Secrets and scandals

“Raya Christabell Bridges, do you take Raphael Juan Renolds to be your lawfully wedded husband?” The officiator asked.

“Yes I do.” Raya replied.

“Raphael Juan Renolds, do you take Raya Christabell Bridges to be your lawfully wedded wife?” He asked.

Raphael did not answer immediately, he did not want to marry Raya or anyone else for that matter but with the recent occurrences, his father’s sudden illness that had eventually led to his death, it made sense for him to honor the man’s last wish and marry Raya. After some minutes, Raphael finally replied.

“Yes I do.” He said with no sign of happiness in his face. The reception party followed, Raya felt like an outsider amidst Raphael’s friends and family, she did not really invite anybody she knew because of how bizarre her alliance with Raphael was, she was unsure of how she would explain to her friends that she was getting married to a man she barely knows.

Her mother, the one person Raya wished could attend her wedding, was still at the hospital not fully conscious. Arrangements have been made for her to be flown out of the country for treatment in two days time. Raya could not wait to see her after the wedding was over

*

“Don’t get any ideas in your head, we are only married by name, we both just have to endure this for about six months. Hopefully by then everyone will have forgotten that our wedding ever took place and we can both go back to our normal lives.” Raphael said as soon as they got back from the reception hall.

A part of him felt sorry for her, he knew she was only doing this to save her mother but yet again she was the one that made the decision to marry him, she could have taken a loan or something instead.

“Do not try to be a mother figure to my daughters, they already have a mother. Let’s both just try to endure each other until our time together is over.”

He added.

She nodded.

“Isabella will take you to your room.”

She nodded again.

RAYA’S POV

This is the first time I’m seeing my mother since… well since the incident at the hospital.

I’m a little nervous, the doctor said she’s stable now and so she can be flown abroad before the weekend ends. I have to tell her about my wedding… how does someone just blurt out that they are married?  I wonder what she would think?

“Mum!” I said excitedly immediately I got into her ward, I ran to hug her trying as much as possible to be gentle.

“My ray of sunshine.” she said with a frail smile as she hugged me back.

We just sat there chatting, catching up on old times. It felt good to talk to my mother, it almost seemed like we were back to the past, in our tiny little studio apartment, just happy without any of this sickness and pain.

I was about to leave when I remembered what I was going to tell her.

I don’t know how she’s going to take this, I just hope she is alright because I have to tell her anyway, I can’t keep hiding this from her, I need to tell someone I know.

“Mom…” I started in an unsure manner.

“Yes, pumpkin.” She replied tracing her fingers on the floral print painted on the table.

“Well.” I said again.

“I don’t really know how to start because its kinda unbelievable.” I fidgeted.

Now she had her whole focus on me, urging me to continue.

“Please don’t hate me.” I said with a nervous laugh.

“I could never hate you Raya, don’t ever think that. Just tell me what it is, we will figure it out together.” My mother said,

“Okay mom… I’m married to Mr. Renolds’ son.” I blurted out not giving myself time to get scared and back down

“What?!” My mother exclaimed. Looking more hurt than surprised.  The ward was completely silent for a long time before my mother started to speak.

“I knew this would happen, I should have told you… that man, Fredrick Renolds never backs down, even after taking your father away from me… us, he also wants to take you away from me.” My mother sobbed.

Nothing she said made sense to me, what does she mean? What?!

“Mom, what do you mean?” I asked. I could hear my heart beating very loudly.

“Your father did not die as a result of an illness. No. I’m sorry I lied, I just wanted us to move on from that, I wanted us to start all over again.

Nothing was going to bring him back so we just had to move on.” She said sobbing. I did not know what to do. I felt betrayed, like my life was all a lie.

“Your father used to work at a moving company.” She said,

“Yes I remember that.” I mumbled. I remember him getting into his small car every morning, I remember him giving me burritos he bought at his special Mexican snack shop every time he came back from work.

“He was fine… we were all fine until the day he went to work and did not return. I later found out from the stranger who had  rushed him to the hospital that he got hit by a car which was later discovered to be Fredrick’s.”

There was silence.

‘I had married the son of the man that killed my father’ I thought as tears streamed down my eyes.

“Miha.” My mother said, trying to hug me.

“Finish the story… I want to know everything.”

I said.

“Fredrick sent lots of money to try to compensate us.” She said with a humorless laughter.

“As if his stupid money could bring back my André.” She sobbed.

“After I pressed charges, I started getting threatened. I got a lot of death threats, I got into what seemed to be accidents twice, I don’t think they were accidents.”

“I was going to continue to take everything, nothing mattered more than getting your father the justice he deserved. That was until you got kidnapped, you were eventually found with a note threatening us again.”

“I knew we had to leave. We had to start afresh, so we moved away from Havenvile. I never thought he would find us here.” My mother sobbed.

I sat there mute, unsure of what to do or say. One thing is sure though, I can’t stay married to Raphael, I have to get a divorce and then give my father the justice he deserves.