Chapter 2

• KELILAH’S POV
• The air was sucked out of the room. I heard a gasp—mine or Loveth’s, I wasn’t sure.
• The wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd, but none dared to oppose father openly, not until Loveth’s trembling voice broke the silence.
• “No!” Loveth screamed, leaping to her feet.
• Her voice cracked as she cried, “I will not go,” she declared, standing from her seat. “I refuse to be bartered like a piece of livestock.
• Her words hung in the air, a bold challenge to the unspoken rules of their world.
• “Loveth!! Sit down!” Father barked, his voice echoing through the hall as his face darkened with anger.
• But before he could say more, one of the community leaders, a stout man with a graying beard, stood and pointed an accusing finger at Loveth.
• “How dare you defy your father and our traditions?” he snarled. “Do you think you’re above the rest of us? Many daughters of ours have been sent before you, and none of them behaved with such insolence. You disgrace us!” the bastard spoke
• Loveth didn’t flinch, Instead; she pointed a firm finger at the man, her eyes blazing with fury.
• “Shut your mouth, old man!” she snapped, her voice cutting through the room like a whip. “You have no right to speak to me like that! You may have been content to sacrifice your daughters to that monster, but I am not like you!”
• A stunned silence fell over the room. The old man’s face reddened with indignation, but he said nothing more, cowed by her outburst.
• Before Loveth ought to say another word, Father rose from his seat, his face a mask of fury. In a speedy motion, he crossed the room and struck her across the face with a resounding slap.
• The sound echoed within the corridor, and I gasped in surprise. Loveth stumbled back, clutching her cheek, her eyes wide with disbelief and pain.
• “Father!” I cried, leaping to my feet.
• Without thinking, I placed myself between him and Loveth, shielding her from further harm. My heart pounded in my chest as I glared at him, my own anger bubbling to the surface.
• “You had no right father!” I yelled, my voice trembling with both rage and fear. “How dare you lay a hand on her? She’s your daughter!”
• Father’s eyes narrowed, but before he could respond, Loveth pushed past me, her hand still pressed to her reddened cheek.
• Tears streamed down her face, but she didn’t back down.
• “Why me? Why not Kelilah? Why am I the one being sacrificed?”
• “Because Kelilah is soon to be married,” Father said, his voice cold. “She has a suitor, and this marriage cannot be undone. You know this, Loveth.”
• “But she’s not married yet! She can still go!” Loveth cried bitterly.
• The room erupted into murmurs again. I stood frozen, the weight of Loveth’s accusations pressing down on me.
• Father loudly shouted, completely silencing the entire room, stating,
• “Enough! This discussion is absolutely over. The final decision has already been made.”
• “I hate you,” she spat, her voice breaking with raw emotion.
• I felt absolute dread when I saw all of the venom in her eyes as she looked at me.
• “I hate every single one of you. Especially you, Kelilah. Do you truly believe that you are completely without flaws? Always playing the hero. Well, to me, you are nothing”,
• Her words cut much deeper than any sharpened blade. Before I could reply, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the hall, leaving behind her a massive silence and huge heartbreak.
• Throughout all the corridors, her every sob echoed. I wanted to go and console her, but my feet felt rooted to the ground, My heart was audibly pounding in my chest.
• With no warmth, Father stated,
• “The meeting is adjourned.”
• Without another single word, I turned and stormed right out of the hall, my steps now heavy with total despair.
• Morning came, but I barely had a good night sleep. Suddenly, I felt a mild touch brush my hair to my side, and I opened my eyes only to see Loveth sitting beside me.
• “Loveth?” I whispered, startled.
• Why would she come to my room this early?.
• “I’m sorry for the hurtful words I said to you last night. I never meant any of it. I don’t hate you and I’m sorry I sounded so selfish”, she apologized.
• “No, don’t say that. I have already forgiven you for everything you said”, I replied, leaning a bit closer to her.
• “I was horrible to you” she cried and immediately I pulled her into a hug.
• “I forgive you, Loveth. And yes, you won’t be getting married to Korvus ”, I said
• “You want… to… you want to take my place”, she asked
• “No. None of us will have to. I’ll find a way out for us”, I said, sounding reassuring.
• “You promise?”, she asked with hopeful eyes, and I nodded.
• “I promise” I replied.
• I didn’t know how I was going to make it work, but I was certainly going to do something.
• “Want us to go to the office now?”, she asked, now smiling at me
• “Yes” I squealed and jumped from the bed.
• I had taken a leave today, because I wanted to dedicate the day to Loveth.
• “Let me get dressed and we can go together”, she said
• “I will wait for you out front” I replied.
• Quickly, I got into the bathroom and brushed. I took a quick shower and wore a pink gown that ended just above my knees. Mother was in the kitchen when I got downstairs.
• “Good morning mom”,
• “Good morning, princess. So where are you up to?”,
• “I’m going to the office with Loveth and after that, I will stop by Jackson’s place. I had promised to meet him by the end of today”,
• “Okay then love. Say hi to Jackson for me and don’t stay out late”, mother warned.
• “Okay Mom” I said.
• The ride to Jackson’s apartment was brief, and my excitement only grew as we pulled up to his grand duplex, complete with a white picket fence. This would be our home after the wedding.
• Inside, the living room, I sank into the couch, feeling comfortable as Jackson settled beside me.
• “So, what did your parents say?” he requested, his voice curious.
