Her Peculiar Husband

CH 4 || Two Choices

Olivia

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FLASHBACK CONTD….

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“I think she ran away.” The make-up artist Maggie was worried. She was confident Ava had eloped but I didn’t want to even think about that. I was confident that she would arrive anytime.

“She must be on the way and her phone must be discharged.” Ray gave us a glint of hope. I nodded at her and again tried to call Ava.

“Try calling her friend. I am confident she would be with her friends." Mia tried to assure an already wired self of mine.

"Her friend's number is on my phone and it's in the office," I replied, panicking.

We were pondering on how to deal with the troublesome situation when Mia’s phone in my hand rang. Mike was on the other end. He had reached the venue earlier. When he came to us we narrated everything to him.

Mia and Mike decided to leave for my office as the only way to reach Ava was my cell phone.

I asked everyone present in the room not to tell anyone about Ava's absence. Chipping in for Ava for a few hours wasn't any tough nut to c***k only if I knew what was in store waiting for me.

After assuring the artists that the bride would be back soon I went down to check whether other arrangements were done nicely or not.

The hallway where Ava and Noah were to take vows was decorated with lilies. The path that was about to lead Ava to her future spouse was covered with red rose petals. I wasn't in favour of that. Who would want to walk on those lovely flower petals but that was the Queen's demand and I had to oblige unwillingly.

Beside the pathway were long benches with white satin cloth wrapped around them. All those benches looked like brides. The wedding was undoubtedly going to be extravagant.

I could picture Noah and Ava hand in hand, with love and adoration for each other in their eyes taking holy vows in front of everyone. Though I had never seen Noah Miller but was certain he would be great in personality otherwise why would Ava agree to marry him?

They say Noah was arrogant, would seldom smile but who would not smile on their wedding day.

Ava was the kind of girl who would change her boyfriends every other year. The news of her wedding was announced at the charity ball hosted by Will Brown, the famous industrialist and I was in for a shock. The most appalling part was everyone in my family knew except me. I didn’t question them though. Truth to be told, I least cared about Ava's life's happenings.

Though Alicia Aunt was supportive. She even scolded her daughter for hiding the truth from me. I would perpetually think what was the reason she was kind to me but then would shrug the thoughts thinking she must be genuinely kind.

I was deeply lost in my fictitious world when someone tapped my shoulder by calling my name.

"Miss Olivia." I found a staff member of the venue when turned around.

"You are being called in the bride's room." the staff informed me.

I didn't have to wonder who it would be. I was glad Ava was back otherwise I would have been roasted alive. But the bubble of sheer satisfaction was burst the moment I stepped inside the bride's room.

There weren't the stylists like before instead were my family members. Ava's mother Alicia Aunt looked perturbed. She was sitting on the cushioned couch placed beside the bride's sitting area.

Alex Parker, Ava's father, had a solemn expression. He was standing behind Alicia Aunt. His hand on her shoulder as if trying to placate her. I gulped when the only reason for their early availability struck me.

A little left to where Ava's parents were stood my mother, Oriana with a cigar trapped between her index finger and thumb. Her expression was illegible but the rolled bundle of tobacco hinted she was tense.

She had always been indifferent to me, even when I came out of her womb only.

Before I could roam my eyes to find the one person I was scared of the most I felt a stinging pain on my left cheek. I stumbled because the force of the slap was intense.

"Jack," Alex shouted, taking my father's name.

"Don't stop me today." Jack, my so-called father roared. That disgusting, threatening voice of his tremored me. Tears came into force and were all ready to fall out of my brown eyes.

"This bloody b***h is of no good." He seethed before gripping my hair in his fist.

"Wha...what did I do?" I stuttered.

"Why didn't you pick up your phone? Do you have any idea how many calls we did to you?" My eyes clenched tight. I wasn't brave enough to look straight into the demon's eyes. Tears spilled out by force. Sobs already in the queue to leave but I forbade them from doing so.

Finally able to form words I spilled out, "I...I.. was with Mia."

"So? It was your sister's marriage. You were supposed to be at home. But no you were out maybe f*****g men out there just like your mother." He yelled.

Humiliation had become my best friend. Every moment spent with my father was disgraceful for me. No father I knew ever talked to his daughter the way Jack used to. He was aware of where I was the night before yet he created a scene. I had strived harder to find out the reason behind the enormous hate he carried for me but I failed every time.

"Don't you dare pull me in?" My mother shouted back who had only one quality, selfishness. If ever got the chance she would even sell me for her benefit. For her only two things were important, first, Parker’s money and the second herself.

"Why? The truth sting doesn't it?" Jack pushed me aside before he took long strides towards my mother.

“If you wouldn’t have given birth to this w***e things would have been better, but no, your cunt needed a d**k so desperately that you even forgot to take contraceptives.” The tale of my unfortunate birth was discussed flagrantly in front of my eyes. It was awful hearing your parents fighting over what could have been done to prevent my birth. I put my hands over my ears, refraining from hearing their argument. My whole body started trembling with anger and fear but the very next moment Aunt Alicia shouted at my parents, "Enough."

"We aren't here to solve your marital issues," she added further in her threatening tone. I had never seen her that furious in my life.

"Alex," she motioned her husband. Taking her cue Alex took Jack and Oriana out of the room leaving me and Alicia Aunt behind. I was still shaking with anger. My tears flowed out as if there was no boundary left to hold them back.

I slumped on the chair placed and cried hysterically covering my face. Seconds passed, and then minutes.

Unlike all the time I wasn’t comforted by Aunt Alicia. She wasn’t to be blamed though. I could understand that till when someone would console the one whose even parents despised her presence. When I controlled my emotions, I was handed a glass of water by Aunt whose expression was unreadable to me. Her face was laced with a stony expression.

I took the glass of water from her and drank it all in one go before I kept it on the table beside me. Aunt Alicia pulled another chair and sat in front of me. She crossed her legs such that her right one rested on her left and said, "Olivia, I guess you must be aware Ava isn't here."

"She..she must be at her friend's house. Mia and Mike had gone to...." I was trying to take Ava's back but I was too late. "She ran away Olivia." Saying this Aunt Alicia gave me a letter. The handwriting was of Ava. She had written she didn't want to be a part of the deal and whatnot.

I cannot for the life of me understand a single word of the letter except for the last line where she had mentioned she can't deal with the s**t going on.

After I was done I looked at her tongue-tied. I feared what would happen when the word of Ava’s absconding would reach the world. But Aunt Alicia had a plan prepared which was in a way going to wreck my life.

"We can't stop this marriage, Olivia. This marriage has to happen. Millers needs Parker's bride and they will get one. If not Ava then it will be you."

I sat there with a pallid face. I wondered whether I was hearing things. To verify if my hearing ability was still at par I pointed my index finger towards me before questioning, "Me?"

“Yes, you,” she replied. Her statement sounded no less than any order.

Continuing further she said, "You have two choices: either let the family who raised you all these years be ruined or save them."