By the time it was noon that day, Carol was dead tired and totally swamped with work, so much that she could not even afford to take a lunch break. To worsen situations, the bakery where she worked was unusually busy today, with customers streaming in and out and hardly giving the workers any breathing space. Deciding that she was going to take a break even if it was for five minutes to gobble something down, considering that she had not had anything to eat that morning, she quickly headed out of the bakery. No sooner had she stepped out of the bakery than she sighted Victoria, armed with both their parents and heading towards her.

Carol sent a short prayer of thanks upward that she had decided to step out of the bakery when she did, otherwise she knew that they would have made a scene right in there in front of the customers and everyone else. Her sister was wearing a smug grin while her parents, especially her mother, wore the somber and disappointed look that she had come to know so well.

"If you're here to rant about how I must attend the wedding, you need not bother. I'll be there." Carol said without preamble.

"Is that any way to greet your parents? Besides are you not going to welcome us?" Her mother asked, raising a perfectly arched brow and adopting a superior look. Her father came over to give her a peck on the cheek and then stood aside.

"Well, I would if this was my house, but this is my workplace and after your antics got me fired from the last place I worked, you will understand why I'm not exactly rushing to let you in here. I can give you the key if you want to go to my house though."

"You should mind the way you speak to us. No parent deserves to be spoken to in that tone. Besides, your cubicle won't contain us. We're lodging in the finest hotel here, courtesy of Victoria's fiancée. What a refined gentleman. Now if only you would bring home a gentleman too... Victoria has done so well for herself." Her mother said. As usual, her father stood quietly while he allowed her mother to talk.

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"Mom. Tell her that she has to come with me for my shopping for the wedding. Tell her." Victoria cut in, sounding for all the world like a spoilt brat. With the way she sounded, one would not know that she was a twenty seven year old.

"Oh yes. I wonder why that even has to be a problem. Carol, you're going to go with your sister to shop for things for her wedding. I don't get what all the song and dance is about."

"When do you plan on going for it and what sort of whirlwind romance is this?" Carol asked, totally fed up with the whole thing.

"Well, it's not exactly a whirlwind romance. Two weeks is more than enough time to get to know someone, especially when that person is very rich and handsome. I should know, after all, I was ready to get married to your father after only 10 days of meeting him."

"Oh, so you're truly both in support of the marriage?" Carol asked, looking from one parent to the other. Her father looked away and fidgeted uneasily, while her mother put on a defensive look. From the look of things, there was something that they were not telling her. Their happiness seemed forced, as though they were trying their best to be happy regardless of the circumstances and not let anything get to them.

"What is it? What are you guys hiding?"

"Hiding? Why on earth would you think that we are hiding anything?" Her mother retorted, her cheeks turning red as she finally averted her gaze. Victoria merely glared at Carol and fluffed her hair, a habit which Carol detested.

"Oh, my God! Are you pregnant for this man? Is that the reason you're agreeing to this whirlwind marriage?"

"Well, there is that, but there is also the fact that we're in love too, plus he is also very rich. Don't be so stupid. I'm not pregnant. We're just in love, something you wouldn't know about." Victoria said, practically swooning.

"When do you plan to go shopping? I don't see why I must go with you, but I guess I have no choice." Carol asked, glancing at her watch and noting that she had spent far more than the five minutes that she had originally intended to spend, yet she had not even gotten anything to eat.

"Well, considering that the wedding is coming up so fast, you'll have to be with her for the rest of the week, preferably from now. So, go and gather up your things and let's go."