• “Loveth will be going,” I responded.
• “Thank God,” he muttered, a hint too speedy. My eyebrows furrowed, and I felt an unexpected wave of irritation.
• “What do you imply by that?” I requested sharply as my gaze held his.
• He took in my reaction, his expression softening.
• “No, I meant it’s better that she’s going instead of you,” he defended, putting his hand gently on my lap.
• I pushed his hand away, my voice firm. “It’s not better. My sister isn’t going anywhere, and neither am I.”
• He blinked in surprise, frowning as he tried to comprehend my words. “But you can’t keep the bride of King Korvus away from him. What do you plan to do?”
• “There must be another way,” I insisted. “But Loveth will not marry that man—not while I’m still alive.”
• His expression softened as he realized the depth of my resolve. “So, what are you planning?”
• I looked him dead in the eye, my tone resolute. “I’m going to speak to the high priest. I’ll convince him to choose someone else.”
• “And if that doesn’t work?” he asked, his voice curious yet cautious.
• “If it doesn’t work,” I said, my voice barely a whisper, “then I’ll go to Bazil myself and make King Korvus understand that my sister will never be his bride.”
• Jackson’s face twisted in alarm.
• Are you insane? Why would you risk your life like that? It’s not worth it!. What if he decides to assert you as his?”
• “Your words are beginning to anger me, Jackson,” I snapped. “Would you have allowed them take Kat if she was to be in Loveth’s place?”
• “Babe, I…” he commenced, but I wasn’t interested about hearing him out.
• “Well, if you’d allow them to take your sister, then that’s on you. But I will never allow them take mine.”
• He sighed, reaching out once more. “I’m sorry, love. Don’t be upset, please.”
• “Then don’t ever imply my sister isn’t worth it,” I retorted, my voice sharp.
• He pulled me close, cupping my face in his hands. “I’m sorry. Please, forgive me.”
• I rolled my eyes but softened slightly at his touch, even though he should have known better than to speak that way about my sister.
• “Come on, love. I’m truly sorry,” he murmured, pressing a light kiss to my forehead.
• “Whatever,” I mumbled, trying to stay upset.
• “I have something for you,” he said, disappearing into the other room for a moment. When he returned, he held a small, beautifully wrapped box.
• “What’s in here?” I asked, eyeing the package.
• “It’s a gift,” he said, a hint of pride in his voice.
• I tore open the box and gasped. It was a rare collection of diamond accessories that I’d been yearning for. As a princess, I had plenty of treasures, but Jackson knew how much I adored diamonds.
• “Oh my gosh, thank you!” I squealed, throwing my arms around him as he flashed a dazzling smile.
• “I love you,” he whispered.
• “I love you too,” I replied, feeling my heart swell.
• After a moment’s pause, he held out his hand. “Dance?”
• “What kind of dance?” I asked, a playful smile forming on my lips.
• “Any kind,” he replied, shrugging as he turned on the stereo.
• Soft music filled the room, and we swayed together, his hands guiding me gently. But as the dance continued, I felt heat rising within me. The air between us was thick with desire, and soon, his lips found mine, deepening the kiss.
• In one smooth motion, he guided me onto the couch.
• “Fuck Jackson” I moaned.
• I was wet already, and his fingers were sliding in easily. He pumped steadily, while I lifted my hips to meet his thrusts.
• But we couldn’t go any further than this. I wanted to wait until our wedding night for the main act. I pulled away, glancing at the clock I discovered It was past three already.
• I guess this was my perfect excuse.
• “I have to get back to the office” I said, straightening my clothes
• I arranged my dress and hair, while he looked at me. My eyes moved down his lower body and I could see the hard Imprint of his dick from his pants.
• He looked at me, his eyes filled with disappointment. “Can’t you stay the night?”
• I shook my head, forcing myself to resist his pleading gaze.
• “I promised Loveth I’d be home soon. Besides, I didn’t tell Mom I’d be staying over.”
• He groaned. “You could just call them.”
• “It doesn’t work like that,” I insisted.
• He sighed in defeat as I adjusted my dress and leaned in to kiss him. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
• “Promise?” he asked.
• “Promise.”
• I picked up my bag and started to leave, but then decided to leave the diamond box here—it was our future home, after all. No sense in moving things back and forth.
• “I’ll just drop this upstairs,” I told him, heading toward his bedroom.
• Once inside, I felt a thrill of excitement as I took in the familiar yet awe-inspiring space. This would be our future bedroom. I walked over to the wardrobe, placing the box inside, but as I turned to close it, my hand accidentally knocked over a stack of documents.
• Papers scattered onto the floor, and I hurried to pick them up, not wanting Jackson to walk in on the mess. But then… my fingers brushed against something that made my heart stop.
• A marriage certificate.
• I stared at it, reading the words over and over, feeling the world tilt beneath me. Jackson’s name was printed clearly on the document, but beside it was a woman’s name—someone else. My mind went blank. My heart thundered, and I felt a hollow, numbing ache spread through me as the certificate slipped from my trembling fingers, fluttering to the floor.
• Just then, Jackson entered the room, stopping dead in his tracks as his eyes met mine. He looked at the paper on the floor, and I watched as his expression crumbled. A tear slipped down my cheek, and my face, once filled with love and trust, now held nothing but betrayal and heartbreak.
• “So I was nothing but a cheap mistress all these years?”