His Corruption

Chapter 26

~Elena POV~

Small steps. Barely there breaths.

The farther I walked along the hallway, the more I felt like my heart was gonna rip out my chest.
I wasn't even aware of where I was going, all I could see was that damn door and try to imagine who was behind it - who was I going to marry?

Silently groaning, I stared at the shiny marble floor I dragged my feet on. I was tired, cranky and miserable. Everything I wore was heavy, my earrings, my heels- my stupid multicoloured dress which was so long I gathered it in my hands to stop myself from tripping.

Finally, or should I say dreadfully, I stopped outside the tall door and froze at the voice of a man from behind.

I pushed the door open and squinted at the sharp light from inside the room, and God...it was packed in there. Old men I'd never met, family I hadn't seen since I was a child all here to watch my dignity sink.

As I stepped inside, everyone quietened and watched like a show had started. Some were seated on the couches, others standing around the room.

I slowly probed the room and tried guessing who was my fiancé, but once I saw a man sitting in a brown suit in the middle of the room, I knew it was him and couldn't be more disappointed.

So this was Brandon Rossi...

My soon to be Fiancè.

Hands clasped. Legs crossed. He wasn't bad looking, but I didn't get the immediate pull I wanted. Judging from his torso he looked my height, had thick blonde hair and a very narrow frame. Standing next to my brother Romeo, he looked like a teenager. A sweaty, nervous teenager.

Papa, who stood next to the couch gestured to Mama and she opened the ring box, her face drained of any excitement. It felt more like a funeral than an engagement.

———

That was the worst gathering I'd ever seen.

Nobody was genuinely happy. My aunts and uncles didn't care about me enough to even fake a smile. My brothers never said a single word and only stood there like soldiers, and there wasn't joy on anyones face except my fiancé's and Papa's.

I bet everyone was laughing at me inside. As they put the ring on, my girl cousins (who never liked or spoke to me) looked like they were ridiculing me. Was it the ten layers of orange foundation Mama's friend dumped on my face? Was it the rainbow dress?

Or was it my Fiance...?

That was it, they looked down on me for marrying someone they found unattractive. How shallow could they be?!

At least it was over, for now.

Pacing around the downstairs hallway, still dressed like a parrot, I played with my ring and listened to the pots and pans clanking from the kitchen. I didn't deserve this ring, and my fiancè didn't deserve me. I was a cheat.

Mama said love comes naturally, so why was I forcing myself to like Brandon, my fiancé? Why when every time I tried thinking of him, all I could see was someone else.

Heat rose from my skin, and my thoughts were tamed a little by blue eyes, neck tattoos, and a husky voice only good for disrespecting.