Unexpected to be a Son-in-Law

Chapter Three: The After Wedding Party

Alicia’s POV

After three hours of still processing the wedding, my father hosted an after party here in our rest house in Santa Monica Los Angeles. He seems to be enjoying, he seems to be having fun. I thought he said this wedding is not mine? Well, obviously this wedding is his. Lol.

I take a deep breathe and get the veil out of my head after realizing that I am still on my wedding gown. I look into the mirror to look at myself.

“How could this beautiful face ended up with a Martinez?” I whispered. All I ever wanted is Mike, but I ended up with Lander. Now, ever since he learns about the wedding, he just disappeared. I felt stupid for not fighting enough and more being a childish child crying over to a man than fighting for what I worth. I remember the kiss again that lander had given me, I was shock for a virgin man to be a good kisser. I heard stories about him, rumors that he is single ever since he was born to this Earth, so I never imagined him to be a good kisser, more like a bad kisser.

Or maybe, he was practicing, he doesn’t want to get humiliated by me. I am a picker, I always pick, except this time, I don’t have a chance to pick who to marry on that altar. I don’t even know if this marriage is legit or what? Ugh.

The door of the room where I am staying opened. I saw the reflection of my mother walking down towards me in the mirror, Caroline Bennett. A mother who always spoiled her child but never had the chance to fight for it.

As far as I know he did not fight when he was force to marry my father just like what happened to me earlier. Is she scared? Is she afraid? I don’t know, who knows right? But all I know is she is coward but did everything to her best when it comes on caring me.

She smiled to smiled to be and sat down to the bed next to where I am sitting. “Why are you locking yourself up here Katherine?” She asks. I look up and smiled to my mother. “Why should I have fun mother? I just got married to a man I don’t love just to save his life.” I mean, yeah, why should I? Is the reasons not that enough to notice nor to know? Are they stupid? Should I celebrate? My friends aren’t even here in the first place! So why should I have fun?

“Come on honey. I am against to this marriage that Hernando had planned to you and to that boy, and I know what you are feeling… Getting force to marry a guy you don’t love… Asks me about that.” She chuckled. Yeah, ask her about that. Now I felt guilty! My mother only marries Harry, my daddy, because she was pregnant with me, I mean, at least she has a reasonable reason why she married daddy, while me? This is not reasonable. “I will make sure that even though you were married to a man and you are now officially a woman. My love and care for you will never be uphold…” She added and she touches my face.

I just smiled at her and touches her hands that is touching my face.I know she is acting, I mena, not acting, but I know she is trying to make me feel better, it is effective a little bit actually.

“My life is so perfect before this… And… There is a man waiting for me. Waiting for me to graduate. And when I did, I promise to him that I will answer him a yes… But look at me. My life is so ruined now!” I shouted. “Earlier at the chapel, all I ever wanted and thinking is to run out of there and leave everybody else there But… I am a Madden, I don’t want to ruin the family’s name because of me. I am disgusted with what happened earlier!”

“Alicia… I maybe against about the wedding, but you have to think about Lander, your husband. You have to remember what forces him to agree to get married too. The reason that made him agree in the first place. Both of you are trap… I am not on his side, nor anyone’s side. I am just telling you a facts. And don’t worry honey, even after you are married, I will make sure, we will make sure that you will still have a perfect life, nothing’s going to change it, not Hernando, not even Lander, you will still be our baby.” She said to me. Thank you mommy, still, at least I will still be their baby which is important to my fantastic life!

Yes, you heard me right, remember what happened to my birthday where Mike asks me to get married into him? I said no, a Madden is not desperate to a man. I told him he should wait after college and after I got my first job, but look, I am now ashamed to look at him. Now that he doesn’t know the real wedding thing, that this is a force marriage because no one supposed to, I felt embarrassed, what is he going to think? That I lied to him? That I said that because I already have a boy? Ugh,, thinking about that makes me want to got to a tomato farm and act like I put tomatoes on my cheeks.

“I am not broken. That is what I said to myself before the wedding ceremony started. And I will never be. I will just hope that whatever papa Hernando had planned, it will end as soon as possible.”

I said to her and smile. I want this to end. I don’t want to get stuck at this life.

