Harmony Mishaps

Prologue

“Now, before I continue, if there is anyone who knows a reason why these two should not be lawfully joined together, speak now or forever hold your peace.”

Julian shifted his feet miserably. ‘What a terrific way to start the New Year,’ he thought sarcastically. Beside him, stood his all-too-soon bride-to-be Rebecca.

Rebecca grinned happily in front of the audience, and specifically towards Eve Russell, who had just snatched TC’s handkerchief from him gratefully and wiped her eyes gently, caring not to wipe her make-up off. Not a single peep could be heard from her competing rival at this moment, which was all good. Rebecca did not want anything or anyone to spoil the happiest day of her life. “Can we just start already?” she whined.

“Of course. Julian, do you take this woman, Rebecca Hotchkiss, to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, through in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, for –“ the judge nodded at Rebecca, “for richer or for poorer, for all the days of your life, as long as you both shall live?”

Julian glared at Judge Reilly. “You know damn well I don’t!” he mouthed. The judge shrugged his shoulders. Julian sighed and looked up towards the sky. He silently prayed for a miracle – anything, anything at all; that could prevent him from marrying her.

“Julian, say “I do,”” Rebecca snapped impatiently. She could not wait any longer before she gains the title of “Mrs. Julian Crane” and all of the money and power that comes along with it. Today would finally be the day where her dreams would finally come true. She deserved it. She worked too darn hard to be where she finally was today, and that’s a race to the altar with Julian Crane, right here, right now, inside the Crane Mansion, in New Years Eve, in front of all of Harmony.

Julian slowly recollected himself and locked eyes with Rebecca. He boldly reminded to himself that he had to do this for Eve. His one true love. Her happiness and her family were at stake. That reminder alone was enough for him to condemn himself to a life of misery with Rebecca.

Whispers scattered across the hall as the spectators waited anxiously for Julian’s reply.

Rebecca’s eyes narrowed. “Well?” she asked. No way was her Pookie going to back down! His behavior like this will not be tolerated! It was unacceptable! “Julian?”

Eve placed the handkerchief down her lap. ‘You can’t marry Rebecca,’ she thought desperately. ‘I won’t let you!’

Julian hesitantly turned his gaze towards Eve. She looked as if she was about to burst any moment now. He wasn’t the only one miserable here. Eve – his Eve is sharing his misery with him. And he hated it. ‘Please, Eve… no more tears. I’m doing this for you! Can’t you see?’

TC caught the look in Julian’s eyes that was staring at his wife. Suddenly, a chill was sent throughout his spine. He couldn’t explain what he felt, but he knew it was a bad feeling. ‘That look in his eyes,’ he thought. Feeling the sudden need to possess his wife, he wrapped his arm around Eve’s shoulder.

TC smirked as he noticed Julian’s attention was then forwarded to him.

Sitting behind TC and Eve, was Fox and Whitney.

Whitney tugged at Fox’s arm and whispered, “Fox, what’s wrong with your dad?”

”I don’t know,” he lied, as they continued to wait for Julian to say the words.

Julian shook his head freely and quietly murmured, “I do”.

“What’s that?” Rebecca asked cheerfully.

Julian cleared his throat. “I do,” he stated clearly.

“Rebecca, do you take this man, Julian Crane, to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, to –“

“I do,” Rebecca interrupted.

Judge Reilly raised his eyebrows. “I haven’t quite finished,” he stated calmly.

Eve watched, before her eyes, as Julian slipped the ring on Rebecca as Rebecca did the same for Julian. ‘Oh, Julian,’ she thought as even more tears slipped through her eyes. ‘I am so sorry. I am so, so sorry.’

Rebecca looked at the papers and gave Julian a knowing look.

Julian gulped. Hopefully, she wouldn’t notice the glitch in the papers.

Finally, Rebecca placed her signature next to Julian’s.

“Here,” TC raised his handkerchief and gently wiped Eve’s eyes, while his other arm was still wrapped tightly around Eve. He then chuckled quietly and whispered, “My perfect, beautiful wife. Even for the two most heartless, uncaring human beings in this world, you could still find it in you to sentimentally attach yourself to this – this farce of a wedding.”

Eve nodded numbly and looked away. ‘If only you knew…’

“Without further ado, I pronounce them, husband and wife,” Judge Reilly’s voice boomed across the room. He then smirked at Julian, and nodded. “You may kiss the bride!”

Before Rebecca could do anything, Julian gave Rebecca a quick peck on the cheek.

Gwen’s handclaps were the only one to be heard within the room. Soon afterwards, Ethan joined in with her for support, while the rest of the guests started to clap along, rather reluctantly.

Eve slumped down her seat. ‘It’s over,’ she thought. ‘They… they really are married now.’

‘This is all my fault…’

‘Oh, Julian…’

‘I’m so sorry…’

‘I… I love you…’

Finally, Eve sat up from her seat. “TC, I want to go home now.”

“Yea, do let’s. We’re getting the hell out of here!”

From behind, Whitney tapped her mother’s shoulder. “I’m going to stay behind for a while.”

Eve smiled at her daughter. “Okay, but don’t come home too late okay?”

“Okay mom, see you later.”

Fox whistled. “Well, now that it’s over, we should go check up on Little Ethan right now, don’t you think?”

“I don’t know, shouldn’t he be asleep by now?”

“Umm… we’ll go see if he is then,” Fox said as he grabbed Whitney’s hand and lead her down the hall.

TC and Eve stared after the two climbing up the stairs, and then helped each other in their coats.

“Going somewhere?” a voice asked from behind.

Eve wheeled around and groaned. It was Rebecca.

