Chapter 8 May Kiss The Bride

Isabel and her family arrived at the church, greeted by the warm smiles of Mrs. Nina and Mr. John at the gate. Their happiness radiated as they exchanged pleasantries.

"Absolutely stunning, dear," Nina complimented Isabel, who blushed at the unexpected praise. Unaccustomed to such attention, Isabel couldn't help but feel a shy warmth.

"Shall we head inside? The priest awaits the arrival of the bride," suggested Mr. John, leading the way into the church.

Isabel, flanked by her family, took hesitant steps inside, her brother Liam guiding her. Nervousness and shyness consumed her, causing her to cast her gaze downward as they approached the altar.

Upon reaching the altar, Isabel lifted her eyes, glancing at their families, and finally fixing her gaze on Mason, who stood beside the priest. Mason, however, seemed emotionally distant, an almost lifeless demeanor as he fought against any feelings that threatened to surface.

Liam released her arm, urging her to approach Mason. Isabel's anxiety heightened, but she managed to stand opposite him at the altar.

Mason, on the other hand, remained stoic, an emotionless facade. Inside, he felt like a puppet, devoid of life. He hadn't noticed Isabel's presence until she stood across from him. As his eyes met hers, an overwhelming desire to escape gripped him. Accepting Isabel as the bride before him felt painful, lacking the excitement he had envisioned.

In his imagination, Mason had conjured an image of the perfect bride, and Isabel fell short of that ideal. Accepting the reality proved challenging, yet he had to maintain a façade for the sake of appearances. He forced a slight smile, glancing at Isabel, conscious of his parents' watchful eyes.

Isabel's heart pounded at standing before Mason, feeling his gaze. Despite her shyness, she dared to lift her gaze, locking eyes with him for a fleeting moment. When she saw his smile, her nervousness intensified, and she quickly lowered her gaze, a mix of joy and trepidation swirling within her. The belief that Mason might share her happiness added a layer of complexity to the already charged atmosphere of the altar.

The priest's voice resonated through the ornate walls of the church, signaling the initiation of the long-awaited wedding ceremony. Mason Williams and Isabel Forbes stood side by side, their fates intertwined by the sacred vows they were about to exchange.

"Do you, Mason Williams, take Isabel Forbes as your wife?" The priest's question hung in the air, casting a heavy burden upon Mason's heart. The weight of the moment pressed upon him, and for an instant, he wished he could escape, vanish into the thin air. His throat tightened, and when he finally mustered the courage to speak, his voice emerged as a mere whisper.

"Yes, I do."

The priest turned his gaze towards Isabel, whose face bloomed with a shy blush in response to the impending question.

"Do you, Isabel Forbes, take Mason Williams as your husband?"

Isabel, caught in the spotlight of the moment, stammered out her reply, "Ye...Yes, I do." The exchange of rings followed, sealing their commitment in the symbolic circle.

"I pronounce you both as husband and wife. And now you may kiss the bride," the priest declared, marking the culmination of the ceremony.

As applause erupted from their families, a wave of joy reverberated through the church. All eyes were on Mason, anticipating the customary kiss. However, he stood frozen, wrestling with his inner turmoil. Desperate to avoid this final act, he reluctantly pressed a peck on Isabel's cheek, eliciting a radiant smile from her.

Descending from the altar, they approached their families, who showered them with blessings. For Mason, the charade had become unbearable. Excusing himself, he slipped outside the church, seeking solace in the cold embrace of a cigarette.

Anna, perceptive of her brother's struggle, followed him.

"Mom will kill you if she found you smoking here," she warned.

Mason chuckled bitterly, his laughter tainted with sadness. "Is there any way left for mom to kill me? Don't you think she already killed me inside by forcing me to marry that ugly sh*t?"

Anna felt a pang of sympathy as Mason's eyes revealed the depths of his despair. Before she could offer comfort, he continued, "I'm fed up with all this drama. I can't pretend anymore. I'm leaving right now. Please, give any excuse to mom."

"No, you can't. We are supposed to go for a family lunch, brother. Mom wants you there with everyone," Anna reasoned.

"Impossible! Wasn't marrying her enough? I can't be with that ugly girl anymore," Mason vented, his frustration palpable. Anna couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of his words, a momentary reprieve from the solemnity of the occasion.

"Are you serious? She's already your wife, and you have to be with her all the time anyway," Anna remarked, her words carrying a hint of exasperation.

Mason's response oozed with contempt. "Wife? No way. I'm never going to accept her as my wife."

Anna sighed, resigned to her brother's defiance. "Whatever... I'm leaving. So, please try to manage here."

As Mason prepared to make his exit, Nina, his mother, unexpectedly appeared. Startled, Mason hastily concealed his cigarette, freezing in his tracks.

"Since when did you become so irresponsible, Mason?" Nina questioned, her annoyance evident. She disapproved of Mason leaving everyone alone inside the church and now attempting to escape.

"M...Mom... I...I was just..." Mason stuttered, his mind scrambling for an excuse in the face of his mother's sudden appearance.

"No excuses, Mason. We are going for lunch, and I hope you have no problem joining us," Nina declared, leaving Mason with no option but to acquiesce, intimidated by his mother's authority.

The families convened at a luxurious restaurant for lunch. Isabel timidly took a seat beside Mason, her unfamiliarity with being close to a man evident in her shy demeanor. Mason, harboring resentment towards her existence, found himself with a diminished appetite. Despite his reluctance, he took a few obligatory bites to appease his mother.

As lunch concluded, it was time for Isabel to bid farewell to her family. Tears streamed down her face as she said goodbye to her mother, sister, and brother. Mason, experiencing nothing but a growing headache, perceived Isabel's emotional display as a calculated act to garner attention and sympathy from his parents. Powerless to react due to his parents' presence, he endured the drama.

After the goodbyes, Isabel and Mason entered the car, with Anna taking the wheel. Mason's parents followed in another car. Isabel occupied the back seat with Mason, who immersed himself in his phone, deliberately avoiding any acknowledgment of Isabel's presence beside him.

Isabel, grappling with the aftermath of bidding farewell to her family, sensed Mason's contempt. Unbeknownst to him, a suspicion crept into her mind regarding his acceptance of her as his wife.