Five weeks after the incident with Slim Joe, I can finally breathe easy. Just yesterday, the judge's verdict came out—that bastard was found guilty of raping nine underaged girls. Because of the case Jennifer and her team built, Princess' case was also reopened. Then, one by one, other victims came forward to testify. As a result, Slim Joe was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Jennifer was right. Death would have been too easy for him.
As for Princess, I managed to get her the best psychiatrist in the city to help her regain her sanity. It's not an easy process. Her life will never be the same, but hopefully, she can at least reclaim her sanity and move forward.
"Nervous?" Thief's question halts my ritual of pacing back and forth.
"A little," I admit truthfully.
Thief grins and pats my shoulder. "Relax. Everything's gone well so far. She looks amazing, by the way," she adds.
"The ring. Do you have—?"
Before I can finish my sentence, Thief pats the front pocket of her trousers.
"Phew... okay, good," I say in relief. She laughs, leaving me standing alone in front of the altar.
Today is the big day. Today, Jennifer and I are getting married. Well, in less than an hour, to be exact.
I glance occasionally at the dome doors where guests are entering. I'm quite familiar with this church—I used to meet clients here. But more importantly, it's Jennifer's church. Maybe it's fate bringing me back, as if the church itself wants me to atone for how I misused it in the past.
Jennifer and I completed our pre-marital preparation class last week. Despite being dull, it wasn't that bad. A priest led the sessions, teaching us about love and marriage—which was kind of ironic since he had never been married. Still, it was a good lesson.
The hardest part was our final meeting. It was like a confession session, but instead of only confessing to the priest, we had to confess to each other. Of course, Jennifer already knew everything about my past, so she wasn't surprised. The priest, however, was a different story.
As I laid out my darkest secrets, I watched his expression grow murkier. He made sharp gasps each time I revealed another truth—especially when I mentioned how I had once made love to my own sister. By the end of my confession, he turned to Jennifer and asked, "Are you sure you want to marry this man?"
Jennifer didn't even hesitate. "Yes."
The priest then turned his gaze to me. "You know that darkness inside you isn't dead, right? You know it might return someday. What if it does? What will you do?"
"I know... But I've been trying hard to suppress it."
"But what if it wakes up and conquers you instead?" he pressed.
I stared at him deeply. "Then I will kill myself," I said without hesitation.
Both Jennifer and the priest gasped. I took Jennifer's hand, intertwining my fingers with hers. "I won't let my darkness touch her or my children. I promise her that with my soul."
"Why kill yourself? Why not just leave her?"
"So she can marry another man. If I just leave her, she wouldn't be able to remarry—that's the church's law, right?"
The priest nodded, his forehead deeply furrowed. "Your background is... complicated," he admitted with obvious reluctance. "Even though I believe you love each other, it won't be easy for either of you. I must say, it would be best for you to reconsider—"
"Is this a confession or a judgment session?" Jennifer cut him off sharply.
"Jen..." I whispered, trying to calm her.
She turned to me, squeezing my hand, then looked back at the priest with an irritated gaze. "Are you saying a sinner doesn't have the right to marry? And who isn't a sinner anyway? Do you think he's worse than other men? I know his past. I know everything about him, and yet, I still want to marry him because I know he's a good man."
"I was just saying—"
"If you don't agree to marry us, we can find another church that will," Jennifer finished, issuing an ultimatum.
I struggled to hide my smile at the sight of the priest, his jaw practically on the floor. He should've known better than to challenge a pregnant lioness. With her ultimatum, the priest had no choice but to proceed.
And now, here I am, standing nervously at the altar. I glance at my watch—fifteen more minutes. I exhale, trying to steady myself.
All the guests have arrived. How do I know? Because we only invited a few people. Jennifer's guest list consists of her eight direct subordinates, her twin sister Rachel Waddleson, and her lawyer. I, on the other hand, only invited Thief and Master Long.
I had invited Andy, but he was out of town for work. So, Thief is my best man—or best woman, technically. She's disguised as a man, wearing a triple-black suit, loafers, a short wig, and even a fake mustache. And since Jennifer has no parents or siblings to walk her down the aisle, Master Long volunteered to take her father's place. She also chose one of her coworkers as her maid of honor.
So, in total, there are exactly nine guests sitting on the pews. Even the choir section has more people than the congregation. Do I wish we had more guests? Maybe. But Jennifer doesn't mind, so why should I? The important thing is, in—I glance at my watch again—less than ten minutes, we will be legally bound. And we will be together for the rest of our lives.
A small cough behind me makes me turn my head. The priest has arrived. I step forward to shake his hand as a sign of respect.
"Nervous?" he asks.
"Not as much as you are, sir," I reply, earning another deep furrow from him. An altar boy approaches him and whispers something. The priest nods several times before responding in hushed tones. My heart pounds faster. A flash of runaway bride scenes from the movies I've seen floods my mind. Please don't tell me she's got cold feet—
"She's here," Thief whispers from beside me, having appeared out of nowhere.
I exhale in relief. Too many movies, I scold myself.
The altar boy signals the choir, and they begin to sing. I don't recognize the song because my mind is focused entirely on the front doors as they slowly open. And when they are fully opened, I am mesmerized.
There she is. Beautiful as ever.