"You look very beautiful," Celine compliments behind me as she slowly caresses my shoulder, lowering her head with her cheeks brushing against mine.
Our eyes meet in the mirror, and she flashes a quick smile at me. I quickly shift my gaze away, her touch feeling disgusting, and her presence alone makes anger surge within me."Are you guys ready?" Emelia's voice finally saves me from this demon, and Celine chuckles and then heads out of the waiting room.My fists tighten as I watch her leave, as today is supposed to be my happiest day, but I can't find a single bit of happiness thanks to her.My mind doesn't want to go through with this wedding, but I know the embarrassment, insults, and disappointment my family would face if I break it off. Fiona's marriage crumbled after six months, and I saw what she went through when she divorced. Not only her, but what my entire family went through when she moved back home, and opting for such an option will bring me nothing but such a fate.With Emelia here, I feel the urge to tell her the truth. Emelia, Caroline, Jessica, and Katherine have been my best friends since high school days, and we always share everything with each other.Emelia and I work at the same gallery, Caroline is a model; well.. not a popular one but she's still good at her job, Jessica is a full housewife with a crazy husband while Katherine is a secretary at one… company; just company.We’re all struggling out here and hoping for a miracle to happen one day because we do experience hell at work, and every day we all have one or two bad things to tell.After narrating what I saw yesterday to her, Emelia just keeps staring at me with her mouth wide open, seeming lost for words.“Emelia?” I call her, hoping for her to say something, but her expression quickly changes to anger."Ariel, are you stupid? How could you even consider marrying the man who cheats on you with your own sister? Are you blinded by love? Do you think pretending not to know and going through with this wedding will make him stop cheating on you even after the marriage? Can't you see what Jessica is going through, all for the sake of this damn marriage?" Emelia finally finds her voice and throws different questions at me.Wow, that's just like her…“What else do you want me to do? Do you think my family will be happy after finding out what happened? Hell no, because they contributed most of their savings to make this grand wedding happen so people would talk about my wedding and not Fiona's divorce again. I really didn't want to disappoint them, and that's why I'm right here," I reply, as tears well up.She moves closer to me, bends down in front of me, and holds my hand, looking into my eyes. She says,"Ariel, I want you to think about this very carefully and make the best decision for yourself so you won't regret it in the future. Once you enter this crazy marriage, it’ll be really difficult to leave. Think about what Jessica’s going through, do you want to go through such a thing? For a guy that cheats on you despite giving him all, including your virginity? Trust me babe, he’ll never be committed to you again and so, we have to call this off immediately,”Her words seem right but I just can't do it. I remove my hand from hers, “No, I can't.”“Why? Are you going to sacrifice your own happiness just for the sake of your family? The Ariel I know is far better than this; you are too good for him.” She vents out in anger as she stands up and moves away.“ You know what, I’m going out there now, and I will expose that bastard to the entire guest and your family. I won't allow you to ruin your life just like Jessica did,” she concludes, then makes an attempt to leave the room.I try to stop her, but she insists on going.“Why are you trying to ruin my wedding, it’s mine and not yours? It’s not as if you have gone through one or even have a single man in your life, so how do you know if I'm making the right decision or not?” I angrily burst out, already feeling frustrated.As those words leave my lips, regret follows. What have I done? I can see that Emilia’s hurt by my harsh words.“Ariel, I'm just trying to help. How could you say such words to me?”“ I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, I didn't mean that” I quickly apologize, trying to explain to her that I really didn't mean that but just wanted to stop her from doing what she said.Her words seem right, but I just can't do it. I remove my hand from hers, “No, I can't.”“Why? Are you going to sacrifice your own happiness just for the sake of your family? The Ariel I know is far better than this; you are too good for him.” She vents out in anger as she stands up and moves away.“You know what, I’m going out there now, and I will expose that bastard to the entire guest and your family. I won't allow you to ruin your life just like Jessica did,” she concludes, then makes an attempt to leave the room. I try to stop her, but she insists on going.“Why are you trying to ruin my wedding, it’s mine and not yours? It’s not as if you have gone through one or even have a single man in your life, so how do you know if I'm making the right decision or not?” I angrily burst out, already feeling frustrated.As those words leave my lips, regret follows. What have I done? I can see that Emilia’s hurt by my harsh words.“Ariel, I'm just trying to help. How could you say such words to me?”