MINE TO RUIN

Chapter 1

Alyona twisted her fingers on her thighs and cast another look past the seated guest to the entrance of the hall where the wedding was taking place. Her brow furrowed slightly when there was no sign of her sister or any of her family members. The ceremony was supposed to start two hours ago. All the guests that were invited by her family, along with the groom's family, were already seated. Talking about the groom, she looked forward to the section beside the alter to see the chair empty.

“Great, both the groom and his bride are nowhere to be seen on their special occasion.” She muttered to no one’s hearing but hers.

A lady huffed loudly from her seat, interrupting Alyona, who was lost in thought as to what the situation might be peered up to see that the person in question was from the groom's side. She was dressed elegantly and also beautifully. This wasn’t the time to take in the admiration of her guest, but she couldn’t help it.

The lady was indeed very beautiful. Her skin was smooth and delicate, the make-up she had worn was as though it was made just for her. Her soft, silken auburn hair was tied in a sleeked high bun as it highlighted her facial features. She was clad in high sleeted, red body hung gown that revealed her milky, fine delicate skin and full cleavages as the dress she wore had a deep neck style.

“I knew that the bride was nothing but worthless trash. Who the hell does she think she is to keep us waiting? If she didn’t want to get married, she shouldn’t have agreed to the arrangement. She’s such a coward to have run away on her wedding. I bet she went with her lover.” Alyona closed her eyes momentarily as she heard the lady say gibberish about her sister. Instantly, all forms of admiration she had for her dispersed. A murmur rose around her as the guest reacted to the lady’s accusation.

“How could she do that? I don’t think she has any idea whom she’s getting married to.”

“Mikhail wouldn’t take it lightly with the Petrova family if what this lady had said was the truth.”

“The bride is indeed shameless. Who keeps the groom and the guest waiting? She must have eloped not to get married to Mikhail.”

“I heard it was an arranged marriage, maybe the lady is right. She did elope with her lover.”

Alyona hands fidgeted against her thighs as she tried to shut out the murmuring. It didn’t matter. That’s what her thought until the name Mikhail Leo Toy stoy rang a bell in her head. Her lips quivered, lashes baited anxiously as she made to hold on to her belief.

‘Something came up…. Kara won’t ditch her wedding to elope with Boris, would she?” The thought came running through her mind over and over again.

As the gossip deepened, the lady, Dahlia, spoke up again.

“Seriously, the Leo toy stoy family could do much better. It is so embarrassing to have to wed one of the Petrova sisters to Mikhail. They aren’t even rich. No, they are a middle-class family with many problems at hand, and I’m very sure the bride was cheating on Mikhail after she agreed to their arrangement…”

Alyona, who had enough of the lady's accusation, suddenly appeared at the lady’s front. Though she was quivering due to her social anxiety, she just couldn’t sit and listened to the vague words she was spouting out of her mouth against her sister. She has to defend her now or never.

“I would refrain from talking about the bride in such a manner if I were you. You do not know anything about her, you do not know her. You’re just a guest from the groom's side, and I’m very sure that you don’t even know what she looks like.”

“And who are you?” Dahlia asked, throwing daggers at her. She was intimidated by the confident posture and glares being thrown at her, but she couldn’t let that affect her. Not now.

“I am the bride’s sister,” Alyona turned to face the congregation. “And I can assure you that everything is fine. The bride, my sister, had just encountered a mix-up with her dress, that the family is taking care of it. I’m deeply sorry for the inconvenience this caused you. Once again, I want to assure you that everything’s okay….”

“Did you say you’re the daughter of Petrova? I thought they only had a daughter, Kara, except you’re the illegitimate daughter that goes around parading herself as a Petrova.” Dahlia interrupted her.

Alyona bit her lips anxiously as she stared, rather glared at the lady. She sighed.

“You might be right, I am an illegitimate child of the family, but so far I’ve been treated and is still being treated as though I am theirs. They look past my father’s and mother’s mistakes and ensure that I am given the same treatment as Kara. I’m sure you won’t understand this given the fact that you are just a bitter lady who definitely didn’t receive the love of her family. Can the love they give you be compared to that of my family? Please take your pathetic self out of the hall if you don’t wish to stay. I won’t hesitate to drag you out myself if you say any words against my beloved and beautifully endowed sister who’s getting married to the man you can never have.”

Dahlia jerked up in a fit to hit Alyona but the lady beside her, who happened to be her friend, stopped her.

“Dahlia, you are worth more than this lady. Please do not embarrass yourself. You know your dad would be mad if you did.”

Her friend, Nadia, whispered against her ear. This word calmed the lady down.

“You will regret this, I promise you,” Dahlia muttered, while Alyona only smiled. Her onyx-colored eyes met the lady friend before it diverted to the lady herself.

“I’ll love to see how you will do so,” she responded, swaying her hair at Dahlia's face before she made her way out of the hall in a bid to look for her sister.

The confidence in which she had came crumbling down, her heart beat raced as she bit her fingers . This is what she does when she is nervous, confused and perhaps scared. And right now she was all. Nervous about the current situation. Confused as to where she muttered the courage to talk back at Dahlia And scared at Dahlia's confrontation. Would the lady really carry out the confrontation? This really scared her.

Her phone rang, she brought it up to see who the caller was. On seeing, it was her parents, her mother precisely. She answered the phone call after she heaved a sigh of relief.

“Mom, where are you, and where the hell is Kara? I’m tired of stalling the congregation, they are waiting anxiously for the wedding to commence…”

“Alyona, we need you right now in the dressing truck. It’s a matter of urgency.”

Her Mom, Mrs Daphne voice came, shaking profusely. Although she tried to suppress it, it was evident. That got Alyona worried.

“I’ll be there, but what’s happening? Why’s Kara not here, and where are you people?”

Her voice laced with concern as many thoughts ran across her mind. She was fond of this, letting herself be consumed by thought while slowly drifting from the world around her.

“Just come, I'll let you know of the current situation, and please don’t waste time…” The call ended and Alyona hurriedly ran towards the trunk which was about half a mile from the hall.