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1474 Words
OPHELIA
I could tell by the smug look on her face that she wasn’t lying. She placed a hand on her belly, smiling outrageously: “Babe—you didn’t have to come here, I was almost done talking to her” Jason said to her, he turned to me “If you accept our condition’ maybe you can stay here with Aaron, if not, you’ll be out in the streets” he said without an ounce of remorse as he made his way down the stairs.
Holding onto the railing, I paused, trying to support my weight as the news of her pregnancy caught me off guard.
“Don’t be surprised, sister. If you behave, you might still be part of my child’s life.” she smiled as Jason’s arm went behind her waist.
“Why are you doing this- to me, to us?! I’m your sister Anna! Does it make any sense to have a kid for the same man?” I cried out.
“It doesn’t. But you took him away from me” she snapped back as she crossed her arms over his neck “I’ve always loved him since the day you introduced him to me as your friend”
“Then why didn’t you say something before the wedding? Why does it have to come to this” I wailed, my eyes reddening from tears “why did you let it come to this!”
“Because I watched you live the life that should have been mine,” she snapped. “And I got tired of waiting.” You complained about him, about his habits, you even told that to friends!” She lied.
“She did?” He asked and angrily turned to me “You never deserved any of it, Ophelia.”
“But she’s still my sister, so that’s why I’m setting out a condition for her to stay here’ if you come to our wedding— I’ll let you stay and maybe we can be a big, happy family again” she smiled heartily as she said her head on his chest.
“Aunty Anna” I heard from the side, Aaron was up again. Our yelling back and forth must’ve woken him up again.
“There’s my boy” Anna smiled at him with open arms while I rushed down to get him.
“Dont touch my son” I said, whisking him away from her grip.
“He’s my son too” Jason chipped in as he attempted to move after me.
“Don’t sweat it darling— who knows if the boy is truly yours” she whispered in a tone I could clearly hear.
“So it’s not enough to take my husband- you’re spouting lies as well? Where did I go wrong Anna? Did I ever offend you? Was there something I ever did to make you hate me so much that you can hurt me this much?” My voice trailed off.
“I think I’ve explained it before- anyways, we must be leaving, I’m out to try on some dresses for tomorrow’ remember, it’s my big day!” She said ecstatically as she grabbed onto Jason’s arm, pulling him as she made her way out of the house,
“Goodbye sister— see you at the wedding, or not” she chuckled as she walked out the door.
This wasn’t happening, or else I would be losing my mind. Everything, my house, my money, my stocks, it’s all theirs.
“How could I let this happen?” I questioned as tears trickled down my cheek. I crouched down to the floor as I felt Aaron’s tiny hands hold onto me as he called ‘mummy’ several times.
****
“He did what?” Kayla asked frantically “I leave the house for hours and come back to this?! Ophelia, this thing ends today! I’m going over there and I’m smashing that b*tch’s face to the wall and Jason—I’m going to make him pay” she said in a fit of rage.
“I don’t know how they got my signatures or how he found the documents but they did- and now, it’s just crazy” I said with exhaustion in my voice. “I don’t know what to do,” I sobbed.
“You are not going for that wedding!” She yelled “Hell no you’re not!”
“But I’ve got to do something—they’ll throw me out, I mean, and I can’t afford that” I sobbed. “This—this isn’t how I planned my life to be” I placed my head on the wall as tears trickled down.
“You’re not alone in this- I’m here with you. If you want, I’ll go with you tomorrow. Let’s get it over with” she said with an assuring smile.
“Thank you Kayla… for all you do” I squeezed onto her hand.
The next day, I sighed at every announcement, wishing and hoping for something to end, the wedding or Jason’s life, either way, the latter didn’t seem to be happening.
I took a sip of red wine as Kayla kept holding onto my hand for support as I watched them both smile and giggle as they exchanged the same vow we made three years ago.
“I can’t—I can’t take this…I’ll be right back” Kayla said angrily as she rushed to the washroom. I didn’t even stop her, my stomach had churned. I knew it wasn’t something I ate because I didn’t even have a morsel of food today, just rage and pure frustration.
“Isn’t that Anna’s sister?” I heard from behind my table as I kept my eyes glued to the scones on the tray.
“Quiet down- she can hear us,” another lady retorted in a whisper. I could obviously hear her too— my table was only inches away from theirs.
“I thought she was married to Jason” the first said quietly.
“She was- I heard her sister was the one Jason always had eyes for but she was too quick to grab him” the other chipped in with a bit of food in her mouth.
I gritted my teeth in anger, almost scoffing at the fact Anna lied to anyone to get her way, she was still the same bratty child I sacrificed everything for.
“But it’s wrong to have both sisters to yourself is it not?”
“But her sister is the problem”
“You want to know the problem?” I snapped, my hands shaking. “The lies she fed you.” I said angrily, stabbing the table with a fork on my table.
“I sacrificed everything for both of them and they tried to ruin me!” I yelled out loud, forgetting the function.
“Enough!” I heard Jason yell from a distance.
“It’s all because of you” I gritted angrily.
“It’s over between us. Why do you keep blaming me for your greediness!” He snapped back as tears trickled down my cheeks.
“Sister—please try to be calm, I thought you accepted us already” Anna said subtly as she held onto my hand.
Whisking her hands away from me “You took everything from me and you expect me to accept it!” Her newly wedded husband held onto her, stopping her from falling.
“That’s enough!” Jason yelled as Anna shoved me hard- but just as I thought my body would hit the floor, I felt someone hold me up from behind.
“That’s no way to treat a lady” his voice came off soft, yet commanding, low and quite deep.
“Are you okay, miss?” He asked as he held me upright. I nodded as he placed his hands on my shoulder, helping with my balance.
His scent felt musty and fresh, cool and assuring, his silver hair contrasting sharply with his strong features— he looked tall, way taller and his slightly tanned skin looked a little familiar.
“Father?” Jason said.
I turned to look at the man who he had just called father and the man stopped my embarrassment a few seconds ago.
“Why did you push her like that?” The man asked, his skin brushing against mine, but at the sound of Jason’s voice, I moved quickly away from him and got agitated again.
After telling me his father died for so many years—this is his father?
“Is this some ploy to humiliate me even more” I scoffed
“I shouldn’t even be here.”
I turned and rushed outside, my chest tight, the sound of their celebration echoing behind me.
- Writer