Lander’s POV

The sound is too loud, and the floor is crowded with people, everything is absolutely beautiful, you can really see that this is not just an ordinary after wedding party, this is an elite party, hosted by no other than the elite Madden who god knows what are doing now. Everybody who I walk pass through greeted ,e with a congratulation, greeting me a happy married life. I just smiled to them as my response. I don’t want to speak, all I ever wanted is for this day to come to an end. This is not a happy married life? More likely a tragic ended marriage life.

I looked at the beach of Santa Monica while leaning at the glass edge of the balcony of the rest house when somebody touches my shoulder. I turned around and it was no other than Orlando Lux, my father’s friend and partner on the company that his family build.

“You have a nice plan on your life.” He said and I chuckled and shook my head off. “What plan? Because certainty I don’t have a plan on my life. I just go with the flow.” I answered to him. “Lander, your father will not be happy about what you are doing today. I am certain he is not proud of what you did.”

“You mean marrying into the Madden?”

“Exactly. And that is the plan I was talking about earlier.”

I take a deep breath and I asks him to walk with me, so we both walk together slowly while talking to each other.

“Mr.Lux…” I stopped. I don’t want him to know what I am planning, nor what truly happened or the reason behind the wedding. I don’t want to ruin my plan, the plan that is planted on my head, I oon’t want everything to get ruined. I maybe my father’s partner in life and best friend, but I make sure that I trusted no one.

Trust is something that can make your life miserable. Trust is the most dangerous thing in the world other than time.

“Alicia and I…. Are together. Like I said earlier, she showed me her real love when I lost everything. That is why we decided to get married.” I explained, more likely, lied. “And it is not my plan Mr. Lux. Like I said, I just go with the flow.”

I said to Mr. Lux while we are walking and getting more wine to drink.

“Really Lander? Go with the flow? You two are together? What lies are you going to tell me huh? As far as I remember, 2 months ago, you are so mad at them because of what they did and now you are marrying and becoming a Madden yourself? Remember who you are Lander! You are a Martinez! A Martinez! You are destroying your name , your family name! The reputation that you did! And really? You can get married before but why now after you were accused of crimes you did not commit, after you almost got locked up in jail!”

I stopped walking and face him. What did he just say to me?

“More likely I am making a legacy! And if to make my life better and get everything that I have back? Then yes! I will do everything in my position even proving myself that I am innocent to all of the accusations that has thrown at me! And if you don’t want to believe it? Then don’t. Just shut up.” I said and continue to drink the wine.

“I don’t want any help by anyone. Father told me and reminded me every single day since I was a kid, that whenever things just falls off, don’t ask for anybody’s help. You fix your own mistakes, be a man, make it up. No matter what the consequences is, you have to make it by yourself, no one’s help should be included. He raised me to be a man, and I was raised just likes what he wants me to be. The only thing I have for right now to fix the mistakes I did, was myself. And nothing’s going to change that, not even you.” I said to Mr. Lux and walks away from him, not even looking back becasue I don’t him to realized that I am not the Lander he used to build, my father used to raised. I am not a liar.

“Remind me the part where you cursed them when your mother died because of them.” He whispered to my ear before I truly walk away from him. “Remind me of the part that I care.”

I may seems arrogant and strong, but no I wasn’t. I am still in pain, I am in grief. But showing that to everybody is not gonna make me do good.

While on the other side of the party I saw Jeremy is on the wine fountain, looking at the hot girls that is walking pass through him and dancing in front of him. Really Jeremy? Wow. Then I stared to someone who is walking towards him, and stop beside him.

“You’ve almost ruined the perfect wedding of my sister earlier when you did that stunt on the stairs earlier and almost lost the ring.” Jeremy look to his left to see a young boy talking to him. “Junel.” Jeremy said

Junel Madden is Alicia’s youngest brother, only brother, only sibling.

“So you know me?” He said to Jeremy and drinks a wine. “Of course I know you. You are my junior.”

“And you are my senior.” Junel added a phrase to what Jeremy said.

They were both studying at the same campus, so they pretty much know each other. The age gap between them is almost 3 years.

“I did not ruined your sister’s wedding, in fact, it wasn’t even perfect after all.” Jeremy said.

“Do you think the marriage between a Madden and a Martinez is a perfect wedding? Pathetic.”

