Sorry guys for the long wait, I have definitely been busy with school and everything. Here's chapter 3! I'm trying to fix the things you lovely readers pointed out in your reviews, so bear with me. This one is a little shoddy, considering I had writer's block for basically the first half. Even so, I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 3
Dina Caliente sighed exhaustedly as she stared at the invitation she had received weeks ago. Written in curly script, the invitation read:
Mortimer Alexander Goth
Would like to cordially invite you to the
WEDDING
Of his daughter,
CASSANDRA BELLA GOTH
To
DON PATRICK LOTHARIO
On November 6th, at the time of
4:30 9n the afternoon
At our residence:
600 Westover Lane
Pleasantview
RSVP
She placed the gilded card on the linoleum countertop, holding her head in her hands. Don…how could he be marrying such a wench? Dina looked around her small condominium, at the peeling blue paint and red wallpaper in the living room. She had to admit, she thought to herself laughing, she didn't have as nice of a place as Cassandra, heiress to the Goth fortune. But, she thought, I am definitely more attractive!
Dina imagined Cassandra, with her skinny, lanky body and wiry hair, always put up into braids or a ponytail, and her clothes, usually dark in color. She looked down at herself, currently leaning against the countertop, elbows resting on the sticky surface. Thick, blonde hair that did whatever she wanted it to (like her men, she thought with a chuckle), hourglass figure with ample breasts, alluring green eyes. What do men like Don see in women like Cassandra? She thought, irritated, rubbing her eyes in frustration.
The answer came to her like an epiphany. Money. Of course, she had forgotten the plan. Don would marry Cassandra, and Dina would work on the wealthy father, Mortimer. They would both then use their family influence to give Dina what she wanted: a break out role in one of SimCity's hottest films.
A soft retching sound came from right above Dina's head, from what sounded like her twin sister, Nina's, bathroom. Dina paused for a moment, wondering what could be wrong, but then smirked as she realized Nina must've eaten something that hadn't agreed with her.
Fat cow, she thought as she picked up the fancy invitation, placing it back in its envelope and tacking it onto their bulletin board hanging up in the kitchen. Dina, of course, didn't need to remember the wedding. Everyone in Pleasantview had been talking about the stupid thing.
No one will shut up about it, she fumed. It was "the wedding of the century," according to all the gossip she heard.
Honestly, she raged in her head. It wasn't any different from when I married Michael.
She smiled a little contentedly at that most recent marriage. Michael Bachelor had been an older man, much like her love Mortimer. Dina smirked a little, realizing the irony of the situation she was in: Michael's sister, Bella, had been married to Mortimer. Her ex-sister-in-law. Dina stifled a chuckle, but then frowned. Bella.
Of course, everyone thinks I had something to do with it, she thought, aggravated. She had had nothing to do with the disappearance nearly ten years ago. Neither she nor her sister had even moved to Pleasantview. Dina looked back, remembering. How old had she been when the disappearance hit the press? Thirteen, she thought. She hadn't even heard of Michael Bachelor and his large fortune, or Mortimer Goth, and his equally enormous wealth.
Dina had met Michael at a co-worker's party, when she was eighteen years old, working as an intern for a small film studio. She wanted to pursue acting as a career, and had just been shoved out of the cozy realm of high school into college and the real world. She and Michael had hit it off, and, almost one year later, they were married.
Marriage was not something nineteen year old Dina had been prepared for, she knew, looking back on it. Michael wanted children, an heir to make his fortune secure when he passed. He had been married before—to a vile woman, or so he said—but his wife had not been able to produce any sort of child. Miscarriages were common. Therefore, young, fertile Dina was his perfect opportunity. And mine as well, Dina thought, thinking of Michael's vast connections with the film industry, as well as the large sum of money he had in his bank account.
To Michael's happiness, Dina got pregnant within the first few months of her marriage. Michael was ecstatic, and hoped for a little boy, to be named Simis, after his father. The child was revealed to be a girl in the ultrasound, much to Dina's pleasure, but Michael wasn't so happy. The daughter was the start of the marriage problems.
