Chapter 2: The Child in Her Womb Belongs to Maximus
1655 Words
An acute, alluring voice reverberated throughout each corner of the chapel, startling everyone. Their collective gaze was drawn towards the doorway, where a woman in a striking champagne dress radiantly stepped forth.
Her visage was enchanting, her luscious curls lightly lifted into a beguiling updo, mesmerizing and captivating.
Her figure, accentuated by the champagne-hued strapless dress, revealed a petite, nipped-in waist. The radiant luminescence of her exposed flesh shimmered, akin to a pristine egg stripped of its shell.
As she paraded on the dazzling red carpet, the slight curl of her red lips and spirited eyes exuded confidence and nonchalance. Quite effortlessly, she captivated the collective attention of the crowd.The room pulsed with a unison gasp, she was stunningly beautiful, overwhelmingly outshining the bride, Celeste, on the stage.
On recognizing the intruding stunner, Celeste's eyes widened with dismay.Scarlett?!Why on earth was Scarlett here?!Hadn't her parents sequestered her at home, fearing she would cause an unwarranted spectacle at the wedding?She had even made sure to instruct the housemaids not to let Scarlett leave the house.Then, how had she managed to escape?!
As the initial shock receded, the guests correctly identified the newcomer as Scarlett.Recognizing the besotted looks launched at Scarlett by their male companions, many societal ladies couldn't help but chide and mock her openly.
"How presumptuous of Miss Mitchell to appear here! Has she forgotten her illegitimate, scandalous conduct at the club that led to her pregnancy?!""Ha! Ha! Ha! The word has it said that, unable to withstand loneliness, Miss Mitchell frequented nightclubs for companionship. But what's done in the dark, comes to light. Her reckless endeavors led to an unplanned pregnancy, unleashing a scandal destined to mar her reputation for a lifetime!"
"Should a daughter of mine have succumbed to such debauchery, strangulation at birth would have been her fate. Why spare a life so purposeless?!"" Exuding grace outwardly, yet she thrives on seduction, an abhorrent and scandalous wretch with insatiable desires. She holds no place in such a sanctified space!"
These stinging remarks etched a deep burn across the faces of the Mitchells, their dignity fragmented.The family's patriarch, Ronald Mitchell, shot up from his seat, ire aflame in his veins. He made a beeline for Scarlett, sweeping down the opposite end of the red carpet, seized her arm, intending to drag her away, "Scarlett, what in blazes led you here? Retreat this instant! Isn't your unbridled shame glaring enough?!"
Scarlett, stood unfazed, her defiant icy gaze pinned on him, "Father, retreat is not an option. I am here in pursuit of my child's father.”Stunned, Ronald momentarily halted, his determination to eject her dissipated, "Scarlett, are you insinuating...the degenerate imbecile behind your pregnancy is amongst the attendees?!”
Scarlett, responding with an assuring nod, said, "Indeed."
However, her audacious revelation was met with a mocking uproar."Ha! Ha! Ha! Miss Mitchell, this venue doesn’t match your usual haunt! You realize this is a sacred wedding ceremony, not some murky nightclub?!”"Indeed, indeed! This gathering is an ensemble of distinguished elites, not your average riffraff frequenting nightclubs!""Face your consequences and let it not cross your mind to mischievously splatter muck on others. We most certainly aren't your scapegoats!""Right! We carry ourselves with an elevated dignity, unlike Miss Mitchell, a relentless party animal, an utterly shameless wanton!"
Incited by this bitter mockery, the Mitchells erupted collectively, shouting out in sync, "Enough!!"
Despite Scarlett's wrongdoings, she remained a Mitchell. Regardless of their anger, disappointment, or resentment, they would never allow anyone else to denigrate one of their own!
Lady Octavia, mother to Maximus, sternly intervened, "Halt this turmoil! We gather here for a wedding. If you desire this ceremony to carry on, escort your elder daughter away, or I fear the nuptials will have to cease!"
A fraught note crept into Celeste's plea, "Father, please take Scarlett away. She doesn't look well."On her cue, Ronald promptly intervened, attempting to steer Scarlett out of the wedding reception.
This was to be a day of celestial joy, a celebration of his youngest daughter's wedding. He was resolute on not letting the prodigal daughter tarnish it!
But Scarlett held her ground, her piercing gaze directed at the frosty figure on the podium, "Father, I am not leaving, for the child I am bearing is Maximus's child!"
The hushed crowd seemed to implode in shock.What did Scarlett just announce?!Did she imply the paternity of her unborn child traced back to Maximus?!Had she lost her senses?!Who was Maximus to her?Was he an arbitrary target to her slander?!
Colour drained from Celeste, the room seemed to spin as tsunami waves of shock crashed over her.What was unfolding?!Wasn’t Scarlett oblivious to the identity of the man from that fateful night?Then why did she blatantly declare Maximus the father?!
