TWENTY-TWO: A GAMBLE CALLED LOVE.

Alexander stared at his reflection in the mirror as he had been doing for over ten minutes.

He held onto his tie, refusing to fasten the final knot and then move to what next he needed to do to get ready for work. Instead, he kept on staring at himself wondering if he was really going to have to be dressed in a similar suit in a couple of weeks from now but instead of going to work, would be walking down an isle in it.

Marriage.

He could feel a headache come up at just the thought of it. The thoughts of how his father had dismissed all of his preferences and all the promises they made and proceeded with his wedding arrangements like he wasn’t a major part of the whole event.

He wasn’t ready to get married. He wasn’t going to be ready in a few weeks. Or a few months. Or forever, in fact.

Especially not to a total stranger.

All he knew about his wife to be was her name alongside her father’s name. Vanessa Constantine, they said. He had no idea what she even looked like and genuinely was