All the wrong reason episode 38
đ¸ALL THE WRONG REASONSđ¸
đšEPISODE THIRTY-EIGHTđš
Adrienne didnât want to feel emotional, but feeling
Justinâs tight embrace on her, and seeing the tears in his
eyes also made her want to cry.
At first, she thought it could be something that she ate. It
could be fatigue catching up with her. It could even be Abi.
But looking at Justinâs teary eyes and hearing him say that
his insurance just came through⌠Adrienne remembered
that amidst all the chaos that happened to her in the last
few weeks, she forgot that she didnât have her period at all.
And that night when Justin first told her that he loved herâŚ
he made love to her without protectionâŚwithout
reservation. And the following nights after that, they were
both caught up in his problem with his parents, and the
thought that their days together were numbered, they just
didnât bother much on using protection.
Adrienne pulled away from him. âJustinâŚâ she
whispered. âDid youâŚplan this?â An accusation hung in her
voice.
For the first time, she saw Justin actually unsure of
himself. Like he suddenly got scared of her.
âNot really planâŚlike âhatching-an-evil-planâ kind of
plan,â he said, uncertainty was all over his voice.
She raised a brow at him. âSo what kind of plan is this
plan?â
He took a deep breath. âMore like⌠âcounting-on-itâ
kind of plan.â He tried to smile at her, as if hoping she would
find him cute, she wouldnât actually get mad.
She gro-ned. âJustin!â She pushed him away from her.
But he held on to her, refusing to let her go.
âHit me. Slap me. Punch me.â he said. âDo you think I
care right now?â He still smiled this huge, stupid grin.
âNothing can wipe this smile off my face, honey. Nor take
away the joy that I feel right now!â
âReally?â she asked in a challenging tone. âWhat if I
say that the wedding is off?â
His face immediately turned sober. âExcept for that.â
He shook his head. âDonât say that. PleaseâŚdonât say that.â
She pushed him away and walked into the bedroom.
He was on her heels right away.
âAdrienneâŚhoneyâŚâ
She sat on the bed, refusing to look at him. She didnât
know whether to be mad or happy. Sure, she would really
feel ecstatic if it were true.
Sheâs twenty-five years old. She may be too young to
be a mother. She may be too young to be a wife. But she
never grew up with a mother who nurtured her or gave her
love. The only way she could truly replace those memoriesâŚ
is if she created new ones⌠good ones. If she nurtured her
own child and gave it the love she never had.
She wasnât sure whether she was really pregnant. She
might not be.
The thought that she might not be⌠actually made
her sad. Thatâs when she realized that she wanted to be.
Then she looked at Justin, who was kneeling in front of
her, looking at her pleadingly. Suddenly, she had this
sudden desire to slap him on the face⌠just for the thought
that he could have planned this all along without telling her.
She gro-ned. Thatâs like three different emotions in a
space of one minute.
I am so pregnant!
And she realized, she was happy.
âInsurance?â she asked him. âThis baby is just an
insurance to you?â
He gro-ned. âNo! No! No!â
âBut you said it is!â
âI didnât mean it like that,â he said. âAt the timeâŚI was
so desperate to stay with you. I sought all sorts of reasons
to marry you. Reasons that not only you would acceptâŚbut
also my parents. I wanted this, Adrienne. I wanted this more
than anything Iâve ever wanted in my life. I wanted a family
with you. And back then, when I thought my parents might
take this dream away from me, I justâŚwanted toâŚfast
forward timeâŚI would give anything and everything just to
beâŚwhere we are now. Pregnant and getting married.â His
eyes were pleading now.
âWhat about me?â She asked him. âWhat if I wasnât
ready?â
He looked down and k-ssed both of her hands. When
he looked up at her, his eyes were full of emotions. âI fell in
love with you because you have a big heart, Adrienne. You
give yourself completely to the ones that you love, and I am
so lucky you fell in love with me. When you first told me you
love meâŚI knew that if heaven wills that we get pregnantâŚ
you will give your heart and soul into starting a family with
me.
âThe last nights we were together, we both werenât
trying to be safe. We knew you could get pregnant. I knew
that you wanted this as much as I did. I knew that you
would be ready. And even if you werenât⌠I was. I was
always ready. And I will take care of you.â He reached
forward and touched her abdomen gently. âBoth of you.
