CHAPTER 3
1344 Words
The Runaway Bride
Regina's POV
"You will marry Maxwell whether you like it or not," I looked at my father's face as he kept his stern look.
“Your wedding is in two days' time.”
‘What? Two days? How?’....... As different questions seemed to find their way into my head, I couldn't help but to feel so shocked.
“I said I don't want to marry him, I don't want to!” I yelled at my parents who were looking at me with sad expressions plastered on their faces.
My dad poured whiskey into his glass and he continued to sip it gently.
"I would call the Maxwell's and tell them all the wedding preparations have been made," my dad responded as he continued sipping his drink.
"We would be going to the stall to pick up your wedding dress,” I looked at both of them and wished the ground would swallow me.
‘I was 20 f*****g 20! I was old enough to make my own decisions,” I thought as I looked at both my parents who were seated comfortably on the coach.
******
“What the heck!”
“I'm so sorry Ms Regina,” the sales girl who was roughly in her mid 20's bowed her head as she said. “I'm strictly following the orders of Mrs Maldivi.”
‘That is my mom! Damn, why are my parents making things so unbearable for me? There she is, once again in the picture.’ I thought with a sigh.
I couldn't pick the dress I desired as she had already picked it. I sighed as I was devastated. I wanted that dress, the one I had pointed to earlier on. It had simple embroidery print and it was short, but just looked simple.
‘I hated the attention, I hated it. All I wanted was to live a simple life. Can't I even get any of that?’ I questioned myself inwardly.
I reluctantly followed the sales girl who had begun to go deeper and deeper into the stall.
“Oh…..” I mumbled under my breath.
We got to another section of the store and I couldn't help but to notice the glittering dresses in each section. They looked alike but with slight differences.
She dragged out a transparent glass wardrobe from nowhere and brought it right at my front. “Mrs Maldivi specifically chose this dress.”
In no time, I was right in the dress my mom had chosen. I did admit. The dress was actually very exposed as my back was fully open. It had a sleeveless hand and it was a very tiny one.
The demarcation between the half light and the full length was a net as it exposed my flat belly.
I sighed sadly as I put off the dress which was perfectly fitted on my slender body.
There was an awkward silence for roughly about a few minutes until the sales girl brought the clothes that had been packaged.
“The total is 10 million dollars, but your mom has paid for it already,” she said.
I turned my back and left.
********
‘Tomorrow!’
It was the day I had dreaded ever since my parents made the decision for me to marry Maxwell without my will. I closed my eyes as I momentarily thought of it once again.
A knock landed on my door around past 6 in the morning. As I reluctantly stood up, it was my mom.
Slowly, I opened the door and I let her in and a group of some make-up artists rushed in with her while bowing their heads.
"After she bathes, dress her up,” my mom ordered as she slammed the door.
In my wildest dreams, I have never thought for once of another man except Miguel.
I looked at the bunch of make-up artists who were eagerly waiting for me to bathe. I picked up my towel entered the bathroom.
The wedding today was inevitable ??
******
"Where is she?” Mrs Maldivi questioned as the silent room echoed back her words.
"Regina!”
"Regina!”
She called for the uptenth time while opening the bathroom to find out if she was there.
To the mini library, to her dressing room to her bedroom. She was nowhere to be found.
She had no idea of where she could be. Where could she be?
“What do you mean by that?” Mr Maldivi questioned and his voice showed nothing but tension.
"Immediately the make-up artist told me they were done, I left the room," Mrs Maldivi's voice showed nothing but the fear of the unknown.
"I got to her room, and I couldn't find her. I have sent the maids and the guards to also find her. They are still on the search looking for her. When she is not some sort of pin,” Mrs Maldivi ended her statement while staring into her husband's worried face.
**********
In the wedding hall
The hall was full to the brim as the thousands of guests were seated waiting for the wedding to start as soon as possible. The wedding had started and the groom was around at the end of the aisle.
"You may bring the bride,” the priest said again as the crowd watched in anticipation.
The door suddenly flung open and the crowd were about to bring up deafening sounds of claps when Mr Maldivi walked into the hall alone.
Alone!
Where was the bride?!
Whispers could be heard in the hall and even the priest himself looked shocked.
“We must call the wedding off,” Mr Maldivi's disappointing look stared at Maxwell's face. It was the first in his life he was so dragged in the mud.
“I'm so sorry, Mr and Mrs Maxwell, but the wedding must be called off. Regina is nowhere to be seen,” he ended his statement as he walked to the microphone which settled where the priest was standing.
"The wedding has been called off!” The crowd gasped in shock and at that moment the paparazzi walked in.
Mr Maldivi had never been so openly embarrassed and at that moment it felt like the ground should open and swallow him up.
******
She kept sobbing in his broad arms, as he held her by her waist. She was still sobbing all in tears.
"Since you have gotten here, you haven't said a word. Are you fine," Miguel asked as he kept looking at Regina who was wearing a wedding dress right in front of him.
"I love you Miguel, so I didn't marry him,” she said, while she continued sobbing, her head on his broad chest.
She gently took off the wedding gown and it revealed her fair skin more. He landed kisses on her soft neck, slightly moving downward as his grip was still held on her waist.
“Mig…uel " she finally called out to him while banging his chest.
"I'm not in the mood for this, please," she said as she slowly walked up to a chair.
*****
"What if she has been kidn*pped?” Mrs Maldivi's voice sprung up from the intense air that seemed to hover around the silent room.
"No, she wasn't!” Mr Maldivi's voice responded. “I watched the footage, she ran away.” He concluded as his wife stared at him in shock.
"I have sent men to bundle her from her stupid boyfriend's palace,” he said while pacing up and down through the silent room.
"I have never felt so humiliated before. The rate at which the crowd, the paparazzi ……..” he hadn't completed his sentence when his phone rang.
"Sir, we have found her,” the person on the other end spoke.
"Where is she?” He asked.
"At her boyfriend's place,” the voice responded once again.
"Bring her here to me this instant!” He ended the call and dropped the phone on the coach right at his front.
" Regina!”
- Writer
