ONE | WALK OF SHAME

CHAPTER ONE | WALK OF SHAME

AMANDA

I never thought I would ever experience what people call ‘The most embarrassing day of my life.' I have always gotten everything I have ever wanted on a golden platter and I expected it to remain that way for the rest of my life. What I never expected is to find myself standing alone on the altar, informing my guests that the wedding is cancelled because my groom chickened out.

I am sitting in the church dressing room all clad in a strapless Cinderella-like wedding dress, my face all made up waiting for Marcus to show up for our wedding. A guard at the door walked in and says, “Delivery for Miss Wright," in a sexy British accent. I give him a small smile, my heart pounding hard against my ribs in nervousness. Everyone knows that a delivery at your wedding service is most likely not good news. I ignore the pessimistic side of me with the thought that it might be from my parents. They might have gotten over the fact that I am about to get married to someone from a lower class.

The guard doesn't smile back as I sign for the package and take the box from him. I mumble a thanks and shut the door. The box is quite small, about ten by ten centimetres. I finger the edge before tearing it open.

Karen Smith, my maid of honour and best friend is standing by me for support. I pull out a letter and a little black velvet box which looks uncannily like the one I proposed to Marcus with.

That's right, I proposed to Marcus. I literally made all the moves in our relationship, that's how much I love him.

The letter says,

“Amanda,

I don't have much to say. I am a coward for not being able to say this to your face but pardon me. I have never loved you, and I can never love you. You are not the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. The only reason I agreed to go on a date with you two years ago was to make the woman I truly love jealous. I couldn't get her attention no matter how hard I tried and I noticed she was a close friend of yours. I used you to try to get her attention. It didn't work as I planned so I had to keep dating you hoping to get her attention.

I was finally able to get her attention and intended to break up with you immediately but she didn't want me because I am not rich.

I was only using you, Amanda.

I only needed your money to be stable enough to be with the love of my life. I have no use for you now that you're broke so I won't be going on with the marriage.

I sold the ring you bought but you can have the box. I really need the money.

I hope you find someone who can make your dreams come true.

Marcus Stewart.”

Disoriented, dejected, humiliated and in intense pain, I couldn't find it in me to react to what I just read. I hastily take my cheap phone from the dresser and dial his number. It rings but he doesn't pick up. I give up after I call him ten more times.

Karen seems to be freaking out more than I am as she paces. “This can't seriously be happening to you. There must be a valid explanation to this."

I try his line one more time as Karen's words encourages me a little. Once again, the bastard doesn't pick up.

“Hold on, let me try." Karen offers and calls him on her phone.

I'm about to tell her not to worry as it is useless but to my shock, he picks up her call. I immediately take the phone from her but he hangs up once he hears my voice.

Determined to save myself and trying to put on a brave front, I confidently walk to the altar and inform the guests that the wedding is cancelled.

‘I curse the day I met Marcus Stewart. I should have listened to my parents.' Are the only words running through my mind as I do the walk of shame.

I met Marcus Stewart two years ago when I was in my last year of college. He was the definition of my perfect man. Blond hair, blue eyes, muscular, with a smile that could knock the strongest of girls off their feets. I immediately knew after speaking to him that I want to spend the rest of my life with him.

Being a girl that is used to getting what she wants; a girl who knows that she's very attractive, I wasn't afraid to approach him and ask him to go on a date with me. I was confident that he wouldn't say no, and he didn't. We went on a date at a fancy restaurant, got to know each other better, and I asked him to officially be my boyfriend after.

Everything went perfectly well so for the first time in my life, I was happy…genuinely happy.

Five months into dating, I decided to introduce him to my parents. I invited him to an annual ball my stepmom hosts for our business partners. I introduced him to them expecting him to be welcomed and treated as family.

They didn't though. The first questions Marcus was asked was his name, his parents' names and their occupation.

The look they gave me when he told them he is an orphan and his mum was a cleaner before she died some years ago would haunt me forever. My parents looked at me like I had run mad for dating someone like Marcus.

I grew up being treated like a princess with a father that treated everyone with respect but for the first time, I saw a different side to all my family members. They visibly showed their detest for Marcus and said some really mean words to his face. He wasn't allowed to eat, drink or touch anything because according to my family members and friends, he is a filthy nobody.

Saying that I was disappointed at them all would be the biggest understatement of the century. It was then that I realised that the only reason my parents are nice to everyone is because we are surrounded by elites like us.

I had a fight with my parents after the party. There was a lot of crying, cursing but at the end of the day, my father decided that I was only childish. They thought I was infatuated and would get over it soon.

Imagine their shock when I told them Marcus and I are getting married.

They went ballistic!

I was expecting them to be upset at first but get over it and be happy for me. What I never expected was for them to kick me out of the house with nothing but my phone and the clothes I was wearing. They took my car, clothes, blocked all the access I had to my accounts and cut all contact with me.

Apparently, I had run mad. I was told to only come back home when I had gotten my senses back.

From the young age of 13, I had been told I was betrothed to a man called Timothy Anderson. I was betrothed to him to merge my parents company with the Andersons. I thought it was a ridiculous deal and always told my parents I will get married to him over my dead body. I honestly thought they understood that I would never agree to an arranged marriage. I was wrong, they actually wanted me to get married to him, that's why they were so angry at me.

After my engagement to Marcus, I found out that they really needed the union to happen to expand our business.

I moved into Marcus' apartment while we planned the wedding. He was worried about the expenses and how we will survive after we are married without the support of my parents, but I assured him that they would get over everything and beg me to come back home.

Marcus has also been living off my parents money so it was really hard on us for the first few months I stayed with him but we were able to manage. I had to sell my expensive phone and get a cheaper one and I wasn't happy about it.

Since Marcus wasn't capable of financing our wedding, I got a loan to sponsor it. I loved him and the only thing I could think of was becoming Mrs Stewart.

Unfortunately for me, I never even had a chance to become Mrs Stewart. I was only daydreaming.

A daydream that would ruin my whole life in a twinkle of an eye.