TC grabbed Eve’s hand. “We kept our end of the bargain. We only promised to come, and we did. We’re leaving.”

Rebecca’s face darkened. She then turned to Eve. “Oh, but I wouldn’t leave just now,” she said mischievously.

“Why not?” Eve asked calmly.

“I have a surprise for you, you and TC.”

“We don’t want anything from you and the scum.” TC said calmly.

“Who said my Pookie had anything to do with it?”

Eve frowned and looked at Julian, who apparently was just as confused.

”Rebecca, just let them go,” he said calmly.

But Rebecca wouldn’t have it. She grabbed one of the microphones from the musicians she hired to play for her wedding. “Everyone, please be seated in half-an-hour,” she announced. “Don’t leave; I have a surprise for you all.” She then placed the microphone back, and turned to Julian. “Stay here,” she ordered. “This has to be perfect. I have to go meet someone.”

Julian wasn’t sure what to do. Since this was Rebecca, he knew that whatever surprise she had planned for her wedding guests, could not have been good. He shuddered slightly not knowing what that was for. It wasn’t cold, but Rebecca sure was. He watched as Rebecca left the mansion, and then turned his attention to Eve. TC was nowhere to be seen.

“So how are you holding up?” Julian asked Eve and gently brushed her cheek.

“Julian, I feel so guilty. I can’t let you do this. I –“

Julian placed his fingers on Eve’s lips. “Shh, I’ll do anything for you. I love you, Eve, and I want you to be happy. If I have to marry Rebecca to protect you, then so be it. If I can stay married to Ivy for twenty years over a business deal, then I can certainly do it again, and this time… this time it’s for a better reason. It’s for your happiness. I can live with that.”

Eve sighed. “I love you so much – for everything you have done for me in order to protect me from TC finding out our secret.”

”Yes, well, just as long as you are happy. Eve, come on, I need for you to smile. I hate to see you so sad. Especially if it was because of me.”

Eve put on a brave smile and hugged Julian tightly.

Julian peered at his watch. “Will you look at that?” he smiled. It was barely just twelve o’clock. He then kissed Eve passionately. “Happy New Year.”

Eve returned his kiss. “Happy New Year to you too Julian.”

Just then, Rebecca re-entered the room with a man who looked as if he was in his mid-twenties carrying stacks of newspapers and quickly announced, “Please be seated, everyone.”

TC walked over to where Julian and Eve once were and sat beside Eve. Julian took a seat across from her.

“Well, first of all, I would like to thank-you all for coming to my wedding.”

“Just hurry up,” TC snarled. Murmurs of agreement could be heard alongside with him.

Rebecca ignored TC’s comment. “Everyone, I would like you to meet my friend, Bryan.”

Silence.

Charity, who was standing at the doorway, suddenly gasped.

“Charity, what is it?” Miguel asked worriedly.

“Evil is here,” Charity said softly. “I feel that something bad is about to happen.”

Charity then pointed at Rebecca’s “friend”. “You’re evil,” she said suddenly.

“I am not!” the man retorted. “I’m Bryan, and I’m a newspaper journalist!”

”Does a newspaper journalist sound evil to you?” Kay smirked at Charity, while Miguel glared at her.

”Leave her alone,” Miguel snapped and held Charity tightly.

“Whatever,” Kay rolled her eyes.

Bryan cleared his throat nervously. “Mrs. Crane here has offered me a position at Crane Industries in the new local newspaper department,” he paused. “The newspapers are entitled “Harmony Mishaps” which will mainly focus –“

Julian laughed! “This is ridiculous! I have never agreed to such an idea!”

Rebecca looked at Julian smugly. “You don’t have to, now that I’m Mrs. Julian Crane, I can do whatever I please.”

“That’s what you think!” Julian said angrily.

“So what are you saying?” Rebecca asked calmly.

Julian quickly stopped himself before he exposed himself. “Never mind, continue,” he nodded at Bryan.

“Ah, yes… umm… as I was saying, the new local newspaper, “Harmony Mishaps” (found by Mrs. Crane), will focus entirely on this town and its residents. Since we are new here, I would like to give a free preview of the newspapers. Please read them, we have lots of interesting material written inside and are only bound to improve. They are only published weekly, unlike most newspapers that publish on a daily basis. If you ever need to catch-up with your town, “Harmony Mishaps” is the way to go.”

“And I think you will find it’s first issue one of the most interesting,” Rebecca hinted darkly as she took half the pile and started to assist Bryan in handing them out. “Here you go TC,” she said sweetly. She then winked at Eve, “Here you go.”

“Hand it over!” Julian ordered and snatched a newspaper away from his wife.

As soon as all the newspapers were handed out, Rebecca stood with Bryan at the front. “Take your time,” she said happily.

Eve curiously looked through the newspaper. Half the articles were contaminated with writings about sports. She passed through a page and flicked back when something caught her eye. She gasped in horror, and then dropped the papers!

Eve looked around and noticed that half the town was also reading the same page she was in! She peered at Julian fearfully.

Julian caught Eve’s eyes and frowned. He walked up to Eve and made to pick up the newspaper Eve dropped. When he caught a glimpse of the headline, he dropped it as well!

“Christ!” he hissed.

“What’s the matter?” TC asked irritably. “Eve, you dropped it.”

”DON’T PICK IT UP!” Eve shrieked.

“What’s wrong?” He then picked up her newspaper and stared at the page in front of him.

Eve closed her eyes and began to sob. This was it. This was the end of her life. Everything she worked so hard for – all were now left in shambles.

TC looked from his wife, to Julian, and then to his wife again.

“Is this a joke?”