Chapter 2 Ritual Ceremony

Life they say is not a bed of roses, it has its ups and downs. It has its beautiful and sad moments, it's good and bad times.

But that does not define you..

You don't run away from your problems but face it. You face your obstacles to overcome it.

Rose sighs as she closed the motivational book she was reading

"what good have this motivation done, nothing but waste my time" and placed it under the bed.

She was up early as its the ritual ceremony day.

The day when a newly wedded bride per custom a new bride will cook for the family the day after her wedding. It was mostly done the night after the consummation but that is out of the picture as she spent the night in Norah's room.

Norah is the Agreste's family(cook), she travels with them during family vacations and Holidays to cook for them, she has been doing that for twenty five years now and still counting. She was kind enough to lend Rose her old clothes, though big and over sized but better than nothing._right_

Consummation apart, Norah still wishes to cook for the family. She wanted to fulfill her part as a bride, she might be a replacement bride but a bride is a bride._real or not_. She didn't want to give the Agrestes a reason to drag her family's reputation to the mud.

They're the one powerful family in the country. The name alone is vibrationally enough to make you submissive.

Rose spent the morning with Norah setting up breakfast for the whole family. It was nothing new to her as she grew up with loads of work everyday. This have become a part of her. Cooking is something she can do even in her sleep.

Performing the rituals for the family will be hard per what happen at the wedding but she's not giving up._she's a fighter _.

By the time they served breakfast, the whole family was up and ready for the day's work.

She assisted in anyway humanly possible to make sure that the ritual ceremony is a success but you never know what life has in store for you. _you only keep guessing _.

"Living with the Agrestes is a dream come true, isn't it? "

Norah asked poor Rose who sat on a stool right outside the kitchen watching the Agreste's gather round the dining room.

This is something she's witnessing for the first time.

"yes Norah, you're right. I've never seen a whole family gather round just to eat". she paused to wipe a single tear

"It's as if they're acting a movie role" she watches in admiration.

"are you crying? " Norah asked surprised because it is normal for every family to eat together. _union time_.

"This is beautiful Norah, so beautiful " Rose smiles.

Norah seems a little lost because Rose came from a rich family._Nadis _.

Her family is a major share holder in one of the Agreste's company. Social media and insider TV portrays them as a peaceful. She've seen and served the eldest daughter and she is so different from Rose here.

_well, you know what they say: everyone's not the same _.

"come on Rose, you need to get ready for the family meal. Go in bathe and change into this" Norah instructed handing Rose some clothes. If she wanna perform the family ritual, she should be the one serving them.

Rose thanked her and ran into the bathroom to do her morning business.

Fifteen minutes was all she needed to get ready. She didn't wanna keep the Agreste's waiting. _else she want to start the new day on the wrong foot_.

When Rose appeared at the dining room she was looking breathtaking in her knee length turquoise dress worn over silver shoes. She was smiling so bright because Norah instructed her too.

She had taken all the time they spent cooking to lecture her about the family's lifestyle, do's and don'ts. If she was sure of anything it is that the ceremony will not fail.

She bowed in greetings to the family _to those who responded she smiled,  to those who sneered she still smiled_ that was the first rule. _respect_.

"please, let me serve you" Rose pleaded as though she's begging for a second chance.

They had shock written all over their faces.

_have she done something wrong?_

An elderly lady called her attention.

"Rose my dear, I appreciate you doing all this to get our blessings but we do things differently here"

"didn't Norah teach you anything? "

"didn't you study the family before jumping into marriage? "

"you should have asked your sister for a little advice, she knows the family in and out"

"why will she ask the sister when they stole her life"!

"I've always had this bad feeling about the Nadis and I'm glad to say i warned you all"

'this is not the plan' she muttered to herself.

How can they talk about her like that and before her too?

"what they're trying to say is we don't eat together without Daniel, your husband". came from a young lady her age.

She took a few seconds to thank thank the lady with her best smiles.

That was all she needed.

They should have told her to fetch Daniel rather than skin her alive. _barbaric _.

Rose stood before Daniel Agreste door debating whether to knock or not or simply walk in. She have not forgotten how he sent her off last night. It means she is not welcomed there. _his personal space _.

She didn't know how long she stood there when Daniel walked out.

He had seen her through the cameras walking to and fro. chewing on her finger nails.

He could have walked out earlier but decided against that, he wanted to see the kind of woman he wedded as his bride.

"good morning sir" Rose greeted as soon he stepped out of his room.

As expected he didn't respond, just like his family. _stubborn headed_

"Mr Agreste, your family sent me to fetch you" Rose said walking hastily to meet up with Daniel long strides.

He didn't stop to check if she's coming up because her heavy breath gave her away.

"I'm not a toy you can fetch anytime and you know that Angela " was all he said and went down to his family.

Angela.

He referred to her as Angela, his lover's name. The same lady who kept Rose in her current situation.

The same lady she abandoned her family and life for.

"guess I'm the stupid one huh" Rose muttered.

To think that she threw away her life to stand in place and honor of the one who ran away with her lover the night before her wedding is just crazy. _ pathetic soul_

Rose cleared her emotions as she joined the family for breakfast.

She took her place beside Daniel Agreste opposite his parents. They'll watch them (her) closely seeking for fault and flaws to declare the ceremony invalid.

"so, any news from the police yet?" Mrs Mercy Agreste asked no one in particular.

"no, Francis said the abductor left no traces. No fingerprints, no trail, as if he varnished into the air" Adrien Agreste the youngest replied.

"what are we gonna do then, we can't our son suffer emotionally. we can't just sit and watch him fade into the dark".

"we need to do something ".

"have you asked her family, they might know something "

"why would someone hurt Angela so badly. she's an angel "

"she planned the whole wedding, it's just too bad that someone stole the show "

"have you interviewed her?"

"call the police Adrien, they need to interrogate this woman here"

"she might be a suspect "

"I don't trust her, her eyes are different "

"I bet she's not Angela's sister "

"is she the one behind Angela's abduction? "

"I will say she's not so innocent "

....

Repetitive words ruined the ceremony.

Angela must be special to them as they will fight everyone to make sure she is okay.

How can human beings talk about another on her day.

It was just like yesterday,  the whole family was asking about Angela and this morning they're discussing her sudden disappearance before her. _they even labeled her a suspect _

How can she kidnap her sister just to marry Mr Daniel Agreste.

'

For God's sake she've never heard of the Agreste until her wedding day, never seen or come into contact with any of them.

How then does that make her a prime suspect.

Rose sat staring from one soul to another as they debate on how to get Angela back home.

They didn't stop to mention if she really loved them. They didn't care to think if she wanted to be one of them.

She swore with her life never to tell a soul that Angela ran away few hours to her wedding.

Why did she ran away?

If something's bothering her, she should have find comfort I'm her family and not run away to escape her problems.

When Rose couldn't keep up with their discussions, she bowed her head in shame and rejection.

/

It's too bad that her own family rejected her, the ones who took her in, threw her I to hot oil and now, the Agrestes acts as if she's invisible.

This is not the life she planned for herself.

"Rose my dear, get up" she felt someone tap her.

it was Norah.

Rose had been consumed in her thoughts that she didn't notice the family disperse.

.They must have disagreed with each other Judging from the broken plates and food littered everywhere.

"you need to get up and change " Norah helped Rose up.

"is it too late to go home?" Rose asked in tears.

poor Rose, this must have been too much on her.

Living with the Agreste's is not gonna be easy.