Chapter 226: I Will Take What Is Mine
Chapter 226: I Will Take What Is Mine
As Noah slipped the ring on Nancy’s finger, he suddenly froze, and his face turned white.
“What’s the matter?” implored Nancy.
“You haven’t said yes yet, and already I’m putting a ring on your finger,” he muttered. “I’m sorry, that was presumptuous of me…”
Nancy could see the disdainful look in Paul’s eyes, and it made her laugh. She thought - I did not realize that I held so much power over him. If I had known sooner, I might have done something with it... Oh, well. There’s no time like the present!
With a giant grin on her face, Nancy touched Noah’s hand and said, “You are so silly.
Of course, I will marry you.”
“This is great!” Crystal exclaimed. “Now, the two of you can be in the wedding photos!”
There had been nothing to Nancy’s first wedding. It was just a means to an end. She had told herself that if they loved each other, nothing else was important. She had lied to herself, though. Like every woman, she longed to have the wedding that she had dreamed about ever since she was a little girl. The worst part about not having that ceremony was that Paul could have afforded the grand to give it to her, but he refused to do it. It was not until much later that she figured out why he had been so cheap. It was because he had not loved her, and he had planned to drop her as soon as she dropped a child.
Since then, Nancy had given up on having the wedding of her dreams. Thus, she was ecstatic to be a part of this wedding, even if it was a hoax. She stood up quickly, but she forgot about her injury in her excitement, and Noah had to steady her with his hands.
Noah: “Are you this anxious to marry me?”
Nancy: “I’m excited to wear a wedding dress and to have you help me into it.”
Noah hugged tightly, and the grin that appeared on his face was like that of a hungry Cheshire cat. “I can do that,” he said.
His words made her swoon, and she bit her lower lip lustily. It was evident why Crystal had chosen Noah to be her partner. Not only was he ruggedly handsome, but he was also a real charmer. Nancy took his hand and said, “Alright, let’s go.”
Crystal had been about to change into her second wedding dress, so she followed them to the area that had been designated for changing. She had not made it far, though, when Eric grabbed her from behind. He pulled her into a warm embrace and said, “You are pretty. Kiss me.”
“Crystal rolled her eyes and gently punched him in the face. It did not hurt, and as her hand returned to her side, he grabbed it and kissed it.
Meanwhile, Paul was beginning to feel like the fifth wheel. He could not believe that Nancy was willing to marry a complete stranger, and as he watched them together, he thought - She doesn’t know anything about him! Suddenly, he found it hard to breathe, and it seemed like the world was closing in on him. For the first time in an exceptionally long time, he had a panic attack.
****
The fitting room door opened, and Nancy came out wearing a white wedding dress. Her skin was shining white, and the similarity between her and a porcelain doll made everyone in attention tremble uncontrollably.
Paul was aghast. He had never seen this side of this woman. While they were married, she dressed conservatively. She had the same hairstyle for several years. She was in her twenties, but she dressed like she was in her thirties. She acted like she was in her forties, and she had the world view of a woman in her fifties. Now, though, she shone like a brilliant diamond exuding radiant light. The dress made her look beautiful, but he hated it- hated what it represented.
Nancy loved the gown, though, and she did not care how upset it made her ex-husband. She let the look on Noah’s face be the judge of her appearance.
Paul was giving Nancy dirty looks, but he was secretly in awe of her beauty.
Crystal quietly approached Nancy and whispered into her ear: “Good job. Paul is going to regret treating you the way that he did. That’s for sure!”
“Even if he doesn’t, I am still going to get married,” Nancy said. Then “Remember not to mention other men in front of Noah, okay. After all, they are all in the past. I don’t want Noah to get the wrong idea.”
Crystal: “You haven’t even married him yet, but you are worried about his opinion of you?
Does this mean something?” Nancy blushed and said, “Let’s talk more later. First, we should get to the bridal shop.”
****
By the time Noah arrived at the bridal shop, Nancy and Crystal had been there for almost an hour. They had begun to get worried, but their questions were all but forgotten when he appeared with a fresh bouquet of flowers for Nancy.
Noah kneeled in front of Nancy and said, “A ring is not enough. You should have flowers. It is only proper for a bride to have flowers.”
Nancy smiled and said, “Thank you.”
Eric was nearby. “Women love sweet words,” he said.
“They certainly do,” Nancy agreed. “Noah obviously knows what he is doing.”
Noah laughed and said, “I studied this subject, especially for Nancy.”
Nancy: “For me? Surely, you jest...
Noah: “For my future wife is what I mean, and here you are.”
Nancy was taken aback by his sweet words, but then she remembered that this was supposed to be an act, and she frowned. She had begun to have feelings for Noah. She whispered into his ear: “Is this an act?”
Noah: “No way.”
Crystal could overhear what they were saying from where they were standing, and something important occurred to her. She pulled Eric aside and said, “Don’t forget your promise!”
Eric nodded, smiled, and kissed her on the cheek. “I won’t forget,” he said. “But I expect a bonus upfront. We understand each other, right?”
Crystal tried to push him away, but he would not budge. “Let me go,” she whined. “I understand, and you know that you will get what you want eventually...”
Eric sighed and let her go. “I am looking forward to the day when you belong to me completely,” he said. “I can be patient, but know this: I will not wait forever. If need be, I will take what is mine.”
“I know,” Crystal whispered. “I am just not ready yet...”
I can bide my time now, but you are going to have a rude awakening once we are married - thought Eric - Once I have imprisoned you, things will change.