JustâŚleave it all to me.â
Adrienne couldnât help the tears that ran down her
cheeks. She stared at Justinâs teary eyes and smiled. âI love
you, too,â she said. âI wanna kill you for planning this
without me. But I still love you!â
Justin laughed. He sat on the bed and pulled her so
she could sit on his lap. âOkayâŚthen you can punish me for
the rest of our lives,â he said. âThe wedding is still on, right?
What you said back thereâŚyou were only kidding, right?â
âI meant it,â she replied, a mischievous smile pasted
on her face. His eyes wÂĄdened. âBut nowâŚitâs on again.â
Then she shrugged. âToo bad. We had this rule of no
sleeping with each other because we were actually getting
married. If we werenât, thenâŚwe couldâŚmake love, right?
But nowâŚthe wedding is on again. So the no-sâŹĂ-before-
marriage rule is also back on. Iâm sorry you missed your
five-minute window.â She batted her eyelashes, curved her
l-ips downward and tried to look sorry for him.
Justin looked shocked, as if he didnât know what hit
him. Then he gro-ned. âYou are so unfair! Come on! Letâs
call it off again. Sixty minutes and then Iâll propose to you
again!â
Adrienne laughed. âSorry, chief. That shÂĄp has sailed.
Itâs bad luck to break the engagement twice.â
âThird timeâs a charm, remember?â he argued.
She shook her head. âItâs now or never. And besidesâŚ
Iâm the one who could be carrying your baby in my tummy.
So, Iâll be making the rules.â
Justin narrowed his eyes at her. âIâve been letting you
make the rules since the first night we met, honey,â he
whispered, wrapping his arms around her wa-ist.
Adrienne blinked back at him. âThatâs not true!â
âIs too,â he said, hugging her to him again. âAnd itâs
okay. I like it. For onceâŚthereâs one person in this world who
has complete power over me.â
Adrienne laughed. âNow there could beâŚtwo.â
Justin sighed, contentment and happiness were
evident in his voice. âYes. Now there are two of you.â
âJustinâŚâ Adrienne whispered. âWe arenât sure yet.
Letâs check tomorrow, okay?â
âI would do it now if it wasnât too late,â Justin stated.
Justin insisted on sleeping in Adrienneâs room that
night. âI donât care about the rules, honey. I will not attempt
to make love to you until the wedding night. But I will stay
here with you. If only to make sure your needs are taken care of. And that youâll be safe. And tomorrow, first thing in
the morning, Iâll get some of those kits we could use to
test.â
The next day, when Adrienne woke up, Justin was no
longer in bed with her. Sunlight came into the room from the
windows. Adrienne didnât feel like getting up yet. Like her
body wanted to remain in bed some more. But she knew Abi
would be breathing down her neck if she didnât head
downstairs in an hour so she willed herself to get up.
The door opened and Justin came in,side the room.
âGood morning,â he said, leaning down and giving her
a peck on the l-ips. âSlept well?â
She nodded. âWhere were you?â
He waved a bag in front of her. âI got you some things.
You want to confirm what we already know?â
Adrienne smiled excitedly at him. She grabbed the
bag from him and went into the bathroom. Justin gave her a
few minutes of privacy before he went in,side the bathroom.
He sat on the edge of the tub and she sat on his leg while
they waited for three minutes to go to the sink to check the
results.
âYou know thereâs a huge chance that we are, right?â
Justin asked her.
âI know,â she replied. âDo we tell the guys?â
âI wanna tell everybody!â Justin said, his eyes
dancing.
Adrienne remembered her family. She would have
loved to share this information with her mother first.
âJustinâŚour parentsâŚâ
âWould be ecstatic about the news.â
âI know. I just wishâŚâ she trailed off. âThey would be
mad at us if they find out we did all this without them.â
âI know. My fatherâs been calling me non-stop. Heâs
sent me about a thousand âWhere are yous?â but so far no,
âIâm sorry I tried to control your life.ââ
âIs that what you wanted to hear from them?â
âI wanted them to say that they will accept you and
love you as a daughter-in-lawâŚbefore they found out who
you really are. And before they find out you are carrying the
fourth-generation heir of Adams Industries. I want them to
accept you⌠simply because I chose you. Because I love
you.â
Adrienne nodded. âIf I am pregnant⌠I want my family
to be the first to know.â
Justin nodded. âOkay,â he replied. âLetâs not tell
anybody yet until we tell our parents. Itâs bad enough
theyâre not going to be at the wedding.â
Adrienneâs phone beeped, signaling that the three
minutes of waiting had passed.
