“Be pretty if you can, be witty if you must, but be gracious if it kills you.” – Elsie de Wolfe
Shane’s POV
“He’ll come…
He’ll not come…
He’ll come.”
And it’s the last petal again.
“He’ll not come.”
Oh no. Please do come. He must come. He said he will. He even promised. My hopeful side is telling me these. But my logical side is shouting he’ll definitely not come. We’re not even friends. We’re just neighbors.
My logical side won.
I kicked off my three-inch silver stiletto and put on my wedge sneakers. I doubled check the laces making sure they weren’t loose. I have some running to do. And I have to run very fast. So I figured out, I can’t do that wearing pencil heels so wedge sneakers will be better. I can’t wear my ordinary sneakers because of my height. I’m only five flat and it will be very obvious if I didn’t wear heels right now.
I heard a loud knock on the door just after I hide my wedding shoes. Perfect timing. I checked my bouquet to see if there’s any evidence of fallen out petals from my eeny, meeny, miny, moe a while ago. There’s none. I’m really good at hiding evidences. Not like them.
When I opened the door, I was greeted by my mom who’s wearing her perfect sweet smile. If I’m born yesterday, I may think it’s genuine, but I’m not. I’m hundred percent sure it’s fake.
“You look,” she stared at me from head to foot with her feigned astonishment, “different.”
Right. Not beautiful. Not pretty. Just different.
Actually, I’m already aware of that. From the day I started to learn comprehension, my ears got acquainted with the word ugly. They will always call me that. At first as a child, I thought it’s a fantastic word. But when I grow up and learned the meaning, I started to have questions, which remained unheard and unanswered.
I’m an ugly duckling unlike my sister. She’s smart and I’m stupid. She looks like a model and I look like well me, ugly little thing.
In short, I’m everything she’s not.
She’s perfect in their eyes and I, I’m just the ugly little thing whom they decided to sell like a good in the market. I bet if I have a twin sister, they will sell us buy one take one at the lowest price.
I know my grades aren’t good and I failed many subjects in college, but I’m not that stupid to notice they’re treating me differently.
Sometimes they’re really sweet and acted like perfect parents but that’s only when we’re in public. In confined of our old mansion, in my dark four-cornered room, which served as my hiding place for years, things got nasty. To the point I wasn’t allowed to go out for a week because of some purplish patches on my arms and legs.
I thought it’s natural. They said they’re just disciplining me because I was hard-headed and pain in their ass.
Later in life I realized it isn’t. It’s abnormal. But I didn’t tell anybody. Nobody’s there to tell anyway. So I kept it to myself hoping things will change for the better. Hoping someday they learn to eventually love me as their own flesh and blood.
But that hope just remains hope. Nothing of such happened even in my dreams. They’re all nightmares.
I did homeschooling both elementary and high school. That time, I got tired of hoping and told to myself, if nobody wants to love me, then I’ll just love myself deeply.
I learned to have confidence. I started to sneak out of the house and do what I want to do. Their vacation is my freedom. Whenever they’re not around, I’m free like a bird finally out of its cage.
I learned to appreciate myself. I learned to stand up for what I believe in. I started to not care what other’s going to say about me. I started to ignore the stares I’m getting whenever I’m out in the open.
I learned how to be invincible. And I mastered that talent.
But now, I’m back in this hell again and I really want to go out for good. Forever. If that’s even possible?
And that man is my only hope of escape.
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We’re in front of the priest about to make our vows, but there’s no sign of him. He will not come to rescue me. I’m on it on my own as always.
I’m alone to bear everything.
I secretly reached out for the strings of my detachable skirt. I designed my own gown for this sole purpose.
I looked at my soon-to-be husband in the corner of my eye. He looks devilishly handsome on his tux. I’m almost fall victim of his charm. But I started to wonder why this Greek god had sudden interest in me. And that question was answered recently when I discovered their evil plans.
He has no clue that any moment from now, his bride will run off and leave him in the altar being pitied upon and gawked at. He’ll be humiliated. He deserved it. They all do deserve it. How I wish I will be here to see their reactions. How I wish I could see how they’ll try to fake their smiles and fail miserably in the effort.
But sadly, I’ll never be able to see them on despair, because I’ll be running for my freedom at that very same moment.
“Zachary, do you take Shane whom you hold by the hand to be your lawfully wedded wife, and do you covenant to be true to her, to love, cherish, and protect her, in sickness and in health, in poverty or in wealth, until death do you part?”
“I do.” My soon-to-be husband said very eagerly the moment the priest finished his lines. He’s too excited to be humiliated I see.
“Shane, do you take Zachary whom you hold by the hand to be your lawfully wedded husband, covenanting to be true to him, to love, cherish, and honor him, in sickness and in health, in poverty or in wealth, until death do you part?”
I pulled the string of my detachable skirt and was about to say, no I don’t, when a loud baritone voice broke the silence of the old church.
“Stop the wedding!”
All heads turned automatically to where the voice came from including mine.
And there he is, standing beautifully on the center isle wearing a white tux. If my soon-to-be husband looks like a Greek god on his tux, this man who’s looking at me as if I’m the most beautiful woman in the world looks million times better. I’m really lost for words.
He’s really here. I can’t believe it.
I dropped the detachable skirt of my wedding gown and ran fast to him. I never looked to either side, just straight where he’s standing waiting for me. We’re not breaking eye contact just like in movie but not in slow motion. We don’t need that, we need to run fast.
The moment I’m beside him, he smiled at me and he held my hand and we run fast together. It feels good. No. It feels perfect.
I feel safe. I feel free.
Strangely with this strange man who’s totally a stranger to me.
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Chev’s POV
I checked the address ten times already and I even asked some local if I’m in the right place. I don’t want to make the same mistake in a day.
