The Untouchable Bride

Episode 5: The First Kiss

In a state of shock, Ella staggered into the living room, still clutching the knife, her cheeks wet with tears. Stephen, equally stunned, had never witnessed this side of her before. Ella had always been an easygoing and agreeable person, especially during their dating days, she always said yes to everything he said or requested of her. It was as if her world revolved around him, but now, she stood hysterical with a knife in her hand just because he tried to touch her.

Tears streaming down her cheeks, Ella confronted Stephen, her voice trembling with emotion. "What did I do to you?" She turned to face him, her eyes filled with a mixture of hurt and anger. "You left me at the altar, Stephen. You had numerous chances if you didn't want to marry me. Did you want to humiliate me? Is that it?" "Why, Stephen? What did I ever do to deserve this?" She turned her tear-streaked face toward Stephen, who remained stunned by her uncharacteristic behaviour. "You left me at the altar, Stephen, in front of everyone. You had plenty of opportunities to end things with me if you didn't want to marry me. Did you intend to disgrace me? TELL ME" she shouted.

Stephen, taken aback by the sudden outburst, finally managed to speak. He smirked and said, “Don’t play dumb, Ella. You know exactly what you did. You married my father, you traitor. You betrayed me, you betrayed us. How could you do that to me? To us?”. Ella shook her head and said, “No, Stephen, you’re the traitor. You’re the one who cheated on me, with my cousin, no less. You’re the one who left me at the altar, in front of everyone. You’re the one who broke my heart, who broke our promise. How could you do that to me? To yourself? To us?” She pointed at herself, then at him, then at both of them.

Ella scoffed and her voice quivered with pent-up emotions. "You expected me to be shamed and ostracized by family, friends, and society? Abandoned and discarded, all because of you?"

She fidgeted with the knife, trying to calm her racing heart. Ella felt a surge of anger and pain in her chest as she saw Stephen’s smug face. He looked like a snake, ready to strike. She clenched the knife in her hand, feeling its cold metal against her skin. She wanted to stab him, to make him bleed, to make him suffer. "You have the audacity to tell me that I'm finally showing my true colours? What 'true colours' are we talking about here? Shouldn't you be the one revealing yours?"

The room was charged with tension as Stephen remained silent, jaw clenched, and body trembling with fear. Ella, who had always been vulnerable and loving, was now in a terrifying rage.

He managed to say "How is that any different from marrying my father? Do you think you will be accepted anywhere as a married woman? Come on, don't tell me you think this is okay.

"You are not one to judge looking at the circumstance but first, let's hear your reasons," Ella spoke, surprisingly calm. She sat down, her gaze unwavering and her grip on the knife firm but no longer threatening. "Give me one convincing reason, one solid excuse, to stop me from throwing this knife at you."

Stephen was shocked, jaw agape, as he was suddenly thrust into a position of vulnerability. He fell to his knees, trembling, realizing the danger he had put himself in. It seemed to him Ella was going to do what she said.

"Why did you propose to me? Why did you cheat on me? Why did you leave me at the altar?" Ella's questions pierced the room, echoing with raw anger and pain.

Unbeknownst to both of them, Ronald, who had rushed home after calling Ella and sensing something was amiss after the phone call with Ella, stood quietly at the entrance, listening to their intense conversation.

Stephen hesitated, his voice unsteady. "I don't know when it started, but I started hating your voice. I made excuses to avoid seeing you and picking up your calls. Every time I heard a breakup song, I couldn't help but picture you in every one of them."

Ella raised an eyebrow, sceptical. "That's oddly specific and detailed. Is that all?" she asked Stephen.

Stephen took a deep breath. "No, there's more. The main reason was that I hated being around you after I saw you hugging that guy in the park. You even initiated a kiss, and don't you dare deny it." Stephen's voice grew louder as he revealed this piece of information. "I have the evidence to prove it."

Ella sighed and chuckled bitterly. "Let me guess, Rebecca provided that evidence, right? You didn't bother to ask or discuss it; you just jumped to conclusions."

Stephen tried to defend himself, but Ella continued. "What's more, you never really knew me, did you? If you did, you would have known that I have a brother who doesn't live in this town. come to think of it, you were never available for a conversation, so why did you propose to me in the first place?" Ella suddenly realized the signs had always been there yet she had ignored them.

A look of realization crossed Stephen's face as he recalled an incident. "That was a mistake," he admitted, his voice filled with regret. He had mistakenly sent the message intended for Rebecca about their proposal to Ella in the heat of the moment.

Ella nodded in understanding. “Indeed, it was a mistake. However, thanks to you for the error.” She said, with a hint of sarcasm and bitterness. She felt angry and hurt by Stephen’s betrayal, and she wanted to make him pay. She had a plan, and she was ready to execute it. She turned to Ronald and smiled sweetly. “You are here early.” She said, walking towards him. She ignored Stephen’s shocked and jealous expression and focused on Ronald’s surprised and pleased one. She reached him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Oh my love, I was just exhausted. Nothing to worry about." she got closer to him, helping him loosen his tie. Ronald raised his eyebrows in surprise. Not only had Ella called him his love, but also spoken to him tenderly, melting his heart. Was this it? He found his heart racing as he looked at him. "You got me really worried, wife", he said while swiftly moving a strand of hair from Ella's face. Feeling the heavy gaze on her, Ella ignored the presence of Stephen and enjoyed the reaction she got from him.

Ella after removing the tie, wrapped her arms around Ronald's neck. She kissed him passionately, making sure Stephen could see them. Ronald was stunned, but he didn’t resist. He kissed her back, feeling a surge of emotion.

The room fell into silence as Ronald and Ella kissed. Stephen, unable to comprehend what he was witnessing, turned and hastily left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Ella and Ronald finally broke away from their passionate kiss, both breathless and somewhat awkward. "Breathe," Ronald said to Ella with a smile, his own breath uneven. "I guess that was your way of proving a point to someone." He chuckled. Ronald could read Ella like a book.

Ella blushed, she was the first to break the silence. She cleared her throat and said, “I’m... I'm sorry... I don’t know what came over me. I didn’t mean to…” She trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.

Ella and Ronald pulled away from each other, feeling embarrassed and confused. They had just shared their first kiss, but it was far from non-romantic. It was passionate, awkward, and unexpected. They didn’t know what to say or do next.

Ronald shook his head and said, “No, Ella, don’t apologize. It’s not your fault. It’s mine. I shouldn’t have…” He also stopped, not knowing how to explain himself. Ronald then reassured her, "You really have nothing to apologize for, my dear. We're married, and this is perfectly normal for a married couple. You can use me as much as you want." He winked at her playfully and picked up his bag, heading upstairs.

They decided to pretend that nothing had happened, to act as if everything was normal, to ignore their feelings. They smiled awkwardly and said, “Let’s go back to the room. It’s getting late.”

They looked at each other, feeling a mix of emotions. They felt guilty. They felt curious, for wanted to know more about each other. They felt nervous, for not knowing how to act around each other. They felt hopeful, for sensing a spark between them.

They both wanted to say something, to express their feelings, to ask for another chance. But they were afraid, of being rejected, of being hurt, of being judged. They were stuck, in uncertainty and hesitation.

They walked upstairs together, keeping a safe distance from each other. They didn’t hold hands, they didn’t talk, they didn’t look at each other. They acted like strangers, not like lovers.

But they couldn’t fool themselves. They knew that something had changed, that something had started, that something had happened. They knew that they had kissed and that they had liked it. They knew that they had feelings for each other and that they couldn’t hide them. They knew that they had a problem and that they had to face it.