They were about to stand up and look but Adrienne
stopped Justin. âWait.â She looked at him nervously. âWhat
ifâŚIâm not?â
Justin grinned at her impishly. âThen you probably will
beâŚby the end of next month.â
âYouâre keen on starting a family quite early, arenât
you?â
âKeen on starting a big family,â he admitted. âI was an
only child. It got a bit lonely sometimes.â
Adrienne smiled. âMy God, Iâm going to grow big.â
Justin chuckled. âAnd youâll always be a fox to me,
honey.â He k-ssed the tip of her nose. âShall we?â
Adrienne stood up. Justin stood behind her and
wrapped his arms around her wa-ist. He gently pushed her
towards the sink and they stared at the three different
tests⌠all saying the same thing.
They stood still for a moment. Then Adrienne felt
Justin gently turn her around so she could face him. He let
out what sounded like a howl of triumph before he lifted her
off her feet and spun her around.
âJustin, put me down!â Adrienne said, giggling. Tears
ran down her cheeks.
When Justin settled her down on her feet, she reached
up and hugged him.
âHappy now?â she asked him.
He leaned down and when his l-ips were an inch away
from hers, he said, âBliss.â
***
Adrienne sat in,side the limousine nervously. It was four in
the afternoon. She had spent probably the wh0le day with
Jill and Yuan, getting all dolled up.
Her gown appeared impeccable. She found it
absolutely stunning. A stylist tied her hair at the top of her
head in a bun. Tendrils were cascading all the way to her
shoulders with little white flowers clipped into her hair,
making her look like a garden deity. Her makeup was light
but it seemed to make her glow. WellâŚshe knew what else
caused at least some of that glow, too.
Photographers and videographers surrounded her,
doc-menting her every movement.
The road they were travelling were surrounded with
tall trees, as if they were going further into the woods.
Justin, Mason and Abi were already at the venue a few hours
earlier. Adrienne learned it was about an hourâs drive from
their hotel.
âWeâre in the middle of nowhere,â Yuan remarked.
âDidnât know Justin could be creepy.â
Adrienne raised a brow at him. She knew she may
come off as moody to her friends lately, but she hadnât told
them she was pregnant and that her patience over the
following months would grow really short.
Finally, they stopped in front of a wall covered with
green grass. Adrienne was now more curious about what lay
behind the very high wall that no thief would actually
attempt to climb.
Finally, the vine-covered steel gate opened slowly and
their limousine went in. Tall pots with white and pink roses
formed dual lines from the gate up to the entrance of the
most magnificent façade that Adrienne had ever seen in her
life.
âHoly crap!â Yuan shouted. âYouâre getting married in
a freaking⌠castle?â
Adrienne almost forgot to breathe. The structure they
approached looked like a well-restored historic medieval
Tuscan castle. Now, she was glad she let Abi change her
mind about her dress. Her original choice would not fit this
venue at all. She suddenly felt like Cinderella, about to meet
her Prince at the altar.
Their limousine stopped at the separate entrance near
the side of the castle. Jill and Yuan came out and Abi
instantly greeted them, giving out instructions, not even
letting the two breathe and enjoy the scenery before them.
It took only about five minutes and booms and camera
equipment were set up on standby in front of them, waiting
for Abi to signal Adrienne to come out of the vehicle.
Adrienne clutched her bouquet with one hand, and
she car-ssed her tummy with her other hand. Since
yesterday, when she confirmed her pregnancy, she started
developing this habit of touching her tummy gently, as if
imagining holding her baby in her arms.
Soon, Abi approached her limousine and she knew it
was time for her to come out.
âThis is it, Baby J,â she whispered. âMommyâs going to
make Daddy a very happy man.â
Abi slowly opened the door of the car and Adrienne
felt the camera flashes around her. She took a deep breath.
This is it! Iâm going to be Adrienne Adams in an hour!
With that thought in mind, a permanent smile slowly
carved itself on her face.
