Heaven's Mate

3.

Heaven's perspective.

My footsteps echoed against the marble flooring as I made my way through the corridors of the Williams house, bearing a great burden of betrayal on my shoulders. The once-familiar surroundings felt unfriendly and alien, a continual reminder of the rift that had ripped through my family's core fabric.

I was unable to stand to think of Derek and how our once-blooming love had withered and died due to mistrust and dishonesty. Nevertheless, he continued to plague me at every turn, even when I made an effort to put him out of my thoughts.

But with my family's future at stake, there was no time to be nostalgic about the past. We were quickly running out of alternatives as my father's company teetered on the verge of bankruptcy. I realised that we would have to swallow our pride and turn to the one place we never imagined we would need assistance—the royal family—because desperate times called for desperate measures.

My father's study was filled with the sound of arguing voices as I walked up to it. I pulled open the door and went inside, my pulse thumping in my chest, bracing myself for what lay ahead.

"What is going on, Father?" With a hint of worry in my voice, I questioned.

My dad's visage was tired and haggard when he looked up from his desk. He uttered, "Heaven, my beloved," in a voice weighed down by resignation. "We must have a conversation."

I sat down across from him, my stomach lurching with unease. I sensed that whatever was going on could not be good.

With a little stutter, my father said, "It is about the business." Heaven, we are in peril. Significant issue."

His words struck home, and I felt a wave of panic sweep over me. Nothing we could do could stop the business that had served as our family's cornerstone for generations from collapsing in front of us.

"What actions will we take?" My question was hardly audible above a whisper.

With a groan of annoyance, my father ran a hand through his hair. He said, "I think I may have found a solution. I have been racking my head trying to come up with one."

Eager to hear his words, I leaned in closer. "What is it?"

My father was silent for a moment before he spoke. With hesitation in his voice, he disclosed, "I have chosen to propose a marriage between you and Derek."

My father's statements left me feeling as if the earth had been torn out from under me, and my mind was spinning with all the ramifications. Derek, get married? following all that transpired between us?

"However, Derek and I, father..." I stopped talking, not knowing how to put into words the flurry of feelings that were racing through my head.

"It is not perfect, Heaven," my father said, his eyes beseeching. But our options are dwindling. We require the royal family's assistance if we hope to salvage the company. And the greatest way to ensure that is through marriage to Derek."

My throat tightened as I processed the magnitude of my father's proposal. Giving up all hope of a future with Derek and of ever experiencing true happiness would come with marrying him. But could I really afford to say no if it meant keeping my family afloat?

While I struggled with my inner turmoil, I could not help but wonder if this was simply another cruel joke that fate was using to see how strong I might be. But whichever choice I ended up making, there was little doubt that it would have far-reaching and permanent effects. Ultimately, only time would tell if it had been the right decision for me.

As the ceremony preparations got under way, the wedding day broke clear and bright, with the sun bathing the Williams estate in a warm glow. I could not shake the feeling of melancholy in my heart, though, even with the joyous attitude that filled the air.

I could not help but feel uneasy at the back of my mind as I stood in front of the mirror, my reflection looking back at me with a mixture of eagerness and fear. I was going to marry the man I believed I loved today, and it was going to be the happiest day of my life. However, I secretly understood that the bliss I was pursuing was really a façade, a fleeting illusion that would disappear as soon as it materialised.

Trying to calm the growing wave of doubt and uncertainty that threatened to topple me, I took a deep breath. More than just myself was at stake on this day: it was also about keeping my family's legacy alive and preventing them from going bankrupt. And so be it if doing so required me to give up my own happiness in the process.

There was a definite electricity that surged through the estate's halls as the hours passed and the expectancy in the air rose. Numerous guests arrived, filling the huge ballroom with the sound of their voices as they mingled and chatted. However, there was a palpable sense of unease that permeated the conversation and laughter, serving as a silent reminder of how important the choice I had to make was.

And then it came to pass as the clock reached noon. I waited for Derek to walk in while my heart was racing in my chest as I stood at the altar. But the longer the minutes passed, the more obvious it was that something was wrong.

"Where is he now?" With anxiety in his voice, my father spoke a whisper.

Anxiety twisting in my stomach, I shook my head. I said, my voice hardly audible above a whisper, "I do not know."

The strain in the air increased till it was intolerable hours. I could not bring myself to acknowledge the rumours that were circulating among the people. This is not how Derek would treat me on our wedding day. He was unable to.

But my heart broke into a million pieces as the truth slowly started to sink in. As a heartbreaking reminder of the unfulfilled love, Derek had deserted me and left me standing by myself at the altar like an i***t.

My eyes began to well up with tears as the situation's reality set in. Not only had Derek betrayed me, but fate had failed me as well. And I realised that I would never be able to shake the shame and humiliation of this day as I stared out at the sea of faces in front of me, their pleading looks searing into my soul.

But in the midst of all the confusion and mayhem, there was a tiny flare of optimism. In order to preserve our history for future generations, my father was able to obtain the assistance he required to rescue the family company. Even though that win may have come at a heavy cost, I was prepared to pay it.

I silently vowed to myself as I left the altar, tears flowing down my cheeks, but with my head held high. I was resolved to create my own path and recover the happiness that had been taken from me, and I would emerge from the ashes of this treachery stronger than before.

Because, in the end, I was confident that true love would triumph despite the biggest betrayals. And I realised that the best was still to come as I turned to leave the broken remains of my once flawless life.