OCTOBER 17TH, 2016
ADRIAN VALE POV!!
"There goes my heart beating. Because you are the reason I am losing my sleep. Please come back now…"
The song drifted softly through the bedroom, the lyrics blending with the pale morning light that slipped through the narrow spaces between the blinds.
Light.
The light was too bright.
It pressed against my eyelids until I groaned and rolled onto my side, dragging the comforter over my shoulder as though I could hide from the sun itself. The sheets were warm. The bed was impossibly comfortable. For a brief moment, I allowed myself to sink back into sleep.
Today, of all days, I deserved rest.
Yes, even men require beauty sleep.
Especially when today marked the final morning of my bachelorhood.
A slow grin tugged at my lips as I buried my face into a pillow.
Nothing could ruin today.
Not even the announcement my father had made last night during my bachelor party.
My smile faded as I opened my eyes.
I stared at the ceiling as irritation crept in, tightening my jaw. After everything I had poured into the Vale Corporation, every sleepless night, every strategic decision that pulled the company back from the brink of collapse, my father had calmly declared that my younger brother, Tristan, would be taking over as Chief Executive Officer.
Tristan.
A man who treated responsibility like a contagious disease. A man who spent more time chasing women and drowning in expensive liquor than attending board meetings.
The position had never been about the wealth for me. I could build my own fortune if I truly wanted to. It was how my 'amazing' father (note the sarcasm), give everything I had invested all my energy in to my useless brother that hurt.
It really hurt when someone handed over all your efforts to someone who had done nothing to deserve it.
I sat up slowly, pushing the comforter aside, running a hand through my hair.
It hurt more than I wanted to admit.
Still, today was not about corporate politics, I can't let my father and nincompoop of a brother to ruin my day.
I've got a wedding to attend today. My wedding.
I've got vows to make and finally make Natalie mine till eternity.
Today Natalie is going to become my wife, ONLY MINE.
The thought softened something inside me.
My irritation dissolved as quickly as it had come. I swung my legs off the bed and walked toward the bathroom, determined not to let bitterness stain what was meant to be the happiest day of my life.
Warm water cascaded over my body as the song continued to play.
You are the reason.
It was our song, mine and Natalie's favourite.
We had chosen it months ago for our first dance. I could already imagine Natalie in her gown, her fingers laced with mine, her smile shy but radiant.
As long as I had her.
Everything would be worth it.
Every struggle, and every disappointment,
It's all going to be damn worth it.
...
10:00 AM
I adjusted my tie for what felt like the hundredth time.
The cathedral was magnificent. Sunlight streamed through stained glass windows, casting fractured colors across polished marble floors. The pews were filled with guests from every corner of the city, from business magnates to old family friends.
All of them watching and waiting.
It was already thirty minutes past the scheduled time, but my bride is not here yet.
She is just late, I told myself.
Traffic, perhaps.
I forced a smile when I glanced at Julian, my best friend and best man. He gave me a reassuring nod. My sister did the same. My mother's expression was far less convinced, but she said nothing.
Natalie and I had been together since we were teenagers. We had grown up side by side. This wedding had been her dream for as long as I could remember.
She loved me.
I knew she did.
She proved it when we make love for the first time, she proved it when we kisses, and how she hold and caress me.
So there was no room for doubt.
She's just late.
10:30 AM
The smile on my face began to feel unnatural.
The air inside the cathedral seemed heavier. My collar felt tighter. I looked toward the entrance every few seconds, expecting to see the doors open at any moment.
But...they remained closed.
Whispers began to ripple through the crowd.
I smile in spite of the dread settling in the pit of my stomach and gnawing at my sides, I still smile.
She will come.
My bride will come.
11:00 AM
My palms were damp, and I'm sweating now.
Sweating profusely.
The murmuring had grown louder now, no longer subtle. I could feel the weight of speculation pressing against my back.
I turned away from the guests and focused on the altar.
She will come.
My bride will come.
11:30 AM
The priest leaned closer. His voice was polite but strained.
"Mr. Vale, I have another ceremony scheduled at twelve thirty."
"My bride is just running late," I replied. The confidence in my voice surprised even me. "Just a few more minutes."
He hesitated, then nodded.
A few more minutes.
That was all I needed.
11:50 AM
Guests began to leave.
One by one.
Some avoided eye contact. Others looked at me with poorly disguised pity. A few exchanged glances that were already forming tomorrow's gossip headlines in their minds.
Adrian Vale, son of the famous tycoon abandoned at the altar.
I shake my head and stood straighter.
They don't know shit .
They knew nothing.
I would wait.
Even if the cathedral emptied completely.
12:10 PM
"Son."
My mother's voice was gentle but firm.
"No," I said immediately. "Not today. She will come."
I walked toward the entrance of the cathedral. The sun was high and unforgiving now.
Natalie would not do this to me, she will soon arrive.
It doesn't matter how long it takes but I will wait.
12:45 PM
Another couple had arrived for their ceremony.
I stepped outside.
The street was unusually quiet. My family remained behind me, their silence thick with something I refused to name.
"Open your eyes, Adrian," my mother said quietly. "It has been hours."
""I know you never liked Natalie but please don't show your hatred for her today. I'm getting married to the love of my life. She's going to come, she's just running late," I insisted. "That is all."
I turn to stare at the streets.
Still no sign of her car.
Even as I spoke, doubt began to creep in like a slow poison.
The hours blurred together after that.
The sky shifted from bright blue to muted gray. The air grew colder. The first rumble of thunder echoed overhead.
Still, I stood there.
Not when the last of the guests disappeared.
Not when the staff politely asked me to clear the entrance.
Not when my heart began to fracture under the weight of a truth I refused to accept.
At three in the afternoon, rain began to fall.
It started gently, almost apologetically.
Then it poured.
Water soaked through my hair, my tuxedo, my shoes. The fabric clung to my skin. My vision blurred, though I could not tell whether it was rain or something else.
Six hours later, as the rain continued to fall relentless and cold, Natalie still never came.
The realization settled in slowly, then it all came at once.
Natalie had not been late.
She left me at the alter.
Left me exposed before the city.
Left me with a love that had nowhere to go.
She left me to lick my own wounds. Left me with a shattered heart never to get healed.
Not in a million years to come…..