Forbidden Affair with My Mafia Stepbrother R18-Chapter 156: She’s the Bride
I wanted to refuse and I wanted to scream that everything about this was wrong. However, the way that my mother looked eagerly at me only made me force a smile and nod. I told myself that I had to keep everything as natural as possible. The way that Rosabella smirked at me in secret told me that she had just gotten exactly what she wanted.
...
The wedding boutique looked like a scene from a princess dream, featuring lace and white silk. The air inside smelled faintly of sweet roses and soft music enveloped the air. There were wedding gowns everywhere that I looked, decorated with fine lace, jewels, and pearls.
I could say that Rosabella was enjoying herself as she stood on the platform in front of the mirrors, turning slowly from side to side as the assistant adjusted the wedding dress to fit her perfectly. Although I hated to admit it, it felt like all the dresses looked great on her. The way that the jewels on the dress glittered under the spotlight as she moved made her look like royalty. There was no denying that she would make the perfect bride, but why did she have to be Raphael’s bride?
As Rosabella seemed to enjoy herself, I sat stiffly on the velvet chair as I tried to figure out how to deal with her.
"Well? How do I look in this dress?" she asked as her eyes met mine through the mirror.
"It’s beautiful," I replied shortly.
"I better look beautiful and perfect in every way. It’s only going to be the best for Raphael," Rosabella said before she flashed her smile my way.
Her words cut me inside like a knife. I watched in silence as she tried on a couple more dresses. Each looked more extravagant than the last.
"I think I will go with this one," she announced quite proudly.
Rosabella had a very extravagant flowing ball gown on with a cathedral train. The dress hugged her figure perfectly before flowing down into what looked like a beautiful cluster of white clouds around her waist. The gown was striped with pearls and crystals and caught the light like fire when she moved around.
"Don’t you think that this is just perfect?" she asked me, although it wasn’t really a question.
I didn’t reply as she got off the platform and approached me slowly.
"Abigail, tell me, how does it feel? Watching me prepare to marry the man that you love? Knowing that there is absolutely nothing that you can do about it?" she whispered as she leaned closer toward me.
I froze in my seat as my throat silently went dry.
"You know that you can pretend all you want. In the end, we both know the truth. Raphael is mine and he will always be mine. The wedding date has been set, in case you’re still wondering," she announced victoriously before her lips curved into a knowing smile.
Having walked off after dinner the night that the wedding date was to be finalized, I had completely forgotten about it. Thankfully, my mother had not rubbed it in my face, but I knew that the day was supposed to be just around the corner. Rosabella and her father wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Something inside me just snapped. My hands were clenched into tight fists as I took a step toward her.
"Raphael doesn’t love you," I said as I tried desperately to stop my voice from shaking.
"Oh, sweet Abigail, naïve Abigail, do you honestly really believe that? If he truly loved you, why hasn’t he called off the wedding?" Rosabella replied before laughing softly and cruelly.
Her words cut deeper and were more hurtful than I wanted to admit. I thought of the dinner and of Raphael’s silence, and then his laughter and how he seemed to be enjoying himself. I thought of the way that Rosabella’s father had pressed the matter and how Raphael had not tried to stop it.
"And if he loves you so much, just the way that you claim, why are we here? Why am I the one choosing the wedding gown?" Rosabella asked as she tilted her head mockingly to the side.
I simply wanted to scream, to run, and also to collapse all at once. My chest burned with the weight of it all and ached with the pain of wanting to believe in Raphael. However, I couldn’t deny her words and the terror that perhaps I really was the one who was the fool. Rosabella definitely saw my hesitation and my doubt because she’s smart, like a cat that had just discovered a wonderful secret that she could bend to her own advantage. She stepped back and smoothed the gown down her hips before smiling beautifully at me.
"Time is running out, Abigail. You only have days left. What are you going to do? Will you tell your mother the truth or will you let her discover it the hard way?" Rosabella asked as she arched a brow at me.
Before I could give her an answer, she turned and walked away with the beautiful wedding gown trailing behind her.
In her mind, she was already the bride on her wedding day.
I stood there with my entire body shaking as anger boiled inside of me. The boutique staff walked by and offered me a gentle smile, completely oblivious to how I was feeling inside.
How dare she? How could she stand there in her beautiful, glittery wedding gown as she spewed poisonous words all over me? Rosabella liked to flaunt her victory and treated me as if I were nothing more than a shadow. Tears stung my eyes, but I tried my best to blink them back. I refused to give her the satisfaction of making me cry. Rosabella probably didn’t realize it, but every time that she treated me harshly, it helped me strengthen my resolve.