Yuan took her hand and Jill quickly picked up her train
as she walked into the private garden entrance at the side of the castle. The path seemed to be covered with pink and
white roses. It led them to a steel gate where Adrienne
could hear music playing. Her heart pounded in,side her
ribcage wildly.
On Abiâs cue, Jill stepped in front of Adrienne.
Adrienne thought she looked beautiful.
âWell, itâs an honor to give you away to your Prince
Charming, sweetheart,â Yuan said to her.
Adrienne blinked back the tears that were starting to
form in her eyes.
âI love you guys,â she whispered.
âWe both love you, too.â Yuan responded.
The gate in front of them opened, revealing the
picturesque garden where their ceremony was going to be
held. There was a veiling curtain in front of them. It was
probably placed there to obscure the view of the bride.
Adrienne could still clearly see what came in front of her.
Pillars and walls covered with green vines enclosed
the garden. Paths formed by small white stones were
accented with well-trimmed bushes that formed shapes of
hearts and squares along its four walls. Grass covered the
center space and white linen-covered chairs dotted the area
on both sides.
The center aisle featured a white carpet with the
initials J&A inscribed in a golden, medieval script. The carpet
ended in the canopy situated at the end of the garden. Its
four pillars were wrapped in white and pink roses. in,side the
canopy sat a makeshift altar and two gold-accented chairs
before it. On both sides of the canopy an orchestra sat and
played Pachelbelâs Canon.
At the entrance of the canopy, Adrienne saw him. He
stood there dressed in a magnificent white tux. His hair
looked like it was gelled at first but then he didnât like the
hairstyle so he decided to comb it with his fingers instead.
And on him, it looked sâŹĂy. Behind him stood Mason, whose
every hair appeared to be in place, shining from a w-t gel.
Adrienne had to suppress her laughter. She thought she
knew exactly what happened there. Abi must have been
giving instructions even on hairstyles.
Finally, the curtain partially opened and Abi cued Jill to
walk to the front. Jill took her time in the sâą0tlight. She was,
after all, the Maid of Honor, and no bridesmaid.
Finally, Abi signaled that it was Adrienneâs turn to
come out.
The music suddenly changed to the familiar tune of
âHere Comes the Bride.â Then the veil curtain in front of
them completely opened, finally revealing Adrienne to her
groom.
Adrienne held on to Yuanâs arm as they slowly walked
towards the altar. She felt giddyâŚeverything seemed
surreal.
A couple of months ago⌠she was unpacking her stuff
in an apartment she bought to impress her parents and
sister. And nowâŚshe was walking into a fairy-tale wedding
with her Prince Charming in a Tuscan castle. Her wildest
dreams couldnât even reach this far!
She slowly walked towards the altar, still clutching
Yuanâs arm tightly.
She felt the weight of Justinâs gaze on her. He looked
at her intensely. When she finally stood in front of him, she
looked up and saw his eyes had become watery, just like
hers.
âYouâre a fox,â he mouthed and she couldnât help
giggling at that.
Justin finally took her hand from Yuan and then he led
her to the chairs in front of the priest.
They intertwined their fingers all throughout the
ceremony.
Justin chose a pair of Cartier platinum wedding bands
with the signature screw motif, studded with tiny diamonds.
Their names were engraved on the outside of the band in
the center.
Her ring said âJustinâs.â His ring said âAdrienneâs.â
âAdrienneâŚI love you. I think from the very first
moment I laid my eyes on youâŚthe universe started leading
me to youâŚmy soul mate, my kismet, my other half. I hope
you remember what I have been trying to tell you and show
you since the day I met you⌠from the very first days I
spent with youâŚyouâŚare worth fighting for. And I will never
stop fighting for youâŚI will never stop protecting youâŚ
taking care of youâŚmost importantly⌠I will never stop
loving you. Forever, and alwaysâŚyou are the only woman
for me. Today. Tomorrow. Until eternity. In this life and all the
others after.â
Adrienne couldnât help crying when she heard those
words from Justin. Her fingers shook when he put the ring on
her finger.
