It all started with an accident or maybe murder.
I was getting ready inside the wedding dress room, a luxury black tuxedo was covering my body and a pair of high-quality leather shoes down, on my feet. My messy black hair was being fixed by my friend, Janet who works as a hairstylist in the famous salon across from this building. I looked at the mirror and watched every movement of her.
"Oh my God Liam! Can you sit properly? I'm about to put the gel now, unless... you want me to smear it on your handsome face?" I heard Janet's threatening voice behind me.
I rolled my eyes. "I can't help it okay? I've been sitting here for hours and my back started to kill me."
Janet stared at me, covering her mouth next to avoid letting out a gasp. "Am I thinking what you're thinking?"
I glanced at her with confusion. "Huh? Wait...What?"
"Did both of you do that last night?! Oh my God!" A naughty smirk appeared on her face as her mind started to cloud with indelicate kinds of stuff. "You should have told me sooner, at least I can provide you with the fluffy cushion from my salon," she said as her voice grew bubbly.
Facepalming and groaning at her nonsense statements, I leaned my back against the chair and stared up at her. "You're wrong. We didn't do anything okay? And please for once, let your mind rest and stop thinking about illogical things."
"Then, I'm sorry for trying to test the patience of a saint, today," she scoffed.
"Thank you?" A chuckle escaped from my lips as I straighten up my back, letting Janet continue working her skilful hands on my hair. She took the gel and put it the size of a coin on her palm, and placed it on my hair.
"Anyway, thank you for coming today. I appreciate it," I smiled at her and as always she returned it with a big smile, not forgetting to slap my shoulders a few times with amusement on her face. Well, she always likes that.
"What are saying? Of course, I came for your wedding day with James. You're my precious best friend after all."
Janet Houston was a good friend of mine. We became friends in high school until now, so it is been 10 years. None from both of us expect these friendships will last this long, that is why I am grateful to have her by my side throughout my life. And Janet was the only one who support my relationship with James, my boyfriend and soon-to-be husband. I know it sounds pitiful, right?
My other friends that I got to know in university left me out of the blue when they received the wedding letters of my marriage last month. It will sound so crazy if I was not mad about it, I mean who would not? I did not know that my friends would ditch me like this. I have been a total fool for believing them for years.
James, a man that I met in university, I always consider him as my soulmate, my other half. He and I have been in a relationship for a long time and he finally gather enough courage to propose to me on our 5th anniversary at the beach, with thousands of stars in the sky as the witness of that special moment.
If I have been asked to describe him in person, I will gladly do so, because I completely know everything about this man like the back of my hand. Let's see, the description should be like this:
James Walter, a true gentleman with wavy brown hair that hangs on the frame of his attractive face, and his beautiful tan skin was a bonus. What a perfect combo with his tip-top symmetrical face, nose and lips, honestly flawless from head to toe like a fictional character came out alive from the book. Kind, sweet, friendly and brainy. Due to his smartness, he was hired to work as a surgeon in a famous hospital. In short, he was the perfect partner for me.
Probably because of his charms and charisma, many people were jealous of me because I was always close to him when we were in college. But at that time, only Janet knew about our real relationship and it was really hard to hide our love especially when we were in public because James happens to like skinship, so he always mistakenly wrapped his hand around my waist. Due to his carelessness, both of us have to come out with 100 reasons to explain the situation.
However, today I do not have to do the hiding anymore. Once, the rings have been exchanged and placed on our ring fingers, the fate of our life will be sealed. At that moment, I will be his and he will be mine.
"Now we're done with your hair, Liam! Look at it!" Janet's excited voice brought me out of my thought.
"Huh?"
"Come on, you shouldn't be lost in your thought now. Look at the masterpiece I have made just for your hair," Janet told me as she brought my face to the mirror. "What do you think? Handsome? Attractive? Sexy? Cool? In short, I made your hair look perfect! Believe me, James will be stunned by your beauty to the point his jaw drops to the floor."
