Forced (Ted Dibiase)| WATTYS 2016

The Reception

The wedding reception is held inside in the ballroom. The food is served, and then everyone begins to dance. I am content to sit at the table, and not talk to anyone. Ted has different ideas though. He comes up to me "I would like a dance with my new daughter-in-law." I stand, and I let him drag me out onto the dance floor. He begins to waltz us around the dance floor, and to any of the guests, it looks like we are two people that have just become family happily celebrating. But that is not the case at all. Ted crushes my hand in his "You almost got away from me." I remain silent, and I can tell that my silence pleases him by the way he loosens his grip "I feel so rude though." I fake a smile as I notice a photographer taking our picture "Why Is that?" I frown once the photographer has moved on "Well because shouldn't you be dancing with your father? You haven't even spoken to him." I stiffen for only a moment "I'm not exactly happy with him right now." Ted grins "I can understand why. After all he has lied to you your whole life. Whereas I have never once lied to you." I scoff "Please." Ted smirks "I haven't. I may not be the nicest person, but at least I'm honest. I have never steered you wrong." I frown once again when I realize that Ted is completely right. I step away from him as the song ends "I think I am danced out for the moment." My brother quickly swoops me into his arms though, and we begin to dance. I see the sadness on his face, and my heart breaks just a little. He whispers in my ear "We tried Lizzie." I nod "We made a valiant attempt, but Ted can't be beat." I sigh "Remember Shane, it's Ted Dibiases world, and we all just live in it." Shane shakes his head "I still don't believe that." I lay my head on his shoulder "Neither did I." When my brother and I finish dancing, I walk around and talk to several of my friends and family members. Many members of the Dibiase family come up and introduce themselves to me. My smile never leaves my face until I am in my husbands car on the way to the airport. Teddy smiles "I think you'll really like California. You've been up here in Connecticut to long." I shrug "I love it up here. Where did you say we were going again" He smiles "Monterey. It's a little town right on the coast. My parents own a beach house out there, and the house has a private beach. I thought that the more private it was, the better." I sigh "Ted, I don't want you to have any false ideas about what will happen on this trip." Teddy nods "I understand, Elizabeth. As far as I'm concerned, we are nothing more then two friends on vacation away from our families." I nod "Good." We do not speak again until the next morning when we get off of the plane in Monterey. A black escalade is waiting for us at the airport, and soon Teddy is driving us to the beach house. We park on top of a bluff, and we walk down stairs that have been built into the hillside that lead onto the beach. I expected to see a massive, hulking beach house sitting in the sand, but instead I see a small beach bungalow sitting isolated on a massive strip of beach. As we walk up onto the porch, my senses suddenly come alive. I feel the warmth of the Californian sun on my face, my ears perk up at the sounds of waves crashing on the shore and the soft wails of seagulls, and I can taste the salt on the air. Ted opens the front door and we step into the small entry way. I walk into the small living room that is off to the side, and one word comes to mind: quaint. The living room consists of a white leather sofa, a coffee table, a bookshelf off to the side, a TV mounted to the wall, and a few random paintings. Ted notices me staring "What?" I shrug "When you said your dad bought this place, I imagined a grandiose, ten bedroom, mansion on the beach. Ted frowns "Is this place not up to your standards?" I shake my head "Oh, that's not it! I just..." Teddy's eyes widen as he suddenly realizes what I'm saying "Oh! I get it. Well as you can probably tell this place hasn't been used by the dibiases much. I've only been here once. My dad originally bought this place for my mom. It was a place for them to get away. Then I came along, my dads career took off, and it was just kind of forgotten." Ted looks at me as he seems to suddenly becomes awkward "You want something to drink?" I follow him to the kitchen, and he rummages in a cabinet until he pulls out two glasses, and a bottle of rum. He holds up the bottle "Do you like rum?" I raise a brow in question "Yes, but not at ten in the morning." Ted smiles "Well we are a freshly married couple, who doesn't really want to be married, but can't be unmarried. I think that calls for rum." I grab the bottle out of his hand, and I take a large gulp. The rest of the day is a blur, all I know is that Ted and I got completely drunk.