Taming Mr. Cold And Arrogant

"Argh! You're making fun of me, aren't you?"

"Of course, not! Why would I do that?"

Then a mischievous grin suddenly appeared on his lips. 

"Fine... but I'll make sure you won't give that answer when I give you punishment later."

Raising my eyebrow, I asked again. "And what punishment would that be?"

"Ohh... nothing to worry about, sweetheart, it's just a simple punishment that will keep you in bed for the whole week." He winked. 

"Huh!"

I gasped but that didn't keep my mouth shut, instead, it only made my imagination wild and anticipated more for what he plans to do after the wedding ceremony. But then, it also makes me want to take off my veil and pull him immediately into a heartwarming kiss, but obviously, I'm not allowed to do that so... 

"Hmm..." I shrugged. "I'll be waiting then, sweetheart," I whispered softly and made sure to sound it seductively. 

"Sophia---" but he didn't get the chance to finish what he was going to say when we were interrupted by the loud voice of the pastor in front of us. 

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the presence of God, and in the presence of this company, to unite Daniel and Sophia in holy marriage; which is instituted of God, regulated by His commandments, blessed by our Lord Jesus Christ, and to be held in honor among all men..."

I just bit my lower lip to stifle the chuckle that bubbled in my throat. 

I felt him squeeze my hand but I didn't spare him a glance and tried to focus on what the pastor was saying. 

As the ceremony goes by, I can't help but compare it to the first one we had a year ago. And every time I remembered our first engagement party when Rian teased me, what if our deal and fake marriage turn out to be real over time? It always makes me smile when I also remembered how strongly I had denied that idea since then, but look where we are right now. She's right. 

"-------"-------"-------"-------"-------"-------"-------"

"The vows you are about to take are to be made in the presence of God, who is the judge of all and knows all the secrets of our hearts. So, will you please, as an expression that your hearts are joined together in love, please take each other hand, before stating your vow."

I noticed how Daniel took a deep breath before taking my hand. It's the first time I see him so nervous in this way and take note, it's on our wedding day. My heart is silently screaming with joy because I swear, this unusual side of him is worth remembering when we get older...when we have already fulfilled our dreams and promises together. 

"Hi, gorgeous." (whistles and laughter heard from the people behind us) "...from the moment I met you, I didn't know at that point that you are the one destined for me. As I always said, I've been an arrogant, ignorant and s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e toward your feelings and I apologize for all those things. But as time goes by, the realization hit me. I got the chance to know you more and even if I tried to hide and deny my feelings, I always failed..."

"Because of you, I dare to dream. I have become a better person, I laugh, I smile and I dare to dream again. And on this special day---or I should say a special night... in the presence of God and in front of our family, I take you, Sophia Yzabelle Del Mundo, to be my lawfully wedded wife, knowing in my heart that you will be the only woman I will love and cherish for the rest of my life. I promise to be your faithful partner in life and your best friend. I will always listen to all your stories, watch you dance and sing all day without complaining. I promise to hold your hand, hug and kiss you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, even if you haven't taken a bath or even brushed your teeth..."

(I don't know what my reaction will be, hearing his vow, especially when all the people in the venue were almost dying of laughter.)

"...I will protect you, I will trust you and respect you, and I promise to keep you safe at my side. I will share in your dreams and support you as you strive to achieve your goals. I will help you when you need it and step aside when you don't. All that is mine is now yours. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love from this very moment for as long as we both shall live or until death do us part. I love you, sweetheart."

The moment he slid the wedding ring on my finger, I took a long deep breath. It's not that I have no words to say in my mind, but because the feeling of excitement is overwhelming me and I don't know how to start my vow. 

I gulped, looking into his eyes...and I gulped again. Whew! I promise to pinch his nose after this ceremony. 

"Hello, handsome." (And just like earlier, everybody applauds behind me) "...honestly, I don't know where to start this vow, maybe I'll just start it by saying thank you. Thank you for being my wall, my shield and my protector, during those moments where I needed someone to hold on to..."

"You don't know how much I thank God every single day since I realized that I am in love with you, for bringing you into my life and for choosing you to be my partner. I know I might not be a perfect wife... I have tantrums, mood swings and maybe stubborn sometimes---"

(But he interrupted me)

"Yeah, that's right. I agree."