Dina was contentedly pregnant at age nineteen, going on twenty, when she lost the baby. The doctors were baffled; Dina was a perfectly healthy young woman, with no history of miscarriages in her family. Michael was beyond disappointed. For weeks he would be holed up in his bedroom. He wouldn't speak to anyone, neither family nor friends. Dina could hear people whispering in the streets: "Poor man, first his baby sister abducted by aliens, then a miscarriage in the family. Even after his first wife couldn't conceive!" Dina wanted vanish everytime she heard someone whispering about Bella, or her, or anything that had to do with Michael and his problems.
And then, about a year ago, Michael died. No one knew how. Dina was a murder suspect, but her alibi was airtight. Dina knew she hadn't killed Michael; she had been spending the weekend at Nina's house, mourning the mental loss of her husband and the physical loss of her unborn daughter. Nina had had security tapes around her house, and the police were able to see Dina making omelets at Michael's approximate time of death.
After Michael's death, Dina moved herself, her sister, and her late husband's ashes to Pleasantview, where they had been living ever since. Dina had met Mortimer, and things had moved on from there, into a steady, working relationship.
Of course, with some things on the side, Dina thought to herself as she cleaned up the remnants of Nina's dinner from last night. Dina had been spending the night with Don at his condo. Of course, when both Dina and Nina had moved to Pleasantview, Don had already been involved with Cassandra for nearly a year, but that didn't stop him from pursuing her. Since then, both Don and Dina had been keeping their relationship a secret from their respective partners.
Dina's thoughts were interrupted by her sister tramping heavily down the stairs. Dina immediately regretted mentally calling her sister a "fat cow." Nina looked terrible. Her usually tan face was blotchy, her red hair looked tangled, and her eyes were bloodshot.
"You okay?" Dina asked hesitantly as Nina went towards the cupboard under the sink where the medicines were usually kept. Nina grunted in reply.
"Did you eat something nasty last night?" Another grunt. Dina could tell she was getting nowhere. "Well, I hope you're feeling better soon. Remember, the wedding is next week."
"I know," Nina mumbled, closing the cupboard door, obviously not finding what she desired. She seemed as thrilled about the wedding as Dina was.
Nina stomped back upstairs, muttering something about "lying down," while Dina rummaged through the cupboards to find something to eat.
"Dina?" came a small voice from the top of the stairs. Dina walked over to see her sister sitting on the top step, head in her hands. "I'm pregnant."
Daniel Pleasant glared at his wife as she bustled around the kitchen, looking for ingredients for Baked Alaska.
"I don't see why we need to bring a dish to pass," he grumbled, poking at his macaroni and cheese.
"Because," Mary-Sue huffed for what seemed to be the forty-third time that evening. "Mortimer doesn't want to spend too much money on an expensive caterer, what with all the previous costs of booking the church and getting the décor for the reception." She slammed a tub of vanilla ice cream onto the counter top, a little too loud for Daniel's taste. He gave Mary-Sue another snarky look when her back was turned.
"It gives the reception a little 'homely' feel, doesn't it?" Mary-Sue said optimistically as she reached into the freezer for another tub of ice cream.
"Not really," Daniel grumbled through a mouthful of macaroni. "I don't see why you have to make Baked Alaska."
Mary-Sue slammed another tub of vanilla ice cream onto the counter and looked toward her husband with malice. "You were the one who said we were going to make a dessert. Mortimer told us to make Baked Alaska, since it's an old family favorite and it would make Cassandra happy. And you're not helping me find any of the ingredients we bought this—oh for goodness sakes!"
Mary-Sue stared down at the container of ice cream she had just opened. Half of it was missing. "Did you eat all of this?" she said angrily, shoving the half-full container towards Daniel's face. He shook his head, not bothering to look at the so called "catastrophe" his wife held before him.
"I specifically told everyone in this house not to eat any of the ice cream in the freezer!" Mary-Sue fumed, closing the lid on the ice cream container and pushing it back into the freezer.
