The Unwilling Vow: A Lifetime Promise

Pearl’s P.O.V. “Jack will not be able to take his hands off you tonight, Pearl. You look stunning.” My younger sister, Saphire, gushed while looking at me through the mirror. I blushed while looking at the bride in the mirror. The smile on my lips widened a little. The light green color of the gown had a hint of white with a floral pattern all over the skirt, light green small diamonds embedded in the floral belt around the waist, a deep V-neck with a light green floral net as the sleeves gave me a conservative look with a hint of allure as the neck shape bordered by the floral embroidery and small diamonds enhanced the shape of my bre*st. I have a model-like figure with heavy br*asts, and with a good height of 5'7", I was truly looking stunning. With light makeup, paired with diamond jewellery, it really made me look different from my usual look. I looked beautiful and somehow, I was now eager to see Jack’s reaction when he lifts my veil. My heart was now racing a bit in anticipation. This was an arranged c*m business marriage between my family and Jack’s. Jack Froste is the younger son of the Froste family. I am Pearl Nickelson, the eldest daughter of my family. Our family arranged this marriage for mutual benefits, and as the eldest daughter, I agreed to this marriage. Jack and I have met a few times in the past two months, trying to get to know each other well before the marriage. Jack always behaved naturally in front of me. It made this marriage less suffocating and more acceptable as we can both be natural in front of each other. This is the first thing that Jack asked me to do at our first meeting. “They are almost here, Pearl. You need to put on your veil now,” Saphire ushered while going for the veil on the vanity in front of us. I clasped my gloved hands as anxiety filled my heart. “Calm down, Pearl. This is your big day. Even if this is not a marriage out of love, Jack is a good man, and the way he treats you, you are not at loss.” I comforted myself while smiling. Saphire picked up the veil and at the same time, the door of my room opened, and all the remaining bridesmaids entered the room hurriedly. “Pearl. You need to go out. Something happened. A woman is fighting with Jack at the first floor.” Rose, my friend, jogged towards me, speaking anxiously, fear evident in her voice. My heart skipped a beat, and I just blinked while processing what she said. “What?” Sapphire yelled in shock, and before I could even think what to do next, I lifted my skirt and ran towards the door. “Pearl, wait. Let me talk to Mom.” Sapphire yelled behind me, but my heart was now thudding hard against my ribcage. A woman fighting with Jack. Could she be his ex-girlfriend? Jack told me about his past on our first date, and I appreciated his honesty. But he told me that they broke up long ago. Then why is she here? The last thing that I want in my life or on this day is a drama between ex’s. I increased my pace when I heard a woman screaming at the top of her lungs. “Pearl. Don’t run fast. You are wearing heels.” Sapphire yelled behind me, but my mind was completely on what was happening at the first floor. Our parents booked the whole banquet hall. I was on the second floor with my family, relatives and all the bridesmaids, while the groom’s family, with their relatives and friends, were on the first floor. I stopped in my tracks on the last flight when I saw Jack shielded by his friends while two of his female relatives were holding a young woman away from Jack at a good distance in the corridor. “What’s going on here?” I yelled at the top of my lungs, getting the attention of everyone. Jack, who had a troubled expression on his face, snapped his head towards me, and his face went pale. “I swear, Pearl, we broke up a year ago. I don’t know why she is here?” He yelled in panic, desperate to make me believe him. I had a stern expression on my face as I walked towards them at a steady pace. Sapphire and my friends were walking with me. “Jack is telling the truth, Pearl. A year ago, we found Sylvie cheating on Jack, and he immediately broke up with her that day. She ….. she is the one who kept on pestering him, but he never gave a s**t to her after that day.” His best friend, Peter, tried to convince me too. I believed them because this is what I also found through my investigation into Jack and his past. “I told you that I was drugged. I didn’t cheat on you. Why can’t you trust me?” Sylvie, his ex, screamed at the top of her lungs, writhing inside the grip of those two women. “Where is the security? How did she enter the hall? How did she succeed at reaching here?” I roared while looking at the server who had a walkie-talkie in his hand. My heels clicking hard against the tiles. Even though I was fuming badly, I kept my posture straight and composed just like I was taught as the heiress and the co-CEO of our company. “Th… they are coming, Ms. Nickelson.” He replied to me while stuttering hard in fear. I stopped abruptly when Sylvie suddenly pushed both women with all her strength. They also screamed while falling backward. Sapphire and Rose immediately came forward, shielding me behind them, but our eyes widened in horror when Sylvie suddenly took out a long and sharp dagger out of nowhere. “Go to hell.” She roared; her face twisted in rage. “Jack. Watch out.” I screamed at the top of my lungs in fear, lunging towards Jack when I realized what she was trying to do. Everything after that moved in a slow motion in front of my eyes. I watched Jack moving his gaze towards Sylvie. I watched Jack’s friends coming forward, pushing Jack away to save him from Sylvie. I watched two of Jack’s friends lunging towards Sylvie, but she swayed the dagger swiftly in front of her, making them stop abruptly. I watched Jack yelling at his friends in panic and lunging forward. Everything happened in just a few seconds, but I felt as if it were eternity. My heartbeat now drumming against my eardrums, and then everything stopped. My heart stopped beating. Everyone stopped yelling and moving. Sylvie stopped moving the dagger, and Jack stopped moving too. His friends were still holding him by his shoulders. Jack was now holding the dagger which was thrust in his abdomen by Sylvie. “Jack.” Almost everyone screamed at the top of their lungs with me, and I ran forward. Jack was frozen in his place, and he yelped in pain when Sylvie pulled out the dagger from Jack’s abdomen mercilessly. His face turned red because of the pain. The blood splattered on her, but she raised the dagger to strike Jack again. I ran towards him like a mad woman. “Bring the car at front.” I roared while running towards him, losing my composure completely. Tears streaming down continuously, but I didn’t care about anything. All I wanted right now was to hold Jack and pull him away from Sylvie at any cost. Jack’s friends lunged at Sylvie, and someone grabbed her wrist holding the dagger and twisted her wrist mercilessly and threw her on the floor. “Jack.” I screamed again when his body swayed and started falling down.