Chapter one
Anabelle sat in front of the mirror, her makeup designer was already painting her face, giving her the final touch of her expertise. Anabelle wasn't happy with the marriage, she wasn't ready to get married just yet, the worst part, to an old man who was capable of being her grandfather, Mr Anthony. But the makeup was so perfect that her sad face was hidden beneath it. Her stepmother walked in to check on her.
“Look how beautiful our bride is," says Mrs. Isabella, smiling mischievously. "How does it feel to marry a man you never wish to marry?" She asks Anabelle, looking at her with deliberate eyes.
Anabelle sat looking sober, she hated to see her stepmother come close to her let alone speak to her. Her words were always like a venom to her.
"You have never considered me as your mother, now you are about to go into a family that will treat you the same, always calling me a gold digger but how will it turn out for you when you marry Mr. Anthony?” Mrs. Isabella added.
Annabelle always sees her stepmother as an evil and domineering stepmother. When Annabelle married Mr. Anthony, she was happy. She heard that Annabelle had made her deal with a man twice her father's age to obtain funds to save her father's company.
The situation makes her want to hurt those around her, to pull her stepmother's hair until she is completely bald and she wants to mercilessly kick her out of her father's house.
Annabelle got up from her chair in front of her mirror, narrowed her eyes, and slowly left the room. She went downstairs to meet her father, who was waiting for her.
"Wow, you look so beautiful, girl," says Mr. Johnson. "Daughter, I'm happy to have you in my life, my princess."
Mr Johnson grabbed her hand and hugged her. "It's okay, don't forget you're doing this for your dad," her father reassured her, patting her on the back.
"I wish Mommy was still alive," Annabelle lamented. "She would not have agreed to this marriage."
''Hush, Annabelle,'' said Mr Johnson, now holding Annabelle in his arms. ''Your mother is so proud of you.'' You'll think so, I understand." If you continue to cry, your makeup will come off.
Mr. Johnson comforts his daughter before leaving the room. Annabelle was dressed in a wedding gown and wore a veil over her face. The two entered the black limousine, that was waiting. They were not aware that the driver was being changed by Mr Anthony, and the previous driver who was supposed to be driving became unwell and was replaced with a new driver without notifying them
The wedding location and church have changed. Mr Anthony rescheduled the marriage, but the bride's father, Mr Johnson, could not be reached. Annabelle kept thinking about how she would cope in her new life as she drove to the venue. Whatever her future held, she consoled herself with the thought of doing this in her favour to save her father's company.
Annabelle and her father walk the red carpet. It was her wedding day, but her heart was filled with resentment. The cold wind hugged her and touched her bare skin, which wasn't covered by her white wedding dress. The veil covered her entire face, and spectators watched as she walked down the aisle.
She feels that. she is strange and that she does not know herself anymore, which makes her even more unhappy.
Mr. Johnson addressed her nervousness, saying, "Don't be nervous.""You're doing the right thing for our family, Anna," says the father as they walk down the aisle.
Annabelle smiled bitterly under the veil. 'Am I doing the right thing?' she asks herself quietly. Annabelle reflected, "This is the wrong thing I could barely swallow just to save the only thing that matters to my father right now on earth."
Her father seemed overjoyed that she was doing this to save his company. Ultimately, her stepmother was to blame. If she hadn't borrowed so much money to save her son and used her father's company as collateral, she would not have faced this situation.
Today, she is marrying a man twice her father's age and he sent a representative instead of attending this damn wedding himself, "Can you imagine!" She exclaims.
"What did you say?" Her father inquired.
"Nothing, Dad," said Annabelle.
As she spoke of her husband's representative, she noticed a man waiting for her at the end of the aisle. A handsome man stood there, sweetly smiling as if he were an i***t. He appears to be an accomplished actor, as evidenced by his genuine smile.
Annabelle examined his entire body, including his hair and face. He has brown, curly hair. He features sharp jaws, thick brows, blue eyes, a pointed nose, reddish thin lips, and dimples on his left cheek. While he is undeniably attractive, the fact that he is only a representative and her real husband is similar to her father makes her feel pathetic.
