Chains Of Destiny

"She is so simple, I wonder why would Mr Smith marry her?" A young maid drew nearer to her friend and whispered, her fingers lighting the scented candles.

"No, why? I think she is quite beautiful. Jesus, how I wish I had hair like hers!" The other one stated as she skillfully arranged the white flowers next to the candles, the two together filling the room with their opulent fragrance. She returned her gaze to the newlywed's face. "Her eyes are so beautiful and sparkling."

"But why doesn't she look happy? I haven't heard a word since she—"

A low coughing sound echoed throughout the luxurious walls putting an end to the unnecessary whispering. The elderly maid Amanda threw an angry glance towards the younger ones who seemed more focused on talking about their new mistress than hurrying and finishing up their work. 

The maids gulped. It was strictly forbidden to discuss their master, Kevin, or anything he does. Fearful of the consequences, the younger maids sealed their lips and began working at a frantic pace. 

Amanda cleared her throat and looked nervously at Emma fearing she had overheard the disrespect but found her staring at the king-sized bed blankly; she seemed to be unbothered by their gossiping and even presence but bothered by a lot of other things. 

Amanda's aged eyes searched for any glimmer of joy on Emma's face but there was none. She appeared quieter and more troubled than the last time she saw her. 

The old woman returned her gaze to the young bride's face as if trying to read her emotions and those expressive eyes. 

Emma was undeniably beautiful, but the old lady couldn't understand why a man like Kevin would marry her. Their personalities were completely at odds. 

He was bold and wild, whereas she was quiet and naive. Nevertheless, she stood out significantly from every other wealthy and sassy woman Kevin ever had.

"You're beautiful dear," the elderly maid spoke in her soothing voice as she arranged the white duvet and smoothed the silk sheets making sure they were wrinkle-free. 

The irony of it! 

She made sure everything was perfect. It was another thing that all of this neatness and order would last till Kevin's arrival. She knew in a few hours, the bed would be in shambles.

Emma smiled sadly as she looked at Amanda. Beautiful? Unfortunately, that's all everyone cares about. Beauty brought her nothing but pain. 

Emma wished she wasn't beautiful. 

She wished he had never seen her. 

And she truly wished they had never met. He's a nightmare.

"Would you like to eat something?" asked Amanda and saw Emma shake her head before her gaze returned to the magnificent bed again. 

Her gaze was devoid of passion or excitement, only a deep sadness. She knew that on that very bed, she would lose her innocence.

Emma bit her lower lip and blinked back her tears. Everything felt the same as the last time when she came here to present herself just like a whore. Although this time there was a difference and she was his wife but she felt the exact pain she had felt before. 

Whore or wife, he was going to touch her, corrupt her, claim her and that thought alone was shattering her. 

Although Kevin hadn't arrived yet and stayed at the wedding venue to discuss some business matters, how long could she survive? He must be on his way. He would be here any moment. Emma let out a shaky breath. Her anxiety was becoming worse with each passing second.

 

Shortly after, the maids, unaware of the reality of this strange wedding, congratulated her once again, to which Emma responded with an unwilling smile—that didn't even reach her eyes— doing her best to avoid drawing attention to herself.

"My name is Amanda. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do for you, "Amanda let out, smiling. "Master might be here anytime soon," she continued, oblivious to the fact that she had just added to the poor girl's misery. 

Emma chewed on her bottom lip and nodded.

The moment Amanda walked out, Emma was left all alone in his room. Which, of course, was theirs now! 

Even though the gray themed room was huge and had luxuries the world couldn't even imagine, Emma felt suffocated. Imprisoned! Helpless! 

For her, his room was nothing more than a lavish cage.

Emma slowly closed her eyes in despair. Isn't this the naked reality of life? 

Life never gives us what we want rather it mostly gives us what we despise. She never desired luxury—only peace. A simple life with her loved ones was all she wanted but fate had other plans for her.

Heaving a deep breath, Emma stood up, hands holding the white dress the length of which hampered her walk. Within seconds, she was standing next to the huge window, her hazel eyes taking in the new surroundings. The window was closed, but she could tell how bad the weather was by the way the glass misted up. 

Nevertheless, it was considerably better than the previous week and undoubtedly better and calmer than her internal turmoil. Everything appeared quiet and serene in contrast to her. 

Emma took a deep breath as she gazed at the night sky, hoping to calm her inner storms, but nothing worked. Her heart and soul were restless knowing what lay in store for her.

Silence loomed around her, the quietness was a hollow reminder that she was away from everything. Away from her little brother, away from Mina. She was all alone in a new place surrounded by new people. Emma didn't want to be here, but she had to. It wasn't a wedding, but rather a deal in which she had lost herself. 

A tear fell from her eyes as sudden ripples of missing James erupted in her heart. He was still in the hospital. Concerning thoughts regarding him occupied her mind. 

How would she face him, what would she tell him why she couldn't be with him? What if Mina couldn't take care of him? 

Although Emma had given Mina a huge sum of money and requested her to take a break from work while she was gone, Mina had other responsibilities as well. Not to mention, her demanding husband. 

Unshed tears blurred Emma's vision as she confronted her own helplessness. She couldn't even stay with her little brother when he needed her the most.

The serene silence of the room was soon fractured by an abrupt noise, jolting Emma out of her thoughts. Her heart stopped in a blink when she heard the door open and heavy footsteps walked in. The air around her tightened. 

He was here!