treasure I adore with a complete passion. Since the day you came into my world; my life has never remained the same. You brought an endless smile to my face, amazing joy to my heart.
I don't know what I'd do without her, honestly, and I hate imagining it. That's all I wanted to say, thank you everyone again for coming to support us."
"Aweee, she's crying!" Someone in the audience pointed out. Everyone in the audience began to cheer and clap loudly, with people wiping their tears from Alex's emotional speech. I spotted Roxanne who had tears pouring down her face as well.
Im so overwhelmed with emotions after wiping tear after tear, I just can't hold it in anymore.
Yall, I shed a tear while writing this 😭😭
I turn to the right and hug Alex with my whole heart as I sobbed while people will still cheering and clapping.
As much as I know Alex is lying, I'm gonna let myself enjoy this beautifully amazing moment.
I finished crying after three minutes of nonstop clapping and cheering, Alex used his hand to wipe off the tears without ruining my makeup.
"Sorry for that everyone," I sniffed and let out a small laugh. "That is one of the many reasons why I love Alex.
It's the special things that always bring us together. I'm not the best at making speeches at all, but I love Alex and I don't ever want to let him go. Alex has helped me through the toughest times, and I can't thank him enough. Alex and I have a very complicated relationship, but no matter what, we're always there for each other.
I love you, Alex. And thank you everyone for being here." I showed a pearly smile as the audience went off.
"I like you, enemy." Alex spoke as we were looking at each other with his hands wrapped around my waist.
"I think I like you, too, enemy."
****
"Thank you! I'm glad you loved my speech." I smiled to this nice old lady who I was talking to at the time.
"I'll let you get to know some other people, now! I'll see you later, honey!" I gave her another small smile before I walked to the table with Alex's arm around my waist.
"I talked to like five-hundred people. I'm exhausted as hell." I groaned as Alex and I sat at a small table.
"I had to talk to people even before the event. I just want to lay down and cuddle in bed with you right now." He groaned pushing his hips forward as he leaned in his seat.
"Sit up, dummy. We're at a gala, not a friend gathering." I was so glad I didn't stutter, that comment had butterflies fluttering in my stomach.
"I'll go grab you some Ginger Ale, okay?"
"I'm coming with you. You can't leave me to rot like this. I'm horny and tired."
"Are you serious!?"
"Yes. Very." I rolled my eyes as we both began to walk to the food area. My eyes roam around everywhere that I don't even see where I'm going to the point where I bump into someone.
"I'm so sor–"
"Ah, look who we have here. The fiancé." That two-faced, Stacy.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" I cursed. I wasn't gonna let her ruin my night. Not today.
"I'm here for the gala. I bought a few friends with me, also." She had a smug look on her face. She pointed to a lady in a wheelchair and I knew who that was.
Kristen.
"And," She turned around, "Blake! Come here!"
I could feel my heart rate slowly increasing.
"What do you want, St– Oh, look who we have here?"
"Fuck off." Alex warned, snaking his arm around my waist.
"Dominique knows who I am. Tell him, Dom." Blake shot an evil look towards Alex.
"Dominique, who is he?"
"He's Blake. My ex."
*****
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Originally published? : October 5, 2021.
Last Updated: November 26, 2022.
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I love you all,
and like always, have a great day/night,
XOXO,
Mimi.
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