The protagonist's desperation was exacerbated by her father's betrayal, which elevated her stepbrother to a position of power over him, despite his lack of maturity and responsibility. Declan, a 27-year-old boy, was only allowed to hold the position because his mother influenced her father.
She felt tears fall down her cheeks, which she quickly wiped away. She is going to give herself to a man she does not even like. How pathetic could it be?
She was unaware that it was not Mr Anthony's representative. It was someone else's groom standing in front of her.
She paused in front of the man, who held her hand and intertwined their fingers.
Her forehead creased as a result of what he did. Is he going above and beyond with his arrogance? Annabelle tried to ignore his hand, but he looked at her and kissed the back of her hand as they paused at the end of the aisle.
What was wrong with this guy? Did he remember that he was only a representative? Who gave him the courage to do that to me? Annabelle thought to herself.
Annabelle attempted to pull her hand back, but the ceremony had already begun, causing him to frown. She ignores his mood anyway and focuses on the ceremony.
The ceremony continues until it is time to exchange wedding rings and vows. When Annabelle said her vows, his face became confused again. Annabelle became irritated by his slow and hesitant approach to lifting her veil. She had no idea what he was worried about because he was just a representative. She doesn't need anyone to remind her that the wedding will be a source of shame in her life. She had no other options and hoped to quickly move on from this embarrassing situation.
Thank goodness, the man finally remembered his duty and lifted her veil. But it was also at the same moment when he saw her face, all the confusion in his eyes turned to shock and anger but the wedding vows had been exchanged and the pastor had already announced them, husband and wife.
"You aren't Mary!"Who are you?!" Mason asks Annabelle, perplexed.
Mason had been expecting this day for a long time. Mary's and his wedding day. He couldn't put into words how surprised he was when a stranger appeared behind the veil. This woman is beautiful, but she is not his bride. Who the hell is she? Why is she attending his wedding, and more importantly, where is his bride?
Mason's Personal Assistant arrived hurriedly to whisper something into his ears. "Sir, your bride ran away," says Dan, his assistant, whispering to him.
"What?" Mason exclaims, looking confused.
"But your father insisted that you continue your marriage. You have been appointed as CEO of Hedgebug Enterprise. Dan warns that a false bride could lead to a scandal and jeopardize his current position.
Mason clenched his jaw and looked at his father, who was watching silently. His gaze shifted to the crowd, who were all anticipating the kiss. He had expected his wedding to be private. The identity of his bride was kept secret from the public, and they were unaware that she was not his intended bride.
Mason closed his eyes and returned his attention to the woman in front of him. She looked at him with a creased brow. Is she crazy? Is she aware that he is not her supposed groom? What kind of man is she marrying if she doesn't know his appearance? Mason stood there looking confused and different.
Was she sent by someone to pretend to be his bride? This woman appears to be one of his adoring fans. He aspires to be CEO of his father's company as well as marry Mary, a dream he has had since childhood. He is determined to maintain his current position, having worked hard for it.
Furthermore, his father would punish him severely if he disrespected the family in public. He dismisses the situation as a show and plans to leave the woman after the wedding.
"Kiss me," Mason said softly, clenching his jaws.
Annabelle shot an eyebrow up even when she looked shocked because of what Mason said.
Mason does not want to cheat on Mary, so he does not want to initiate this kiss first.
He gritted his teeth and wrapped his arms around her waistline. He quickly drew her close, angled his face, and kissed her lips. Annabelle bit his lip and caused it to bleed as he punished her for pretending to be his bride.
"What is wrong with you," Mason paused and looked around, realizing he had spoken aloud.
He laughed awkwardly and pulled Annabelle's waist closer, smirking, which shocked her again.
"You are too hungry for me, baby. Can't you wait until our honeymoon?" Mason said this to make it appear as if everything was a joke rather than suspicious.