Claimed by my Ex's Boss

I had just downed the second glass of water. Standing in front of the full-length mirror, I smoothed my dress and adjusted a loose strand of hair that had escaped my already perfect hairdo. The stylist had spent nearly three hours perfecting my appearance. Judging by the reflection staring back at me, she had done an amazing job. I headed out to look for Luke, my fiancé. Soon, I'll become Mrs Leah Donovan. I giggled at the sound of those words. I stopped, taking a look on my phone, it was a picture of Luke and me that I posted on the gram. #Soon-to-be bride #Bestmanintheworld #IDoheartheartheart I giggled again and put my phone away. My wedding dress clung to my body, a bit tight though. I tried to stay in shape but it seems I added some weight, which made me a bit uncomfortable in the dress. But that was nothing to worry about. In a few hours, the wedding would be over and I would be out of it. A sigh escaped me as I climbed the stairs leading to the groom's room. I couldn't reach Luke on the phone earlier. I sent him two texts and called several times, but there was no response. Was I too excited to see him or too excited to show off my dress? Whichever it was, I just wanted to see him. Gathering the skirts of my dress carefully, I turned the doorknob, surprised the door was unlocked because knowing Luke, he never left it that way. The door clicked shut behind me as I scanned the room. Something caught my eye. Picking it up, I examined it closely. It looked like Emily's bracelet. I stared at it for a moment, as if seeing her face on it would somehow prove I was right. Creak! The sound jolted me. Another creak followed. My feet moved before my brain could stop them. Pushing the curtains aside, my eyes widened at the sight before me. A red dress sprawled across the floor. The belt I had given him was lying there too. The air turned thin and my head throbbed. The glasses of water I drank earlier had no effect anymore as my throat suddenly felt parched. The lips I kissed this morning were lost in my younger sister's mouth. His tattooed arms, the same ones that always pinned me against walls, now held her neck. My shadow fell across the bed but that didn't get their attention. The tight grip I had on the curtain snapped and the rod crashed to the floor with a loud thud. Their eyes darted toward me in unison. “Leah...” he began. My lips parted as if to say something, but no words came out. Not even a sound. My face felt cold like ice cubes. My eyes moved from Luke to my sister, whose face showed no remorse. He was saying something while on his knees, but I couldn't hear any of it. The world had gone quiet. I didn't know how I left that room but I caught myself running, running in my wedding gown, grateful I didn't trip—that would have been embarrassing but not compared to what I witnessed some minutes ago. My cheeks were wet, but I couldn't tell if it was sweat or tears. It wasn't until I burst into tears in the backseat of a taxi that I realized they were tears. The tears I never knew I was holding back came pouring down. Someone beside me handed me a handkerchief. I wiped my eyes and blew into it. “Here, I'm done,” I said, handing it back. That's when I noticed something unusual. The windshield was different from a taxi's. A man in a suit sat behind the wheel. I sniffed twice while scanning the car. Have I been kidnapped? A voice in me said. “You can keep the handkerchief.” The deep voice beside me pulled me back to reality. I tried to see who it was, but the book he was reading covered part of his face. The driver noticed my confusion and explained that I had gotten into the car crying. His boss had told him to let me be. Then he ended the conversation by asking me where I'm going so he could drop me off there. I thanked the mysterious boss who still hadn't said a word. Part of me wanted to get out immediately, but avoiding the stares mattered more. So I gave the driver Anna's address. The car stopped at Brookes Apartment. After thanking them again, I turned toward the building. An open arm and a worried face greeted me. I ran straight into the embrace and burst into tears all over again. That was Anna. My best friend since college and supposedly my bridesmaid. She held me tightly while patting my back gently. When we got to her place, I told her everything without leaving out a single detail. She was furious. So furious she wanted to go fight Luke herself, but I stopped her before she could because she would, Anna doesn't joke with me. He wasn't worth it, he really wasn't. “I'm staying here for some days, love. I don't want to go home yet. I need time to process everything and cool off.” Anna agreed immediately and reminded me I was always welcome. I took out my phone, checked my last post on i********:. DELETE. **************** I rang the doorbell twice and got no response. Just as I was about to press it a third time, the door opened. Our housekeeper stood there, wearing a smile mixed with concern. “Good morning, Vero,” I said, returning her smile. “Good mor...” “Who's there?” A voice I knew too well cut her off. I stepped inside slowly and found my dad with his wife and my younger sister, who started at me like she had seen a ghost. I paid her no attention. Ignoring all of them, I walked straight toward him. “Where have you been, Leah?!” he thundered. “I'm getting married, Daddy.” The words rolled off my tongue freely without mincing them.