âJustinâŚI didnât know how much my life would change
the night I met you. Even nowâŚwhen I look back, I still canât
believe that all this is happening to me. That you are
happening to me. Thank you. Because you showed me a
side of myself that I never knew existed before. Because
you taught me how to appreciate myself, how to love
myself, how to fight for myself. Until I met youâŚI never
knew that love could be worth a million fightsâŚand a
thousand prayers. I promise I will take care of youâŚand all
the children that we will bring together in this world. I will
nurture you and our family with love, affection, appreciation,
trust and respect. I will stand with you, support you and love
youâŚfor richer or poorer, in sickness and in healthâŚin this
lifeâŚand all the others after this.â
âI love you,â Justin mouthed at her when she finished
speaking her vows. She slipped his ring on his finger.
âI now pronounce you husband and wife. You may k-ss
the bride.â
Justin slowly lifted her veil. His eyes were teary when
he smiled down at her.
âMrs. Adrienne Adams,â he whispered.
She giggled in spite of her tears. Her heart warmed at
the first mention of her new name.
Justinâs face descended towards hers. He k-ssed her
gently. One k-ss and it felt like it lasted forever. Justin pulled
away and looked into her face again.
âI love you,â he whispered. âMrs. Adams.â
She laughed. âI love you, too, Mr. Adams.â
He leaned forward and k-ssed her again. This time, he
k-ssed her more passionately. He wrapped his arms around
her wa-ist and pulled her to him tightly.
The people cheered around them and they reluctantly
pulled away from each other.
All of their friends hugged them and congratulated
them one by one. They posed for pictures with the priest
and then with all five of their guests.
A new guy there that Adrienne hadnât seen before
approached them. He was good-looking, with dark blond
hair and startling green eyes. Adrienne remembered seeing
two guys behind Justin as he waited for her at the altar. She
just didnât give it much thought because all her attention
was focused on Justin.
âHoney, Iâd like you meet one of my closest friends,
River Jefferson,â Justin said. âWe are friends since Harvard.â
River extended his hand to hers and grinned at her
widely. âWhen Justin said he was getting married, I thought I
was getting Punkâd. Seriously, I was waiting for Ashton
Kutcher to come out anytime. But when you came out and
walked down the aisle, I realized he wasnât joking. And why
would he? If I find a beauty like you, Iâd also rush you to the
altar.â With that, he bent forward and k-ssed Adrienneâs
hand.
River turned to Justin. âI understand why you had to
wait until the last minute to introduce us, huh?â Justin
actually hit River playfully in the stomach. River laughed.
âKidding!â he added.
They were interrupted by Abi who said that it was
time for their wedding photos around the venue. It was also
time for Adrienne to take a tour of the castle.
âI canât believe we got married in a castle,â she sighed
dreamily.
He grinned at her. âDid you like the surprise?â
She laughed. âI do! JustinâŚthis is wonderful! I never
imagined Iâd get married like a princess.â
He leaned forward and k-ssed her l-ips. All around
them, the cameras never ceased to take footage of their
time together. They doc-mented their every move.
Adrienne looked at Abi with a raised brow.
She smiled at them reassuringly. âGo ahead. Pretend
theyâre not even around you. You guys are in love. You donât
have to act. Just be yourselves, talk, laugh, hug, k-ss. Weâll
be catching everything on video and photos. Trust me! One
day, you will thank me for this!â
Justin grinned at Adrienne. He leaned forward and
nipped her earlobe. âI canât wait for tonight,â he whispered
to her. And Adrienne couldnât help giggling. She knew
exactly what he was talking about. âItâs been too long!â
âI know. And the waiting ends tonight,â she said.
âIâd be making royal love to you,â he teased. âMight
as well make our wedding night historic, donât you think?â
âWhat if I got be too tired after all the wedding
hoopla,â she teased back.
He shook his head. âNope. No excuses this time.â He
leaned forward and whispered to her ear. âI seem to
remember you were a vixen in bed.â
Her eyes wÂĄdened at what he just said. She pinched
him on the side. He let out a yelp and then he laughed,
pulling her to him. His face descended towards hers and he
k-ssed her thoroughly, Adrienne almost forgot they werenât
alone.
When she pulled away from him, she thought for sure
that her face was crimson. She walked ahead of him, smiling widely, and biting her lower lip, trying to contain all the
giddy feelings in,side her.
They toured the estate, well, at least half of it. It had a
rose garden, a mini labyrinth, an orchĂŚrd, another garden
featuring four huge fountains and a vineyard at the back.