“ I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, I didn't mean that,” I quickly apologize, trying to explain to her that I really didn't mean that but just wanted to stop her from doing what she said.I stand up from my seat and try to move closer to her, but she moves away from me and rushes out. As I want to go after her, dad comes in and tells me it’s time to go in.Finally, it's time for me to enter, and I hold my dad's hand as he walks me down the aisle. I see my family smiling at me, grandma using a handkerchief to wipe her tears, and my two friends, Caroline and Katherine, waving at me, while Emelia, who is my best lady, is missing.I drift into deep thoughts, remembering all that Emelia had said. But I'm brought back to reality by Aiden's voice."Ariel, you need to answer the priest," he whispers to me. The priest asks me again, "I will ask again, do you, Ariel Aldridge, take Aiden Wells, to be your lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do you part?"I look back at my parents, then my friends, and then at Aiden who is eagerly waiting for my response. But I can't go through with it, all I can see now is a cheater and not the man I once loved. I decide to make the bold decision because I know deep down that forcing myself into this marriage would only lead to turmoil. So, with resolve, I reply to the priest,"No, I don't."Instantly, rumors fill the hall, swirling around like a storm.Turning to Aiden,“And I’m not sorry for this,” I tell him bluntly, then remove my veil, give him a hard slap, as he wanted to say something again, another one lands on his right cheek, and then I run out of the hall.I can't run very well with my heels, so I take them off and then start running on my two legs and head to the gate. Finally, I see Emelia talking to the security who refused to let her back in, and I shout her name.“Emeliaaa…”We both wave at each other, and I quickly rush into her arms and give her a tight hug.“I’m very sorry, I really shouldn't have said such words to you,” I apologize to her.“No, I should be the one apologizing. I shouldn't have left you there when I'm obviously your best lady,” she also apologizes, and we both chuckle.“I'm not going through with it. I'm not going to end up like Jessica, and I think I’ll never regret this decision,” I say firmly.“Welcome to the world of the singles,” she opens her arms wide once again and I hug her and we both burst into another laughter.“It seems like the two of you already have everything planned out, leaving us in the dark,” Caroline’s voice emerges from behind.Turning back, I apologize to her.“You don't have to apologize, dear, because I'm sure you have your reasons,” Katherine replies, giving me a reassuring smile and I also pull them into a hug.“So what's next now?” Caroline asks, disengaging from the hug, and we all head to Emelia's house."I can't believe you endured such a thing alone and kept it hidden from us. You should have told me, and I’d have ripped that bastard into pieces and fed it to the birds," Katherine vents angrily, gesturing dramatically how she’s going to rip Aiden apart, and we all chuckle as we all know she’s just bluffing. "Sweetheart, I'm truly sorry for not being by your side," Caroline chimes in and I give her it’s okay look. I sigh in frustration as my mind drifts off to my family, my head bowed as I'm already imagining what’s happening at home right now. “I'm sure my parents must be angry, and Fiona will be burning with fury right now.” “Should we all go tomorrow and beg everyone until our knees are raw?" Emilia suggests, and I chuckle and then agree to go home tomorrow. Emelia suddenly stands up and heads in. A while later, she emerges, fully dressed in an outfit that exudes sexiness, her boobs about to pop out of the dress, and her figure's damn hot. “Well… I’ll say you looked incredi
ARIEL'S POV Engross in watching television when a news report suddenly claim, "I’m Alexander Mayfair's fiancée, and we’re getting married soon." "What in the world is this? Who’s the monkey spreading such bizarre rumors? Are they crazy?" I exclaim. Emilia, hearing my outburst from the kitchen, hurries into the living room, inquiring about what happened, and I point at the television. As we listen, there's a knock on the door. Fearing it might be reporters, I quickly dash inside the room and lock the door. However, Emilia's voice calls out to me to come back, indicating it is someone else. I return downstairs to find an elderly man in a black suit standing there, introduce himself as Julius on behalf of the Mayfair family. Offering him a seat, he begins to narrate the history of the Mayfair family, which brings me nothing but boredom. It’s quite well-known that they’re the wealthiest family in the whole world, so I wonder why this introduction is necessary again. But I’m taken aba
ARIEL'S POV "I heard we're having our honeymoon in Hawaii. That's really great," I ask happily as I face Alex, who sits beside me in the car, but I get no reply, which makes me angrier. The wedding finally ended, and we are now on our way to our honeymoon, which I heard is going to be in Hawaii, a place I have always dreamt of spending even if it's just a day there. I continue to focus on my phone, as it will take a long time before we arrive at the airport. I check around for places I might love to visit during my stay there, and luckily, I find an amazing restaurant with a lot of good reviews. I want to show Alex, but knowing that he won't reply to me, I just shake it off. “We are home,” Killian announces as he quickly gets down and opens the door for me. I finally figured out his name and also found out that he’s Alex's secretary, but the way Alex refers to him seems more like they’re brothers than boss and employee. As I step out of the car, I ask Killain, "Have we reached Haw
