Back on my Wedding Day

Chapter 3: Wedding Day

Eloise stared at Nathaniel, her heart filled with conflicting emotions. The fear of bringing a child into their chaotic world clashed with the joy of fulfilling her dream of building a family with him.

Nathaniel's eyes revealed his fear, which bewildered Eloise. She mustered her courage and asked him directly, "What if I am pregnant?"

Nathaniel's brows furrowed with frustration. His reaction was not what Eloise expected.

"Eloise, can you hear yourself?" he exclaimed, his anger apparent.

Eloise's voice trembled with pain as tears streamed down her face. She could see that the man she loved didn't want a child with her.

"It's a blessing, Nathaniel," she managed to say between sobs.

Nathaniel rubbed his temples in frustration as he looked at Eloise, still sitting on the cold floor.

"I told you to take your pills. Did you stop taking them?" he asked, his gaze fixed intently on her.

The tears continued to flow from Eloise's eyes as she replied, "I'm taking them," her voice choked with sorrow.

"You're not pregnant. It must be from the wine you drank last night," he said, trying to comfort himself.

Nathaniel knelt and cupped Eloise's face, wiping away her tears. He offered her a forced smile and said, "You are not pregnant, love. We can't be parents right now. We need to work on our relationship first."

Eloise forced a smile and nodded her head, though her heart ached. Nathaniel returned her smile and planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Let's have breakfast. The designer will be here soon to deliver your gown," he said, extending his hand to help Eloise stand up.

Eloise took a deep breath and took Nathaniel's hand. They walked back to the kitchen, but a heavy silence hung in the air.

After a quiet breakfast, Nathaniel left for work while Eloise stayed at home, as she usually did since she decided to become a full-time housewife after marrying Nathaniel.

She was content with this arrangement, as it had been her dream to be a dedicated wife to Nathaniel.

Eloise decided to take a quick bath before the designer arrived. She applied makeup to conceal the bruises and wore a long-sleeved dress to hide the marks on her body.

Once she was ready, Eloise patiently waited for the designer in the living room. When the designer arrived, they quickly did a fitting, and Eloise was satisfied with how the gown fit her.

She spent the whole afternoon preparing for the party that Nathaniel was hosting to celebrate the merger of the Sinclair Company and her family's company, Harrington's.

No matter how hard Eloise busied herself with the preparations, the conversation she had with Nathaniel earlier kept playing in her mind.

The possibility of being pregnant occupied her thoughts, so she decided to step out of the house and buy a pregnancy test.

Returning home with the test in hand, Eloise mustered her courage and entered the bathroom. Reading the instructions carefully, she proceeded to take the test.

As she waited for the result, each passing minute felt like an eternity. Eloise looked intently at the pregnancy test, and her knees weakened when she saw the positive result.

"Eloise!" Nathaniel's voice startled her, and the pregnancy test almost slip from her hand as she hurriedly exited the bathroom.

"I'm here, love," she responded, stepping out of the bathroom.

Upon opening the door, Eloise found Nathaniel waiting for her, his expression one of concern.

"We'll be leaving at seven. You need to get ready," he said, then headed towards their bedroom, completely oblivious to the pregnancy test Eloise was holding.

Eloise let out a deep breath and made her way to their bedroom.

Nathaniel was engrossed in a phone call, leaving Eloise without an opportunity to talk to him.

"Eloise!" His shout made Eloise flinch, leaving her completely bewildered.

"W-What?" she stammered, utterly confused.

"We only have an hour. You need to start preparing," he snapped, his anger evident in his gaze.

Eloise quickly nodded and discreetly hide the pregnancy test in the cabinet next to their bed.

Fearful of Nathaniel's potential anger, she hastened her preparations.

Thankfully, the party's masquerade ball theme meant her eyes would be covered, eliminating the need for makeup in that area.

After an hour of preparation, they left their house and headed towards Nathaniel's company.

Nathaniel was busy entertaining his guests, and Eloise trailed behind, her exhaustion and discomfort etched on her face. Yet, her husband remained oblivious, consumed by his duties as a host.

"Love, I'll just use the powder room," she excused herself and headed towards her intended destination.

Once inside, Eloise removed her mask and examined the bruises on her face, her heart heavy with a mix of emotions.

Taking a deep breath, she composed herself and stepped out of the powder room, scanning the crowd for Nathaniel, but he was nowhere in sight.

"Looking for Nathaniel?"

Eloise turned around to find Marcus, clad in a black suit and a matching black mask. Despite the obscuring mask, she easily recognized him due to his striking resemblance to her husband.

They shared the same build, but while she loved Nathaniel, Marcus always found ways to irritate her.

"That's none of your business, Marcus," she firmly replied.

His mask only concealed his eyes, but Eloise could see the sarcastic smile playing on his lips.

"So, you've completely changed your style. Fully covered, as always. Are you a nun, or are you hiding some bruises?" he taunted.

Anger surged through Eloise upon hearing his words.

"Do you plan to create another scene here, like what you did at my father's birthday party?" she retorted, meeting his gaze head-on.

Marcus's sarcastic smile remained, unfaltering.

"I know you're an attention seeker, Marcus. You want the world to revolve around you. But if you want to grab everyone's attention, don't f*****g use me or my husband," Eloise declared with conviction, emphasizing each word.

