C5 Advising Victoria

“I kid you not.” Belinda was saying as Carol came into the room. “He’s so generous. I mean, just look at this pendant. He got it for me, he did…or rather, his uncle did. That man is sooooo generous. Supposing I was still single, I wouldn’t have wasted any second getting into his bed.” She confided in a whisper to her enraptured audience of about seven women, but Carol heard her.

“Mom!”

“Oh Carol, there you are. Now, do hurry to your sister’s room if you do have any plans of still being her chief bridesmaid. You must be careful though, I must say she is in such a mood and we do not want to upset her further. Wedding jitters, I suppose, although why she should be having wedding jitters or second thoughts when she’s getting to such a fine man as he to be her husband is beyond me.”

“Um, mum. Do you even know the name of the man your beloved daughter is getting married to?” Carol asked in shock and watched as her mother’s cheek turned bright pink in embarrassment.

“What a ridiculous question. Of course, I do. What sort of mother do you think I am?” Belinda asked, glaring at her first daughter, her eyes warning Carol to keep her trap shut. Carol noticed that she did not bother to say the name and spoke again.

“Well, I don’t know his name or anything about him and Victoria is marrying him tomorrow. It’s just weird, that’s all.”

“Leave this place this instant! You should count yourself lucky that your sister wants you in her wedding at all and stop making such a fuss.” Belinda said, turning her back on Carol to continue talking to her friends.

Carol shook her head and walked around, searching for her father, but could not find him anywhere. He was the only one in her family that she could really relate to, although that was when her mother was not around. Whenever her mother was around, he usually acted like a little boy who had to follow her every wish. It was irritating, to say the least.

Since she could not find her father anywhere, she climbed the stairs slowly and reluctantly to go to her sister’s room. If her mother said Victoria was in a mood, then the situation was terrible and she was in no mood to deal with such, but she had no choice. Once she was at the door, she knocked gently and listened for a response, but did not get any. So she knocked louder, but there was still no response from inside the room.

“Victoria?” Carol called out and then tried to turn the doorknob. To her surprise, the door opened, so she stepped inside the room cautiously. It was somewhat dark as Victoria had pulled down her blinds, but Carol could see the outline of her body on the bed where she was laying. She turned on the light in the room, but still, Victoria did not budge from where she was lying. Carol sighed, knowing how dramatic her sister could be, and went to sit on the bed beside her.

“So are you going to say you didn’t hear me knocking on the door?” Carol asked at last when Victoria kept ignoring her, but only got a quiet sniffle for her inquiry.

“Hey. What’s wrong?” She tried again, not sure why Victoria should be crying with the way she had been carrying on about this wedding.

Victoria sat up and wiped at her face, facing her sister. It was obvious and somewhat surprising that she had been crying for a long time. When her mother had said tantrums, Carol had expected to see her sister flinging things around the room in a rage as she was wont to do anytime she got angry.

“So are you ready to tell me what’s wrong?” Carol asked after her sister only sat there and stared at the wall with tears running down her face for a good five minutes after she first asked the question. At first, Carol had let her be because she was obviously going through something, but she could not just sit here for the rest of the night watching her sister cry.

“I…”

“Yes?”

“I don’t want to marry him.”

“Why don’t you want to marry him? I thought you were in love with him.” Carol said, but Victoria did not answer so she had to try again.

“I…I don’t really know. Mom just said I had to, that he was very rich and was going to make a wonderful husband, and that she wants me to be happy.”

“Hmmm. So are you saying that you do not know him? I thought you said you both met two weeks ago and that he is very handsome, and that the proposal was very romantic.”

“I lied. I don’t have any idea what he even looks like.” Victoria said, glancing away in embarrassment. There was something else on her face that told Carol that she was hiding something, but she did not know what on earth it was.

“So why on earth did you agree to marry him? Who still does that in this age and time when it is not as though we are still in the Stone Age? I’m not going to ask why I was not informed about this because first of all, I’m hardly involved in anything concerning this family, and mum also knows that I’d never have agreed to this. You should have just told her to go to hell.”

“I don’t know. He’s a billionaire and he’s handsome, at least from the pictures I’ve seen. What more should a girl want from a man?” Victoria asked, regaining her composure a little and tossing her hair.

