Chapter 46
Sofia's POV.
The girls helped me to dress and I asked Anna to be my maid of honor. Charlotte kept telling me I'm not a true friend but I know she understands why I chose Anna. Stephanie on the other hand has been crying the whole day, Stella just keeps saying it’s her hormones and she's just happy for me but I know my baby sister and she is keeping a secret from all of us.
The whole day I kept having flashbacks of the first time I married Benjamin and honestly, I don't regret ever marrying nor divorcing that asshole because if I didn't marry and divorce him, I wouldn't have met Anna.
"Why are you marrying him?" Stephanie questioned and everyone started laughing.
"You still a kid Stephanie, you will understand when you older." April said smiling at her. "Trust me everything changes when you fall in love, it will be like a perfect like mine."
"Just because you married to my sister's brother-in-law doesn't mean we are family." Stephanie shouted. "And for your information love isn't everything so keep your opinions to yourself."
"Stephanie." Stella snapped.
"What Ella? I'm tired of being the perfect girl. You were always right about me being naive and innocent. You told me to stand up for myself Stella and now that I'm doing this you think I'm wrong." Stephanie replied.
"Can you all leave. I want to talk to Stephanie alone." I told them and they all nodded their heads and left. "Tell me what's wrong? Did Benjamin or Jay say something to you?"
"Why did you divorce him if you going to marry him again?" Stephanie questioned.
"Stephanie, he lied to me but now we solved our problems. Stephanie I know we rushed this wedding and you worried about me, but trust me if we cancel the wedding it will ruin his reputation. I love him and I can't see him hurt but I also can't see my little sister hurt." I explained and she grabbed my hand. "What's wrong?" She put my hand on her head.
"Did they make you strip?" She asked and I didn't respond. "Swear on me Sofia that they didn't make you strip."
"Stephanie, please don't do this to me? Who even told you all this?" I asked.
"That's what you care about." She shouted. "Jay told me Carlos and him made you strip Sofia and Benjamin knows. What kind of a man are you marrying, that is still friends with the people who made you strip."
"Stephanie, it's all in the past love and you know this ring was for you. I can't keep wearing a ring that belongs to my little sister." I said taking off my ring.
"No." She snapped. "If you going to marry Benjamin than keep that ring, I don't want it. I don't want anything from any of them. I will never see Tucker or Benjamin as my brothers-in-law."
"How many times must I say I'm sorry. I only told you all this because I wanted us to start over, I don't want to keep anything from you Stephanie especially when you are carrying my child." Jay said standing at the door.
"How many times must I tell you that this child isn't yours." Stephanie shouted. "This is Dean's child, not yours."
"You can say that all you want. I know what's mine Stephanie and that child is mine just like you belong to me." Jay replied. "Anyways I'm leaving Sofia. Benjamin just send me to tell you to hurry up. He has been waiting for you and you are talking here with your sister." He left angry before I could even say anything.
Benjamin's POV.
We all got ready and they have all been fighting over who the best man is. Even Charlotte told me I'm not a good brother if I don't make her my best man.
"I won. I'm your best man." Damien shouted. "You know our tradition Ben, you will have to give me as much money as I demand."
"That is why I didn't want you to be my best man, you going to always demand something high Damien Zion Knight." I replied and Jay came in the room.
"She's ready and I told her you already waiting for her at the altar." Jay said.
"Since when do you lie so quickly Jay. Did Stephanie say anything to you?" I questioned and Damien left the room.
"She keeps saying the child isn't mine Ben, but now I'm starting to believe that." Jay mumbled.
"Jay you have been saying you always know what is yours but now you acting like you don't anymore. It's my wedding day, I know it was rushed but even if I postpone it Sofia will never marry me so please just bring the old funny Jay back. I don't like when you are too serious, it doesn't suit you."
"Aww, my love. I can't believe for the first time you complimented me." Jay said excited and Damien came in the room worried.
"Emily is missing." He said.
"My daughter?" I questioned.
"I remember when I went to Sofia, Charlotte was looking for Emily but I didn't know she was missing." Jay said and we all ran out of the room and went to search for her.
I searched every room for her and afterwards went to look outside. I ran down the street because I knew she couldn't go far. She isn't even two yet so unless someone kidnapped her, she is definitely running around somewhere.
"Emily." I kept shouting her name and I finally saw her in the street. "Emily." I shouted as soon as I saw the car coming her way.
The car was on speed but it stopped all of a sudden and the person who came out of it was the same person who took my other daughter away from me.
"Emily." I shouted and quickly picked her up. "I thought you didn't want to come to the wedding." I said to Theo and Nick and his wife came out of the car.
