Dine with the devil

A few minutes later, the building got crowded with relatives, friends, guests, and family of the bride and the grown. Everyone finally got seated in their respective seats, waiting on the groom to make his appearance. Five minutes passed, and the groom did not show up. The hall got busy with noise.

“Where is your good for nothing son?” Liam's dad screams at his mother in rage. 

“Why are you shouting at me? Is he not your son too!” She angrily replied. 

The groom's family seat on the front roll became boisterous with questions, and Liam's parents were taking all the heat from their relative. They tried to give an excuse for their son to remove the tension off them.

Things were getting out of control, and the whispering got more emphatic. People kept mumbling and turning to the next person seated by them to gossip.

“Since the groom is not ready, we are going to call the bride inside. May we all stand as the bride enter.” The clergyman announced.

Everyone stood up from their chairs as the large wooded door opened, and the entire hall became peaceful. 

The musical started performing the bridal chorus, and Carmen marched gracefully down the aisle. Her glamorous white gown, veil, and a matching diamond head-piece brought out the bride in her.

She slowly walks as her eyes search the stage for her groom. Her finger clutched tightly around her white silk bouquet when she did not see Liam. But Carmen kept her head high and continued walking. Halfway down the aisle, her dad walked up to her and she held onto his arm as he took her to the stage.

"Don't worry, baby. He will be here." Mr. Smith whispered in his daughter's ears before going to his seat.

But Carmen did not believe in her father's words as another two minutes passed, and people started getting restless. They kept looking at the door to see if the groom would walk in since his bride was already there. Then another five minutes passed, and another four minutes. Carmen could feel her tears flowing again. Today was her happy moment, and yet she did not feel like the luckiest bride in the world.

All hope seemed to be slipping away from her heart when the door suddenly banged open. Liam walked inside. Carmen turned her head to stare at her groom, and instead of feeling happy, her tears seemed to pull more. She did not believe he entered the wedding hall wearing a t-shirt and jeans.

“What is going on in the head of that mischievous son of yours?” Liam's grandfather shouted at his daughter-in-law and son.

Liam's parents could not answer. They could only bend their heads in shame. Their son had brought embarrassment to the Davis name, and they did not know why he did.

The hall became clamorous again. But this time it was a bit louder than the last. The whispering became more lucid for Carmen to hear, and the scandal people had to say about her wedding was unbearable for her to handle. Their mocking statements and ridiculous remarks wounded her as much as seeing the scowl on Liam's face.

Liam walked up to Carmen and faced her. There was hate in his eyes when he gazed at her. She bent her head the entire time the clergyman was speaking. 

Carmen did not want to see the hurt and anger on his face, and the sad thing about this situation is the reality that she did not know why he was mad. In her mind, she puzzles over whether it was her fault that he acted this way and what she did to get treated in such an awful manner on her wedding day.

“Now I need the groom and bribe to say their vows. The bride can go first.”

Carmen lifts her head and gazes directly into Liam's eyes. His expression had not changed. His face seems to be stiffer, and she hopes that her vow will make him forget and forgive whatever she had done to him.

“From today onward, I belong to you and only you. I will love, stay by your side, trust you, and cheer you on for the rest of my life. From the moment you wrote that confession note to me, I have kept those words close to my heart, and never will I forget them. I love you, Liam Davis.” Carmen said with a smile.

'Here we go again with this damn love note. It was never written for you.' Liam thought.

“Groom, it's your turn.” The clergyman said, but Liam did not answer. He seemed too focused on his thoughts to hear what was being said to him. It took five calls to get his attention.

“Liam! It's your turn to say your vow to the bride.” The clergyman awkwardly reminded him.

“Oh, I did not bring the paper that I wrote my vow on, and I can't remember what I wrote,” Liam replied in a sarcastic tone. He casually put his hand in his pocket like he did not care about what was transpiring.

“Haha, You have humor. But let's put the joke aside, don't you have anything to say to your bride?” 

“Wait, you are right. I do have something to tell my bride. Carmen's face lit up upon hearing his words. She felt a little better. Liam drew close to her and whispered in her ear. “I don't love you. I never did, and I never will.” He then pulls away from her with a sly smile on his face.

Carmen stood still and emotionless. She did not want to believe what she had heard. So when the  clergyman asked Carmen if she would take Liam to be her lawfully wedded husband, she said “yes” without any hesitation, and Liam did the same.

“I now pronounce you guys husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.” 

Liam removed the veil from over Carmen's teary face and when in for a kiss. “Ouch,” she cried as the salty taste of blood pulled upon her tongue. When Liam removed his lips from her, Carmen could feel the pain from the bite mark he had left on her mouth.

The cheering and clapping sounds within the hall were loud, and the excitement on the faces of people was joyful. But Carmen could not forget the cold expression Liam wore when he whispered to her, “You made your choice. Now you have to dine with the devil.”