Roan
I step out of the bedroom that was meant to be our wedding room fuming with rage. What did she mean by all that when she is the one who ruined what should have been the happiest time of my life.
My steps pause in the empty passageway, clenching my fist until my knuckles turn white. My self-restraint and ability to control my emotions cultivated for years had been shattered by this vile woman.
I continue walking but the air heavy with a mix of champagne and laughter from the guests mingling below made me change direction heading for my office.
Loosening my bow tie, I can almost feel the tension in my veins throbbing with suppressed rage. I was the one who was wronged, yet she acts like the victim.
For two months, she has danced around me like an illusionist performing tricks for an audience that doesn't know how deeply they are being deceived. Yet here we are, having finally got what she wanted, but she ran off, making me lose face in front of everyone.
I pour whiskey from the decanter, the crystal glass cool in my hand. I take a sip, the bitterness masking my rage.
Selene's audacity astounds me. She acts as if she is wronged when it was she who set this trap with her conniving parents. She found a way to crawl into my bed, and her parents arranged for reporters to catch us half-dressed in bed weeks prior to my wedding with Sunny.
She even tried to deny it but I reviewed the surveillance footage over and over again and there was only her the entire night. She was captured walking steady into the hotel, the elevator and through the door to my room by herself so what was she on about earlier?
All those years building an impeccable reputation shattered in mere moments because of one calculated move designed to give a spoilt brat the position of Mrs Kingsley at my expense.
As much as she tried to win me over, I never gave her a second glance. That's because my heart belongs, and always will belong, to Sunny. She was the only warmth in my life when the world demanded I be tough. I could only be vulnerable with her, but now she has been replaced by her entitled sister.
The sudden shift in Selene during our vows didn't go unnoticed. She was shy at first, not daring to look at me, but then she changed abruptly, like a switch had flipped. It felt like a trick, nothing more than smoke and mirrors meant to ensnare me further into their web.
But I never thought she would take things this far and ask for an annulment. What is she playing at? No matter her ploy, I will give her what she wants and ensure the Wright family businesses burn to the ground.
I sneer as I take off the ring, letting it clank onto the desk and roll to the ground. I open a secret drawer and take out a hidden phone, reserved for contacting Sunny. My normal phone sits on the desk, but this one is special. I unlock it and open my messages with Sunny, but she still hasn't replied. I have apologized countless times and begged to see her, but she never reads my messages. I pull out a pendant from beneath my shirt, gently rubbing it. The pendant was cheap and did not match my status, but I cherish it. I miss her. I miss Sunny so much.
A knock on the door startles me. I quickly put the phone and pendant away, clearing my throat. "Come in," I say. The door opens, and my grandfather, the patriarch of the Kingsley family, walks in with a cane. I immediately get up to help him, but he waves me off with a cold face.
"Roan," he says sharply as he enters using the cane with painstaking effort before settling down heavily onto one of the plush armchairs facing mine without any sign of affection or warmth. Disappointment radiates from him.
"What is the situation?" he asks his voice carrying authority laced thickly with disapproval.
I hesitate before speaking. "She wants to annul the marriage."
He doesn't speak for a while, silently contemplating. He finally let out a humph before saying "I told you to try and get along with her and forget the other sister, but you are so stubborn."
"But Grandpa," I argue fiercely feeling fire reignite deep inside despite knowing full well how our stubbornness runs rampant within our bloodline. Neither of us would relent. "I love Sunny. She was supposed to be my wife."
His gaze hardens further with a glint of something I couldn't quite place. It was as though he knows something I don't. "Always so stubborn," he mutters resignedly, shaking his head knowingly. "Let me think about it. We will discuss it later tonight."
***
Selene
I wake up feeling groggy, my head pounding from last night's champagne fuelled escape.
With a heavy sigh, I swing my legs over the side of the bed. The soft carpet caresses in between my toes making me feel comfortable.
My body protests every step toward the shower, but I ignore it.
The shower is like my sanctuary, the warm water soothing my aching muscles and relaxing me. I close my eyes, letting the steam envelop me, and think about my next move.