Marcus fell silent, guilt creeping into Eloise's being. But instead of offering an apology, she walked away, resolute in her search for her husband.

Unable to find Nathaniel in the lobby, Eloise made her way to his office, but he wasn't there either.

Exhausted and drained, Eloise sought solace on the rooftop, away from the bustling crowd in the lobby.

She found comfort on her favourite wooden bench, basking in the serenity and admiring the cityscape before her.

However, her tranquillity was abruptly shattered when she overheard her husband's voice.

"Just give me some time, babe. Once I gain full ownership of her father's company, I'll divorce her," he callously declared.

Tears welled up in Eloise's eyes upon hearing those heart-wrenching words.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she quietly approached the spot where his voice emanated from.

Concealing herself against the wall, she cautiously peeked around the corner, revealing her husband engaged in conversation with a woman wearing a champagne-coloured gown.

Unable to discern her face, Eloise strained to identify the mysterious woman.

"Do you love me?" Nathaniel asked the woman, his eyes brimming with a passion he never bestowed upon Eloise.

The woman nods her head in response.

Nathaniel's lips curled into a smile as he gazed at the woman, and before Eloise's disbelieving eyes, he caressed her face and claimed her lips.

Overwhelmed, Eloise stifled her sobs, fearful of making a sound. Unfortunately, luck was not on her side, as her phone began to ring.

Eloise's anger toward Marcus, intensified when she saw his name displayed on the phone screen. Marcus always managed to put her in difficult situations.

Nathaniel abruptly halted his actions, scanning his surroundings until his gaze locked onto Eloise. Frozen in place, he called out her name, clearly shocked by her presence.

Eloise's mind went blank. Nathaniel's mistress turned to face her, wearing a mask that concealed her identity.

Fuming with anger, Eloise, for the first time, directed her rage at Nathaniel. Despite the abuse she had endured, she had never been able to muster anger toward him. But now, witnessing her husband with another woman, her fury was unleashed.

Nathaniel attempted to reach out to Eloise, but she forcefully pushed him away.

"Get away from me, you cheating bastard!" she shouted, her voice echoing across the rooftop. Then she turned her attention to her husband's mistress.

"Who are you?" she demanded, taking a step forward.

However, before she could unveil the woman's identity by removing the mask, Nathaniel shielded her, as if protecting his mistress from Eloise's wrath.

Filled with an overwhelming mix of anger and pain, Eloise summoned all her strength to approach the woman.

Nathaniel forcefully pushed her away, but Eloise remained steadfast, her grip still on the mistress's hair.

The woman whimpered in pain, struggling to free herself, but Eloise was relentless. All the pain she had endured over the years was channelled into this moment, directed toward her husband's lover.

"Eloise, let her go!" Nathaniel shouted.

For the first time, she refused to listen to his words. Dragging the woman to a secluded corner, Eloise found herself suddenly overpowered.

Their positions switched, and Eloise was now leaning against the parapet wall, her upper body hanging in the air. She knew that if the woman released her grip, she would fall from the ten-story building to her death.

"I'm sorry," the woman uttered, and then she let go of Eloise. Panic flooded Eloise's eyes as her body descended from the towering structure.

Time seemed to slow down as she fall, her mind flooded with memories of her wedding day, the happiest moment of her life.

Tears streamed down her face as she caressed the ring on her finger.

"I need to live," she pleaded.

But perhaps her fate was destined to be cruel, for she felt her body collide with the cold pavement below.

Her vision blurred, and in the distance, she heard Marcus's voice calling out her name. Soon, his embrace enveloped her frail form.

"I want to live," she whispered weakly before succumbing to the enveloping darkness.

*****

"Eloise! Eloise!" Marcus called out her name, gently tapping her cheeks in an attempt to wake her.

Eloise slowly opened her eyes, as if emerging from a troubling dream. Confusion etched her brow as she glanced around, taking in the concerned faces turned towards her.

"Are you alright?" Marcus asked, his eyes filled with worry.

Instead of responding, Eloise scanned her surroundings, her gaze falling upon Nathaniel, who looked at her with a mix of concern and relief.

"Are you okay, Love?" he asked, cupping her face in his hands.

Tears welled in Eloise's eyes as she looked at Nathaniel, her emotions overwhelming her.

"Why are you crying?" Nathaniel whispered while looking at Eloise.

Confusion gripped her as she struggle to understand what was happening.

"Where am I?" she questioned, struggling to make sense of it all.

Nathaniel appeared confused, trying to comprehend her demeanour.

"We are at the church. It's our wedding day," he responded, extending a hand to help Eloise stand.

Eloise's gaze shifted to the guests surrounding her, all wearing familiar faces from her wedding day.

"What is going on?" she asked, her voice filled with fear and concern.

Nathaniel, taken aback by her reaction, looked at her with a mixture of worry and confusion.

"Eloise we are getting married," he replied gently.

Eloise studied Nathaniel intently, her mind racing as she recalled her fall from the building.

Then her eyes met Marcus, who gazed back at her with a blend of worry and confusion.

She died in his arms, she vividly remembered taking her last breath.

Eloise felt utterly puzzled, lost in the disjointed sequence of events.

"You may now kiss the bride,"

The priest announced.

Nathaniel took a step closer and held Eloise's face. When Eloise felt his lips tears fell from her eyes not because of happiness but because she knew this will be the start of her nightmare.