I stood before the mirror, adorned in a beautiful white wedding gown, clutching a bouquet of garden roses and pink ranunculus.
Everything, from the makeup to the accessories, was flawless. Joy and hope sparkled in my azure eyes.
My wedding stylists bustled around me, performing the final checks on my appearance. In the background, the symphonic music played in the hall, enveloping us in a soothing ambiance.
I had, for God knows how many times, imagined the image of Damon's face, brimming with excitement as he beheld me in my wedding attire for the first time. Each time I imagined it, my anticipation to see him looking handsome and debonair in his tuxedo grew stronger.
Damon and I had been in love for years. He was the ray of light in my dark life, and today, we were taking the step into marriage. It also meant I could break free from my suffocating and toxic family.
The lavish wedding reception held at the upscale hotel was graced by influential figures from politics and business. The sparkling diamond ring on my finger reminded me of his vow.
"Fiona, I will make you the most remarkable bride in the world!"
Thinking of his vow, a smile of happiness unconsciously formed on my lips.
The makeup artist reminded me that the ceremony was about to begin. Glancing at the time, I saw that it was twelve—less than eight minutes until the ceremony's start. My heart raced, and I tried to steady my breathing.
Suddenly, someone pushed the door open. It was my friend Rachel, her expression frantic.
"Fiona!" She grabbed my hand, attempting to speak but quickly swallowing her words. A sense of foreboding grew within me.
"What... happened?" I swallowed a lump in my throat, my attempt at composure evident.
"Fiona... I..." Rachel's voice trembled.
"Say it!" I gripped her shoulders, urgency coursing through me as I needed to know what had happened. Rachel was my maid of honor, but her joyful expression was now entirely gone.
"Damon... he's run away from the wedding!"
Her words hit me like a bomb, and I stood frozen for what felt like several seconds.
"No, this can't be! Damon wouldn't do this to me!" I shook my head.
Rachel angrily tore her wrist corsages off. "Fiona, come on! Can't you see it? Damon took off. He ditched you at the wedding and ran off to find your sister, Katherine!"
The name 'Katherine' burned into my mind. She was my non-blood-related sister, adopted by my parents during the years when I was abducted in my early childhood, separated from the family.
Ever since I, the true heiress, returned to the family, I saw endless resentment and jealousy in her eyes.
She had said she would take everything from me.
No! I refused to believe that Damon, who loved me so deeply, would betray me like this!
I grabbed my dress and rushed into the wedding place.
Most of the guests were already seated, but they didn't have those happy, awe-filled expressions you'd expect when people saw the bride.
Instead, it was all sympathy, pity, and even some mockery.
Some even purposefully turned up their phone volumes, allowing every humiliating news report to flood into my ears—
Turns out, some paparazzi had been lurking outside, catching my sister Katherine leaving for the airport ahead of Damon, my fiancé, who was hot on her heels.
A scandalous twist at the wedding of the eldest daughter of the Green family?
Those tabloids, always eager to stir up trouble, couldn't pass up such a juicy story. They cranked up the drama, turned the whole thing into a sensational story, and added fuel to the fire.
They even claimed that I had always been the third wheel between Katherine and Damon! According to them, I'd cunningly stolen my sister's boyfriend, and now the groom had seen the light and was chasing true love!
In the crowd, I saw my parents approach, both elegantly dressed yet their expressions marred with frustration and blame.
"Fiona, seriously, what the heck is happening here?"
"On such a big day, with the governor and all, you really wanna drag the Green family through the mud?"
"Fiona, is all that gossip true? Did Damon and Katherine have a thing before this? What the heck, Fiona? Are you really stealing your sister's man?"
"For all these years, we have bent over backward to give you everything you wanted. And you couldn't stand to see Katherine happy? Why are you being so nasty?"
"You've messed up the Green family's name big time! If we'd known you were a jinx, we wouldn't have gone through all this trouble to bring you back home!"
Facing my parents' angry accusations, my heart seemed to freeze layer by layer. Each beat felt like a painful, suffocating stab. They were finally speaking the truth. Since I returned to this family at the age of 14, my parents had regarded me as something filthy. They thought I had no manners at the dinner table, no resemblance to a proper lady. They believed Katherine was the epitome of what the Green family had nurtured—a refined lady.