Celeste firmly believed, today was her moment of glory, her transformation into a phoenix, she was adamant not to let Scarlett tarnish this!
Even as the attendees grappled with the revelations, Celeste seized the initiative, her voice quavering as she fought back tears, “Sister, I realize your resentment towards me, your innate desire to sabotage my happiness… Yet today, as Maximus and I unite in holy matrimony, how could you…”
The sobbing undertone in Celeste's voice snapped everyone back to the harsh reality, realizing that Scarlett, in her own path of torment, was intent on dragging her sister into the abyss of ignominy!
Going to such scandalous lengths as claiming that her unborn child belongs to Celeste's betrothed – a chilling display of malicious intent!Maximus's uncle, unable to bottle his contempt, pointed accusingly at Scarlett and erupted.
"Mr. Mitchell, it would seem your eldest daughter is gravely disturbed. How could she brazenly assert that Maximus fathered the bastard child she carries?!”His spouse echoed his sentiments, "Indeed, seek immediate psychiatric intervention for her! Maximus has always maintained an impeccable reputation, untainted by any compromising female encounters. It boggles the mind that he might stoop to getting involved with such a wretched woman, let alone fathering her child!”
Ronald's eyes were inflamed with fury. His hands itched to deal Scarlett a crushing blow, but paternal love restrained him. Instead, he roared, "Scarlett, you've overstepped all bounds of decency! It's one thing to harbor resentment or even loathe your sister, but sabotaging her happiness surpasses all transgressions!”
Every member of the Mitchell family stared at Scarlett, their faces mirroring an unsettling mix of rage and deep-seated disappointment.
Scarlett, faced with the swirl of tumultuous emotions around her, remained eerily calm, an elusive smile playing upon her lips.
"Father, my proclamation holds the truth. Three months ago, Maximus and I shared an intimate encounter, birthing the creation of a life that night. If doubts still linger, I consent to a hospital examination, to ascertain if the child within me carries the Harrison lineage."
The attendees turned stone silent at Scarlett's composed declaration, a doubt seeding in them. Could her claim be a stark truth they were too quick to scorn?
Maximus's chilling gaze locked onto Scarlett's delicate face, as flawless as a porcelain doll. His obsidian eyes gave nothing away, concealing a maelstrom of thoughts that teetered on the edge of inscrutability.
Witnessing this interaction, a surge of unease washed over Celeste. In an act of desperation, she unveiled a jade pendant that dangled around her neck, a declaration of defiance. "Sister, what fiction are you contriving? It was I who shared a sultry night with Maximus and not you! This pendant, a token from him, is my irrefutable evidence."
Scarlett shot a dismissive glance at the pendant, chuckling coldly, "That pendant was initially mine, wasn't it? It was your ingenious ploy to impersonate me with my pendant, thereby securing a turn with Maximus, wasn’t it?!"
Celeste's eyes brimmed with tears of indignation as she fiercely clung to Maximus's arm, "No, that's a sheer fabrication! She's spewing baseless concoctions. This pendant belongs to me, symbolic of my secret sojourn with Maximus. My beloved, you must trust me, it was I who you found yourself next to when dawn broke…”
Fortuitously, she had been prudent that infamous night. After rendering Scarlett unconscious with a potent drug, she stood concealed, overseeing Scarlett enter Maximus's private chambers.
She mounted an agonizing vigil through the night, awaiting Scarlett's exit. Only when Scarlett, disoriented and weakened, emerged from the chambers did she dare to act. Assured now that Scarlett was oblivious to the identity of the man she had been with, she craftily seized the pendant from Scarlett. Slipping into Maximus's chambers surreptitiously, she duped him into believing that Celeste was the sultry enchantress from that unforgettable night.
Her insidious manipulations had danced to her premeditated tune perfectly!
She had not only managed to ensnare Maximus's heart but also triumphantly secured his proposal of marriage!
Who could have foreseen that on the very day of her wedding, a tempest named Scarlett would threaten to unsettle the tranquil waters of her life!
No, an opulent life filled with privilege and happiness was within her grasp, and she was determined not to let Scarlett, the translucent woman, shatter her painstakingly constructed world!
Once she adorns the prestigious title of Mrs. Harrison, it would mark the beginning of Scarlett’s downfall!
"Maximus, dear, let your faith in me serve as our guiding star amidst this storm. You are well aware of my sister's questionable antics. If need be, delve deeper into her past! Scarlett’s infamous for her affinity for conflict, her questionable entanglements with notorious characters, her frequent indulgences in nocturnal city life. Moreover, she broods an intense jealousy towards me for 'usurping' her rightful place in our parents’ hearts. Her envy is further fuelled by your affection towards me, which compels her to weave blasphemous tales and smear my reputation!”
As crystal tears traced the contours of Celeste's face, she painted a picture of bewildered innocence, which inadvertently stirred a tidal wave of protective instincts within the observers.
- Writer