"What's the big deal?" Daniel said, scraping the last of his macaroni and cheese off his plate.
"What's the big deal?" Mary-Sue said quietly, turning toward Daniel and narrowing her almond shaped eyes. "What's the big deal?"
Just as she was about to blow her top, the front door opened, and Lilith and Angela walked in from the cold. A light dusting of snow was on their shoulders and hat-shod heads, and sprinkles of it were quickly melting in their identical red hair. The two quickly greeted their parents, then tried to head of the stairs.
"Wait!" Mary-Sue yelled to them. "Stop right there!"
Daniel groaned as he pushed his now empty plate away from them.
"Would either of you two mind explaining this?" Mary-Sue held out the half-empty ice cream container.
"It's a tub of vanilla ice cream, Mom, don't have a cow," Lilith said, slightly annoyed. Angela glared at her twin sister.
"You girls both know that this and the other tub of vanilla ice cream in the freezer was supposed to be for the Baked Alaska we're bringing to Cassandra's wedding reception!" Mary-Sue cawed, her face flushed. "Did either of you eat it?"
"No way, Mom," Angela answered quickly, while Lilith tried to hide behind her twin sister.
"Lilih?" Mary-Sue growled.
"I'm sorry, Mom, I forgot," Lilith stammered.
"Because of your carelessness, I have to go and buy another quart of ice cream." Mary-Sue fumed.
"Really, Mom, I'm really sorry." Lilith repeated.
"For God's sake, Mary-Sue," Daniel roared, pushing himself up from the table. "It doesn't matter." He took his wallet out of his back pocket and slammed a ten dollar note on the table. "Here, here's some money for your lost ice cream. I'm going to the store to buy another." He stormed out into the cold, hoping this wedding would get over quickly.
The church looked beautiful on November 6th, the day of Cassandra's wedding to Don. Streams of white tulle were hanging from the wide windows of the church, while decorative blue bows graced the ends of all the pews. The organ was even decked out; flowers and lace adorned the pipes and the seat was edged with ribbons. The altar was set, the large Bible open to a random chapter (today it was Numbers 6:11), for appearance's sake.
Inside the dressing room, Cassandra was a nervous wreck. A long strand of hair kept coming out of her hairdo, framing her angular face in such a way that it was becoming a distraction. No amount of bobby pins would keep it secure under the long veil she wore. Her feet, for some reason, had grown at least half a size bigger since Cassandra had purchased her shoes, and now her white pumps were too tight. The dress was either getting stuck on something, or wrinkled, so Cassandra had managed to push all the furniture away from herself towards the walls, and she stood, a trembling waif, in the middle of the room, staring at her reflection in the three-way mirror that seemed to reflect the light in the most unattractive ways.
Mortimer entered the room a few minutes later to walk his daughter down the aisle to see Cassandra slouching on the floor in a crumbled heap.
"Darling, what's the matter?" He asked, trying to get her up off the floor.
"Oh daddy," Cassandra moaned. "I look a fright." The annoying piece of hair escaped the clutches of its pins and fell down around her face again. Cassandra was too stressed to try and put it back.
"Cassie," Mortimer said gently, tilting her chin up so he could see her trembling face. "You look beautiful. If only your mother were here to see you. She would be so proud."
Cassandra managed a weak smile. "Really, daddy?"
Mortimer smiled back. The few words he had spoken gave Cassandra a burst of confidence, and she managed to get back onto her feet, suffocating in those not-so-tight-anymore pumps. He placed her shaking arm on top of his, and gave her an affectionate peck on the cheek. "I have looked forward to this day since the moment you were born." He said. Cassandra smiled at her father, and embraced him.
"I love you, father." She murmured.
"I love you too, sweetheart." Mortimer replied, pulling back. "Now, let's get married."
