WEDDING DAY I

Inside the spacious and lavish living area decorated with red and golden expensive embellishment oozing an air of luxury, Sumire seated on one of the sofas in a sulk, anxious and restless. Alone, she was in the living hall of the casa Massoullèves after the dinner is over. Her cousin Clair has a date with her boyfriend, Creux Morosov, the owner of CION Brothel who left right after the dinner while Blanche is the one taking care of the big event that will take place tomorrow. Her unfortunate wedding day.

Everything happened too fast. Her father, Chaise rushed her marriage with Maddox without giving her a chance to speak her side. Her fear stops her from talking to her grandfather, Don Achaeus. Once the old man made a decision, nothing can be changed. He will never take back his word. And his word is absolute order. The marriage will definitely be set regardless of Sumire's wishes or dislikes.

'Well, it won't happen unless one of us will die.' Mind clouded with dark thoughts, Sumire said in her mind and gulped hard. 'Damn freaking tragic. Holding onto his word, I can't dare to bring myself killed.' Staring into the nothingness, Sumire wanted to scream in frustration.

Her tears fall once more from the last thing Mort whispered to her before he left the dining hall earlier. She clutched her chest filled with heavy feelings.

Sumire gasped for air, trying to suppress to sobs that wanted to slip on her lips. She can't do anything at the moment. Looks like she has to make a way. If she was to go against her grandfather's will to get what she wanted then she would. But now she has to obey him.

She leaned on the sofa, eyes looked up at the aesthetic golden chandelier, and was completely overwhelmed by its massive size and length. Dark thoughts keep lingering in her mind that if the chandelier broke from the ceiling and fell on her, she would surely die and everything will be over.

"If only I had the power to break that thing...and crushed me to death." The maiden smiled at the disturbing scenario running through her head but her smile disappeared when Mort's face came in.

"Yeah, that's right. I can't leave the giant baby alone." Sumire laughed to herself and seated properly when she heard footsteps coming towards her. She was certain it was Maddox.

Maddox was having a conversation with her grandfather in the library. He wanted to bring the maiden along so she could hear what they were talking about but Sumire refused. She is clearly upset with them. Her anger towards them had reached the doorway to heaven. She has been sulking all day. She wants to hear no more bullshit that could ruin the rest of her days.

"Sumire, I thought you went to sleep. It's already late at night. You need to rest. I don't want you to stay up all night, since we're getting married tomorrow." Maddox said gently and sincerely. He sits on the opposite sofa where the maiden was sitting and smiled at her.

He was carrying a huge box and placed it on the table between the two of them. Sumire just rolled her eyes. She crossed her arms on her chest and crossed her legs at the same time, with her eyebrows raised. She sees no other Massoullèves around and she eyed him with hostility.

"Wow, you don't want me to stay up all night but you love seeing me struggling and hurting." Her face twitched bitterly, Sumire sarcastically replied and Maddox heaves a deep sigh.

"Don't you feel anything for me?" Maddox asked and eyed intently at the maiden.

"I feel sorry for you." Calm yet cold, Sumire bluntly responded and meet his eyes, devoid of emotions. Maddox lowered his head.

"I'm desperate." The young man said. Unblinking and hands form into a fist, Sumire's eyes narrowed in anger at him.

"Yes, and you are selfish too," Sumire said nonchalantly that Maddox didn't object anymore. He meets her burning gaze.

"But I will never hurt you. Hell, I would go to the end of the world for you-" Maddox was stopped when Sumire interrupted him with a scoff.

"Good. Then can you stay there?" She stared at him for a long second, wearing a blank expression. Maddox rose from the sofa and sit next to her. He then holds her hands.

"Sumire, I will do everything to make you love me. I will do anything so you won't regret marrying me." Sumire laughed half-heartedly at what Maddox said and take her hands back.

She could hardly look at the young man as she hated and irritated him to the core. He only thinks about his happiness. He didn't even consider her feelings.

"Dude, I don't want to marry you. Stop being delusional. I will never love you. Never had in mind that I would spend my life with you in my future, heck even as a bystander. And now I regret why I even met you. You hurt me. You hurt Mort by doing this selfishly. If you hurt him, you hurt me too."

Sumire said in a calm tone. She is getting emotional about the situation she's in. She just wants to be happy with the man she loves. Why does fate seem to have deprived her? She felt like she was the unluckiest person in the world. They didn't even consider her as Mort's fiancee. The hunk proposed to her first. And she is willing to marry the man she wants to be with her for eternity.