My almond brown eyes looked at my hair that sleeked back now, giving me a new fresh image. "Hmmm, I look handsome. There's no denying it," I commented on my new appearance.
Janet chuckled from behind me with her chin propped up by her palm. "Do you like it?"
I nodded my head. "Not bad, Janet."
She crossed her arms. "Is that how you thanked me? I woke up 4 hours early than usual just to help you with the make-up and hair."
"Alright, alright. Thank you so much, my dear, Janet Houston. The one I respect and love so much to the death."
"No no no, don't say that 'love to the death to me'. Just share those cringy sugary words with your lovely husband." Janet walked to the wardrobe next to the door and grabbed her beautiful blue lace dress from the hanger.
"Oh? Do you want me to go out to let you change?"
She shook her head as a reply. "Nope, I'll change in the washroom instead. Wait for me here, Liam."
"Sure, I'll be here."
Janet walked out of the dressing room, leaving me alone here. I headed to the couch and grabbed my phone from the table, sliding the screen up with my thumb to open it. A new message popped up on the screen. It was from James. With a smile on my face, I pressed the message to read the content he sent to me.
James: I already arrived at the wedding venue. Where are you, darling?"
I pressed the keyboard to type my answer and hit the button send.
Liam: I'm still inside the wedding room, waiting for Janet. I'll be there in a few minutes, love.
Ting!
"Oh, it was another message from James."
James: Alright, take your time. By the way, William said he's on the way to pick up you and Janet. He'll be arriving like 10 minutes.
Before I could send my reply, I heard the sound of footsteps coming from my back. I shut my phone down and place it inside my pants pocket.
"Janet. I know you're there. I can hear your footsteps, I know you're going to surprise attack me, right?"
Instead of getting an answer from Janet as I hoped, a total silence approach me.
My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. During that time, a sudden fear struck up inside me, making the finest hairs all over my body stand up in uneasiness.
"Janet?" I called with my body turned around to greet her but as I did that, I feel a heavy metal suddenly hit my head to the point I fell to the floor.
I touched my head as blood dripped down to my cheek. "What-What is happening?"
"AHH!" I shouted as I feel another harsh hit smack the back of my head.
"You don't deserve to live, you stupid. Hahahaha, you should die! Die! Die!"
I heard a girl's voice yells in agony but I cannot process my mind to think who is it.
"You should die. And only then I can be with my lovely James! You are a pile of rubbish!"
I saw a blurry image of a girl holding a pipe mental and raising it directly at my face.
At last, she smacked it down with hard force to my head again. I could not even comprehend the pain I was feeling. As time passed by, my eyelids became heavy and the same for my breath.
The light in my eyes that was alive just now, now slowly started to dim into the darkness.
In the end, I submit a defeat and died.
-
I seemed to lay down and was surrounded by complete darkness without any light to shine on the ground.
"Humm..." My eyes felt so heavy and for some reason, they would not open no matter how much force I used.
I heard a deep giggle next to me and I cannot help but get scared. Everyone will be if they are in this kind of situation especially if you cannot see who is it.
"My, my, my. You're hopeless." I tried to lift my hand to move it or at least to smack the person's face who dared to criticise me.
"Looks like I have an impatient person here huh?"
I felt a soft tap on my foreheads, like a spell or magic, my eyes feel so light and without waiting I opened them and was greeted by a bright light that caused my eyes to sting a little.
"Looks like you're already wide awake."
Hearing that voice, I immediately sat up and was surprised to see my body can move now. I moved my head and spotted a figure sitting on the edge of the bed with a grin plastered on his face.
"Who-who are you?" I did not even recognize my dry voice at the moment.
He moved away from the bed and stood up straight. Placing his hand over his chest, he bowed down to me. "It's great to meet you, I'm Knox."
I looked at him with my wide eyes. "What?"
He lifted his head and winked at me teasingly. "Good morning to you, Your Highness."
What in the world is this?