The sound of fabrics rubbing against itself filled the balcony, announcing Céline’s arrival.
As she appeared from behind the glass doors of the balcony, she looked like a picture straight out of a wedding magazine. Her milky skin glowed under the brightness of the sun. The white dress she wore hugged her body in the right places, enhancing the places Damien wished he could not see on her body. The places he once craved to cover with tender kisses.
Now as he stared at her from the corner of his eyes, he wished to hurt her. He wished to break her so badly, the boyfriend she wanted to share his money with would surrender and abandon her, by the time he was done with her. He wanted her to have a taste of her own medicine.
“Wonderful!” Damien’s mother exclaimed, clapping her hands together. The sound of her hands made Damien snap out of his murderous thoughts.
“I think this is the one! It’s perfect!” She added dreamily.
“Thank you.” Céline beamed.
The smile Damien once thought brightened the world. A fake smile it was, for it only brought darkness and rage into Damien’s world.
Despite his anger, Damien couldn’t deny that Céline had the body of an angel. An angel from the deepest pits of hell sent to destroy him.
What a wasteful mission, because Damien had plans of his own.
“Damien, what do you think?” Mrs Culhane asked him.
“I think she would look better with nothing on…” Damien said his grin never leaving his face.
He looked up at her and saw the confusion in the sea blue eyes he once thought held his happiness. Yet, they held nothing!
His mother gasped.
“Damien!” She exclaimed hitting his arm playfully. “That’s so childish of you! Céline must be so embarrassed!”
Céline did indeed look embarrassed but Damien could care less. This was just a minor thing compared to the major catastrophe he had in store for her.
“Céline is doing just fine, mom.” He said, dropping his eyes to his phone.
“Pay him no attention dear.” Mrs Culhane announced waving her son off.
The older woman got on her feet and inspected the dress thoroughly, checking for cuts and looseness. It was her son’s bride after all, she had to make sure she looked perfect and nothing short.
“Now where is Mary, I need her to make a little adjustment here and there… But this is the one.”
“Mary?” She called.
A young girl of about nineteen years of age emerged from within the house. She had long black hair and the body of a model, only she wasn’t tall enough. She was one of Mrs Culhane’s attendants. She specialized on high end fashion and acted like a personal stylist and shopper for Mrs Culhane.
For the wedding, his mum had insisted that only her trusted attendants would work with Céline and no one else.
“Yes, Mrs Culhane.” Mary said.
“I want you to fix this one up. We like it!” She said waving her hands to the dress.
“Of course Mrs Culhane,” Mary bowed slightly to Damien’s mum and turned to Céline.
“Miss Céline, please come with me.”
Céline nodded and went with the girl into the house to take off the gown, not before throwing a look at Damien.
Damien felt her eyes on him but he focused on his phone, it was better than looking into the eyes of a cheap cheat like Céline.
“Now that we have achieved that, I think I should go get my own dress fixed too.” Mrs Culhane announced taking her bag in her hands.
“Who would fix your dress for you? Isn’t Mary working with only Céline’s dress?” Damien asked, typing away on his phone.
“Oh no, I will ask one of the other girl’s to do it.”
She walked towards him and placed a kiss on his forehead. “I am very proud of you my son. You are going to make me the happiest mother in the world!” She said beaming with smiles.
Her words were like a sharp cut to a fresh wound. It stung like medicine. If only his mother knew this wedding was going to be a sham and nothing more.
“Céline is such an angel. Damien we are so lucky to find such a well groomed girl…” She added.
If only she knew that Céline wasn’t as well groomed as she thought. Céline was cheap and dangerous. Her beauty and manners was the weapon she used to trap people and when they least expected it, she stole from them.
“Make sure you get her pregnant as soon as the wedding ceremony ends on Saturday, I need grandkids.”
His mother was saying, but Damien’s mind was else where. Céline could never be the mother of his children. Even if he poured all his semen into her body, he was sure it would bear nothing for she must have sold her womb for money too. Even the virginity she claimed to have must probably be a lie too!
“Are we clear Damien?” Mrs Culhane tapped his arm again when she noticed he wasn’t paying attention to what she had been saying.
