AllFreeNovel
Share Us
10
Gisele
“Miss Gisele?”Reina, our housekeeper, gently tapped on the door before letting herself into my room. “Your father asked me to inform you that they’re all downstairs. You can come down when you’reready.”
I blinked a few times before looking away from my reflection in the mirror. “I’ll be right down. Thank you,Reina.”
She was about to turn to leave, but she paused before shyly glancing at me. “I wish you a great marriage, Miss Gisele. You deserve joy after all that’s happened. We’re all rooting for you.” Reina made an encouraging nod before walking out ofmyroom.
They’re all rooting for me…This was all a farce, and for a weak moment, I wished I truly were marrying for love. It didn’t have to be Jared. Anyone would do as long as they loved me like crazy. Wasn’t that what everyone longed for? To love and to be loved in return? But alas, my fate hadn’t introduced me to that person yet. After this morning’s humiliating exchange, I knew Jared would never see me that way. The small shoves he did…didaggravate the situation, but I was so turned on from waking up to him in such a way that my brain took a momentary leave ofabsence.
Jared came back as promised…after spending all his hardness into Rose’s body. I’m not going to lie; I’m beyond jealous that she gets to have everything I longed for. But Rose wasn’t at fault here. This was all me and what little hopes I had of securing the man I craved for almost a decade now. And I was about to marry him, vow that I’d love and cherish him after barely sliding off a woman’s vagina. It was rather cruel, but Jared had been upfront from the very beginning, and I doubted that would changeanytimesoon.
The only problem in this equation wasme. Not Jared. Not Rose. Therefore, the sooner I resumed my life, the better it’d be foreveryone’ssake.
The doctor’s visit proved to be a heaven sent. At least, I could be grateful for that. Apparently, I wasn’t even pregnant. The tests I took most likely were expired—that was the only explanation she could provide me with. If this wasn’t a huge sign to move on, pushing me to experience life the way it was meant for me to experience, then I didn’t knowwhatwas.
At least, with the definitive knowledge that I wasn’t actually pregnant, there was something to be celebrated. Instead of nitpicking the bad, I’d rather focus on the good. I had so much to be grateful for. Investing my energy in the negative would only bring me further down in the dumps, and I simply couldn’t have that. I had so much to live for. Besides, my friends would be arriving in a week and a half’s time. We were ready to take the step to the next chapter of our lives. I was actually ecstaticaboutit.
With that in mind, my mood actually lifted. Giving myself a once-over, I notoriously roved my eyes to check if everything was in place. It was a dress I intended to wear at a Grecian party that I hadn’t ended up attending last year. It was an Oscar de la Renta with crushed furtony pleated silk embellished with a crisscross golden braided knot around the stomach, and the low cleavage seemed demure enough to make it as a wedding dress. I matched it with gold stilettos. My hair styled in a loose chignon with a few strands escaping to give that lax, subtle look. And lastly, I had my mother’s pearl and diamond hair vine wrapped around my hair strands on the side of my head. It was as beautiful as it was delicate. This was her favored spring/summer accessory, and I thought it would be fitting to wear it. In a degree, my mom would be with me every step oftheway.
I took a deep, steady breath. In. Out. “All right, here goes not a damn thing,” I muttered under my breath before sauntering out ofmyroom.
The first thing I saw upon exiting the elevator was Papa in a wheelchair. He didn’t look too well. His cheeks had sunken, more profoundly hollowed than yesterday. Could cancer quickly, rapidly devitalize one’s system in less than twenty-fourhours’time?
“You look like your mother, my darling.” My father seemed so overwhelmed he had tears in his eyes. “I wish she was here toseeyou.”
Everyone knew he wasn’t one for showing emotions, but seeing him with tears brought some of my own. “Don’t be sad...She’s with us, Papa. You knowsheis.”
“I know she is…” He wiped a tear, frailly smiling at me. “Do you mind if nurse Anita wheels me to walk you down the aisle, mydarling?”
My gaze shifted to the Asian nurse behind him, seeming as affected by our display of affection. “I don’t mind at all.” I beamed at her, a warm gesture she immediatelyreciprocated.
“I’d be honored to help marry off your beautiful daughter, SirPeter.”
My father laughed aloud before he directed us towards the garden where the rest of the staff, Jared’s mother Abigail, and of course, the man of the hour himself werewaiting.
Thomas popped out of nowhere to hand me a simple bouquet consisting of white peonies and a few baby’sbreath.
“You look lovely, my dear.” Thomas proudly gazed over me like a proud father would before planting a delicate kiss on myforehead.
After the almost teary display I had with my father, I couldn’t very well carry on threatening to ruin my makeup when I was minutes away from walking down thegarden.
Then my father declared itwastime.
With my hand grasping his frail one, we silently began to walk towards the garden with Nurse Anita quietly pushing the wheelchairbehindus.
I had never much pondered what the effect of the situation could entail until Jared’s face came to view. He stood close to the minister, his severe stare fixed on me. There was no smile. No hint of joy. He was like a carved stone, and the only sign of life was his eyes. They were very much alive. I felt their power consuming me. Before I began to walk down the white-carpeted aisle, I saw a flicker of sadnessinthem.
His sadness swiftly embedded itself into my heart. I would never forget the feeling of it. It broke my heart. I promised then that when the time came, I’d let him go, set him free so he could find real happiness. One that brought a smile to his face. After all, I knew I couldn’t be the one to bring light into his life. He only saw me as a means to an end. Nothing more.Nothingless.
“Ready, my darling?” My father came up beside me before I took hold of his hand and brought it to my lips, giving it a gentle kiss. His skin had a crepe, wafer-y feel to it, a significant sign he was truly deteriorating before myveryeyes.
Bravely meeting his eyes, I whispered, “I’mready,Papa.”
