Chapter 4 - No one can take your place

~~ Everyone has a chapter that they don't read out loud ~~ 

Phewww!!! 

Valentina sighed as she gazed at her image in the mirror. Dressed up in a shimmering white bridal gown with a veil covering her face and trailing behind like a fish tail. 

She wasn't feeling weird like the other times. This time her heart was racing fast as if warning her of something good. It was two days after her mom announced her marriage. And now she was here getting ready to marry her mysterious groom. She didn't know why her mother was hell bent on getting her married. Since she turned 18, her mother has been bringing proposals for her which she successfully denied because somehow the prospective guy had some faults. Two months back before her 20th birthday, her mom announced her engagement with one of her colleague's sons. Valentina couldn't find any fault in that guy. So she did the thing which no one could imagine. She got the guy kidnapped and held him captive till the engagement ended and everyone blamef the groom's family that the groom ran away. She then made a fuse saying the groom ran away just before their engagement. 

Mrs. Constance got to know about that lately. But she couldn't do anything about it now. She knew her daughter was a trouble maker. She was ecstatic when her father's best friend approached her with his grandson's proposal. She was even more happy when she got to know about some of the facts and untold chapters which she was unknown to. Mrs. Constance happily agreed to the proposal as her daughter couldn't find someone better than HIM. 

Valentina grabbed her gown and went towards her drawer. She bent down and opened the second drawer and took out a picture. 

"You are supposed to marry me. I even gave you my first kiss. Now see, I need to kiss someone else and get married to him. Arghhh!! Why does mom want to get rid of me so soon? Just wait and see, the day when I'll find you, I'll divorce my so -called husband and elope with you." 

Valentina made a promise to herself. She has loved only one person and will always love him no matter what happens. 

"My baby!!!" 

Valentina heard a voice and turned around. She saw her mom with teary eyes standing by the door. She stood up and walked near her. Mrs. Constance cupped her face and lovingly kissed her forehead. 

"Mom, why are you doing this?" 

Valentina asked in a helpless voice. 

"I just want to protect you from your father, baby. Nothing else." 

Valentina sighed and nodded her head. She knew what type of man her father was. She also knew her mom had more reasonable reasons to get her away from this place. 

"You will never regret my decision, baby. Don't worry." 

Mrs. Constance said and held her hand. She led her outside with the help of a few beauticians. 

*****

° Xavier POV ° 

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND? WHAT THE HELL DID YOU THINK BEFORE DOING THIS?" 

My anger knew no bounds when I heard what the old man was sprouting. 

"My decision is final. Today is your wedding and get ready in the black suit. You have 30 minutes to get ready." 

My nose flared in anger. I banged the nearby glass table that caused my hand to bleed and the glass to shatter in a million pieces. 

Last night, we flew to Country B to attend the wedding about which Mr. Night didn't tell me anything. Now I'm here at the wedding venue. I was shocked when I saw my name attached with some other name, most probably the bride's name. The most surprising thing was that I'm the supposed groom of the bride whom I don't know. 

Now, I'm standing in front of this old man demanding some explanation about that ruckus he has caused. My mom and Lara stand beside him. Their faces said everything that they knew about this setting from the start. 

"Don't cause any trouble here and get ready. Or else, you don't know what I'll do." 

I looked straight into that old man's eyes which showed nothing but coldness. 

"What will you do?" 

I challenged him to which he gave off a sinister smile and pulled out something from his pocket, 

"I heard that you brought a plot somewhere in country B. You even paid 10 times more than its actual price. I hope you won't mind if I take back the plot as basically I'm the owner of it and build a villa there to live in." 

No,no,no he can't do this. He can't snatch that plot away from me. I had to work hard to buy that plot. The owner was never ready to sell it. When he decided to sell, I didn't waste a second before buying it. But how come this old man is now the owner? 

No, I can't let him take away the plot. The plot has my most beautiful memories with dad and someone special, someone close to my heart after my dad. 

I fisted my bloody hands that made blood drip down from my knuckles. I stared at him with my bloodshot eyes and stated coldly, 

"I'll do what you say. In return, you won't do anything to that plot. You won't even wander around it." 

I pointed my finger at him. 

"I don't even want that useless plot. It's just to convince you." 

That old man said with a malicious smirk. Oh!! How much I wanted to wipe that smirk off his face. 

He went away after instructing mom to help me out. 

"Xavier,,," 

Mom said as she held my bloody hands. I sat motionlessly on the bed and she tended to my hand. 

Lara brought the first aid box. I was so indulged in my thoughts that I didn't care about what was happening. 

"Why does he hate me so much?" 

My voice came out as a whisper as I looked at mom and questioned her. 

"Xavier, your grandpa doesn't hate you. Whatever he does, there is a reason behind it. If he planned to get you married, then there is something good for you in it. I saw the girl. She is beautiful, well-behaved and kind. And moreover you are 29, Xavier. You need someone to stay with you, take care of you. I agreed with your grandpa because if he hadn't done it then I would have never seen you exchanging vows and could have never seen you living your life just like before. Trust me, Xavier. You will never regret your grandpa's decision." 

Mom explained to me emotionally. She was right in some places. But what about my heart? What about this beating organ that beats for someone else? Someone else resides here. How can I marry this unknown girl when I love someone else in my heart? 

I ushered mom and Lara to go out. They both denied at first but seeing my state they went away giving me some time. 

I sat down on the floor pulling out my wallet from my pants pocket. I opened it and an anklet fell down giving off a jingling sound. 

"I'm doing this only for you. I know I can never get you. But I can't let that place slip away from my hand which holds our precious memories. I'll always cherish our memories. I'll always love you. No one can take your place. No one means no one."