Chapter 2: Say I do
988 Words
Standing in front of the mirror in an ill-fitting wedding gown, Charlotte studied her reflection, her expression twisting into a wry smile.
The dress clung awkwardly to her frame, and the veil felt more like a shackle than a symbol of union.
She barely recognized the woman staring back at her.
It should have been Joanna in her place, but her pretty, sophisticated stepsister hadn’t wanted to marry a man everyone whispered about, a cripple on the verge of death.
Why would she?
Charlotte had known something was off the moment her stepmother, Suzy, the same person who had framed her and sent her there three years ago, had arranged for her sudden release from prison.
The pardon had come from nowhere.. nothing but a cruel bargain for her to take Joanna’s place. She should have known better than to fall for Suzy’s hollow promises.
This was never about family. It was about control. About making Charlotte dance to their twisted whims, her body and soul for sale to the highest bidder.
As Charlotte’s thoughts spiraled, the phone on the vanity buzzed. She picked it up absentmindedly, needing something.. anything.. to pull her from this dark place in her mind.
It was a message from Leah, her only and best friend, who had left the country a year ago but still checked in when she could.
“You okay? I’m worried about you. I’ll be waiting for you afterward. You got this.”
Charlotte's heart ached at the simple kindness, a reminder of the life she used to have, the life she wanted back. She quickly typed a reply, her fingers trembling.
“I’m fine. Just doing what I have to. I’ll be okay.”
She set the phone down just as the door to her room creaked open.
A young servant peeked in, her face flushed with nervousness.
"Miss Charlotte, the guests are waiting. It's time."
Charlotte took a deep breath, fighting the knot in her stomach. It was time to face the consequences of the choices she had been forced to make.
Time to walk down the aisle toward a man she barely knew, bound by a contract she had no choice but to sign.
Her reflection in the mirror stared back at her, and for a moment, Charlotte barely recognized herself.
The woman before her was someone she never imagined becoming.
But she had no choice. Not now.
She straightened her back, squaring her shoulders, and left the room.
**********
Slowly, Charlotte made her way to the hall. The veil hid her face from the sea of guests around her, but it failed to block their whispers and snickers.
“Who would have thought that even a sickly whelp like Ryan would find himself a bride?”
“I hear that he’s practically on his deathbed and he’s only marrying the Bennett’s daughter to improve his luck and prolong his life.”
“The Bennetts? Their brazen hussy of a daughter? I heard she was throwing herself at a man she met at a party not long ago. Ryan must be begging to be cuckolded.”
“Speaking of which, the bride’s a little on the skinny side, isn’t she? She can barely hold up that gown of hers, if you catch my meaning.”
With each step, Charlotte ignored the murmurs of the throng, her gaze fixed on the man in the wheelchair in front of her.
A mask covered the bottom half of his face, but his eyebrows were set in two gentle lines.
Sporadically, he would let out a cough or two, his fists clenching in a valiant attempt to control himself and avoid disrupting the wedding, but he only succeeded in making himself cough harder.
It went on for so long that Charlotte couldn’t help but wonder if he would even survive the wedding. Some random humorless thought.
The pastor began reciting the ceremonial vows. He asked Charlotte, “Do you agree to take this man as your husband, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, from this day till your last day?”
Did she really have a choice, when she had already signed the marriage contract? She rolled her eyes behind the veil.
“I do.”
The pastor repeated the question to the groom, who responded with several violent coughs before mustering the strength to say, “I do.”
“Then I pronounce you both husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.”
Charlotte hesitated for a moment, her heart pounding in her chest as she stood before Ryan, his masked face partially concealing him.
She had no idea what he looked like underneath it. Was he handsome? Was he disfigured?
Her curiosity gnawed at her, but she quickly shoved it away. It didn’t matter, not now.
She could feel the weight of the eyes on her, the judgment from the crowd, but it was Suzy’s glare that locked her in place. The woman’s eyes were sharp, cold, urging Charlotte to comply.
Charlotte stepped forward, her breath shallow, her movements stiff as she slowly lowered herself to meet Ryan's height in his wheelchair.
She closed her eyes, waiting for him to make the first move.
His lips were cool against hers, gentle but firm. For a split second, Charlotte felt something unexpected.. a brief, deep connection.. but she held back, refusing to open her mouth.
Ryan didn’t push for more, and the kiss ended as quickly as it began. He pulled away, his eyes soft behind the mask.
Charlotte’s stomach twisted. She took a slow, steady breath, trying to steady herself.
“Funny… I thought you’d be different." Ryan said it with a calmness that sent a chill down Charlotte’s spine, his mask hiding everything she couldn’t read.
Charlotte froze, her heart skipping a beat. She looked at him, confused and guarded.
“What?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
- Writer