(Everyone laughed including me.)

"Yeah, I am stubborn most of the time, but with all my heart, I want to say thank you... for accepting me for who I am, for helping me to show the best of me and for standing beside me. Thank you for following me everywhere, especially for following me in Italy and showed me how lucky I am to have someone like you as my husband. You are the greatest blessing that God has given me. A dream come true..."

"And since this is our second vow---I mean, the real one..." ( I paused and winked at him in which he returned it with a light chuckle) "...I take you, Daniel Kelley, as my lawfully wedded husband and promising you in the presence of God and both our families, that I will honor you and be faithful you and to you alone. And from this very moment, I promise to be your partner, your teammate who will make you smile in times of sorrow and comfort you in times of distress..."

"I know we won't be a perfect couple as we all know that nobody's perfect, but I want you to know that I will stand beside you each and every day of our lives. I belong to you and to you alone wholeheartedly. I couldn't see my life without you. I will love you, cherish you and I promise to be here all the way until we grow old and until death do us part. I love you."

The time I mentioned the last three words, tears started to flow down my cheeks. My hands are slightly shaking when I slid the ring on his finger because of the sobs that I was trying to suppress. 

"May the blessings of life, the joy of love, the peace of truth, and the wisdom and strength of spirit, be your constant companion, now and always as husband and wife..."

"I know you have kissed a thousand times, maybe more..." (Daniel scratched the back of his neck which made us laugh at him.)

"But today the feeling is new. No longer simply partners, and best friends, you have become husband and wife and can now seal the agreement with a kiss..."

"Daniel, you may now kiss your bride."

And that's what everyone has been waiting for since the ceremony started... of course, including me and my husband, but I can't explain why I suddenly felt nervous when he lifted my veil. 

He smiled at me. 

"I promise to thank my mom later for giving me your number and for nagging me to see you that day. Now I realized that it was the best decision I made in my life, because it was the same day I met my soulmate." He whispered, cupping both my cheeks. 

"Yeah..." I nodded. "It was also when you asked me how much your mom offered to accept the deal, and that you're going to double the prize."

"Ohh... I couldn't imagine having asked you that stupid question."

"But you did."

"Yeah, that's the most stupid question I have ever asked---"

"Hey, excuse me... are you not going to kiss?"

"Ohh!" We both uttered in unison, laughing together and turned to the pastor who's waiting for us to seal the agreement. 

Loud laughter echoed throughout the whole garden. 

"Oops, I'm sorry."

Daniel shrugged and before I could even open my mouth to say that I am also sorry, he cupped my face and kissed me in the most passionate kiss he had ever given me. 

"I love you, my wife." He said after ending the breathtaking kiss. 

I smiled. A smile in which I expressed how happy my heart and my soul is. 

"I love you too, my husband."

He pulled me into a tight hug after kissing my forehead. Everyone sends their regards and congratulations when we went down the two steps stairs and headed to where our family was waiting for us. 

This is it. 

Our forever starts here---Oops! No! Our forever started when we met each other. 

Our hopes and dreams to be made together begins here. 

Now we have a new agreement. An agreement that is not fake but a real one, which will surely last until forever. 

Looking back at those times... to my struggles, always brought a stinging pain in my heart, but somehow it makes me smile and ask myself 'how did I get through all of that?' Well, maybe one of the reason was that I have friends surrounding me and a strong man behind me who supported me to overcome those pains. 

Now I believe that time has a way of showing us what really matters in life...you just have to learn to wait and never let go of hope because someday... or one day, you will realize that everything has finally come together and that all that you wished for has finally come true. 

Lesson learned? We should leave our past behind and don't let them destroy our future, our dreams, and our lives. 

'Live for what today has to offer, not for what yesterday has taken away.' that's Craig's line. 

Well... he's absolutely right because past is only a good place to visit but certainly not a good place to stay. 

From this moment on, I closed the door to the past and opening the door to the future. I will start a new chapter in life together with the man I chose to live with until I grow old. 

The end. 

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Hi, lovelies... Please wait for the epilogue...Thank you❤❤❤