If There's Another Life

Chapter 4: The Storm

Bella suddenly clutched her forehead and fainted, calling out Nate’s name. Gasps ensued from the crowd.

Whitney rolled her eyes.

“Ok, here we go again. The drama queen, going ahead to prove what I was talking about” Whitney face palmed

Celine was just about to go help Bella up when she saw something that made her freeze in shock.

Guests rushed to help Bella up, Nate among them. His hands lingered far too naturally on Bella’s waist as he helped her to her feet. Too naturally for Damien’s sharp eyes.

Damien clenched his teeth. His fists curled into a ball at his side. Watching Celine bite her lip in nervousness, smiling as though she didn't see anything, while Nate was all over Bella, was enough to set his whole blood boiling.

“Pathetic,” Damien muttered under his breath.

Celine turned sharply. “What?”

“I said pathetic” Now visibly angry.

His gaze turned to her, aloof as ever. “You’re letting them make a fool of you.”

Her chest burned. “And how exactly does that concern you?”

For once, emotion flickered across Damien’s usual aloof face, his voice was low, harsh. “More than you know.” Then he stormed out,angrily slamming the door behind him, while Ray quickly followed behind him.

Whitney blinked, stunned. “What the hell was that about?”

Celine forced a laugh. “Just Damien being Damien. Nothing new.” But her heart thudded painfully, she just couldn't put her fingers around it.

“You know I wasn't referring to Damien,” Whitney grabs her hands to get her attention.

“It's nothing, let's just go home, you know I have a big day ahead of me tomorrow.” She looked into Whitney's eyes to reassure her.

“Sure, let's go.”Whitney replies, places her hand in her arm and leads her out, leaving Nate and Bella behind.

—

*At Celine's house… *

Later that night, Celine laid in bed thinking about the series of events that occurred earlier.

“You’re letting them make a fool of you.” She remembered Damien saying she didn't know why it hurt her to see him slam the door and leave earlier.

“Why am I still awake, thinking about another man at night, when my wedding is literally in a few hours?” Celine shrugs the thought off and goes to sleep.

The morning of the wedding dawned too beautifully for what was about to happen to Celine. The air had a nice floral, sweet scent with flowers, and the Smith estate glittered with white ribbons and golden chandeliers.

The arriving guests, in their elegant dresses,were ushered in. Some people began whispering in hushed voices, talking about how beautiful and perfect Celine looked in her wedding gown.

Celine smiled at all the incoming guests however deep down inside her, she felt like something was wrong, her chest felt tight. Maybe it was just her nerves.

Nathaniel stood beside her, looking as handsome as ever in his tuxedo suit.

“To our eternity, my love,” He said, with his eyes gleaming, but if Celine had looked a little more closely, she might have seen the guilt hidden behind them.

Whitney stood nearby, watching the couple.Bella had been acting strange all morning.

The clinking of glasses' echoed, due to different people toasting around them.

Nate then turned to a nearby waiter he had arranged earlier to give him the poisoned champagne and handed it over to Celine.

“A toast, to us,” he said, in a seductive voice.

She lifted the glass, smiling faintly, and took a sip. The taste was sweet at first, then bitter, almost metallic, her taste buds feeling all over the place.

Her throat tightened, “It seems like I've felt this feeling before, but when exactly?” Celine looked up to Nathaniel in confusion.

“Is everything all right?. Why are you looking at me like that?” Nathaniel asked, acting like everything was alright.

Moments later, the music began to slow down and fade, the chattering from the people around her grew faint. Her legs weakened almost instantly. She clutched her chest, struggling to breathe.

Nate’s hand reached out to steady her. “Relax, you’re just feeling a bit overwhelmed,” he said slowly increasing his tightening grip on her arm. To the guests, it looked like a cute, protective gesture. But Whitney caught the sign of a smirk in Bella’s face across the room.

Later, when the celebration had diminished, Bella cornered her.

Celine stumbled her way into the garden, intending on catching her breath by the moonlight reflecting on the fountain. The sharp click of heels on the gravel stone broke the silence of the garden.

“Bella? What, what are you doing here?” she stuttered.

Bella’s red lips curved into a cruel smile. “Oh, it's nothing, just wanted to give the bride to be, sorry the Bride, her wedding gift.” Bella looked at Celine's face and smiled sweetly.

From her purse, she pulled out her phone and pressed play. A video filled the screen, it was Nate, the man she had promised her heart and body to, tangled in passion with Bella herself.

Celine froze. Her stomach churned, her hands trembling. “No… no, this isn’t, this can't be real, THIS CAN'T BE REAL” Celine cried out hysterically

“It is,” Bella sneered, enjoying every moment of Celine's suffering and reveling in her pain.

“He never loved you. Did you really think the Smith family’s precious doll was enough to keep him satisfied?”

“Well let me answer that for you,” Bella said, laughing uncontrollably. “No, and by now I trust you must already be experiencing the effects.” She smirked

“What effects?”Celine asked, her voice quivering.

“Why of course, the effects of the poison, didn't you feel like something was wrong earlier, immediately after taking that drink Nate gave you earlier?

Tears streamed down Celine’s cheeks. She staggered back, her heart broken into pieces.

Bella stepped closer, her voice a low whisper laced with hatred. “The funniest part? The one man you hated the most is probably the only one who could have saved you. Too bad you’ll never know.”

Celine’s eyes widened. “What are you talking ab—”

Before she could complete her sentence, Bella suddenly pushed her, causing her to fall into the pool of water behind her. She screamed as icy water covered her, entering her nostrils and causing her to sink, pulling her down.

She struggled at first but then slowly she lost her strength,her willpower already long gone,darkness closed in, her lungs burned. Just before her vision gave way, she felt strong arms trying to pull her out, wrapping around her desperately.

But it was too late.