After an hour, Justin told Abi that Adrienne needed to
rest. âI think you took more than enough pictures. My bride
is exhausted,â he said in a firm voice. Abi didnât argue.
âJustin, Iâm okay,â Adrienne ass**ted. She felt so
happy that she didnât even feel a bit tired.
He hugged her to him so he could whisper in her ear.
âBaby in tummy, remember?â he said gently. Then he
added, âBesides, I would rather you save your energy today,
so you can spend it well tonight.â He grinned.
âYouâre not going to stop with the teasing, are you?â
she asked shaking her head.
âItâs been too long, honey,â he said. âCanât really
blame me, can you?â
She laughed. âOh, my poor baby.â She faked concern
in her voice. She gently car-ssed his hair. âI am so sorry.â
He raised a brow and stared at her evenly, âSorry
doesnât even count anymore. You have to pay upâŚbig
time.â
She laughed and then car-ssed her abdomen. âBaby
in tummy, remember?â she whispered to him.
âDonât worry. I wonât forget. But that does not mean
youâre off the hook,â he said and she laughed again. He
pulled her to him and gave her a k-ss on the l-ips again. âI
love you, Adrienne.â
She closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of him.
âI love you, Justin.â
Suddenly, Abi told them that their guests are ready for
them. They needed to head to their reception.
It was a good one-hundred-meter walk to the next
garden where the reception would take place. Justin bent
down and scooped Adrienne up into his arms.
âJustin, put me down. I can walk.â
âSure, you can,â he said. âBut you will get tired. And
remember, you canât get tired.â
She raised a brow at him. âFor tonight?â
He stared at her, faking a pained expression on her
face. âFor the baby, of course,â he said. âDo you really think
that making love to you is on my mind all the time?â
He sounded so hurt she started to feel guilty. But she
knew him. Justin loves to make love to her and sometimes,
it was difficult to keep their hands off each other. Adrienne
couldnât explain it sometimes. They both have this pull, like
magnets of opposite poles, they couldnât stay away from the
other no matter how much they tried. In bed, they were like
fireworks exploding into a million different colors. And yetâŚ
they trusted each other more than anybody else. They
found comfort in each otherâs arms. They also had this bond
of friendsh¥p that stood strong on its own⌠completely
separate from their desire for each other. More than thatâŚ
they both knew they loved each other very much, and could
not, would not live without the other.
She stared up at her husband. âActuallyâŚyes. I think
making love to me is on your mind all the time,â she
whispered to him in a challenging tone.
Justin stared at her for a moment, his eyes dancing as
he carried her in his arms. Then he grinned. âThen you know
me too well, my wife.â
She laughed and rested her head on his shoulder as
he carried her effortlessly towards the venue of the
reception. Even with her big, heavy dress, it seemed like
Justin found her light as a feather.
âMy father called me last night,â he whispered.
Adrienne looked up at him with wide eyes, anxiously
waiting for him to continue.
He smiled at her. âHe finally apologized. He told me
that he realized that my happiness is in fact more important
to them. He promised that if we come home, they will meet you and accept you as my wifeâŚno matter who you are. In
fact⌠he said that you would be no one else to them, but
my fiancĂŠe.â
Adrienne smiled at him. She was truly happy. Justin
had to go through hell just to make his parents understand
that he wouldnât bend to their will. That even if the nametag
of being Adams Industriesâ heir has been bestowed upon
him, his heart is still his own and he still controlled his life.
They reached the gates of the garden. Abi signaled
them to wait outside and only enter when the gates open
for their grand entrance as Mr. and Mrs. Justin Adams.
Justin settled Adrienne down on her feet and they both
straightened up their clothes. Music played on the other
side and Adrienne could hear cheers of people. To her, it
sounded like more than five people had come to the
reception.
She stared up at Justin and he grinned at her.
âI told my parents, by the way, that they shouldnât
accept you as my fiancĂŠeâŚthey should actually love you as
their daughter-in-law.â
âAnd?â Adrienne asked anxiously.
Justin shrugged. âThey said as long as I am happyâŚ
they will be happy.â Then Justin added, âWith that, I didnât
really see the point of not inviting them to the wedding. But
with the late notice, they could only make it to the
reception.
