Chapter 6: Worst Wedding Night

The wedding was finally over; following Victor to his home, which was just a few steps away from his family house, she trailed behind him like a shadow, silent and submissive; the air was heavy with a sense of dread, and she could feel her heart beating like a caged bird. Her gaze was fixed on the floor, afraid to meet his eyes, for fear of what she might see in them.

Victor halted when they got to the sitting room; he pulled off his suit and smashed it hard on the floor, yelling loudly and startling her.

His face was a mask of anger, twisted into a snarl of hate. His eyes blazed with a furious intensity, like two coals in a dying fire. He loathed his new bride with every fiber of his being, resentful of the marriage and the trick pulled on him, he felt stupid and humiliated. As he led her into their home, he felt his rage rise like a tidal wave, threatening to wash away any shred of humanity that remained in him.

" When do you plan this?", She could hear the hatred in his voice and shivered in fear,

" Plan what?",

" Don't play dumb with me", he yelled," when did you plan to trick me, whose plan was it?",

" What plan are you talking about?",

" Alice is supposed to be here, not you".

oh, so this was it, the reason for the anger; it wasn't me whom he wished to marry; it was Alice, of course. What was I thinking? Who would want a lady like me? I was so carried away in my fantasy to face the harsh reality.

He jolted her out of her thought by grabbing her chin roughly,

" Don't think you've won; I can never like not to talk of loving such an ugly duckling, I'm going to make Alice mine, so you better make yourself invisible," he dropped her chin roughly and walked away angrily.

Clarisse winced as she felt the pain in her jaw, she pulled off the heels and squatted on the floor right on the spot. Tears streamed down her cheeks freely, she cried with heartache as the feeling of rejection never gets old.

She was a fragile creature, lost in a world of darkness, and the weight of her new husband's cruelty pressed down on her like a leaden blanket.

*************************

Clarisse looked at her belongings; they were probably the smallest belongings a bride could ever have; she didn't wish to put on back her old clothes; they were old and worn out, but she had no other clothes to wear, and she couldn't keep on wearing an oversized wedding gown. She sighed and pulled off the gown, went to shower, and after that, she put on one of her old gowns.

She sighed and sat on the big king-size bed, not sure if it was safe to lie down on the bed, it looked so big and comfortable that she was tempted to jump on it but she felt like she was going to stain the bedsheet, she can't even remember the last time she slept on one.

She heard a knock at the moment and jumped on her feet.

" Who's that?".

A maid walked in and bowed slightly which she returned. She looked at Clarisse and furrowed her brow seeing the type of cloth she wore, it looked old with lots of patches, " on the order of Mrs Arthur, I'm to guide and show you around the house then bring you to the big quarters for dinner",

" Big quarters?" She asked, not understanding what she meant.

" Yes",

"O..okay", she answered and followed her out,

" What's your name if I may ask?",

" Alicia",

" Wow, that's a nice name, can I call you Ally instead",

" As you wish ma'am",

" Clarisse, that's my name",

" Okay, ma'am",

" I mean.. call me Clarisse, I'll prefer that",

" I'm sorry but we're not allowed",

" Don't worry, you can call me that when we are alone",

" Okay miss",

" Clarisse",

" Yes...", It wasn't comfortable for her but she appreciated the gesture. She showed her around, showed her where the kitchen was, and every other thing she needed to know. Clarisse gets to know that Victor stayed in the same compound with his family but in a different building; they all have their breakfast, lunch, or dinner in the bigger building where his parents and siblings stay, which means she'll get to see the family every day and for some reason, it made her feel uneasy.

" It's time for dinner," Ally said and took her to the dining area before leaving her to herself; she wished she would stay, but now she had to take the next step. She got to the room and felt all eyes on her. They faced their meal without saying anything, and she got confused about whether to keep standing or go and take her food and head to her room or sit and join them, but she wouldn't. That seemed rude.

" You're already late for dinner, are you going to keep standing there?", She heard her mother-in-law's voice say harshly,

" No mum", she said and walked towards them but Noely's response made her halt halfway,

" Mum? Who's your mother?",

" Huh?",

" From what I heard, they are dead, are you seeing ghosts?",

" I'm... I'm sorry ma'am", she apologized and bit her lips hard, looking at her feet.

" Ugh! I don't care about how you do it, I don't want to feel your existence in my home", she dropped the cutlery and walked away,

" It stinks here." Bree eyed her and left the dining room.

" You guys made me lose my appetite", Arthur followed.

The only person left at the dining table is Victor and his fury. He sprang up and walked briskly towards her, grabbed her hair as tight as he could, and dragged her back to their apartment.

" Ahh! Stop! Please stop! It hurt!", She cried holding his hand and begging him to stop but he was deaf to her, not until they got inside before he pushed her to the ground spraining her ankle in the process.

" What did I warn you about? Didn't I tell you to make yourself invisible?".

Clarisse remained on the cold floor sobbing.

" Count your days 'cause I'm going to kill you very soon", he threatened.

This is the worst wedding night.