63

Kara's eyes flash at James filled with absolute fury. She could not believe the man that stood in front of her eyes. How could he do this to her? To his whole family? Disrespecting and insulting them in front of the whole world just to fulfill a damn stubborn desire.
"You have lost your damn mind." she whispered, barely able to stop herself from shouting at him and shake some sense into him.
"I lost that years ago, sweetheart. You don't have to worry about that anymore."
James was looking at her with smug expressions. He knew he had her trapped from all directions. But then before he could do anything else, Neil grabbed James by his collar and started dragging him away.
"Uncle!" Kara cried out, worried about his health getting worse. But Neil ignored her words and pulled James out of the room, throwing him away harshly while seething, "You damn FOOL is no son of mine! Get the hell out of here! How dare you threaten a poor girl to marry you! How dare you do this to the girl that has grown up under our roof like your little sister!"
"She is not my fucking sister, dad! SHE IS THE WOMAN I HAVE LOVED MY WHOLE FUCKING LIFE!" James roared.
Neil looked at him with confusion on his face while anger still remained on his face, "What?!"
James was shaking at this point, his whole demeanor had changed as he gritted out the words, "I have loved Kara since forever! If only you could open your eyes and see the child you have aside from Damon, you would have been able to fucking see it right through me! But you never did. Why the hell is it DAMON, DAMON, DAMON all the time? Why don't I ever come to your mind? Have you ever even looked at me or had a proper conversation with me like you do with Damon?!"
"You are being unreasonable!"
"I am being realistic, dad!" James shouted, filled with fury that he had buried inside himself for years, "you gave away everything I had to Damon! My toys, my things, my whole fucking childhood, and then the teenage years! You were always there for Damon but never there for me when I looked up. Now when it came to Kara, you did it again, didn't you? I never even crossed your mind!"
Neil was staring at his son with confusion and uncertainty. He put his hand on his chest to try and take deep breaths while saying in a determined tone, "I have never thought of you as less than Damon. Kara's mom wanted her to marry Damon. You already know that! That was her wish."
"And what about Kara? You want to sacrifice her for a dying person's wish?"
"JAMES!" Rita cried out in anger at the disrespect in James' voice but he continued,
"You are just ready to give her off to your goody two shoes son because you have already made up your mind that there is no one better for Kara than him. You did not even bother to ask Kara even once if that is what she wanted!" James scoffed at the irony, "you think you are the smartest one in the family, and then Damon is going to be the one who will become your pride. Why is it that for you, for everyone in this sweet little family of yours I don't exist?!"
"You do ex-" Neil started speaking but James cut him off,
"Stop giving excuses and for ONCE in your life, accept it." he murmured and shook his head in exasperation, "the girl you are ready to just GIVE OFF like a fucking present to your dear son has been in love with me for over ten years.
Neil's eyes shot to Kara in shock at once. He was still trying to process what was happening right now and everything had become so much confusing and frustrating as each moment passed by. He had never even expected something like this to happen on such a special day for their family. Now everything seemed to be falling apart right in front of his eyes and all he could do was watch silently.
"Kara, is that true?" he took slow, patient steps in Kara's direction, the look on his face dripped with the worry of a father who was trying to hold his family together but failing miserably. His hand lifted up to put on the beautiful bride's head gently and asked softly, "Kiddo, what is going on right now?"
Kara fell silent for a few seconds. She could not deny the fact that what James had said was not true, but right at this moment, saying those words were equivalent to swallowing poison that she could not avoid at any cost, 
"Uncle, it is all a misunderstanding." she finally murmured and grabbed Neil's hand in her own, "please calm down. I will do whatever you say."
"Then answer my question, Kara." Neil asked softly, "you love James?"
"I... it is complicated," she murmured. Tears had filled her eyes and her accusing gaze had shot to James filled with nothing but fury, "I don't even know what to say."
A little girl came running towards them from downstairs, "The priest is calling the bride!" she exclaimed excitedly and ran away again.
"Neil." Rita whispered in worry.
"The document in my hand clearly mentions Kara can't file to divorce me until six months of our marriage have passed. And legally you can not marry her to Damon anymore." James said firmly and straightened, his eyes flashing to Kara knowing she is the weakest one among everyone and she is the one who has to take the big step, "you do not have a choice.  Either come down with me willingly, protect the family's reputation or cancel the wedding right now and come with me later on. Either way, you are coming home with me."
"Kara," Neil made Kara look at him, "you don't have to do this kiddo if you don't want to. We can wait for six months, and you can marry Damon then."
Kara stared at the helpless man in front of her who looked about ready to collapse any second. As much as Kara respected Neil's words and bravery for giving her the choice, she knew that the people downstairs were the ones who will rip apart his dignity the moment they walk out of their home's door if the wedding did not happen. All the big personalities from the business world, including their partners and shareholders and everyone they had ever associated with, were waiting in the hall, and Neil's family's fate lay in her hands.