Tomorrow, I plan to return to the small company I started with my friends and move back to my modest apartment.
I breathe deeply as steam fills the small space. A smile creeps onto my face as I imagine a life free from this family and Roan. Cutting contact with my parents for a while would also bring me peace of mind.
But my plans go up in flames thirty minutes later. As I walk downstairs to the kitchen, hoping to grab some food, I find myself halted by an unexpected sight. Everyone is gathered in the main lounge like they are waiting for a royal announcement.
Roan's mother, Lina, sits regally on one end of the couch while his sister, Vera, casts judgmental glances across the room like daggers aimed straight at me. The air thickens with tension as all eyes turn towards me; their whispers hush abruptly as if they have all been caught conspiring against an intruder.
Besides his mother and Vera, the rest of the Kingsley family is also there. His cunning aunts, Celesta and Dinah, with their husbands, his problematic uncle, Ivan, and his grandparents, Roan Senior and Charlene.
My parents, Sammy and Curt, are also present, waiting for me. The only seat left is right next to Roan. It is like a cruel twist of fate that leaves no room for escape or avoidance. With no other option available, I take it reluctantly but refuse to give him even a sideway glance.
"What is she wearing?" Vera sneers before turning her gaze toward what I am wearing with palpable disgust. But her words barely reach me. Throughout the years I had grown accustomed to their disdain, it no longer bothers me.
I consciously decided to wear my comfortable sweatpants and a t-shirt, the only clothes that make me feel like my old self again. I have decided to burn bridges, starting with my choice of clothing. Looking at my clothes, my mother looks mortified, and my father's face darkens.
"Grandfather Roan Senior cleared his throat," commanding attention effortlessly despite his frail frame. "We heard your request, but I had much rather hear it from your mouth." His voice has always carried weight. When he speaks, everyone listens, and so silence falls again as I steel myself for what I am about to say next.
I respect the old man, he is the only one who has shown me any semblance of care, however small. I apologise respectfully and say clearly, "I wish to annul our marriage." I try steadying myself against my nerves clawing at my insides like wild animals trying to break free from captivity before continuing. "It was a terrible mistake making me take Sunny's place just because Roan and I were caught... in a terrible situation."
I pause briefly before continuing, "This marriage will only bring misery to both parties."
Lina snorts coldly beside us while Sammy interjects hastily, "Grandpa Roan! My daughter is having a mental breakdown... please don't listen to her! I will get her help. She will be back in her right mind soon!"
A heavy sigh escapes Grandfather Roan's lips as he raises his hand sharply, commanding silence once more before turning towards Roan himself. "And you? What do you feel?" Roan clears his throat awkwardly before echoing what I have said but beneath those words lies anger simmering dangerously close to boiling point. Shouldn't he be relieved? Shouldn't we both be happy to free? He can now go running after his white moonlight freely.
"I agree," he says with tension etched into every syllable spoken between clenched teeth.
Grandfather Roan rubs his forehead thoughtfully before speaking again, "I understand your wishes." His tone softens slightly, then hardens once more as he adds solemnly, "But by law, you can only annul after one hundred days. You will continue living together during this time. There will be a state-appointed counsellor who will conduct weekly visits, and they will recommend couples' therapy if need be."
A wave crashes down on me. It is like a bucketful of icy coldness is dousing any remaining hope I had clung onto moments ago. Sheer disbelief floods through every inch within me. This wasn't how it was supposed to go!
"Can't it be now?" My voice trembles slightly despite efforts made not to show vulnerability. I was ready to sign the papers and gain my freedom, but I never thought there was such a law.
The old man's expression shifts subtly into something almost apologetic yet firm nonetheless, "This is the best I can do after speaking with the lawyers last night. Now that it's settled, let's have breakfast, and we will return home in the afternoon." He gets up with Grandma Charlene's help and heads towards the dining room overlooking the sea.
I get up, intending to head back upstairs to the bedroom, but as I reach the stairs, the old man turns to me. "Selene, please join us."