Chapter 3

"WHAT?!"

She heard his girlfriend say from the other line when he told her everything.

"Are you joking? It's not funny, hon..."

She couldn't believe what he had told her.

"I made a deal so he wouldn't go to jail."

He said emotionlessly.

"The hell, Ali. Why did you do that? You don't have to take responsibility for her. Just give that slut some money, and I'm sure she'll leave your life...our life. Don't forget that you told me you were going to marry me. Please, hun...please don't do this."

His girlfriend's voice suddenly changed.

He knew that his girlfriend could be possessive over him. He should be the one feeling that way, but somehow, it seemed like it was the other way around.

He felt free when she went to Australia, but she called him every minute, and whenever he didn't answer her calls, they would end up fighting again.

"I'm a man of my word, Cass.

I said it, so I'll do it."

He said before hanging up the phone.

He immediately finished the contents of the bottle of rum he was holding.

He's just too tired of explaining things...especially this thing.

He didn't want his brother to go to jail and leave Ate Shelley alone. He knew that Kuya Darian would never be able to leave Shelly.

He also didn't want no one to take responsibility for what happened to Xen.

He knew what it felt like to grow up without knowing his father.

That child would never be complete without a father.

He had to sacrifice something for his decision, and he just hoped he wouldn't regret it in the end.

Yes, he loved Cass, but he was putting his family first.

SHE COULDN'T remember how her brother managed to convince her to marry Darian's brother instead.

It's so wrong.

You can't marry someone you don't love.

And she absolutely couldn't marry someone she was never supposed to marry.

She just stood in front of the mirror, staring at herself in her wedding gown.

It was Mrs. Veyne's wedding dress. She had Xen wear it because she said it looked beautiful on her.

"You look so beautiful, bes...

So jealous."

Cally said while fixing her wedding gown.

"What are you saying...stop with all your 'so jealous words'. If this happened to you, you wouldn't be happy about it."

She corrected her friend.

"I know...but you're lucky, you know. He still took responsibility for you. I'm really going to beat up that Darian. He's got some nerve. How dare he do this to you?"

She said with a frown.

"Lucky? Other people are looking at me like I'm a snake. Kuya Killian is taking responsibility for me, but what about his girlfriend? I heard they broke up because Kuya Killian is marrying me."

She sat down on the bed.

"Girl...it's not your fault if Killian chose you over his girlfriend. Maybe she was ugly."

Cally said with a laugh.

"But bes...don't think about that anymore. And another thing...stop calling Killian 'Kuya.' He's going to be your husband later, and you're still calling him Kuya?"

She shook her head.

"Then what am I supposed to call him?"

She knew Cally was just messing with her.

But this was just how that girl was, so she simply went along with it.

"You should call him hon...love, sweetheart, lovey-dove. Those kinds of pet names..."

She said jokingly.

"You're really something..."

"Bunso..."

Both of them stopped when the door opened and Lysander entered.

"I'm leaving now, okay? I still have to fix my makeup...hehe."

Cally said goodbye as she walked out of the room.

"It's all for you, baby...please forgive me for dragging you into this miserable life of mine."

He patted her head.

Maybe this child was the best thing that ever happened to her besides her brother.

She swore she would never let this child feel the sadness she had felt throughout her life.

Everything she never experienced with her family, she would give to her child.

That's how big her love was for this little one, even if she had never expected this child.

"Bunso?"

She turned when she heard her brother.

"Forgive me for being such a useless brother.

I wasn't there to protect you. I know you're angry at me because I'm making you marry Killian, but this is the only way to keep everything from falling apart. This is the only way for you to have what you can call a complete family for your child."

She absolutely understood her brother.

He had been the one who stood as both her father and mother ever since their parents died.

He was the only family she had left, so he had the right to do everything, even if she didn't want it, just to make her life better.

"I know, Kuya. I'm not angry at you. I understand you. You just want what's good for me...for us. The only thing I'm worried about right now is Kuya Killian."

She lowered her head.

"He has a girlfriend, and he's marrying me for a stupid reason."

"Shhh...it's his decision, Xen."

Her brother tried to calm her down.

"Look at you. You're so beautiful right now. If Mama and Papa were here—"

"I'd be dead."

She finished his sentence.

"No...they'd be happy to see you wearing a wedding gown, and they'd be the ones walking you down the aisle.

You know how understanding those two were, right?

Come on. They're probably waiting for you."

Her brother said with a smile.

He's right.

That's exactly what their parents would have done.

If only they were here.

The wedding began.

She was nervous as she stood beside Killian in front of the priest.

They were about to be bonded in front of God, and she just felt like she had sinned.

Her brother was there in the church, along with the rest of Killian's family, even Darian and his wife.

The two of them had already gotten married last week before their wedding.

Their family didn't believe in the superstition about siblings marrying too close together, so Darian and Shelly had gotten married immediately.

She was now one and a half months pregnant, and of course, she had been staying at her brother's place because she would be moving into Killian's house after this wedding.

The ceremony was quite long, and she didn't even realize that it was already time for them to exchange vows.

They faced each other, and Killian was the first to say his vow.

"I, Killian Theon Veyne, take you, Xevia Auna Wren, to be my lawful wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part. I will love and honor you in all the days of my life."

Killian said while holding her hand.

It was her turn now.

Could she really do it?

"I—"

"Stop this fucking wedding!"

Everyone stared at the church doors when they heard the shout.

It was a girl.

She thought maybe that girl was Kuya Killian's girlfriend.

She stared at Killian.

His brows were furrowed.

"Don't marry that slut! You stop this wedding or I'll leave you! You love me, right? Then come with me."

She opened her arms and stared directly at Killian.