Chapter 1011
Everything in his life had fallen into place since he met the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with for all eternity. But there was a tiny hiccup in their plans for their upcoming union.
“I want Eida to be my maid of honor and Luisa, my flower girl,” Amelia stated, not demanding but hoping. “I wish they could be part of our special day.”
That would not have been a problem if Eida would willingly expose herself to his friends. But, of course, that was not an option. He knew Eida wanted nothing else but to be there as a witness to their wedding.
However, she had her reason for staying away from the limelight. The couple understood her situation, but it would not be the same without her and her child at their wedding since they had been the closest to a family they had.
“I want her to be there, too,” Evan answered, a little bit frustrated, as they mulled over their wedding plans. “But you know I have to invite all my friends, including Lance.”
Besides, even if he did not invite the Prince or he did not attend, the pictures at the reception would still reveal that Eida and Luisa were present in the scene. Then, their other friends, present at the wedding, might recognize her and tell Lance.
.....
Indeed, it was a complicated situation.
But they had to decide on something, or they would never set a date, organize a plan, and be married. “I know.” She answered him, echoing his same frustration. He wished there was another way.
“Then, there is your father. You know how close he is with the Count and the Royal family.” Evan reminded his fiance, knowing that putting Eida in the middle of his friends and her family would never be a good idea.
She finally stood up from the bed, realizing how complicated their situation was. All she wanted was to have the most special people in her life in this once-in-a-lifetime event.
After all, it was her wedding day.
“Do we need to invite all these people?” She grabbed the papers on the table, comprising the names of their expected guests.
As her eyes scanned the list, she saw the tally was almost three hundred. But when she looked closely at their names, she barely recognized most of them. She could assume that all of them came from affluent families.
When she finally informed her father about her impending marriage, she had already expected his reaction. He was furious. He did not welcome her news as anything pleasant.
“Do you expect me to be static about it?” Her father shouted over the line. The fact that she had notified him about her engagement on the phone did not help. He found Evan’s action insulting since he did not ask for her hand before proposing to her.
Her father was a traditional man. He had always intended to arrange her marriage to some prince or wealthy business associate to further his power and wealth. She would have become queen if he had his way.
“I love him, Dad, and I want you to be happy for me.” She answered him, knowing it would not have mattered to her father.
He had never considered that she should marry out of love. Her father thought it was foolishness to believe in such nonsense when a good arrangement could solidify their family’s legacy.
It took him a week before her father conceded and accepted he was not winning this battle. Instead, he decided to meddle with their affairs, demanding that Evan should provide the wedding befitting his daughter.
“Dad, I don’t want a big wedding.” She informed her father, suddenly wary of the way he was behaving. She knew her father would try to sabotage her wedding if he could.
She knew Evan was wealthier than most of her father’s friends, but her father would still find her fiance lacking. First of all, Evan did not come from old money. His family name was not in the registry of all the great names in their country’s history.
“You will allow me to become the laughing stock among my friends.” Her father could not even think of her happiness as he mumbled about his reputation and name.
“If you want me to accept this man, then the least you can do is show our family and friends that you are not marrying a caveman.” He added, knowing that he meant it as an insult.
Evan came from a nobody. Yes, her grandmother made it in the entertainment industry, and her grandfather had a successful small-time business. Still, it was not enough to make them cut the list of social elites.
Evan only became very rich when he tried his luck in another country and became successful in his career and business choices. Now, he might be wealthy, but not according to her father’s standards.
“Your father mostly requested all of those people.” Evan reminded her. “We don’t have to invite them if you don’t want.” He moved closer to her, his palms caressing her shoulders, assuring her that he would always have her back. Her wish was his command.
They could do that, but that would surely irk her father. But she did not mind. She had disappointed him all her life. So, what was one more going to do to her?
She had already promised herself when she left him to live alone that she would not let him control her life anymore. She was not about to change that now. She would plan her wedding according to her wishes, not his. Because, as she said before, this was her special day.
Nevertheless, it did not solve her initial problem.
She could uninvite his father’s guests, but she still could not invite the two people she wanted to be there. Therefore, she was back to her original dilemma as she let the cold breeze touch her skin as she stood at the open balcony door.
She was gazing at the farthest clouds she could see, trying hard to have a happy ending in this fairy tale wedding, when her fiance broke into her thoughts. “Tell me honestly, what is your dream wedding?”
It made her think of all her wedding fantasies from the day she fell in love with Lance until she met this magnificent man behind her. She knew Evan would give her the grandest wedding the world had seen if it would make her happy but was that what she wanted?
She turned to face her future husband, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Then, she let her fingers play at the baby hair growing at his nape as his hair extended longer.
She played several scenarios in her head as she thought about his question, trying to find the correct answer. She could have what she thought was her fairy tale wedding with her Prince charming, but that was a childish dream.
She believed she already outgrew that one. Then, she smiled as she finally decided what she wanted for real.
“A wedding with only the people that mattered the most.” For her, it would be her dream wedding.