“A total stranger?”

“Don’t come spitting your sanctimonious and self-righteous crap at me. You’re just jealous, that’s all. Besides, he’s not a total stranger. We’ve talked on the phone before and he was very nice.” Victoria said, every trace that she had been crying just minutes ago gone, including her tears.

“Okay, I’m out. I’ll be in my old room, and I’ll be at your wedding tomorrow, but what I would not do is sit here and have you talk to me like crap when I’m only trying to be understanding.” Carol informed her sister, standing up from the bed and proceeding to walk out.

“Wait!” Victoria called out after her. “Please come back. I’m sorry for saying that. It’s just that I feel so miserable. All my horrible friends refused to come down for the wedding. I’ll pay them back, mind you. Fake lots, all of them!” She screeched and burst into tears again.

“Well, I can’t exactly say that I blame them. The world does not revolve around you like mom and dad have made you believe, you know. Plus your attitude kinda sucks. When did you inform them about the wedding itself?”

“Um, three days ago,” Victoria replied sheepishly and Carol shook her head.

“Anyway, you can do it without them, I guess. There’s me and a bunch of other old ladies who are mom’s friends. By the way, that reminds me, I bought a dress for my chief bridesmaid duties. Here, let me show it to you.” Carol said and brought out the dress for her sister to examine.

“Eeew!” Victoria exclaimed, wrinkling her dainty nose at the dress before standing up to go to her wardrobe. She held out a super expensive-looking pink dress that was studded with gemstones for her sister to examine.

“Sebastian bought it and the wedding dress for me to wear. He also bought me so many other things, or rather, his uncle did. Oh, he’s coming by this evening, so get ready to meet him and be wowed.”

“Well, your mood sure changes fast,” Carol commented drily. “Just minutes ago, you were crying because you did not want to marry him, and now, you’re gushing about all the things he got for you.”

“Yeah. I guess I have you to thank for that. I was just feeling lonely and sad about how alone I was, what with those traitors I call friends. Besides, I was wondering what I was doing entering into a marriage in which I am not in love with and barely know my husband to be, but I’ve thought about it and I now realize that love will come later. The best thing is that I’m well taken care of, and that’s all that matters.” Victoria said, but something in her voice told Carol that all this was false bravado. Also, the words were exactly what their mother would have said, so Carol had no doubt that Belinda had drummed them into Victoria’s head so much that the latter had begun to believe them. It was such a pity.

“You can still call off the wedding, you know. It’s not too late. Personally, I think that love is very important for any marriage to work.” Carol advised.

“Call off my already publicized wedding to a billionaire and risk being the subject of ridicule everywhere? I think not.”

“Victoria, no one cares whether you’re married or not.”

“My friends all know I’m getting married to a super-rich guy. I guess that is why they’re jealous and do not want to come to the wedding. Not to talk of how embarrassing it would be for mom and dad after they have invited practically everyone they know. Anyway, why are you so particular about me stopping the wedding? How on earth is it any of your business? Damn, I knew that many people would be jealous, but I did not think that my sister would be one of them.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry. So can I see the wedding dress?”

“Sure, you may,” Victoria replied and then went to the wardrobe again to bring out the wedding dress. It was very beautiful and expensive looking. Victoria had not lied when she said the dude she was getting married to was loaded. Carol ‘oohed’ and ‘aahed’ over the gown as any good sister should, even though she did not for the life of her understand why anyone would want to get married to someone they had not yet met in real life.

“Anyway, I hardly slept last night as I had to work late to cover up for my absence this weekend. So, I’m going to go to my room to get some shut-eye.” She told Victoria, getting up and stretching her tired bones.

“Uh-huh. Later.” Victoria replied, her attention fully on her wedding dress, which she turned this way and that, smiling happily as the stones on it glinted in the light.

Once she was in her old room, Carol sank gratefully into her bed and sighed. Maybe it would all work out for her sister. Different strokes for different folks and all that. Victoria was a spoilt brat and a confirmed pain in the ass, but she was her sister and Carol loved her in her own way, even though she could be incredibly self-centered. If it didn’t work out well, her sister could always leave the marriage. With this thought on her mind, Carol closed her eyes and within a few minutes, she fell soundly asleep.