Ep_3

"My beautiful Rena, you look so gorgeous today. Alvin won't be able to take his eyes off of you when he sees you haha."

Seated on the chair, Irene stared at the mirror when Leila was laughing out loud while helping her with her shoes. Dressed up in her wedding gown, Irene was supposed to be happy like every bride would be but all she felt was the uneasiness in her heart that kept growing deeper as the clock was ticking by.

Noticing the bride was so lost in her imagination, Leila snapped her finger before her eyes. "Babe are you even listening to me?"

Instead of answering her Irene pulled her hands in anxiety. "Everything will be ok right? What if something goes wrong and..."

Leila patted her shoulder, giving her a cheerful smile. "Of course, it will be. Don't worry too much, it's not like you slept with him on your own accord. You were just drunk. It was a mistake. Far more, Alvin is not a saint ei..." Leila cleared her throat, trying to change the topic.

After coming from the hospital, Irene told Leila everything about last night. Leila helped her relax and get ready for the wedding.

When they were talking, a middle aged man with a woman who was holding his arms entered the room. Their appearances were more like the guests rather than the bride's parents.

Upon seeing the couple, Irene turned to them. Looking at her stepfather Irene remembered their conversation at the hospital.

"I can't marry him, I have my own reasons. Please, dad." She pleaded.

"I don't care what your reasons are but if you back off from this wedding, say goodbye to your sick brother forever." David Thompson, her stepfather threatened her with her brother so in the end, Irene said nothing and chose to go with the flow.

"You look absolutely gorgeous, Rena." Alora, Irene's mother asserted so with an appreciative smile on her face.

"Thank you... Mom." Irene gave her a small smile.

Unlike other people, Irene didn't have a good relationship with her mother. When Alora and David told her to stay with them, Irene wanted to stay away but since she needed help for her brother, she accepted their help.

"Let's not waste any more time, we have to go now." David voiced.

Since Irene had been staying with them, David never tried to act like a father with her until they were with people. He made it clear to her from the first day that no matter what, he would never accept her as his daughter.

Irene suddenly missed her biological father so much. When she was a kid her father said he would give her hand to her husband but now, it all was impossible since he was no more.

Sigh!

Soon, the final moment has come. Walking down the aisle while holding David's arms, Irene could see Alvin waiting for her on the altar with a nervous smile on his face.

'Everything seems fine... as soon as I marry Alvin Mr Thomson will send the money for my brother's operation. I can't back out now. But why do I feel so uneasy in my heart? As if something bad is about to happen...'

Standing in front of Alvin, Irene looked at him from under her wedding veil for once. She really felt so bad as she saw his face from closer, the more she saw him the more she felt worst.

Irene could see everyone present in her wedding but she couldn't see Leila anywhere. In such a place where she had none to call as her relatives, she felt Leila was her all but she couldn't figure out where exactly did her bestie go now.

Irene kept her head down, pursing her lips when suddenly someone grabbed her hand. As she looked up, she saw Alvin smiling at her.

"Don't be nervous, I am right here." Holding her hand, he said so.

'I am so sorry, Alvin. I can't risk my brother's life. I'm sorry, please forgive me.'

Keeping her head down she let the droplets of tears fall down her cheeks. Irene never was treated nicely by others so she was happy when she got Alvin to be her husband but she never thought that her long dream to be a good wife and good mother would crash into pieces like this.

She hoped for everything to be over soon so she could go meet her brother.

When Irene was indulged in her thoughts suddenly something felt weird, the surroundings became too quiet including the officiant.

"How shameless! She should have been grateful that Mr. Wilson wanted to marry her yet she did such a heinous thing."

"Yeah, she looks so innocent. Who knew she was such a slut? She dared to cheat Mr Wilson, she should just die!"

The crowd was in a chaos. The moment Irene heard the gossip among the people she looked at Alvin. She saw he was staring at some photos in his hands. His gazes were those of anger and disgust.

"Alvin what's... What's wrong?" She tried her best not to stutter as she asked him.

Alvin like a statue stood there all silent. Feeling something was definitely up, she quickly took the photos from his hand only to be scared.

'How come...'

The photos dropped from her hand and she took a step back. Irene felt short of breathing as all the things that happened last night peeked at her memory again. She was afraid of this thing happening that actually happened now.

"Is that you in the photos?" Alvin asked, sounding cold and distant.

"I..." Irene couldn't even move. The way people were giving her those shameful looks as if they were disgusted at her...Irene didn't know what to say.

"I will not believe the photos. They can simply be photoshopped. If you say it's not you, I will trust you."

The look in his eyes hurt her more. Irene pursed her lips, she grew cold feet.

"Say something, don't stay quiet." He voiced, a little impatient.

"I... I can explain."

"There's nothing to explain. Just answer me, is that you in those photos?"

Irene didn't dare to look in his eyes.

"Alvin, I... I can explain it really..."

"Answer me, god damn!"

"Yeah... It-it's me." She answered in a shaky voice.

Alvin walked backward, though he kept a calm face but his eyes said otherwise.

"This marriage can't happen." Upon hearing what he said, she held his hand.

"Alvin, don't... please."

"I can't do this." Alvin didn't even look at her face, he walked away, leaving her alone at the altar.

Irene tried holding onto him only to fall down on her feet. She couldn't move when everyone's eyes were fixated on her. People were making all types of comments.

"If you don't marry him then say goodbye to your brother forever." Remembering what David told her, Irene pulled herself together and ran after Alvin.

"Alvin please. Take back what you said." She requested him, standing on his way.

"Move off the way."

"I know what I did is not forgivable but please, hear me out. I didn't k..."

"There's nothing to listen to. No matter what excuse you want to give, I don't want to hear it."

As Alvin still walked away Irene gripped onto her dress. Pursing her lips she said a little louder this time, "Some days ago, you slept with a woman in the hotel. I didn't even say anything. I pretended like I didn't see it."

"What?"

"I saw the news. If I can marry you even knowing that, why can't you marry me then?"

"I never knew you could be this disgusting. Were you taking revenge? And maybe you forgot it, I explained everything to you on the call that she had nothing to do with me. It was a fake news, so sleeping with another man can't be justified when I'm innocent here." Alvin asserted so.

Irene was taken aback, when did he call her and explained it? As far as she could remember after seeing the news, she got no calls from him. Though that day, her phone was with Leila most of the times but it was impossible for her bestfriend to play a trick, right?

"What are you saying? I didn't get any call from you."

"Keep lying if that makes you feel good. But let me tell you, after knowing how slutty you are, I will never marry you."

Irene wanted to die at the moment, though she lost her first time because of a mistake but she was of good character even Alvin knew that but... Irene really felt shameful as the other person had a side eye.

"Alv..."

Roughly grabbing her arms, Alvin stared in her eyes hatefully as he declared, "I am calling off this wedding right this moment. From now on, you and I have nothing to do with each other."

Saying so he pushed her away. As he was walking away, Irene sat on the floor. She felt too lonely, there was nobody on her side. What would she do now?

'The wedding is called off. How will I save my brother now? What should I do? Right, that man... Maybe he can help me tell the truth that I was really drunk... This is a business marriage, as long as I don't cheat Alvin will forgive me. Right, I need to find him as soon as possible.'