The Pretend Bride

New place

Ava’s pov.

My mother's hand landed against my cheek, the slap stinging my skin. I felt a wave of anger wash over me as I stumbled backward, my eyes welling up with tears.

"How dare you!" I snarled, my voice trembling with tears.

My mother's face was red with rage.

"You ungrateful girl!" she spat. "You're doing this for the company, for our future! You'll marry Harrison and secure our business deal."

"I won't do it!" I shouted back, my anger rising.

"I won't marry someone I don't love, someone who's old enough to be my father!"

My father stepped forward, his face shuffled into a frown.

"Ava, you'll do as you're told. This is a good opportunity for us, and you won't ruin it. Harrison is a wealthy man, and his connections will help our company thrive."

"I don't care about the company!" I cried.

"I care about my happiness, my future. And I won't sacrifice it for your business deal."

My mother sneered at me.

"You're so selfish, Ava. You only think of yourself. What about us, your family? Don't we deserve to be happy too?"

"I'm not being selfish!" I shot back.

"I'm being realistic. I won't marry someone I don't love, no matter what you say. And I'd rather marry a stranger than someone like Harrison."

"You are coming with me now to apologize to Harrison for keeping him waiting at the wedding altar!" My father hissed.

"No!" I shouted.

My father's face turned red with rage.

"You'll do as I say, Ava. We'll go to Harrison's house right now and beg for his forgiveness. He's furious at being left at the altar."

My upper lip curled up into a sneer.

"I don't think that's necessary, Father. You see, I'm already married."

My parents' jaws dropped in shock.

"What are you talking about?" my mother demanded.

I pulled out my phone and showed them the wedding picture Ethan and I had secretly taken earlier when I lied about wanting to make a phone call.

But Ethan's face was blurry. "This is my husband," I said. "We got married earlier today."

My parents' faces turned pale with shock and anger.

"Who is this man?" my father thundered.

I shrugged. "Just someone I met. But I'm happy, and that's all that matters."

My father's expression turned cold. "You're fired from the company, effective immediately. And you're no longer welcome in this house."

My sister looked at me, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

My mother's face twisted in anger. "You'll regret this, Ava. You'll come crawling back to us when you realize your mistake."

My father turned to my mother. "Let's go. We have a meeting with Harrison to attend."

He walked away, with my mother behind him, leaving me standing alone in the room with my sister.

My sister whispered, "I'm happy for you, Ava. You deserve to be happy."

"Thanks, sis." I said and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

I went into my room and packed some clothes before leaving the house.

"All good, ma'am?" the driver asked.

"Yes. Let's go." I said and sat on the backseat of the car, my eyes closed as I tried to gather my thoughts.

The driver turned the ignition on, and the car roared to life.

As I stepped out of the car and onto the grand estate's driveway, I couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions, fear, shame, and sadness.

My parents' harsh words still echoed in my mind, but I was determined not to let them get to me.

The driver led me to the front door, where a kind-faced butler greeted me.

"Welcome, Mrs. Thompson. Mr. Thompson is waiting for you."

I followed the butler inside, my eyes widening as I took in the lavish decor.

We walked through a long hallway, and the butler stopped in front of a door.

"Your room, ma'am."

Ethan stood in the doorway, his expression cold and detached.

"What took you so long?"

"Umm..."

"Save it." He said, his tone flat.

I tried to smile, but he didn't return it.

Instead, he turned to a maid standing nearby.

"Show Mrs. Thompson to her room. See that she has everything she needs."

The maid curtsied, but I didn't make any sign of moving.

"Ethan, can we talk?" I asked, feeling a pang of guilt.

"Not now. I'm busy," he said, his tone already dismissing me.

I felt my face flush with embarrassment at his words, but I refused to let it get to me.

I reminded myself that I had made this choice, and I would make the most of it.

"This way, ma'am." The voice said, and I followed her.

The maid showed me to a beautiful room, but I had no time to admire the decor.

I took a deep breath, trying to shake off the feeling of unease.

But no matter how hard I tried, a pit was already formed in my stomach.

Somehow, I drifted off to sleep.

I woke up to an unfamiliar ceiling, my mind foggy from sleep.

As I sat up and rubbed my eyes, memories came flooding back.

I was married.

I was married to Ethan Thompson, a man I barely knew.

The events of the previous day played like a movie in my head - my parents' angry faces, them disowning me, the wedding ceremony, Ethan's cold demeanor... It all felt like a dream.

But it wasn't a dream.

It was my reality now.

I threw off the covers and got out of bed, took a quick shower, and headed to the kitchen.

I made my way to the kitchen, trying to guess Ethan's preferences.

Did he like scrambled eggs or over-easy?

Did he take his coffee black or with milk and sugar?

As I cracked eggs into a bowl, my mind slowly drifted to thoughts of the future.

What would happen if the real Diane shows up?

I took a deep breath and focused on the task at hand.

I would make the best breakfast I could, and maybe, just maybe, Ethan would give a smile.

Maybe he would even engage in conversation, and we could start to get to know each other.

As I cooked, I couldn't help but wonder what the day would bring.

Would Ethan ever warm up to me?

Would we start to feel like a real couple?

Or would we continue to be strangers, living in the same house?

I placed the eggs on a plate and added some toast, my hands trembling slightly.

I was about to face my new husband, and I had no idea what to expect.

I took a deep breath, grabbed the plate, and headed to the dining room.

Richard was already seated, his eyes fixed on his phone. He looked up as I approached, his expression unreadable.

"Good morning," I said, trying to sound cheerful. "Good morning," he replied, his voice flat.

I set the plate down in front of him, trying to see his reaction. He glanced at the eggs, then back at me, his expression unchanging.

"Thank you," he said, his voice still flat.

Just then, my phone dinged and a wide smile spread across my face. “Yes!”