CHAPTER 35
Celine tried her best to ignore William throughout the wedding rehearsal dinner, but it was proving to be a difficult task. He seemed to be everywhere she turned, his piercing blue eyes following her every move. She could feel his gaze burning into her, making her skin crawl with discomfort.
Desperate to escape his presence, Celine sought the company of others. She chatted with old friends, laughed at jokes and listened to stories, all the while trying to keep her mind off the man who seemed determined to ruin her evening.
But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t shake the feeling that William was always there, lurking in the background like a dark shadow.
Celine knew she should be happy for her friend, who was soon to be wed to the love of her life. But instead, she felt miserable. Her romantic notions had led her to humiliate herself in front of William, and she couldn’t help but feel like a fool.
As she watched Madeline, one of her closest friends, dancing seductively in the arms of a man her own age, Celine couldn’t help but chuckle to herself. Madeline had always been the wild one, the one who lived for the thrill of the moment. Celine envied her carefree attitude, wishing she could be more like her.
But as she watched Madeline whisper something in the man’s ear and they both pulled away from the party, a sense of dread washed over her. Was this what her own future held? A string of meaningless relationships, always searching for something that would never be found?
Just as Celine was about to let herself spiral into a pit of despair, a handsome man approached her and asked her to dance.
Excuse me, miss,” the voice said. “I couldn’t help but notice that you seem to be deep in thought. Is everything okay?”
Celine looked up to see a kind-faced man standing next to her. She smiled and nodded. “Yes, everything is fine,” she said. “I was just enjoying the beautiful day.”
The man smiled and sat down next to her. “I know what you mean,” he said. “So I was wondering if you would do me the honor of joining me for a dance.” He said, grinning from ear to ear.
Celine nodded in agreement. The man was charming and made her laugh. He was also a great listener and was genuinely interested in what she had to say.
As their conversation was coming to an end, William appeared from nowhere and interrupted them. He was rude, and his words were harsh. He accused the man of trying to take advantage of Celine and told him to leave her alone.
The man was taken aback by William’s sudden appearance and harsh words, but he didn’t let it show. He simply smiled, stood up, and said.
“I’m sorry if I’ve made you uncomfortable. I didn’t mean any harm. I was just enjoying a conversation with a beautiful woman.”
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Celine and William alone.
Celine was furious with William. She couldn’t believe that he would be so rude and dismissive of someone who had been nothing but kind to her. She turned to William and glared at him.
“What was that all about?” she demanded.
William shrugged. “I just didn’t like the way he was looking at you,” he said.
Celine rolled her eyes at his strange caring attitude that had sprang up from nowhere. “He was being friendly,” she said. “You had no right to speak to him like that.”
William didn’t apologize for his behavior, She felt so angry as she saw him making his way towards her, a cruel smirk on his lips. She knew that he was going to try and confront her, and she didn’t know if she was ready for that.
But as he reached her, he didn’t say a word. Instead, he took her by the hand and pulled her towards the dance floor. Celine tried to resist, but she was no match for his strength.
Celine felt her heart pounding in her chest as she stood on the edge of the dance floor, surrounded by the happy, laughing guests of her best friend’s wedding rehearsal dinner. She had been doing her best to avoid William all evening, but he seemed determined to make her miserable.
“What do you want, William?” she hissed, her eyes flashing with anger.
“I just want to talk to you,” he said, his voice low and menacing.
Celine felt her blood boil as she looked up at him. He was the last person she wanted to talk to, and she had no intention of letting him drag her around like this.
“I don’t have anything to say to you,” she spat, wrenching her hand free from his grasp. “Just leave me alone.”
But William wasn’t about to give up that easily. He reached for her again, and this time, Celine lost her cool.
“Go fuck yourself,” she shouted, her voice ringing out over the music and laughter of the party.
The guests around them fell silent, staring in shock at the sudden outburst. Celine felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her, but she didn’t care. She had had enough of William and his games.
Without another word, she turned on her heel and stormed off the dance floor, pushing her way through the crowd and out of the party. Her heart was pounding with rage and embarrassment. She knew she had made a scene, but she didn’t care. She needed to get away from William and the suffocating feeling he brought with him.
She didn’t look back, knowing that William would be watching her, his eyes filled with anger and hate.
As she made her way out of the room, Celine felt her heart racing and her mind in a whirl. She had never spoken to William like that before, and she didn’t know what the consequences would be. All she knew was that she needed to get away from him and put this whole ordeal behind her.