Chapter 71—The Wedding

Astrid’s POV:

It was finally the wedding day. The past week flew by like it was nothing. I was… actually busy arranging everything.

I got up. I found something yesterday about my mom while I was going through her things. There were different medicines she was taking, I couldn’t research on them because of time.

They were weird names like doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, Ethyl, Amanozine.

Only two of them are used. I don’t know what is going on and it seems quite serious.

I was in my room at the wedding hall when someone knocked. I went to the door and opened it.

“Um… Noah?” I spoke. He closed the door.

“Yes”

“You want something?” I asked, trying to be calm, and like my heartbeat wasn’t raising.

“Do you still love me?” he questioned.

I looked at him at his straightforward question. “Y-Yes”

“Why did you stutter?”

“Because” I looked down. “I know you don’t”

He scoffed. “Damn, I thought you still thought that I love you. I wanted to give you a surprise. Anyway, I have one”

“What?” I looked at him.

“I hate you, Astrid” he looked into my eyes. “Way too much. And I am gonna marry you”

Tears weren’t stopping. It’s my wedding day, and no, these tears aren’t of happiness as they should be, not of the grief of leaving my mother either, but just, the tears which come when we can’t express our emotions in words, because this was not what I expected.

“Stop crying, will you!?” his voice startled me, bringing me out of my trance.

I didn’t speak anything, I was marrying my cheater.

“Why?” I asked him.

“He can never ruin you as much as I can Astrid that’s why,” he said.

“Who he?” my voice came out rather hoarse.

“Alan, of course”

I looked down. I know you don’t hate… you hate me. Yes, of course, you do. After all, I did to you, you do hate me.

I took a deep breath. “Okay” I breathed out.

“Meet you at the altar,” he said and left.

If only I could know what to do, Noah, I would do.

I got to the wedding stage and saw him standing already. He was looking way too handsome. But I was a wreck. I made my way to him and finally stood beside him.

The priest asked us to say our vows.

“I, Noah William, take you, Astrid Young, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part” Noah spoke.

“I, Astrid Young, take you, Noah William, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part”

"You have declared your consent before the Church. May the Lord in his goodness strengthen your consent and fill you both with his blessings. What God has joined, men must not divide. Amen." the priest declared.

I smiled, while he smiled too. “Now, you may exchange rings”

He took my hand and put the ring on my finger. It was a really beautiful ring.

I slowly took his hand and did the same. I so wanted to apologize for whatever I did. I was not afraid of what he said that he’ll make me pay back. I was just… just guilty.

I didn’t deserve him.

“With the power bestowed upon me by the god and the goddess, I now announce you both as husband and wife. Now the groom may kiss the bride” the priest said, and he took a step towards me. It was a real kind of serious thing, and I involuntarily took a step back.

He took my hand and pulled me towards him. “Don’t make a scene here” he whispered before crashing his lips on mine.

His kiss was so beautiful. He kissed me gently, almost like the one we had before when he ran to New York.

I pulled apart and everyone clapped. I smiled at him, which he didn’t return.

We met my mom. She was very happy and was crying. She hugged me and told me how happy and sad she was at the same time. Well, this moment is really confusing. How you are happy and sad at the same time. I was also happy.

Xander was also here, but he looked pissed.

“Okay, I apologize for what I did,” I said to him. “Now don’t be angry”

“You don’t even know what you put him through” he looked sideways. “He was gonna go into Stage III depression. Do you know what that means? They’d have kept him with them!”

I looked at him shocked. He was in depression?

“I-I…” I trailed off. “I can’t even apologize for all this”

“It is okay, Astrid,” he said. “Just keep him happy now”

“I will, I promise” I promised. He nodded.

“Okay, I will not be angry at your wedding” he smiled. “Be happy, Astrid”

I smiled at him and went to Ava and Liam. They were also here. I met them and then there was Charlotte. She was… not very much happy coming here because she knew she’d meet Xander here and it isn’t the best thing.

But she came anyway. I hugged her. “I am so happy for you!”

“I am happy for me!” I exclaimed and she laughed.

We talked a little more and then we were gonna go to a ‘new home’. My mom gifted us the home.

“Bye,” I almost cried and sat inside the car in the passenger’s seat. They all waved, and the engine started, and Noah drove off the car.

This is a new start.

I hope it is a good start.