ALEXANDRA'S POV The blaring alarm jolts me awake, and I groggily shuffle towards the bedside to silence it. Glancing at the clock, I realize it's already 7 am. Can't believe how long I've slept; I deduce I must have been very tired. Dragging myself out of bed, I trudge to the bathroom for a refreshing cold shower. The icy water sends shivers down my spine, but I savor every invigorating moment. After a brisk rinse, I wrap myself in a robe and make my way to the dining table for breakfast, only to find it empty. "She must be really daring me," I mutter, feeling a surge of annoyance. Grabbing a bottle of water from the freezer, I head to her room. I try opening the door but it's locked. Then I go back to my room, retrieve the spare key from my drawer, unlock the door, and enter, only to find her sprawled awkwardly on the floor. Without hesitation, I uncap the bottle and douse her with cold water. "Argh, what the heck! Is the roof leaking?" she exclaims bewildered. As she turns back
WILLIAM'S POV"I stand by my grandfather's side as he watches the news of a protest going on in front of our headquarters. I can't help but feel a sense of satisfaction that this troublemaker has finally found himself in hot water, which is potentially going to benefit me."Turn it off," my grandfather orders Julius, his secretary, who promptly switches off the television."I believe we need to devise a solution promptly as this situation is already tarnishing the reputation of our company, and our stock values are declining," I propose."How about we suggest that Alex takes a temporary leave from the company until things settle down? It might be the best course of action for now," I suggest, hoping my grandfather will accept this as the most viable option."What do you mean by that? Are you implying he should be removed from his position?" the witch interjects, ruining my opportunity."And who do you think would take his place if he were to step down? Certainly not you, that's for sur
After greeting grandma, the maid informs us that the food is ready. Alex's mother helps her into her wheelchair, and we all make our way to the dining table. I just can't shake off the feeling that grandma doesn't like me, and I can't understand why. I know I'm not Alex's real wife, but that shouldn't warrant such cold treatment I'm receiving from her. She doesn't even acknowledge my greetings and just keeps talking to Alex's mother…. oh, I forgot, she said I should call her mom, who keeps replying to her with a fake smile. Now I know where Alex got his bad attitude and temper.At the dining table, as everyone takes their seats, I finally count the total number of Alex's family members. Including the kids and in-laws, there are twenty-four of them, plus me, making a total of twenty-five. I sit beside Alex and notice Vivian sitting far away from me. I smile at her, but she avoids making eye contact. Is she upset because I left her alone? I thought she's fine.Different dishes are served
ALEX'S POVI watch Ariel falling down the stairs, and after she lands, I quickly rush to her. Concern written all over my face, as I’m really scared of losing her right now. Well, I need to fake my emotions and pretend to be crying, but I already know she wouldn't die from the fall, just a small injury. I carry her up and quickly rush her to the hospital while everyone asks me what happened, but I have no time to explain anything to them; I need to save my wife.After taking her to the hospital, the doctor begins the treatment while we all wait outside with my head bow down.“Alex, what exactly happened?” Mom asks me, and I gently raise my head up and give a death stare at Vivian.“She did it,” I accuse, still fixing my gaze on her. “I saw the two of them arguing about something, so I was about to interfere when she pushed her off the stairs. I tried to save her, but I wasn't able to; she’s already rolling down the stairs before I reached her.” I add, as the whole family turns to Vivia
ARIEL'S POV I pace around the room as I find it hard to believe I've ruined someone else's life. She doesn’t deserve this. What am I going to do now? I bury my head in between my knees, feeling lost and unsure of how to save Vivian without revealing the truth that I’m not actually pregnant. My mind is completely blank, and I can't think of anything. Then I suddenly think about my crazy friends; why didn't I think of that sooner?I quickly slip on my slippers and limp outside. I wanted to make use of the wheelchair, but since my leg is not that bad, I decide not to. However, as I open the door, I’m stopped by a giant man with a bald head.Fuck…."Ma'am, we've been instructed not to allow you to leave," he says.I'm shocked and can't believe Alex has placed a guard outside my room to prevent me from leaving. But I think he really underestimates me.“Ouch…Arrrghhh,” I grimace in pain."Is there a problem, ma'am?” the man inquires."I think I'm experiencing severe stomach pain. It's defin