Forever Changed

Chapter 9: Kisses and Cake

Mattia POV

Our wedding was finally coming to a close. It had been a long and trying day and I desperately wanted to be alone with my new bride. She seemed to be in a better mood after we danced La Tarantella with everybody. As the family group swirled and dipped, holding hands and clapping together I saw her laugh and smile more than I had all day. My brothers made sure to swing her arms extra high, sometimes lifting her from the ground due to their height differences and her face was full of pure joy. I was glad I'd insisted that the dance be included now. It had given me the opportunity to see the first genuine smile on my new wife's face since before Bess made her request for a photo in the garden.

Thinking back over the day I knew I should not have allowed her to take a photograph with me. My attempt to avoid a scene for my new bride was the wrong choice. I should have had her removed from the event, even if she caused drama. I knew if the roles were reversed and a previous love interest of Angelique requested a photo with my bride, he would no longer be standing.

If I was honest with myself my behaviour today was full of bad choices. The pressure from recent issues involving our warehouses had left me exhausted and agitated and my bride had suffered the brunt of it. My harsh words during the ceremony had hurt Angelique before our day even really started.

My decision to allow Bess to have a photo was another error in judgement. It was actually my second mistake as far as Bess and my wedding was concerned. My first was inviting her and her family in the first place. I should have never invited my ex girlfriend or her family to be part of this special day. My attempt at kindness towards her parents, who were good hardworking people, to show everyone they were not shunned because my arrangement with their daughter was over, had backfired and hurt my wife.

Seeing me wed should have given Bess the closure she needed. It obviously didn't as her behaviour with the photographer showed and by not acting swiftly to shut her down I'd again hurt my wife. I wouldn't make that same mistake again.

Whatever my mother had said to Bess while my bride danced with her father had worked. She'd left us alone. Her parents were doing their best to enjoy the celebration but I knew their standing had been tainted yet again by the behaviour of their daughter. She'd been a problem for them since her teens, yet they never seemed to reprimand her. I honestly did not understand. I remembered all the way back to parties when we were both teenagers. I would see her spending time with men from our world in their mid twenties, who had no place being at a party with high school age kids. They were obviously only there for one thing and she was more than happy to give it to them.

Why hadn't her parents tried for a Marriage Pact when she was much younger? Their standing wasn't high but she was beautiful, a mid rank family would have accepted her back then. For that matter why had she been so open with her promiscuity from such a young age? She had to know her behaviour was unacceptable if she desired an offer to marry. By her late teens her reputation ensured no family of any worth would offer her a permanent place in their son's life.

When I thought about that I frowned. Why had I spent two years of my life with a woman with such loose morals? Was it part of my rebellion against my parents over the Marriage Pact? Or was it her willingness to accept anything I wanted in the bedroom? Neither option made me happy. It made me feel uncomfortable. My life was undoubtedly busy as I was learning to take over one day, and she was definitely easy, but we had nothing in common outside the bedroom. My mother was right when she'd warned me keeping a long term bed partner would be problematic. I just didn't expect it to be a problem today. My wedding day.

I felt her watching me on occasion as the night progressed but she did not approach. I had told her after the photo incident that she and her parents would be publicly escorted out if she approached either myself or my bride again. Our conversation had been harsh after she'd tried to kiss me during the agreed photo. That had made me furious and I made sure she knew her attention was unwelcome. I had immediately instructed the photographer to delete the image. No way would I allow that photo to embarrass my wife.