The Untouchable Bride

Episode 2: The Wedding Night

Ella and Ronald walked down the aisle, hand in hand, defying the expectations of the entire congregation. Their union was met with a mix of reactions, from curious glances to raised eyebrows. When they reached the altar, they exchanged vows, each saying "I do" in turn to what the priest asked of them. The atmosphere was charged with tension and uncertainty. Ella, still overwhelmed by the sudden turn of events, grappled with her emotions. Ronald, on the other hand, carried the weight of responsibility and a determination to protect her from further harm.

The priest pronounced them husband and wife, and they proceeded to recess with the priest after the marriage ceremony. They took pictures with the people present, yet Ella could not focus as her mind roamed, trying to navigate the new situation and the congratulatory messages she received alongside her new title as Mrs Welbeck. She could feel the weight as people tried to have conversations with her yet spoke behind her back. Exhausted, Ella and Ronald excused themselves, leaving their reception party earlier than expected for their new home.

After the ceremony, Ella and Ronald retired to their new matrimonial home, as husband and wife, which happened to be Ronald's three-story-building mansion with a duplex and a backyard. As they arrived at the brown gate, Ella's gaze moved to look at the mansion in front of her, which was to be her new home. She used to come here for visits, and now she was going to live here with Ronald.

As Ronald walked her to the living room, Ella broke down on the floor at the entrance, crying uncontrollably. Ronald left her, walked past her, and went to the bathroom to take a bath since it had been a long day for him as well. After hours of letting her emotions out through tears, Ella's mind raced with doubts and questions about this marriage. She then stood up and walked into Ronald's room to confront him about her concerns while demanding answers about his motivations. She didn't understand why 'Uncle Ronald' would suggest marrying her.

Getting closer to the bedroom, Ella inhaled deeply at the door before knocking. After knocking for what felt like an eternity, Ronald responded with a simple "come in." Stepping into the room, Ella took in her environment: the setting of the room with a couch, study table and chair far in the left corner and a king-sized bed on the right. The room was painted grey, which was an odd colour compared to the living room, which was bright and colourful. "You like what you see, huh," Ronald said when he noticed she was looking around. This drew Ella's attention to him, her jaw-dropping.

. "OH MY GOD! You are naked!" "Just half naked," Ronald said, laughing while drying his hair with a towel. He had stepped out of the bathroom in a haste to answer her knocking. He didn't know how to face or how to deal with the situation and was thinking, leading to hours of bathing. He had always felt the need to protect her, and seeing her shaking at the entrance of the church due to his son led to the hasty decision.

Dropping her hands which covered her face, Ella realized Ronald indeed was just half naked because he wore the pants of his pyjamas with his chest and abs showing. "How can an old man have these sexy abs and muscles?" Ella whispered to herself. "What did you just say?" Ronald asked when he realized her mouth was moving up and down. "Nothing," she replied and scolded herself internally. "Focus, Ella." She slapped her cheeks lightly, then turned to face Ronald, who was now seated on the bed, looking at her flustered face.

"Why did you get married to me? I don't understand. I could have gone by with the same as being abandoned at the altar." Ronald raised his brows, looking deep into her and making her waver. "Well, maybe not, but that has got nothing to do with you. Stephen is your son. Are you trying to cover up for what he did to me? Why did you even propose this marriage? What do you get out of this? Am I some sort of tool for your family to just toss around?" She paced back and forth as she talked. "Slow down," Ronald said. "No, I can't do that. I have been thinking about this but could not arrive at an answer. You were always good to me, but I can't explain this." She pointed to his finger, then hers, which bore both wedding rings.

"First of all, I have no ill intentions towards you," Ronald started to speak, but Ella cut in. "Yet you make me the laughingstock of everyone." "How is that so? This marriage is where you have wealth and freedom, which I know you did not have before compared to living off the streets with nothing, because trust me, you would have been sorrier," Ronald said as he walked past her to sit on the couch while waiting for her to speak. "It still does not answer my question. Why did you marry me?" Ella asked. "Why did you agree to the marriage?" Ronald threw a question back at her.

She breathed in and out to prevent herself from crying again. This wasn't what she expected, but he was right. She agreed to the marriage and had no right to question him when she was part of the decision-making. She would have definitely ended up on the streets with nothing. "Where do I sleep tonight?" She turned to face Ronald, who was in heavy turmoil, trying to use his tablet to cover his face and emotions. "You can sleep on the bed, and I will take the couch." "Can't I sleep in my... my... old room?" Ronald had allocated a room for her every time she slept over while dating her son. "My son is bound to come anytime, and I wouldn't want him to think his parents are sleeping in different rooms," Ronald pointed to the rings on their fingers and smirked, leaving Ella stunned as she found his smile beautiful and the statement endearing.

She walked to her old room and packed some essentials she would need to spend the night. She then entered Ronald's room, which they now shared, then went to the bathroom to take a bath. She wore thick nightwear, and when she came out, Ronald burst into laughter seeing her. "It's Summer; do you really have to dress like that?" he said while sizing her up from head to toe. "Don't laugh, Uncle Ronald." Ronald froze at the name. "Really? Wife. Do you have to call me uncle?" he stood and got closer, lifting her chin up for her to face him. Ella blushed. "How should I call you then?" he inhaled her scent, moved a step back, then said, "You decide, but Uncle is out of it." "I can't just call you by name; you are way older than me and could be my dad." "I am just 18 years older than you." He protested. Ella's jaw dropped agape. "That's almost two decades." He shook his head while laughing. "Suit yourself, El, but uncle is out of it." He went back to his tablet while musing over their future ahead. Ella, on the other hand, retired to bed, stealing glances at Ronald and thinking of the new sides of him she saw today. She was stunned. He called her El. "Only her parents called her that".

Every wedding night was presumed to be full of happiness and ecstasy, yet Ella's wedding night was different. It started with her outburst in the living room and then her conversation with Ronald. Now what? She contemplated while lying down, picking up her phone from the side table, and looking through her photos again. Opening the videos she had secretly locked, she began to sob all over again. Ronald raised his head from his tablet and shook his head when he spotted the tears in her eyes. "I guess I married a crybaby," he sighed as he placed his tablet on the side table.

"I just can't believe Stephen did this to me. There were no signs." She lamented. "Are you sure, or did you ignore the signs?" Ronald asked, to which she responded, "He is your son? How could you say that?" "Well, that's the reason I'm asking," Ronald said. "What do you mean?" Ella stirred awake and sat on the bed. "Nothing," Ronald said, "what's your plan now?" he then probed. "I have no plan," Ella said as she returned to lying down. "Take your time then," Ronald said as he turned the light off. "Good night." They bid each other.

Just like that, the wedding night went by in silence, with Ella thinking of how to live her new life and Ronald thinking of how to protect Ella from what was to come. Their journey was just starting.