Crossing Paths

Untitled Episode

The sound of the alarm clock woke Jessabelle out of her sleep. Shielding her eyes from the light that was coming through the window, she made her way to the bathroom, where she splashed some water on her face. Today was the day, the day that Jessabelle had wished throughout the week not to come, the day she would be joined in a marriage she never asked for. A marriage that came without a choice.

Her wedding day.

She still couldn’t believe what had happened in the past two weeks. When did her mother take the loan from Alex? For what did she need that hefty amount? Why her? Why did she have to marry this man for the sake of her mother? All these thoughts were rushing into her mind while getting ready.

She was already in her wedding gown, which her brother, Joey, helped her into, and was currently retouching her makeup which Jessabelle didn’t find necessary, but Joey being who he was, insisted.

After Alex proposed to her on the beach, obviously to show the press, everything went fast. Jessabelle was thrown into a moving train of activities. From wedding rehearsals for which Alex never showed up, to cake testing and decors, to gown fitting, then to the salon, back to the wedding rehearsals, there was the bachelorette party. She didn’t realize how hard it was to prepare for a wedding that wasn’t standing on love. Alex did nothing other than work and make calls.

“Okay, pretty woman. It is time to go,” Amanda, Alex’s sister, said when she walked in with her mother. One thing that gave Jessabelle joy was that her brother was finally done with his treatments, and he could be with her on this day even if he knew it wasn’t what everyone thought it was. Still, it made her happy to see smiles on her family's faces. “You look beautiful,” Joey said.

“Thank you,” Jessabelle said with tears forming at the banks of her eyes. “OH MY GOD, JESSABELLE! Who cries on her wedding day when she isn’t even at the altar yet? Do you want to ruin your makeup?” Joey shouted at Jessabelle.

“Sorry.”

“Oh, please! We need to get going before Alex comes here and drags you to the alter himself,” Amanda said and rolled her eyes at Jessabelle.

The drive to the church wasn’t long. Jessabelle became more nervous as they got closer to the church. Even though she knew this wasn’t a wedding like the wedding in the ‘I love you and forever want to be with you’ kind of wedding, she still couldn’t help being nervous. Since her father was not alive, she walked to the altar with her beloved mother. The church was really big and was filled to the brim with all kinds of people, wealthy people. Mrs. Berkely had invited everyone she knew to her son’s wedding, and so did Amanda and Alex. Jessabelle only invited people she was permitted to invite as, according to Alex, people are invited strictly due to the kind of guests he had invited. In other words, the lower or middle class was not allowed. So, she was only permitted to invite her family and best friends.