No. I don’t want to make such mistake ever again. That’s humiliating and that’s not so me.
Actually, this whole thing is not so me. But I need to do this. I promised her. It’s a payment for a big humiliation I brought upon her. After this, we will be even.
After checking again one last time if I’m in right church this time, I entered the church not hastily but with my easy steps. No one paid me attention as everyone was focused on the bride and groom in front of the priest who’s about to make their wedding vows. When I’m in the middle of the isle, I sat first on the nearest available chair and took my time.
She looked stunning on her wedding dress, I can tell even if her back was facing me. I got a glimpse of her hands, one was tightly gripping her laced gown and the other was pulling something on her side. She’s really going to run even without my help.
When it’s her turn to make her vow, I hastily stood up on the center isle.
“Stop the wedding!” My voice echoed in every corner of the old church.
All heads turned in my direction just like minutes ago when I shouted those very same words – in a wrong church.
But unlike before, I’m not looking at a stranger because I’m looking at the bride. The sole purpose why I’m here, doing this one of the craziest thing I’ve ever done in my entire life...kidnapping a bride.
A willing bride.
When we’re in the car, I can’t seem to shift my gaze. It’s fixated to her.
I’ve only talked to her twice but I’ve seen her multiple times, in the elevator, in the park, on the bench, on the stairs. But on those times, she’s always asleep with strands of hairs covering her face.
She’s sleeping everywhere. She can sleep anywhere. She’s known to the building as sleeping beauty. Everyone call her that, even I.
I don’t know if she has some kind of medical problem, a sleeping problem.
She looked stunning on her gown. This is the first time I really seen her face up-close. Her hair was tied up in a braid with tiny flowers scattered on it. She’s a petite woman and she has a really cute angelic face.
“You look...”
“Just cut the crap and drive.” I was about to complement her when he cut me off. So feisty. I can’t control the smile that split my lips. She reminds me of Dom. And she’s wearing a red sneaker. She’s really ready to be a runaway bride.
She really is an interesting woman.
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Leandro’s POV
“Bro, relax. They’re on their way. I’m sure of it.” Rashid tried to calm me but I can’t. It’s actually hard to breath right now. I’m really nervous that I feel I’m going to pass out any moment.
“I can only relax when I see her walking down that isle.” I sighed very deeply. “And when I see her best friends take their positions.” I walked back and forth like a madman. “But they’re not here. They supposed to be here right at this moment.”
“They probably just caught up in traffic.” He reasoned out by I’ve turned deaf.
I saw a familiar face approaching us. She walked confidently on her red laced gown with a touch of black. “Hi, I’m Danielle de Silva, I’m DR’s friend.” She extended her hand for a shake. I hesitantly accepted it with a frown.
“Who’s DR?” I was about to ask that question but Rashid saved me the effort.
The lady frowned and then smiled cheekily. “Ah, right you’re not aware we have this habit of calling each other differently. DR. In short for Dominique Red, the bride.”
So, she’s the lady friend in that picture that’s why she looked familiar.
“Ah, by the way the doctor called, he said they’re on their way, they just kidnapped the bride.”
“What?” Rashid and I shouted at the same time. That caught my family’s attention.
This isn’t happening. They’re not going to do that to me. Genie will not run away.
But who am I kidding, she can and she has the right to. And her friends, they’re insane. No one knows what’s running on their heads.
I sat down feeling so defeated. I ran my fingers through my hair not caring how long the hair stylish made an effort to fix it.
“Hey, relax. He never told me it’s your bride that they kidnapped. He just said the bride.”
I groaned at her words. That didn’t make any difference.
“Right now, there are probably hundred or even thousands of brides around the country. So though the chance of her being the kidnapped one is high, there’s also a slim chance that it isn’t her.”
She has a point there. I’d rather hang on that slim chance than none at all.
I dialled Genie’s number but she didn’t answer. Shit!
Then I dialled Kenshin’s number several times. No answer. I’m on the edge of throwing my iPhone, when I heard helicopter approaching.
Minutes later when it landed, I saw the three people we’re just talking about earlier, my bride’s crazy billionaire friends. They’re guiding a woman wearing a wedding gown out of the chopper – but she’s not my Red. Where is she? Where did they take her? And who’s that woman?
My iPhone rang just before I run to confront the newcomers.
“Why didn’t you pick up that damn phone?” I shouted at him releasing all my frustrations.
“Hey, I’m driving a while ago. What’s the matter?”
“Is genie with you?” I didn’t bother to reply to his question. I need to know now immediately before I die or before I killed someone.
“Yeah. Why?”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course I am. What this all about?” I heard him chuckled. “Man you’re turning mad. Don’t worry we’ll be there in thirty minutes. Just thirty minutes, man, and she’s all yours.”
She didn’t run away. I want to jump with so much joy.
“Give her the phone.” I heard Kenshin’s laugh in the background before genie took over the phone.
“Hey, what’s happening there? Why are you so grumpy and panicky?” I heard her confused voice on the other line. I bet she’s frowning right now and pinching her nose. That’s one of her cute habits.
And I smiled thinking about it. I’ve really gone mad.
“Nothing. I just want to make sure your safe.”
“I’m perfectly fine. Nothing’s broken. Don’t worry because I can’t hit the red light, Kenshin’s driving and he’s driving like an ant.” She said almost whining.
I chuckled with that. Compared to her driving, probably Kenshin’s can really be compared to ants.
“Better safe than sorry.”
I heard her laughed softly with that. “Better soon than late.”
“Don’t worry we can’t start without the bride.”
“Yeah, sure, it won’t be a prenup with only the groom.”
Yeah, it really won’t be just a prenup.