"It's amazing how fast you can fall in love with a person you didn't even notice the first time you met them."

— Forbidden Love

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

•┈••✦ ❤ ✦••┈•

A sickening feeling resided in the pit of Marinette's stomach; a feeling she had not felt in a long time.

Maybe it was there because she had run out of things to hope for. Or maybe because everything she had ever loved had been taken away in just a few seconds - ripped harshly from her grasp and simply crushed into pieces, with mocked laughs following afterwards, as if what had been taken from her had no importance whatsoever.

To suffice, there weren't many things that made Marinette cry.

And that night, Marinette shed more tears than she could recollect.

Maybe things were meant to end this way; that she was destined to a fate that played against her favor. After all, she had spent the entirety of her youth refusing to marry and had chased away any man who had dared to ask for her hand in marriage. She had even denied her feelings for Chat Noir, insisting that they could (and never would be) anything more than just friends.

Perhaps, this was karma's way of repaying her.

"Marinette hold still, please." Her aunt scolded lightly. "These measurements need to be precise."

And while her aunt continued to pin (and frequently prick her skin), with a needle to determine her exact measurements for a wedding gown, Marinette simply stared at her reflection in the mirrors which surrounded her figure, almost as if enclosing her into another prison that she could not escape from. In her reflection, Marinette met a pair of eyes she did not recognize, staring pathetically back at her. As a matter of fact, this whole situation was pathetic. The longer Marinette continued to stare at the dead look in her eyes, the more she wished she could simply gauge them out and end her own misery.

"Marinette," In the mirror's reflection, the ravenette watched as her aunt straightened her posture, using the mirror to meet her niece's gaze, filled with concern. "What is with the look on your face? It is your wedding day, for god's sake. Show a little more enthusiasm."

But what did she possibly have to be enthusiastic for? Was she supposed to stand proud, paste a smile on her lips, and walk down that aisle as if nothing was wrong? Was she supposed to say vows that she did not entirely agree with, nor truthfully mean, and kiss a man she felt no love for? Was she simply supposed to accept this marriage although it was nothing more but pure manipulation?

No, she wasn't. And her past self would have put up a fight. But things were different now.

They had to be.

As her thoughts consumed her, Marinette found her tears threatening to return. No, there was no such thing as crying in front of aunt. Closing her eyes briefly and inhaling a deep breath through her nose, Marinette willed herself to keep a straight face. "I am sorry, aunt. Truly, I am. I just..." eyeing her reflection once more, she sighed heavily, "...thought this day would never come."

Aunt simply raised a brow, resuming her work upon Marinette's measurements. "You and me both, dear. You and me both."

And things only worsened when Marinette awaited to walk down the aisle that evening, standing helplessly behind the chapel's door, only waiting for them to open. Over her face draped her veil, and behind those double doors stood the man who had officially robbed away her life, who would lie before the priest and say that he would care for his soon to be wife, cherish, and love her for the rest of her days.

But, as fate would have it, Marinette predicted that the rest of her days would consist of nothing but lies and deceitfulness. Nathaniel could care less about her; he was only concerned about his public image and reputation.

He probably knew nothing of love.

"Marinette?"

At the sound of her name, Marinette turned abruptly to find Elizabeth's tall figure, dressed in her best Sunday gown. With a quirked brow, Marinette lifted her veil to meet her sister's gaze. "Elizabeth? What are you doing here? Should you not be in the chapel already?"

Elizabeth nodded. Though, something in her features seemed off. "Yes. But I-I had to talk to you first, before the wedding."

Marinette raised an unimpressed brow. "If you have come to tell me how pathetic I am for the last time before I am wed, then you can save your breath."

Elizabeth simply shook her head, and surprisingly, did not take Marinette's insult to heart. "No, I... I wanted to see if you were alright." She replied softly.

Throughout the years of having to live with Elizabeth, Marinette had learnt two very important things. One, Elizabeth was cruel and could care less about anyone but herself, and two, her main mission in life had always been to ridicule her second eldest sister. Having concern for Marinette however, now that, that was a surprise in its own.

"You... you wanted to see if I was alright?" Marinette questions unsurely, raising an unconvinced brow. "Have you bumped your head?"

Both of Elizabeth's brows rose. "What?"

"Or maybe you've reached an emotional breakthrough?"

"What? No!" Exclaims Elizabeth, somewhat frustrated as she reaches forward to grab her younger sister's shoulders, shaking them lightly. "I came to see if you were okay!"

Still, Marinette remained unconvinced. "And why would you suddenly care to do that?"

"Marinette, you are getting married before me." Elizabeth chuckles, as if the thought was unbelievable enough. Still, she refuses to release her sister's shoulders. "I-I always thought I would be the first to leave Aunt, and now that you will soon be gone, I am beginning to regret all the years I treated you."