But they forgot that I was their true biological daughter!
They've always had it out for me! And now, Katherine's swiped my fiancé, made me look like a fool at the wedding, and had the whole world laughing at me.
But somehow, they still think I'm the one to blame!
It's honestly laughable.
I clenched my teeth, speaking in an emotionless tone. "Mom, Dad, now is not the time for baseless accusations against me for the sake of the Green family's name. I need to bring Damon back first. And the wedding... it has to go on as scheduled!"
"You! You want to bring even more shame upon us!"
I pushed away my father's hand, which had been poised to slap me, and hurried into the dressing room.
I needed to contact Damon.
When I picked up my phone, I was surprised to see a message—
It was from Damon.
My heart skipped a beat. Damon must have had a reason for not coming to the wedding. It couldn't be as the media reported! But once again, the truth pierced through my heart like a dagger.
"Fiona, I'm truly sorry. It's only when Katherine said she was leaving New York that I realized the only sunshine in my life was slipping away. I can't lose her. The wedding today is off. Please convey my apologies to Mr. and Mrs. Green."
THAT was Damon's explanation?!
My lips trembled as tears fell onto the screen.
Frantically, I tapped the dial button for the call, but all I got was a harsh, busy tone.
I raised my eyes and gazed at my reflection in the mirror, my makeup now smudged.
In a daze, it felt like I could also see Katherine's smug and twisted face—
She had warned me.
Fiona, I'm going to take it all from you.
Even your lover, Damon.
The most ironic thing was - I had thought she couldn't pull it off.
I believed her childish tactics, like scalding herself with boiling water and then blaming me, would never stand a chance against Damon, the man I loved so profoundly.
Sadly, as it turned out, the true fool in this story was none other than myself.
Leaving the hotel, I walked on the bustling street with heavy steps.Vehicles flowed ceaselessly, and the sunlight felt scorching and harsh.My makeup was smeared, and my face appeared as if it had melted, all while I dragged my trailing white gown.Passersby gawked atthe woman in the pristine wedding gown, her expression resembling that of a crazed lunatic. They must have thought I'd gone completely mad.Where should I go? I had believed that today would be my escape from the oppressive Green family, a chance to lead a truly happy life with Damon. However, out of the blue, he dropped the bombshell that he had always loved Katherine and couldn't bear to be without her.Suddenly, everyone labeled ME as the third wheel, and my phone was inundated with messages insulting me as a shameless bitch.They accused me of using my status as the daughter of the Green family to pressure Katherine into breaking up with Damon.Yet Katherine was just an adopted daughter of the Green family, and she
I took a photo of the freshly printed marriage certificate and uploaded it to Facebook. Soon, my phone started buzzing with a barrage of notifications.Messages from my parents, and even from Damon and Katherine.They were shocked and infuriated, asking me what was going on.I didn't explain, I turned off my phone, cutting myself off from the outside world.A sense of satisfaction after revenge stirred within me. Though this risky decision couldn't yet prove what fate this man might bring into my life."Regretting it?" Bradyn's sudden question disrupted my thoughts as we drove to his home.The sunlight streamed through the car window, casting a shadow on his impeccably handsome profile. For a moment, Icouldn't help but wonder if there really could be a man so effortlessly elegant and divine."No! How could I!" I shook my head; I never felt regret for things in the past. As I looked at the engagement ring Damon had given me on my finger, it filled me with nothing but disgust.I strug
My eyes popped open, and there was Bradyn, sitting right beside me.I was stunned. Had he really just... kissed me?"Morning?"He propped himself up on the soft bedding with one hand, his deep blue eyes gazing down at me.I couldn't help but fixate on his perfectly shaped lips.That soft, warm touch, if it was a dream, it felt way too real.I touched my own lips, feeling a bit unsure.I didn't know if he actually kissed me like a real husband would, casually engaging in such intimate actions.No, we are already real husband and wife.From the moment I signed the papers in the city hall, I had become Mrs. Capel.But still, I thought that maintaining a little distance between "strangers" was sort of an unwritten rule in this peculiar, mutually beneficial marriage – I married this guy on a whim to get back at Damon, and he agreed, driven by his own mad quest to forget someone he loved but couldn't have."What's wrong?"Clearly, Bradyn didn't notice my conflicted state.Seeing my distract