“Huh?” Damien raised his brow, wondering what she had hit him for.
She clicked her tongue in annoyance and rose up to her feet. “You are so stiff sometimes… I am so glad Céline is here to make you normal again.”
“Mom, I am not stiff.” Damien interjected.
“So you think…” She said heading out of the balcony.
“Céline! I am going home!” Her voice echoed in the house as she announced her exit to Céline.
His mother seemed to be the only one truly joyous about their union. She made all the preparations and followed all the details to the last ‘S’. While he, who was suppose to be the groom, didn’t care. All he wanted was to be able to hurt Céline, that was the only thing on his mind. Not the flowers, not the food and dessert, not even the dress. He only wanted to cause her pain.
Now that the wedding was sure to happen, he needed to find a way to make sure Céline would not be able to get a divorce from him. He would have to include it in their wedding document somehow.
“Baby?”
He heard her voice calling him and he felt his blood recoil into his heart. He wanted to scream at her. He wanted to tell her to never call him by that name again but he had to keep his emotions under control. This was not the best time to show his anger. She could realize her game was up and back down or abort mission.
“Yeah,” Damien responded, forcing a smile.
“I- I wanted to talk to you -” she began with hesitation.
Damien raised his eyes from his phone and looked at her carefully. She was in a simple dress now and her hair was packed up in a high ponytail.
“Sit down…” He motioned to the seat his mom had occupied earlier.
She settled into the seat and played with her fingers nervously.
He watched as worried lines formed on Céline’s perfect skin. For an outsider, they would think the worry was genuine and that she even looked cute. But he wasn’t an outsider, he knew what game she was playing.
“What do you want to talk about?” He asker her, again, faking a smile.
“Yesterday in the office- I don’t know- you were really furious about something. What was it?” She stuttered.
He wished he could tell her that he knew what she was doing. He wanted to tell her that she was a gold digger and he over heard her conversation with her boyfriend. He wished he could ask her why she had decided to play with his emotions. Why she had lied to him! He could have even given her the money, if only she had asked. But no, she thought she could cheat him, Damien Culhane.
He wanted to say all these, but once again, he needed his cover intact. His fake smile grew bigger.
“I am sorry about that. It wasn’t you… I am just a bit worked up lately. The marriage and everything… It’s overwhelming.” He lied to her with a smile.
“You sure?” She dared to scoot closer to him, he almost recoiled back in irritation, but he had to stay calm. The perfect time was almost here.
“Yeah, I am sure… Sorry if I scared you.”
She released an audible sigh and fell on his chest. Damien’s body became tensed. As much as he hated her, his body still reacted to her warmth. He needed to be in control not allow his hormones to take control of his actions.
“I was so scared. I thought you would call off the wedding…” She whispered in her soft voice.
Of course, she would fear that. Because she needed to marry him, so she could steal all his money!
“I will never do that… We are in this till forever!” He said. As soon as the words left his lips, a brilliant idea came to his mind.
“Céline…” He called gently pushing her to seat upright again.
“Yes, baby.” Her eyes looked like they were filled with so much love it was nauseating, because Damien knew it was all a part of her act.
“I have an idea.” Damien started, if Céline could device a wicked plan. He could also do the same.
“What is it?” She demanded, holding his hands.
“… Céline I don’t want to ever lose you because of my mood swings. I want you with me forever…”
“I am with you forever. Damien I don’t care about your mood swings. I know you love me and I trust you… I love you.” She was so good at acting that Damien’s heart even skipped a beat at her words. But she was in for a strong one, Damien was smarter now. He thought knew better.
“I don’t know how you will take this but…” Damien trailed passing a hand over his hair.
“Since I always have these mood swings, I fear that one day, I might get divorce papers.”
“So, I figured it would be better if we… give up our rights to get a divorce on one another.”
To Céline it sounded like the sweetest thing anyone had ever told her but Damien was filled with so much bitterness, he wanted nothing more but for to find a way to enslave Céline into a marriage of no return.
“I think it’s a wonderful idea baby!” Céline exclaimed.