"Your daughter is lucky that the car stopped in time or else I wouldn't have regret killing her like you did with my sister. Benjamin I told you that night that we no longer friends so don't think I came here for your wedding. We only here because Lisa chose you over her husband." Theo explained and I turned to Lisa.
"Don't say that brother-in-law. I didn't choose anyone. I just think you all making a big mistake. We are family, we grew up together and today is his wedding—"
"Emily, thank god you fine my baby." Sofia said grabbing Emily from me. "Mommy was so worried." She added wiping her tears.
"You have the guts to marry him after everything Mercy said in that letter. Sofia, you not even ashamed of wearing your dress in front of me. Why can't you just leave Benjamin alone, you already killed my little sister and you still standing here like some bitch. I never knew you are a gold digger—" I smacked Lisa and everyone's eyes widen in shock. She was always like a sister to me and I never once did anything bad to her no matter what she said but today she crossed the line.
"Lisa I'm sorry." I mumbled trying to touch her but instead Nick punched me in the face.
"Benjamin, please." Sofia said as she stopped me from hitting him back. "I'm sorry for everything I did to your family Lisa. I never meant to hurt anyone. I understand Benjamin and mercy means a lot to you but please stay for the wedding for Benjamin's sake." She added and we all left.
****
Sofia's POV.
"I'm glad you back. I thought I would walk down the aisle with an invisible Sofia." Marko complained as I came inside the room.
"I found Emily and I'm actually not leaving her side. I don't want her running away again when she isn't two yet." I told Marko and Anna picked Emily up.
"Charlotte is her aunty, she won't mind looking after her niece." Anna said and I nodded my head.
Marko kept asking me if I'm fine the whole time and before I knew it, it was already time for me to walk down the aisle. This might not be my first time but it's definitely the first time I'm marrying for love. And I know the promise I made to Benjamin is one I'll have to keep no matter what happens. I can't leave him, and that means no matter how many fights or arguments we have, I can never divorce him.
"You look beautiful." Benjamin whispered and I just smiled at him because I don't know what to say.
"Dear friends and family we are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the Union of Benjamin Carson and Sofia Valentines in marriage. Through their time together, they have come to realize that their personal dreams, hopes, and goals Are more attainable and more meaningful through the combined effort and mutual support provided in love, commitment, and family; and so they have decided to live together as husband and wife." The priest said pausing and then continued.
"Benjamin Carson and Sofia Valentines remember to treat yourselves and each other with respect, and remind yourselves often of what brought you together. Take responsibility for making the other feel safe, and give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your connection deserves. When frustration, difficulty and fear assail your relationship, as they threaten all relationships at some time or another, remember to focus on what is right between you, not just the part that seems wrong. In this way, you can survive the times when clouds drift across the face of the sun in your lives, remembering that, just because you may lose sight of it for a moment, does not mean the sun has gone away. And, if each of you takes responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight."
After the priest did the whole talking and no one object it was finally time for the vows.
"Do you Benjamin Carson, take Sofia Valentines to be your lawfully wedded wife, promising to love and cherish, through joy and sorrow, sickness and health, and whatever challenges you may face, for as long as you both shall live?"
"I do so please hurry up. We not here—" I shook my head and Benjamin shut his mouth. I don't understand why he is in a hurry to marry me.
"Do you Sofia Valentines, take Benjamin Carson Black to be your lawfully wedded husband, promising to love and cherish, through joy and sorrow, sickness and health, and whatever challenges you may face, for as long as you both shall live?"
"I—I—" I stuttered and they looked at me shocked. "I do."
"May we have the rings?" The priest said and Elijah gave us the rings.
"Wedding rings are made precious by our wearing them. Your rings say that even in your uniqueness you have chosen to be bound together. Let these rings also be a sign that love has substance as well as soul, a present as well as a past, and that, despite its occasional sorrows, love is a circle of happiness, wonder, and delight. May these rings remind you always of the vows you have taken here today…" The priest kept talking and Benjamin took my hand.
"I swear we will never get married if he keeps talking like this." He whispered. "Sofia, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love. As it encircles your finger, may it remind you always that you are surrounded by my enduring love. " Benjamin said putting the ring on my finger.
"I give you this ring as a symbol of my everything to you Benjamin Carson." I mumbled giving him the ring.
"By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bri—" The priest didn't even finish when Benjamin kissed me.
"Impatient." I complained.
"He is so slow Sofia. I'm glad I won't have to wait that long ever again to kiss my own wife." Benjamin replied and my heart skipped a beat. It's so nice to hear him call me his wife again.