The car headed south, and we quickly arrived at an estate located in the heart of Kansas.The grand Roman-style architecture exuded luxury wherever you looked. It was even larger than the mansion Bradyn and I were staying at!I began to doubt Bradyn's words; he said it was lent to him by his superior, but he was actually from a wealthy noble family!However, I didn't recall the Capel surname or hear about it from my father. Bradyn gentlemanly opened the car door for me, and a well-dressed, elegant man approached us.He greeted us respectfully."Mrs. Capel is waiting for you in the living room," I assumed he must be the butler here.When I first saw Mrs. Capel, I was deeply struck by her elegant beauty.She had a head of envy-worthy golden hair and captivating deep blue eyes.At that moment, I realized why Bradyn had such handsome features."Hello, Mrs. Capel." I approached and nodded at her."Hello, Fiona." Mrs. Capel warmly took my hand and kissed my cheek. She told me there was no
"Your expression looks as if the president is your father."I asked Bradyn teasingly, testing the waters with a lighthearted tone.Unexpectedly, this remark prompted hearty laughter from Mrs. Capel and Bradyn's aunts."Fiona, you're quite a clever girl," Mrs. Capel said with a chuckle.I was taken aback; I had just been joking and making random guesses."My mom was joking with you too," Bradyn quickly explained, shooting a disapproving look at his aunt.I patted my chest. "Good to know. You know, I've heard stories about the president having quite a temper. Rumor has it that once, when an office staffer accidentally spilled his tea, he ordered someone to break the poor fellow's legs. Living with someone like that would be unimaginable."Mrs. Capel's expression turned strange again, as if she was suppressing a laugh, but Bradyn's tone suddenly became chilly. "Where did you read that news?"I tried to recall the name of the magazine and stuttered, "I-I think it was Apple Weekly...""It
I went back to my bedroom and heard water crashing in the bathroom next door. It was Bradyn taking a shower.I put the two agreements on the nightstand.I had already signed it, and the assistant told me to bring it to Bradyn and sign it.Then, each of us would keep a copy, making our marriage officially contractual.At this point, my heart was racing a little, and I didn't know if it was because I was anxious to see how Bradyn would react to me signing without hesitation or if it was because he was on the other side of that frosted glass door, presumably undressed.How can I put it? It's a very vivid image.All I knew was that he dresses very well, but before today, I had never really imagined him naked.I blushed and wanted to do something to take my mind off it.My phone had been off all day, and when I finally turned it on, a barrage of notifications flooded in, as if my phone had caught a virus.[Fiona, where the hell have you been?][What's going on with that marriage certificat
At first there was a tearing pain, but soon it was accompanied by a rhythmic pleasure that rippled from the deepest depths of my body.Although I was a little shy, but a distinct pleasure built in my body, gradually getting me excited.No wonder so many people said that sex was a beautiful experience that always comes from rare vulgarity.Both men and women were aware of this, but couldn't help falling into this lewd world.As the rhythm began to go faster, Bradyn lifted me from the soft bed.If he was restrained at first, the moment my breasts bouncing in front of his eyes, I clearly felt his thing inside me grew even harder.Full and smooth, all the pain disappeared in an instant, replaced by a rush of joy that would resonate with the soul.I could not help but let out a kind of wailing cry, and my body could not help but lean forward.He quickly reached out his hands to support my hips, keeping my waist in place so that his increasingly large and bulky cock could keep moving in the
The sheet on the other side of the bed was cold, as if no one had slept.I didn't know if Bradyn slept next to me last night.Maybe after he's done what husbands were supposed to do, he's in a separate room with me?I moved my limp legs and took the letter of agreement on the nightstand.He had already taken one of them, signed the other, and left it for me, using his own stamp.The lion with the sword, his family seal.He signed it. Our contract was sealed.So, two years from now, I would leave Bradyn and started a new life of freedom for myself.There was an indescribable feeling in my heart. Was I happy to look forward to it?No, I don't think so. I turned on my phone and checked my messages.[Fiona, where are you? Are you okay? Can I see you?]It was Rachel, my best friend and the maid of honor at my wedding.I quickly called her and heard her excited voice."Fiona, are you okay? I mean, what's been going on with you these last few days, with all the over-the-top news and stuff o