“You should not call it Pathetic! It is still a wedding. You don’t know anything about it because all you do in life is play with girls and not think about the situation. You are that kind of person Jeremy. We may not talk a lot nor close enough to know each other, but I look at you at far away and all I could see is your little pathetic life.”

Junel said and he throw a wine at him that made Jeremy shock to what just happened. I was shocked to what I witnessed. I don’t know if I am going to laugh or not, but, the expression of him makes me want to burst into laughter, but I can’t….

Martinez don’t show any happiness, especially at this moment.

“Sorry.” He said because even him is shock to what he did. Junel have this problem where he talk fast and cannot managed his actions and will only be shock at the end after realizing the s**t he had done, just like what he did at the moment.

He gave Jeremy a handkerchief and leaves him there still processing on what just Junel did to him.

I walked towards him where he is still processing the whole scene.

“Holy s**t Jeremy. What happened?” I asks him. “Your wife’s brother just threw a wine at me. That’s what happened.” He said.

While we were talking a sound of glass being tap by a spoon can be heard all around the house because it was facing a microphone connected to the speakers.

Everybody look at the person who did that, and it was no other than, Harry Madden.

“Thank you, Thank you everyone for coming at tonight’s celebration of my daughter’s wedding with the Martinez. All I just want to say that tonight, everything is going to change. My life, my daughter’s life, especially to my son-in-law Lander Martinez. Who happens to be the rival of the family!” He said and everybody starts whispering about what Harry just said.

“What is he doing?” Alicia asks to Caroline, her mother.

“You see… The world is too small for everyone! I am expecting that the Martinez and the Madden will keep their rivalry until the end of the dawn, but it looks, like, it is not going to happen. Anyways! I am still thankful for the marriage life of my daughter. To my father who planned everything, thanks to you too, won’t forget this day. What a funny coincidence right? Who would’ve expect that the two rival families will end up marrying each other? Well, guess what! No one. But still again! No matter what this day will cost, I still want to give thanks to the people who came at the wedding, who came at the after wedding party! To everybody out there! So, Lander, Alicia, wherever you are I know you can hear me. I hope you the best life. LET’S GET PARTY PEOPLE!!” HE shouted and drop the mic and a loud music starts playing and people are starting to dance with the music that is being played by the DJ.

“What was that dad? You are drunk! You shouldn’t gotten up there and said those words.” Alicia said to Harry. “Well you know Alicia. I maybe drunk or not. I know what I am doing and what I am saying, you don’t tell me what I should do or not.” He said. “Congratulations.” He said before walking away from his daughter. Alicia just watched his father disappear in front of her when he keeps walking away from her. Disappear from the people that is on the party. While Hernando stops Harry from walking away form him. “What was that Harry?!” He asks to his son. “What is dad? Are you afraid that your little dirty secret will be publish and announced publicly” He asks. “From now on! You controlled my daughter’s love life and I will not be your son anymore. Remember that!” He said and left his father there standing regretting his own son’s action.

“I’m gonna get some drink.” I said to Jeremy. “Yeah, I’ll change some clothes too.” We said our goodbyes to each other before walking away form each other.

While I am pouring a wine to the wine glass, Harry appeared in front of me.

“You think you are going to have a better life while being my son-in-law? Don’t assume that. Because I will make sure that you will quit being a Madden. And I won’t stop until that happens.” Harry said. “You may win my father’s heart today, but someday, he will turn his back on you like he did to me when he decided to arrange Alicia’s marriage to yours. I will make sure your life Lander, will not be better until you are under my hands.” He said. I smiled to him and drink the wine that I just finished pouring up on my glass. “I don’t expect to have a better life with you. And do whatever you want to do, if you won’t stop doing that, I won’t stop until I clear my name to the dirt that you put on it. And when I did, I will make sure that your life will be much worse than mine.” I threatened him. “oh you won’t Lander. I promise… And are you threatening your father in law? You are lucky there are people surrounding us. You can’t do that with me when we are alone. Your brave mouth will disappear, that is what I assure.” He said to Lander.

Before Harry walks away from him, he whispered something to my ear.

“I will make your life living hell Martinez. Just like what I did with your dad… And oh, don’t you ever try to impregnate my daughter, or I will make sure you will not see your tomorrow.”