'And why did I become Massoullève?' the maiden sardonically asked herself. Her tears started to stream down her cheek uncontrollably. Maddox, unable to answer the maiden, just lowered his head again. He couldn't bear to see Sumire suffering because of his decision. Maddox promised himself that he would get Sumire back by the time they got married. Even if the maiden has everything in the world, he will give everything he has, even if it's his life. Because Maddox feels that there is nothing he can't do when Sumire is by his side.

"This is your wedding dress." With a gentle smile, his gaze shifted to the box, and get it from the table. Maddox was unable to look at the maiden. He couldn't meet Sumire's death gaze on him. He then stood up and left the box that Yelena gave him to her. Sumire, on the other hand, looks blankly at the box. The sight of the box with red ribbons fueled her anger.

"Wedding dress my ass." Sumire hissed angrily after Maddox left her. She didn't even bother to open it to look. She sighed heavily again. Her body is drained of energy and tiredly leans her back on the sofa again. Her brain doesn't want her to rest.

"I hate everyone... well except Mort," Sumire said in a whisper and closed her eyes. Chadwick, who was just behind Sumire, heard everything. She didn't notice her uncle's presence. She was overwhelmed by the vortex of anguish and hatred in her chest.

"God save me." She prayed under her breath. Sumire was stunned when she heard a series of chuckles from behind. Slowly, she turned around and saw her uncle Chadwick whose hand covered his lips and face reddened in amusement looking at her.

"Calling God in your desperate times, huh? That's adorable, my pretty sweet devil knowing that you don't really believe in him." Chadwick laughed heartily and sits next to his niece.

Sumire seated properly and composed herself. She has been in this world for several years but she can only count the number of times she met her uncle Chadwick on the fingers of her right hand. Sumire was on her 13th when they met, the year she got into an accident. The second time was on her 18th birthday and today when she is engaged.

'Damn, for real? The Massoullèves has many events and occasions where everyone in the family gathered but he is the only one that doesn't show up. He is distant from the family. It's like uncle Chadwick has his own world. But how did he know I'm an atheist?' Sumire unbelievably uttered in her mind while looking intently at her uncle.

"You can tell me anything, my little Sumire," Chadwick added with a laugh. She was like an open book and he could read through her eyes that she wanted to tell him something. The maiden shook her head with a heavy sigh.

"I don't want to get married," Sumire said and look away. Chadwick's expression turned serious when he saw her gloomed face. The beautiful smile on his face vanished in a blink of an eye.

"I don't understand why I am so powerless against Grandpa or Dad. I mean I have already earned billions from my own efforts. I can live alone even if I remove the last name of our family from my name. And this marriage made me voiceless. I can't do anything to oppose them but remain silent and follow their commands. I am sick of it." The maiden added. Chadwick just listens to her grievances.

Little did Sumire know, Chadwick knew more about her than Chaise, her father. He is everywhere. He is the creeping shadow of Massoullèves. He can stop the marriage of Sumire and Maddox but he won't do that. He will let fate decide though more like his father Don Achaeus Severus dropped the order.

'Well if Sumire asks me for help I might do something about it. But she better not.' Chadwick laughed in his mind as he looked at the teary-eyed maiden next to him.

"Uncle, what should I do?" Her eyebrows, the corner of her misty eyes, and her nose have already reddened. Sumire's words made Chadwick froze.

'Don't do this, Sumire.' Chadwick uttered in his mind while thinking about what the maiden would have to say to him. He was about to speak when Chaise suddenly arrived and interrupted them.

"Oh, Chadwick, you are still here. I thought you were leaving because you were busy?" Chaise said sarcastically butting in. He heard everything Sumire's complaints to her uncle Chadwick. If he doesn't intervene with them, his brother might say something undesirable to his daughter. 'He is the Master of playing around. Twisting everything, anything. He is sick beyond imagination.' said Chaise in his mind, lips squinting into a thin line.

"Oh, no. I'm not busy," Chadwick said emotionlessly and stood up. He then looks at his niece.

"Congratulations, Sumire." Chadwick meaningfully said at the maiden whose confusion is written all over her face at the strange tension between her Dad and Uncle. Sumire forced a smile and nodded at Chadwick.

"Thank you, Uncle," Sumire replied and then Chadwick left the place. Chaise breathed a sigh of relief. Chadwick is harmless outside but dangerous inside. He may do twisted things for personal amusement.

"Go to your room and rest." Chaise ordered and Sumire obeyed him without uttering a word. She went up to her chamber with her wedding dress in the box. The maiden did not bother to throw a glance at her father nor greeted him. She passed through him like Chaise was air to her.

Chaise felt defeated after his daughter ignore his existence in the place. He seated on the sofa as he brushed off his hair and fell into deep thought.

Sumire closed the bedroom door and lay her body on the cold bed. The orb of tears gradually and genuinely escaped her eyes until she fell asleep with a heavy feeling stirring inside her chest.