After the church activities, the ceremony was moved to an event hall that she hadn't known about, she didn't really know much because she didn't bother to ask, all she thought was after the wedding everyone goes home but there was an after-party with even more people, cameras everywhere, various people coming to take photos with her, people she didn't even know, they still haven't had their couples dance so she knew it was far from over.
"Are you okay?"
Her new husband, more like Natalie's new husband asked.
"Do I look okay? I have been smiling nonstop for photos with different people I don't even give a fuck about, why do I have to do this? Why are there so many cameras around and just how many more photos of me in the same dress are they going to take?"
She asked, doing her best not to shout.
"What's wrong with you acting like you are new to this? You are always in the spotlight so this should be easy, in fact, you are the one that said there should be freedom to take photos,"
Rafael replied.
"Fuck you, Natalie,"
She mouthed to herself, her sister was impossible, how could she have done that? What happened to a private wedding with just close friends and family?
"Aha, that's true, I don't think I was thinking straight then,"
She said looking away from him, she didn't even know more than half of the people that were here and they all keep coming to wish her well and hug her and she had to pretend to know them, she avoided talking much as she didn't want to say anything that will give her away but it was hard.
"I need to go to the restroom,"
She announced as she got up, he did the same.
"Alone,"
She added walking off, at least this dress was okay and she could walk in it, the only thing Natalie had done right, even the cake was horrible, she couldn't hide her dislike and Rafael had looked at her like she had gone mad, she just ignored him, she walked fast into the restroom and closed the door, she needed to catch her breath.
"Natalie,"
Oh God no fucking way, why didn't she think someone else will be here and of all the people to meet in here, her mom, she forced a smile and turned to her mom who didn't look happy, she had been avoiding her family since after the chapel but guess she had to face her biggest enemy right now.
"Mom,"
She acknowledged.
"What took you so long to get to the church? Do you know the kind of ruckus you caused, we all thought you backed out."
Her mom said, well technically, the real Natalie did but she couldn't tell her mother that.
"Sorry mom, I didn't wake up on time,"
She lied.
"Whatever, at least you showed up, but where is your sister? I have been calling her number but it is not going through and I haven't seen her around?"
"She left,"
She forced out.
"What?"
Her mom asked.
“She couldn't make it because she had to be somewhere else, I took her to the airport, she left the country for a while,"
Nicole revealed, her mom looked even more furious.
"That ungrateful, idiot, how could she leave on her sister's wedding day? And you even took her to the airport? Just how much more irresponsible can she get? What's more important than your wedding?"
"Mom, let Nat** I mean Nicole be, why do you hate her so much? She has a right to do whatever she wants, she is an adult,"
"No one said she is not an adult, an adult takes care and does the right thing, I can't say the same for your twin and I don't know why you keep defending her, just how much more damage is she going to do before you see it?"
"Damage? What damage?"
Nicole asked, trying hard not to lose her cool, her mom has always been like this, so this shouldn't get to her.
"Yes damage, she going to disgrace this family, I am happy she is an antisocial bitch because only God knows what she would do if she was active on the media, everyday it will be a shame upon shame,"
"Mom, that's enough,"
She yelled and left, she couldn't take it anymore, just one more moment in her mom's presence and she would have told her she is the one trying to keep the family name intact, that her twin that she thought was the best was far away in another country, she walked angrily to where she was sitting before and was stopped by a man whom she didn't recognize.
"Can we dance?'
He asked and Nicole looked at him wondering who he was and why she had to dance with him? She hasn't even danced with Rafael.
"No thanks,"
She said and walked past him.
"What was that?"
Rafael asked when she sat back down.
"He was asking for a dance. I am the bride. Why should I dance with him when I haven't danced with my husband? Not like I even know him,"
She added the last part in a low tune but Rafael heard.
"What? You don't know Caleb? Are you kidding me? That's my best man,"
"Did I say that? I only said I didn't want to dance with him,"
"I heard, you,"
"You heard wrongly,"
"No, I didn't,"
"You need to,**"
"Can the bride and the groom take the dance floor for their first couple dance?"
The MC announced cutting her off.
"See that's the way it should go,"
She said, forcing a smile and taking the hand Rafael offered, they walked to the dance floor as everyone cheered, she turned out again, let Rafael do all the work, she just followed his move.
"You know, you can smile, instead of frowning like you are being forced to get married,"
Rafael said, she looked up at him.
"I have been smiling non-stop, forgive me if it fell off for a moment,"
She replied she wasn't going to give him the chance to talk to her as he wished.
"There you go again,"
"Sorry, now stop talking to me,"
She said and raised herself on her tiptop and kissed him, she didn't know why she did it, but he was talking too much, he smiled and kissed her again, she could hear the crowd cheering.
"That's a good one,"
He said after they broke off.
"Burn in hell,"
She muttered to herself.
After their dance, she danced with a few other people including her dad and that was it, she refused anyone else that came even when Rafael asked her to give in, she didn't let him force her into doing what she didn't want to do, maybe the real Natalie would have but, not her, the ceremony finally drew to an end and it was time for them to leave, she didn't bother bidding her mom and dad goodbye and just got into the car, waiting for Rafael to join her, she was too tired both physically and emotionally, all she wanted to do was take a bath, sleep and wake up to this all being a stupid dream...