Chapter 8

Having been done with all the preparations to make the wedding a success, Althea was finally ready. She had never looked so beautiful as she was at that moment.

The makeup artist the whole team outdid themselves to make her look like the princess she was. Glancing at herself in the floor-to-ceiling mirror that stood in a corner of the room, Althea couldn’t believe that she was staring at herself.

She looked almost unrecognizable which was something she found hard to believe. Her long flowing hair was expertly clipped to the side, accentuating her oval-shaped face that stood out beautifully.

Just as they came, the team left the room soon. The fashion designer and her Aunt were the only ones left with her and this duo would be the one to walk her out.

‘’Are you ready child?’’ Aunt Tina asked.

Althea could see that she was emotional at that moment. Her eyes crinkled with laughter and she could see a sheen of tears in her eyes which was threatening to fall.

‘’Aunty you want to make me cry.’’ Althea chuckled.

Her gold bracelet which sat beautifully on her wrist sparkled as the light hit it. Althea was all shades of beautiful and she knew Costello and Xavier must have spent a lot to make her look this way.

‘’I can’t help it, child. At this moment you look just like your mother.’’ she smiled.

‘’We should get going. It's almost time.’’ the fashion designer said.

She was an elderly woman with jet black hair wrapped around her head in a fashionable bun. There were some grey undertones at the side which just made her all the more beautiful.

‘’We’ll be ready soon Martha.’’ Aunt Tina said.

To say Althea was nervous would be an understatement, she was downright scared. She didn’t know what to expect from all of this. For one, she knew that Xavier might not even spare her a glance which was something he was fond of doing.

He just pretended like she didn’t exist which was something she hated. She wanted to be seen, to be heard and loved by someone but apparently, Xavier was not the person.

‘’Let’s go.’’ her aunt said.
Taking a deep breath, Althea rose to her feet with the help of the fashion designer. The dress was a bit heavy being that it was a full-bodied gown but it wasn’t anything she couldn’t carry. In a few hours, she would do away with it but right now, she just had to suffer it a bit.

The trio left the room, heading downstairs where the vehicle that would take her to the cathedral was waiting. With each step she took, Althea felt more and more nervous. She had never done anything like this and considering the circumstances surrounding this marriage, Althea knew she couldn’t put much hope into it.

‘’You’re worried and it's evident on your face.’’ Aunt Tina said.

Althea sighed, looking down at her feet which were clad in the most beautiful heels she had ever seen.

‘’Aunty, how can I not be worried when the man I’m even getting married to doesn’t know if I exist or not.’’ Althea sighed.

She didn’t want to cry but she was slowly losing that battle. She was frustrated by everything that was happening around her. If she had her way, she would have run away but she couldn’t because the consequences of doing that far outweighed what she would gain.

It was too great a risk and she couldn’t take it. They had almost gotten to the exit now and each step towards the door sealed her fate.

‘’Look at you, Althea. You’re beautiful, smart and have the kindest heart. I know it might take time but Xavier would finally see the beauty that you are.’’ she said.

‘’Your Aunt is right. Making your dress was one of the easiest tasks I had ever undertaken and that’s thanks to your body. I had no problems looking for the right accessories to add to the gown because you my dear make all things beautiful.’’ the fashion designer said.

‘’Thank you, Martha.’’ Aunt Tina grinned.

‘’You guys are just saying all these things to make me feel better.’’ Althea chuckled.

‘’Yes child, this is a big day for you and even though the circumstances surrounding this are not pleasant, you still deserve to be happy. So chin up and put a bright smile on your face.’’ Aunt smiled.

She gave Althea’s hands a gentle squeeze, silently reassuring her that everything would be fine. She thought the girl would be brave to do this for her father, and her family.

‘’Okay,’’ Althea said, finally.

They got to the exits soon and Althea was quite surprised to see that she would be going to the cathedral in a limousine. The vehicle was a sparkling white, it shone under the brilliant morning sun. Despite the situation she was in, Althea squealed in excitement.

Ever since she was a little girl, she had always wanted to ride in a limousine and now that she was going in one, she didn’t know how to feel.

‘’A limousine.’’ she laughed.

‘’Yes love, a shiny Limo for a damsel like you.’’ her aunt said.

She stepped out into the open air, heading towards the vehicle. A few meters before getting there, Althea stopped in her tracks looking at someone in disbelief.

Standing by the car door, looking guilty was her father. This was the first time in a very long time she had seen him. He had aged twenty years ahead compared to how he was before. His full white hair which was her favourite part of him was now thinning and he looked almost bald.

‘’What’s he doing here?’’ Althea seethed.

‘’Dear, he’s still your father no matter what. You’re getting married and it's tradition for him to walk you down the aisle. I know what he did was bad, very bad indeed but that can’t take away the fact that he’s still your father.’’ Aunt Tina said.

Althea knew she was right but at that moment, she couldn’t see him as anything more than a betrayer. He had hurt her deeply and before she could forgive him would take a long time. He had the decency to look hurt as he avoided her eyes as best as he could.

‘’You just have to calm down child, please.’’ her aunt begged.

Althea took a deep breath, willing her anger to come down. She had decided that she would just ignore him throughout the journey. That was the best thing to do to someone like him. It was for her sanity and everyone else’s.

‘’Fine,’’ Althea said.

She made her way towards the car and even when her father tried to say a word, he was met with a stiff silence from her. He expected that but yet, it still hurt like hell.

The car left the mansion soon, heading towards the town’s cathedral that was situated in the middle of the town. Throughout the journey, Althea’s father tried to make small talks with his daughter but she ignored him completely until he just gave up.

Mending the relationship he had with her was going to take a long time and even when they were back on good terms, he knew that nothing would ever remain the same. The damage was done but at that moment, he was prepared to live with the guilt for as long as he lived.

‘’It's a big day for us all.’’ Aunt Tina said.

She was trying to diffuse the tension within the car but that wasn’t helping. Althea was bent on ignoring her father as best as she could. She wasn’t even looking at him, to begin with, which made the whole thing worse.

Finally, the car pulled to a stop at the cathedral. Althea heaved a sigh of relief before she was helped out by her Aunt and the fashion designer. Her father stepped out a moment later, looking at his daughter lovingly.

It was only a few times Althea had seen the cathedral and that was when she was only a little girl. On the many trips she had gone with her parents, she had passed the cathedral times without number but she wasn’t prepared for the size.

It was huge, covering a lot of lands. It was the town's main worship centre and Althea wasn’t surprised by the size.

‘’Althea.’’ her father said, quietly.

She knew what was next and with boldness, she didn’t know she had, she linked her hands with her father as they walked down the aisle towards the altar.

Althea was quite surprised to see the whole cathedral filled up. She didn’t quite expect people to attend the wedding. All she expected was a small affair but it seemed like Costello paid no expense in getting everyone together.

Her eyes darted left to right in panic. She was having a mini attack because this was something she wasn’t quite expecting. In her moment of panic, Althea’s eyes landed on Xavier, her husband-to-be. He was dressed in a navy blue suit, the colour associated with the mafia.

Her breath was taken away just by how he looked. He was as handsome as ever and at that moment, Althea was prepared to go on with the wedding.