Wow... had an angel descended down from Heaven and touched Elizabeth's soul?

"You are?" Marinette questions, bewildered.

Elizabeth nods. "I have never told you this, Marinette. But I thought, if you are soon to be wed, you must know." Inhaling a deep, shaky breath, Elizabeth lets her hands fall back down to her sides. "But you were always mother's favorite out of us all."

Both of Marinette's eyebrows rose to that. "I was?"

Again, Elizabeth nodded. "Yes. Mother believed you would do incredible things one day. In fact, she wrote this for you." Pulling out an envelope from her dress pocket, Elizabeth hesitantly hands it to her sister. As Marinette inspected it curiously, she found the envelope's corners to be worn, and its edges to be tattered. On the front, her own name was printed in cursive with ink that had been slightly washed away. Elizabeth smiles softly, watching as her sister gaped at the envelope in her hands. "When I was only six years of age, she gave it to me before her and father left us in the care of aunt. As you know, father despised us all," she sighs sadly, "so, mother secretly requested I give you this letter one day. Sometime when you grew older."

"Elizabeth, I..." For once, Marinette was speechless. Her fingertips grazed over the cursive letters of her name, her own tears threatening to spill before her eldest sister. "Why did you not give this to me sooner?" The ravenette asks, looking up to once again meet Elizabeth's gaze.

Elizabeth's soft smile fell into a slight frown, and she averted her gaze away from her sister. "Marinette, mother favored you. Krissy and Emily were too young to understand at the time, but I was jealous of that. I was the eldest - the first born into the family - and yet, I was barely acknowledged." Hesitantly, she met her sister's gaze once again. "As pathetic as it sounds, I envied you."

"What about Krissy and Emily?" Marinette asks suddenly. "Did they get a letter as well?"

Elizabeth sighs disappointedly, eyes averting to her shoes. "Yes. They did."

And suddenly, realization had stricken Marinette harder than ever. She now understood the reason for Elizabeth's anger towards her siblings. Mother had written them each a letter, except for her eldest daughter.

"Elizabeth, I am so sorry." And genuinely, Marinette meant it. Reaching up, she gently placed a hand on her eldest sister's shoulder, truly sympathetic for her. "I had no idea."

Elizabeth simply shakes her head and offers her sister a small smile. "All that can be done now is to move forward, Marinette. I want to start anew with you."

Quirking a brow, Marinette smirks slightly. "Is that an apology I sense?"

Elizabeth shake shakes her head slightly, a small smile finding its way to her lips. "I suppose."

In response to her playful manner, Marinette cups the shell of her ear with her palm and smiles almost sinisterly as she waits for Elizabeth's verbal apology.

Elizabeth grimaces. "I am sorry."

However, the apology was said merely in a whisper. And although Marinette clearly heard it, she continued to further banter. "I did not quite hear you." She sing-songs in a teasing manner.

Rolling her eyes playfully, Elizabeth repeats herself once more. "I am sorry."

Marinette laughs.

"And I am sorry, too." The ravenette reached forward, and before Elizabeth could protest, caught her eldest sister into a tight embrace. In response, Elizabeth returns the hug, wrapping her own arms around her soon to be wed sister.

When they release each other, Elizabeth catches Marinette's hand into her own. "I also wanted to see if you were okay." She says, her orbs boring into her sister's. "You have been missing for quite some time, and suddenly Nathaniel rescues you?"

Marinette falters at the mention of Nathaniel, and her prominent smile suddenly vanishes in seconds. Rescued was a broad word for it.

More like kidnapped and forced to do what he wanted, with no say in the matter.

Now that sounded more like it.

Marinette frowned slightly, though, it went unnoticed to Elizabeth. "Uh, yes. Something like that."

Elizabeth hummed in appreciation. And if Nathanial had been genuine, Marinette would have considered the action to be non-offensive. However, Elizabeth knew no better. She had no idea who Nathaniel truly was.

"Oh! And one more thing." Elizabeth suddenly says, "Do you happen to know where Krissy and Emily are?"

Marinette's eyes grow wide, and she abruptly turns to her older sister. "What do you mean? Are they not in the chapel with Aunt and Uncle?"

"No," Elizabeth shakes her head. "They went out to play earlier this afternoon and never returned. Apparently, they have been going out every afternoon to play since your disappearance, and aunt was growing incredibly worried. However, due to your wedding, aunt has been too preoccupied to go look for them." she explains.

Marinette narrows a brow. Too busy to look out for her two youngest nieces?  It didn't surprise Marinette greatly, considering this was aunt they were talking about.

"So, they will be missing my wedding?" Marinette asks cautiously.

Elizabeth simply shrugs and offers Marinette a sympathetic smile. "Seems so."

However, Marinette was not the least disappointed. Well, she did hope that when she truly did find the love of her life, that Krissy and Emily would be there to witness the wedding. But for this particular wedding, Marinette did not want her younger sisters to witness what would happen at this alter.

