Sadly, my dad didn't end up sucking a big fat one - five days after being born, Olivia passed away, having suffered a massive brain aneurysm. The stress of her birth - during which Sally had flatlined twice - plus the added stress of having the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck and cutting off her oxygen, had taken far too much of a toll on her tiny little body. I held her hand as she passed, and sobbed like a baby myself in Callum's arms for a good while afterwards. Since Ben was still in charge of her medical decisions, he opted to take her back to Sheffield to bury her in the family plot, something Callum and I were more than happy to go along with.
Of course, as had happened after Sally's death, fresh shit hit the fan after Olivia's passing. Oliver - who was still smarting over having his legal rights terminated - colluded with Dad to try and have Olivia's body held so they could launch a legal challenge. 32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPTJVGiYyP
And just was this challenge?32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcnxggMfHsD
Breach of promise, of course.
Oliver - goaded by my dad - got it into his head that, since he and I had been engaged once, it was therefore only fitting we should follow through and get married. I'd supposedly "promised" to marry him if Sally should either die or divorce him, and since she was now dead, it was time for me to fulfil that "promise".32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCGHAtZk7eh
This naturally forced Callum and I to disclose our engagement, something we'd kept under wraps out of respect for Sally. Only Fanny (who'd been fully on board, given that her mother had endorsed the match before passing), Maud, Angus, Mum and George had been appraised of our upgraded relationship status, and we'd wanted to keep it that way to allow the dust to settle after Sally's passing, again out of respect for her. Oliver's bogus claims had now forced mine and Callum's hand and, as expected, Oliver hit the roof.
'You had no right to do this!' he said angrily over the phone that afternoon. 'How dare you go and get engaged to another man behind my back!'
"You married Sally after we were forcibly separated," I reminded him. "Our engagement was more or less off after I moved out anyways, so there's no 'promise' breached. Just let it go, for God's sake, and put your big boy pants on for a change."
'You're going to regret this,' Oliver warned. 'Mark my words, Charlie. You still belong to me. And if I've got to fucking kidnap you to make you see sense, then by God, I'll take you, and hide you where no one will ever find us. Then it'll be just you and me, and we can do whatever the hell we want.'32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ4ANXlelyJ
"Don't forget, that Kombi stands out like a dog's balls," I said drily. "You won't be able to hide that monstrosity even if you tried. And if you try to kidnap me, then mark my words - you'll be in for a world of hurt."
'It's not over," Oliver said. 'Believe me, it's not over. You will see sense, and you will marry me.' He then hung up with an abrupt click.
"Like hell I will," I said to the dial tone.
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Callum and I discussed this latest setback that evening, and decided it was time to get married as soon as possible. With supportive family members on board, it was an easy enough matter to get it organised, and, on a chilly January afternoon, Callum and I were married in Perth, with George, Fanny, Angus, Mum and Maud in attendance. Since it was just the seven of us - plus the celebrant - who knew about this, Oliver had no chance to stop it (not that he'd have been able to!), and by the time the news reached him and Dad, it was far too late.
And Oliver was soon stymied in his attempts to claim Olivia's body - his legal challenge fell flat the day after the wedding, and Ben was finally able to get her to Sheffield, much to Oliver's disgust. He therefore decided to make good on his threat two days after my wedding.
And that was how I woke to find myself in the back of the Kombi, tied hand and foot.
32Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEiKkLbtdLn
The day had started normally enough - a prolonged lovemaking session, followed by by breakfast, another round of lovemaking, and finally a shower. Callum had then gone off to work, having obtained a job during our extended stay in Fort William, and I'd got down to the Important Business of Organising a Honeymoon. We'd had a few good-natured quarrels about where to go, and this morning, I resolved to sit down and really get to the business of nutting out a good place to go that we'd both be happy with.
I'd then stopped in the cafe for lunch, and that's where it all had gone downhill. Events were hazy after I had my usual ham and cheese toasty, and about the only clear thing I could remember was the cheese tasting a bit off. Then everything had gone fuzzy, and the other clear thing I remembered before passing out was the sound of gunshots, shouting, and then... nothing.
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