The organist began playing the first few chords of "Here Comes the Bride" as Don stood, equally as nervous as Cassandra, on the altar next to his groomsmen. He stared around the church at the people who had come to see him wed Cassandra. Daniel and Mary-Sue Pleasant were seated in the middle pews, Daniel a good distance away from his wife, while the twins ceased pouring over one of their cell phones (Don could never tell which was which, then again, did he really care?) to turn towards the back of the church to catch a glimpse of the bride. One of the twins gave a little flirtatious wave to Dirk Dreamer, son of Darren Dreamer, who was now staring at Don a little malevolently. Don was not fazed. Little Alexander Goth, Mortimer's soon to be brother-in-law, was standing as the ring bearer, clutching the pillow as his life depended on it.
The flower girl, Lucy Burb, a bright young child who was always smiling, entered first. Don remembered Cassandra mentioning to him about how she used to baby-sit Lucy as an infant during the summers between her years at college, to earn money. Her parents, Jennifer and John Broke, looked on smiling, proud of their little girl.
But Don didn't care about the plebeians who decided to attend the wedding. His eyes roamed around for the Caliente twins. They were seated near the front, because of their importants. Dina was about to get engaged to Mortimer, so her place as soon-to-be mother of the bride was already admired and respected by the citizens of Pleasantview. She was looking stunning in a beautiful white dress, which set off her naturally tanned skin. Her blonde hair was done up in a regal updo, which highlighted her sharp, modelesque cheekbones and high forehead. Her twin sister, Nina, was beside her, her fiery red hair smooth and shiny, but the purple dress she chose for the occasion didn't seem to make her look as good as her sister. Don regretted having that one night stand with Nina only a few short weeks before. He also noticed a change in Nina; she looked pale, and a little sick. Maybe she's coming down with something. Don thought. He had no STDs, he got himself checked regularly at the local KwickHealth center in town. I might be a player, Don mused to himself, but at least I have standards.
A loud sigh echoed from the audience as Cassandra entered the nave with her father. She looked lovely, but not as lovely as Dina. Don's eyes passed to Dina as Cassandra walked up the aisle, trodding on the delicate rose petals Lucy had tossed there only a minute before. Dina had a strange expression on her face; Don thought she looked sort of smug. Why? He thought. If anything, she would be seething that Cassandra, a woman with a fortune rivaling Bill Gates, would be marrying Dina's love. Don't worry, Dina, it will all pay off in time, Don thought as Cassandra approached the altar.
But suddenly, as the priest began the ceremony, Don had one of those flashes, the kind that people who were about to die received. Except Don wasn't looking at his past; he was seeing his future.
As the priest intoned the vows, Don saw Cassandra in bed on their wedding night. How many times had she "done it" with a guy? Not as many as Don. She didn't have a voluptuous body; Cassandra was actually kind of a twig.
Don saw Cassandra in the throes of pregnancy. He saw her getting fat, eating all of the food he had stocked for himself in the fridge, blaming it on "cravings." He saw her face twisted in pain during child birth, and he would have to be there to watch it. Mortimer would hate him. He saw mini-Dons and mini-Cassandras running around his treasured mansion, kicking at priceless sculptures and drawing on the wood-paneled walls.
He saw Cassandra getting old and wrinkled. He saw her saying goodbye to all the children he fathered as they went off to college. He saw himself and her sitting on their expensive couch as grandchildren ran around the house, his kids not doing anything about it, saying they wanted their kids to grow up to be "free spirits." He saw her wrinkled body, flabby from giving birth to children, moving underneath him in bed as he did what old people called "sex."
But worst of all, he saw Dina. Dina hanging on to Mortimer. Dina never aging. Dina's body never getting ruined because of the children (the heirs!) she would bear to Mortimer. Dina never getting wrinkled because she, as a big movie star, could afford all the Botox she ever wanted. Dina constantly hitting on him, but Don never making a move, because he was married to the mad scientist who created potions in the Goth basement.
So when the priest asked Don, "Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Don went with his instinct, instead of what everyone wanted him to do, and said, "No."
To be continued…
Hope you guys like it! Please review and subscribe and stuff! I'll hopefully come out with the next chapter soon, so hang in there!
