Until Death

8.

Jacklyn sipped at a glass of mediocre champagne and stared at the mirror in front of her, showing her in a white, overflowing, wedding gown sure to cost more than she could imagine. The Fleet was the best in the field and Antonio said he wanted to the best for her. The best for them and him a few minutes back until he received a call that have the last details of his suit done on him.

Her husband to be in three weeks had shown her a new world, lavished her with gift and love. But she still thought of her family. Her brother and the betrayal as he chose his father and his pregnant mistresses over her. The couple of years had been only them. Rider and Lyn for ever. And even then, she wished she could have the mind to invite him to her wedding after all he was her best friend.

She handed the staff, who threw her superficial compliments and hugged herself. She was cold. Her heart felt cold, chilling to the bone. She nodded to the words of the women like she heard them and let them guide her to the dressing room where she stripped down and changed to her shirt and skirt for the last thing she needed to do and promised herself, it was okay to.

At her best and worst, she thanked the staffs with a happy smile and walked to her car, the new car, Antonio had bought for her instead of running like she wanted to. As she drove to her workplace, there was something she didn't understand. She was happy but why did she feel so low on energy and life.

When she reached the office, she took the elevator to her floor and moved toward her desk. She had submitted the papers before and asked for time to think. When he had proposed to four months after that date. She was thrilled. When he told her, what it meant to be his wife, she knew she had to make her choice.

Now, she picked her things of importance into the spare box she kept under her desk and picked it up.

"You're going so soon?" The woman next to her desk asked with a cheerful smile, trying to give her hope.

She picked her box, turned and walked away. Getting her life fixed up.

"She's so rude." One of her ex-colleague said.

"She is a such snub, acting all high and mighty. People like her always have things easy. Do you hear who she is marrying . . . ?"

Jacklyn moved away from them, heading into the elevator. As soon as she came, she walked to the exit, where she felt someone grabbed her shoulder.

"Lyn."

She turned to see the person she wanted to share her biggest joy with. Her brother, Rider. He looked different from his well put together image. He tried his best not to scowl at her but she was his sister. He couldn't hide his anger from her.

She wanted to tell him how much she missed. She opened her mouth to mouth but . . . "Are you stupid? You're going to marry that bastard!? Mom didn't raise you to be stupid. You barely know him."

She smiled, she thought the first time they met after a long time, things would be different but was she thinking. That day she lost a brother and he lost his sister.

"Stupid?" she snapped. "You made your choice, didn't you? Least I love him and he loves me. But you are throwing yourself on a man, who abandoned us. Divorced our mother for a what . . . A woman, young, beautiful and better. And he doesn't get to fuck up with his new family. And his only or dragged along son from his first marriage."

He stepped back, hesitant about what to say or do but she wasn't through yet. She stared deep into his eyes in a anger and every negative feelings that had grown into her due to the life she was born in. "Who is the stupid one, now? We will always be trash to him."

He let go of her shoulder and she was about to turn. "Wait." he said softly but she had turned, but remained with him. "You should go and see her. Sharon is the cutest little thing you will ever see."