Chapter 9: Jude
1211 Words
I couldn’t remember smiling.
Everyone kept telling me I had been smiling all afternoon.
The photographers.
The wedding planner.
My mother.
Even my brother whispered, “You look happier than I’ve ever seen you.”
But I couldn’t remember it.
Everything felt like a dream I was watching from outside my own body.
The moment the priest announced us husband and omega……
The applause…
The music…
The cheers…
They all blended into one endless roar.
I could barely hear my own heartbeat.
I looked down.
The silver wedding band on my finger caught the light.
It looked beautiful.
It also felt impossibly heavy.
Somehow…
One small ring had changed my entire life.
I was married.
Married.
The word echoed inside my head over and over.
It still didn’t feel real.
⸻
“My love.”
I blinked.
Adrain was standing beside me.His voice was quiet enough that no one else could hear.
“They’re waiting for us.”
I looked ahead.
Hundreds of guests had gathered outside the cathedral.
Cameras flashed nonstop.
People I’d only ever seen on television smiled politely as we walked past.
Business leaders shook Adrain hand.
Government officials congratulated him.
Foreign ambassadors offered their blessings.
Someone introduced me to a billionaire whose name I’d seen in magazines.
I couldn’t remember a single face.
I only nodded.
Smiled.
Thanked them.
Repeated it again.
And again.
And again.
It felt endless.
The drive to the reception was silent.Not because we were alone.Far from it.A convoy of sleek black luxury cars surrounded ours, escorted by security.Motorcycles cleared the roads ahead.From the car window I could see people stopping just to watch us pass.
Some waved.
Some took pictures.
Children pointed excitedly.
I shrank further into my seat.
Adrain noticed.
Without saying a word, he pressed the privacy button.The tinted divider slid up, separating us from the driver.Silence filled the car.For the first time that day…I could breathe.“You alright?” he asked gently.I stared at my hands.“I don’t know.”He didn’t pressure me to explain.Instead, he quietly reached into the small refrigerator beside him and handed me a bottle of cold water.
“You’ve hardly had anything to drink.”
I accepted it.
“…Thank you.”
He simply nodded.
No teasing.
No questions.
Just understanding.
Somehow…
That made me feel a little better.
⸻
Nothing could have prepared me for the reception.
The estate looked like something from a fairytale.
Or perhaps a palace.
Lights wrapped around every ancient tree, making them glow like stars.
A crystal fountain stood in the centre of the gardens, surrounded by thousands of white roses.
The glass ballroom shimmered beneath the evening sky.
Inside…
Everything sparkled.
Crystal chandeliers reflected across polished marble floors.
The tables were decorated with orchids, candles and delicate gold details.
A live orchestra played softly while waiters moved gracefully between guests carrying silver trays.
I overheard someone whisper,
“This must have cost millions.”
Another answered,
“It probably did.”
My stomach twisted.
All this…
For one day.
For us.
Or rather…
For him.
⸻
Adrain gently rested a hand against the small of my back.
“Ready?”
I wasn’t.
But I nodded anyway.
The ballroom doors opened.
Applause erupted once more.
“Ladies and gentlemen…”
The announcer’s voice echoed.
“Please welcome Mr. and Mr. Gray .”
Every eye turned towards us.
Again.
I wanted the floor to swallow me whole.
Instead…
I smiled.
Or at least I hoped it looked like one.
⸻
The evening passed in a blur.
There was our first dance.
I almost refused.
“I don’t know how,” I whispered.
Adrain smiled softly.
“Neither do I.”
I looked at him in disbelief.
“You don’t?”
“I’m usually too busy working.”
“You’ve never danced?”
“Not willingly.”
For the first time all day…
A small laugh escaped me.
A real one.
His eyes brightened immediately.
“There it is.”
“What?”
“Your real smile.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks.
He held out his hand.
“Just follow me.”
The music began.
Slow.
Gentle.
He wasn’t lying.
He truly wasn’t an expert.
We stumbled once.
Twice.
At one point I accidentally stepped on his foot.
“I’m sorry!”
He laughed quietly.
“I’ll survive.”
Soon…
The nervousness disappeared.
I wasn’t dancing perfectly.
Neither was he.
But somehow…
That made it feel less frightening.
The ballroom around us slowly faded away.
For three minutes…
It felt like there were only two people in the room.
When the song ended, the guests applauded loudly.
I realised…
I hadn’t been scared once during the dance.
⸻
Dinner followed.
Speech after speech.
Laughter.
Champagne.
Stories from our childhoods that made everyone laugh except me.
Adrain occasionally leaned over.
“Need a break?”
Each time I shook my head.
I wanted to be brave.
For my family.
For myself.
Maybe…
Even for him.
⸻
Late into the evening, fireworks exploded above the lake.
Gold.
Silver.
Blue.
Crimson.
The colours reflected in the water while everyone looked skyward in amazement.
Without thinking…
I found myself standing beside the Adrain
Not because anyone told me to.
Because I wanted someone familiar nearby.
He didn’t speak.
He simply stood there with me.
Watching the sky.
The silence felt comfortable.
⸻
Hours later, the final guests began leaving.
One by one, the ballroom emptied.
The orchestra packed away their instruments.
The lights dimmed.
The wedding planner congratulated us before disappearing into the night.
I was exhausted.
My feet hurt.
My head hurt.
Even smiling had become tiring.
Adrain noticed me rubbing my temples.
“We’re leaving.”
I looked at him.
“But everyone—”
“They’ve all said goodbye.”
“I should thank—”
“You already have.”
He gently took my hand.
“Come.”
⸻
The journey back to his house was much quieter than the one before.
The city lights blurred outside the window.
Neither of us spoke.
I leaned my head against the cool glass.
Everything that had happened finally began catching up with me.
The wedding.
The vows.
The reception.
The endless faces.
The dancing.
The speeches.
The fireworks.
I was married.
The thought still felt strange.
Beside me, Adrain loosened his tie with a tired sigh.
For the first time since I’d met him…
He didn’t look like the powerful businessman everyone admired.
He simply looked… exhausted.
Human.
When the car finally turned through the wrought-iron gates of his estate, my chest tightened.
No.
Not his estate anymore.
Our home.
The mansion stood illuminated against the night sky, every window glowing warmly as though waiting to welcome us.
The car rolled to a gentle stop.
A member of staff opened the door.
I remained seated for a moment, staring at the grand entrance.
This was where my new life truly began.
I didn’t know what tomorrow would bring.
I didn’t know if I was ready.
But as I stepped out of the car, I felt adrain move to my side—not pulling me, not rushing me, simply matching my pace.
For the first time since the wedding had begun…
I wasn’t facing the unknown completely alone.
- Writer
