CLAIMED BY THE DEVIL

The stylist smiled satisfactorily as the bride stepped out of the dressing room. Looking at how the ice white satin gown fitted the bride, she couldn't help but to be proud of herself. She needed no one to tell her that she did a good job.

The bride in front of her was the definition of a perfect bride. She could be mistaken for an angel because of how beautiful and clean she looked.

"I'm glad you chose this design, it is so pretty" Commented the stylist as she walked to the bride, helping her with the place that needed amendment.

After the amendments, she raised her head, staring directly at the bride. "You look almost perfect... Something is missing."

She was expecting the bride to ask what it was, but to her disappointment, the bride didn't ask.

"Miss Rebecca, are you okay?"

Taking a deep breath, Rebecca joined her palms together, then she puffed out air from her mouth. "I'm fine" She finally replied. "What do you say is missing?"

"A smile!" The stylist exclaimed and the bride chuckled.

The door to the room went opened all of a sudden and two girls dressed in floral pink gowns walked in. The excitement on their faces could be easily noticed by anyone, it showed how happy they were.

"Rebecca!" They shrieked at once.

"Omg, you look like a fairy Princess" The one with long black hair complimented dramatically, staring at the bride as if she hadn't seen her before.

Rebecca chuckled at the words of the girl. She knew her best friend would always say things to galvanize her.

"Stop exaggerating" She rolled her eyes.

"Come on Becca, Whitney is right" The other girl supported, chewing the gum in her mouth loudly.

Silence stepped into the room after that and the way the bride became melancholy all of a sudden wasn't unnoticed.

Ella stopped chewing her gum, she took her gaze to Whitney who threw her a glare.

"What..." She wanted to ask the reason for their sudden quietness when realisation dawned on her.

"Oh, I've forgotten that dickhead is the one that calls you that, it's so sad you still think of him whenever someone calls you that" Ella muttered, tho everyone in the room heard her.

Whitney hit her shoulder with hers. "That's ferocious of you to say right now, Ella."

"Is the car ready?" Rebecca asked, changing the topic entirely.

"Car? Omg you need to see the luxurious cars waiting outside, your groom sent them to take you to the church" Ella played along, not bringing back the topic.

"Wait, what?" Rebecca furrowed her brows, and her forehead creased in the process. "I clearly told him not to overdo things."

"Miss, could you please stop frowning, you surely do not want the makeup to get ruined. Do you?" The stylist advised, even tho she wasn't the one that did the makeup.

"She's right. Take a deep breath, Rebecca, he is just trying to make you happy" Whitney chipped in.

Rebecca rolled her eyes. "Happiness isn't determined by an extravagant wedding, it is what happens after the wedding that determines happiness."

Whitney arched her brows. "Are you angry because he is spending too much?"

"Exactly!"

They all flinched at her tone, wondering why she had to snap at them.

Whitney and Ella exchanged looks before bursting into laughter.

"I know what you are worried about. You are worried your darling husband would loose a lot of money after the wedding, right?..." Ella paused, waiting for Rebecca to answer the question but then got no reply.

She studied the look on Rebecca's face and got her answer. "Your husband is a fucking millionaire! You have to learn the lifestyle of the rich, you do not need to show the world that you never enjoyed luxury while growing up!"

"The last part wasn't necessary" Rebecca glared.

"It was."

"I hate you!" Rebecca stormed out of the room, holding the sides of her dress with her two hands.

"Today is her big day, you should have refrained yourself from saying things that would make her angry" The stylist told Ella and Ella spared her a stare.

Judging from the look on her face while staring at the stylist, one could tell Ella was displeased by her words. "You should learn to mind your business" That being said, she walked out of the room.

Whitney shook her head as she stared at the lady. "Don't feel bad... The bride isn't angry, she is feigning it. We've been best friends for years, we understand each other, we wouldn't do anything to make our friend furious on her big day."

"I was just trying to help" The stylist muttered.

"See you at the church!" Whitney winked and left the room.

"I wasn't invited" The stylist mumbled with a chuckle.

*****

In a big saint Anglican Church, people were seated, awaiting the bride to show up.

The groom stood in the altar with the priest, his heart was racing fast. He was impatient to see his bride. Although he hadn't seen her in the wedding gown, he was sure she would look stunning in it.

He checked his wristwatch for the umpteenth time and he sighed.

A smile found its way to his face when he spotted his wife's friends entering into the church. He was happy because seeing them meant his wife had arrived.

The long awaited time came when his bride stepped her feet into the church hall and everyone stood up.

He couldn't see her face clearly because she was covered with a white veil, but he could tell behind that veil was a mesmerizing beauty.

Rebecca walked through the aisle, holding a bouquet of flowers.

She recalled she had seen in movies how some bride's father would hold the hand of their daughter and walk beside them through the aisle, but there was no one beside her, no one to hold her. She didn't let it get to her, her makeup would get ruined if she cries and she definitely didn't want that to happen. It was her big day so she would keep up with positive vibes, and that only.

Finally, she got to the altar and the groom flashed her a smile which she immediately returned.

"You are breathtaking" He whispered.

"I know, right?" She giggled.

The priest started with the matrimony.

"Do anyone have reasons why this couple shouldn't be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace" The priest had declared after some time and no one said a word.

Seeing that no one objected, the priest decided to continue. "With..."

"This union can not hold" A loud grumpy voice came from the hall entrance and everyone moved their gaze to the place.

Five fully masked men whom were harmed to the teeth walked in. One of them holding a girl whose head was covered with a big bag, covering her face in the process. A gun was pointed to the girl's head.

The sight of the men sent shivers down the people's spine, for they knew from the look of things that those men didn't come for peace.

"Who are they?" Rebecca asked the groom, shaking due to fear.

"I don't know, honey" He had replied, staring keenly at them.

The men started walking towards the altar, pushing the girl along.

"Do not climb this altar, it is a great sin!" The priest had muster all the courage in him just to warn the men.

They stopped walking when they got close to the altar stairs.

The one who had spoke up earlier turned his gaze to the bride. "What do you think? Should we stay off the altar?" He asked her.

Everyone was now staring at her, wondering what connection she had with the men.

"Honey, do you know them?" The groom asked, staring suspiciously at his wife.

"I do not know them, I swear!" She quickly responded.

"You might not know us, but we know you"

Another man whispered to the first one and he nodded before removing the bag from the girl's head.

Everyone gasped in shock, but the couples were more shocked.

"Yvonne?"

"Eric!" The girl cried, trembling.

"How-How is it possible you are here? You were in Paris when I called you yesterday, you had told me you wouldn't be able to make it to my wedding because you have exams tomorrow, so how... " The groom, Eric, trailed off.

He was perplexed.

"I was..."

"We didn't come here for this... Hand over the bride peacefully and you will get your sister back" The man proposed a deal.

Rebecca shook her head in fear as she went to hide at her husband's back, even tho it was pointless, but that was the only thing she could think of at that moment.

"Why do you want my wife! I am sure someone here has called the cops, the cops will be here any moment from now!" Threatening them; that was the only thing Eric could think of at that moment.

He saw a smirk appeared on the corner of the man's lips and he needed no soothsayer to tell him that the man had sorted everything out and maybe calling the cops would be useless.