Two
1116 Words
“I can't believe this! You're undressing a man a few days before your wedding?”
“A horse doesn't come from a bird; I should have known she would ruin our family's name!”
“I can't believe this!”
“Father, uncle.” Laura's voice trembled, tears blurring up her vision, as she fondled with her fingers. She'd thought her father would never find her, but he miraculously found her location and caught her doing something suspicious. Laura took a few steps backwards, completely terrified by her father's glare, “You're getting it wrong.” she whispered, clutching her dress so hard her knuckles turned white, “Father, let me explain.”
“ Getting what wrong?!” Laura's uncle, Dominic Peterson, snapped, pointing his fingers at her. He was the one who had initiated her marriage with George for the benefit of the whole family, but he couldn't understand why Laura would choose to soil the family's name with her own hands. “A few days to your wedding and this is what you can think of? Giving your dignity to a young man?”
“Uncle, that's not true.” Laura whispered, her heart clenched with pain, “Can't you just believe me on this? Don't you care about me at all?” She raked her hands through her hair, hot tears slipping down her cheeks, “I don't want to marry George, yes. It's the reason I ran away from home. I deserve a life of my own, a choice to choose the man I want to spend my life with.”
“Laura Peterson!” Thompson, Laura's father yelled, “You have no right to choose. I'm your father, your guardian. I gave you life!”
Laura chuckled softly, “I've lived for you all my life, dad. For twenty four years I lived according to your rules, your words, your wishes. I'm almost twenty five! Can't you allow me to make this one decision?” She'd never thought she would challenge her father this way, but what could go wrong? She might get smacked on the face, but it was better than selling her happiness.
“Did you just yell at me?” Thompson asked, a bewildered look on his face, “Laura—” he shook his head, lost for words as he stared at his own daughter. He balled his hands into fists, “I can't believe this.” He cast a quick glance at Ethan, who seemed unconcerned by the family argument, “He has been misleading you, right?”
Laura sighed, “leave him out of this, dad. Please.”
Dominic flipped his attention to Thompson, “you didn't teach your daughter well, I'm telling you. How could she be—”
“That's it!” Thompson growled, glaring hard at Dominic, “Laura, you're coming with me. You're getting married tomorrow and that's it. No more silly excuses.”
Lily's heart dropped, “father.”
“You're a disgrace to this household, Laura. I can only imagine how many more men you've done this disgraceful act with. ” Dominic spat.
“Uncle, I found him drowning. Was I meant to watch him die?”
“And you expect me to believe that?” Thompson growled, taking slow strides towards Laura, “Your mother and I have been so embarrassed to step out, but you're here, lazing around like you have no responsibility!” He raised his hands and Laura flinched, anticipating the sharp pain on her cheeks, but it never came.
Silence.
God damn silence.
“Are you going to slap your own daughter?” Ethan's cold voice rang out, his grip on Thompson's hand tight.
Thompson’s eyes widened with shock, “You—”
“Ha, Laura, you're a disgrace to the Peterson household!” Dominic yelled, embarrassed to the core, “I really can't believe this.”
Laura’s gaze lingered on Ethan's fingers which were tightly wrapped around her father's, “re…release his hand.” She whispered, clutching her dress tightly, “release him now.”
Ethan furrowed his brows, taken aback by the woman's weak voice. Not only did she have a weak voice, she was emotionally weak as well. She'd been crying ever since her father barged into the room, embarrassing her like a teenager.
At the same time, a few men rushed into the room, “Mr Peterson, are you okay? We heard a small groan.” The head bodyguard, Silas, asked and Thompson shook his head, pointing at Ethan, “drag that bastard out of here!”
In one swift movement, Ethan got off the bed and punched the head bodyguard in the gut, calmly watching as he fell to the ground. It was only a punch, but Silas felt like he'd been crushed by a moving truck, rendering his whole body weak for a few minutes.
Thompson's eyes turned blank, “drag the bastard!” He yelled, facing the other bodyguards.
With each man that stepped forward, Ethan gave them the beating of their lives. In just a few seconds, groans and yells filled the whole space.
Laura ran towards him, pulling his hands away, “that's enough.”
“You bastard, I'm definitely going to disown you!”
“Father, stop this, will you?”
“Your marriage with George still holds.” Dominic snapped, before walking out the door.
Theodore sucked in a breath, his gaze lingering on his daughter, “You have only one day left, Laura. Your marriage will be held the day after tomorrow.”
Laura's heart trembled, as she turned to Ethan, “this is all your fault! You shouldn't have done that.” She yelled, but she got no response. Ethan became heavy and she realized that he'd just lost his consciousness!
While her father and uncle proceeded outside the room, Laura continued caring for him, wiping his body with some warm water. “I shouldn't have blamed him.” She whispered, wiping his forehead, “He was only trying to help.” her gaze lingered on his stricken features, his plump lips and the small scar on his brows.
When he had saved her earlier, her heart skipped a beat, something that's never occurred before. She was mesmerized by his act, but she knew more than to dwell on the silly feeling.
Laura focused on wiping his body and as she did, she found something peeping from the pocket of his shirt. Curious, she picked up the emblem and stared at it for a few seconds, “he sure is full of surprises.” She sighed, placing the emblem away, not knowing how important that tiny piece of emblem was.
- Writer