And no, the congregation would not be witnessing a kiss. Not today.

And suddenly, (and quite abruptly) the double doors to the chapel door opened, and their uncle stepped forward, closing the doors behind himself. He took one look at his niece before wordlessly offering his arm to her, in which Marinette responded by linking her own with his.

He looked down at her. And for the first time in Marinette's life, she witnessed her uncle offer her a soft smile. "Are you ready, dear?"

In response, Marinette returned his smile and allowed the veil to once again cover her face. The chapel doors were reopened, and the music began to sound as her uncle guided her down the aisle and towards the alter. Throughout the congregation, Marinette recognized many faces, but none were of much importance to her. As she passed the front row, she noticed aunt's approving smile, and Elizabeth's figure that was quick to take a seat next to aunt once again. She too, bore a wide smile across her lips.

But this was far from a joyous occasion.

If only they knew of Nathaniel's true intentions.

As she joined Nathaniel up on the alter, he threw her veil over her head and took her hands into his calloused ones - the mere feeling on her soft skin against his causing her to frown in disgust. Was this really something she would have to deal with for the rest of her life?

Nathaniel was smiling, but it was far from friendly. It was more of a victorious smile. As if he had finally won.

Well, Marinette had a surprise for him.

"If anyone objects in these two being brought together, speak now or forever hold your peace."

Upon the priest's words, Marinette met Nathaniel's eyes, daring and fierce. But his eyes were already locked on hers, as if almost challenging her to object in her own wedding.

She would have done it too. She would have stood proud, turned to the congregation, and proclaimed her objection to this marriage and why.

However, Nathaniel's previous words many nights before burned fresh in her mind and restricted her tongue from speaking the truth.

"If you dare to object or run down the aisle at our wedding, everyone in this congregation will know that you carry my child before you have been wed."

Marinette could feel the bile rising up in her throat.

And it wasn't just from his previous words either. But with the way he was already looking at her, she could tell exactly what he was already thinking.

Screw him and all of his decedents.

Marinette glared into his eyes, and through gritted teeth, she whispered, "I am not pregnant."

And that seemed to strike a nerve. Nathaniel simply shrugged, meeting her gaze almost challengingly, though there was no humor in his eyes. "When you skip your menstrual cycle next month, you will be saying otherwise."

"I will not be skipping anything, because I am not carrying your bloody child!"  Marinette seethes angrily in response. "You may have stolen my virginity, but you sure as hell haven't taken away my spirit."

"Pity," Nathaniel smirks, tightening his grip around her hands. "I was looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you. Unfortunately, you are not as naïve as the rest of your family."

"Leave the rest of my family out of this." Marinette retorts in a harsh whisper. "This is between me and you. And this is a war I intend to win."

Nathaniel did not seem at all phased by her threat, simply returning her threatening words with a slight grin of his own. "We shall see, Marinette. We shall see."

The priest continued on with the ceremony, despite that no one knew of Nathaniel and Marinette's secret dispute upon that alter.

For heaven's sake, they were in a church. Could things get any more unholy?

Soon the ringbearer had presented the rings, and with daggers in her eyes, Marinette slipped the band onto Nathaniel's finger. He did the same, refusing to break any eye contact between them, though he returned her deathly glare with just as much passion. Once the rings were rightfully situated on their finger's, the priest continued on, questioning first Nathaniel if he would love, and care for her, as long as he shall live?

"I do."

Nathaniel had only turned his attention for moment towards the priest, before it was back on Marinette, raising a challenging eyebrow her way as the priest began to recite her vows. As his words drew nearer to when Marinette would have to proclaim her love for the man who stood before her, she felt the sweat accumulate on her brow.

She couldn't.

She couldn't possibly lie. Especially before God himself!

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng, do you solemnly swear to love, to cherish, and to obey your spouse, for as long as you shall live?"

Of course, only her vows required her to obey. What a shocker.

"I-I..." Marinette's worried gaze fell out to the congregation, who all bore excellent smiles as they waited for her assumed response. however, she couldn't possibly condemn herself to Nathaniel's scheme, yet she had no other alternative. If she did not proclaim her love for him, he would announce that she had lost her virginity before marriage, and that she could possibly bear a child out of wedlock.

She would be shamed on from all of society. Even her own aunt would disown her.

Suddenly, before Marinette could formulate her answer, the chapel's double doors burst opened, and a figure dressed in black fell to his knees, crying out terribly in agony. Beside the figure stood Krissy and Emily, urgently searching for any sort of explanation or assistance, and with their interruption, the whole congregation turned and stood, frightened. The figure on his knees suddenly looked up, and when she caught his eyes, Marinette wasted no time in abandoning Nathaniel at that alter.

"Chat Noir!"

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