Adrienneâs eyes wÂĄdened. âWhat?â
But before Justin could answer the door in front of
them opened, revealing them to everyone. Justin took her
arm and led her into the garden that held a huge canopy
with three impeccably set tables which included tall
centerpieces made of roses. Around the canopy stood more
pots full of roses that made the scene look from afar like
they stood in a sea of roses. Jeweled butterflies flew over
them, too, making the setup even more surreal.
The music continued playing and their guests clapped.
Adrienne realized that there were more people in the
reception than in the ceremony. River sat with Mason and
Abi along with Mike and James, Justinâs friends from New
York.
Yuan and Jill sat at another table with Jada and her
date. Beside them, Adrienne saw a familiar man, who looked
at Adrienne with tears in his eyes. She gasped as tears
rolled down her cheeks.
Justin saw her tears and instead of heading towards
their seats, he led his wife to his father-in-law.
âSir,â he greeted Mr. Miller and extended his hand to
his.
Adrienneâs father shook his hand. Then he looked at
his daughter and smiled.
âDaddy,â Adrienne whispered. She lunged forward and
hugged her father tightly. She knew she hadnât yet forgiven
him for what he did. Her mother probably still considered
suing him. But none of that mattered now to Adrienne. She
knew she wouldnât have it any other way. She was still glad
that her father had come to be with herâŚon her wedding
day.
âIâm so proud of you, Yen,â he said. âIâm sorry I wasnât
able to make it to the wedding. Justin contacted me a
couple of days ago and sent me tickets so I could come
today. The flight, unfortunately, got delayed. Otherwise, I
would have walked you down the aisle myself.â
Adrienne nodded and wiped the tears in her eyes
careful not smear her makeup. âItâs okay, Daddy,â she said.
âIâm still glad you got here.â
Her father turned to Justin. âTake care of her, okay?â
Justin extended his hand to the older man again. âYes,
sir,â he said in a serious voice.
Then Justin took her arm again. Adrienne thought he
would lead her towards their table in the front center. But he
led her to the table beside it where Justinâs parents sat.
âMom, Dad, may I present, Adrienne Adams, my wife,â
he said.
Adrienne stared at them nervously. Christine Adams
had tears in her eyes when she lunged forward and hugged
Adrienne. Then she looked into her eyes and smiled at her.
âIâm sorry it took us a long time to meet you, dear. But
thank you for loving my son, and making him happy.â
Adrienne couldnât find her voice. She just nodded and
smiled at Justinâs Mom. Justinâs Dad shook her hand, gave
her a nod of approval and said, âWelcome to the family,
child.â
âThank you,â Adrienne said.
As if Justin found contentment that his parents had
become genuinely happy for him, he said, âMomâŚDadâŚâ he
started. âDo you know Adrienneâs maiden name?â
Her parents looked at him blankly.
Justin grinned. âWhen I met her, she was called
Adrienne Miller,â he said. âBut the name on her birth
certificate is actually âAndrea⌠Andrea Blanc.ââ
His parents stared at him for a moment, wide-eyed
with disbelief. Then they blinked back and looked at
Adrienne and then back at Justin again.
âBut thatâsâŚâ his mother started saying.
They were interrupted by a couple who just arrived,
heading straight towards Justinâs parents, shaking their
hands, and k-ssing their cheeks.
âCongratulations. Weâre sorry weâre late. There were
some delays in our flights,â Adrienneâs mother said to
Christine. Then she turned to Justin and shook his hand.
Her eyes caught Adrienneâs and she stopped short on
her tracks, her mouth dropping open.
âAdrienne?â she asked.
Adrienne didnât know whether to laugh or cry as she
looked at her mother.
âHi, MomâŚâ Adrienne whispered.
Her mother opened her mouth to ask her something
but at that moment, Abi announced on the microphone,
âLadies and gentlemen. Letâs give a round of applause to
the new Mr. and Mrs. Adams as they dance for the first time
as husband and wife!â
Trust Abi to either have the best or the worst timing
on Earth.
Justin turned to their parents, who still looked like they
didnât know what hit them. âWeâll explain later. Just have a
seat⌠and have fun knowing that weâre all one happy family
nowâŚjust like the way you planned it,â he said. âMeanwhile,
I need to dance with my lovely wife.â Then he took
Adrienneâs arm and led her to the dance floor, leaving their
parents at their table, still staring at them in shock, with
their mouths hanging wide open.