His Revenge, My Marriage

CHAPTER 1: THE PERFECT BRIDE

Emily stood before the glass wall of her penthouse. The city sprawled across the night. But in her mind, there was no rest. In two days, she will become Mrs. Ethan Vaughn.

The thought should have filled her with excitement. But it was not the case. Her phone began to ring on the table. A smile crossed her lips when she got there and saw the caller. It was the exact person she would be tying the knots with soon. Ethan Vaughn. "Finally," she muttered and immediately grabbed the phone and slid the receive icon.

"Miss me already?" she teased.

His familiar laugh drifted through the speaker.

"You know I do, babe," Ethan replied. "You didn't have to ask.” "After five years, it's finally happening. I'm excited.” Ethan took a couple of seconds before he responded. "Me too," he eventually said, his voice seemingly off and distant. It looked as if he had his attention somewhere else.

Emily frowned. "Are you working?" He giggled mildly and said, “No." Then, he paused for a moment before saying, “Maybe a little." She rolled her eyes. "You promised no work. Come on, sweetheart.” "I know." His response was once again off. Emily was still trying to wrap her head around the stubbornness of Ethan when her ears picked a voice. A female voice sounded faintly in the background.

Ethan muted the call so quickly she almost thought she imagined it.

When he returned, his tone was light.

"I have to go. Some last-minute wedding issues." She rolled her eyes again. "Come on, babe. Check your time. You can't be working at ten o'clock tonight." No response came. "Hello. Hello.” Ethan hung up on her. That was weird.

The uneasy feeling came back again. Ethan was completely off. Maybe he was having the same anxiety as her.

But then, it looked as if he was with someone. A woman. Her paranoia was beginning to rise.

She would just have to wait till tomorrow to see him. ★★★★★

The next evening, it was the rehearsal dinner. The ballroom was lit from every angle. This was going to be the big blast of the century. Dignitaries were in attendance tonight. Politicians.

CEOs.

Celebrities.

Every important name in the country seemed to be present.

The marriage of Ethan Vaughn and Emily Forbes wasn't just a wedding.

It was business news.

Emily stood beside her cousin Serena, smiling politely for photographers. The paranoia in her couldn't just let her be. "Is there a problem? You don't look happy." Serena said.

"What do you mean?" She asked. “Of course, I am happy." Serena laughed. "Loosen up a little, girl. This isn't a funeral." Emily laughed. "Don't worry. I'll try.” Serena adjusted her champagne glass and heaved a sigh. “Uhmmm…. Emily, how do you feel about stealing one of the most eligible billionaires in the country?” Steal? Emily eyes her. Serena's tone was off. Almost bitter.

Before Emily could ask about it, Ethan appeared like the knight in shining armour. He looked perfect in a tailored black suit.

“Sweetheart, where did you go? I've been waiting." Ethan let out a forced smile. “Just here and there, you know." During the course of the event, Emily kept watching him. But he barely looked at her. Almost as if he was avoiding her. It felt so off. He spent most of the evening checking his phone and leaving the table repeatedly. There were just too many private calls he had to take. And for every moment he returned, he looked more distracted from her. After a while with her fiance still too distracted, Emily couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Ethan," she called on him. She was frowning, but he didn't even notice. "Hm?" He responded without even blinking in her direction. "Are you even listening?" She fired. “You just keep pressing that phone." A guilty smile crossed his face.

"Sorry." "What is going on, Ethan? You keep going back and forth." "Wedding issues," he replied almost immediately, without thinking. Again.The same excuse. Emily was getting fed up with the attitude. But she didn't want to create a scene unnecessarily.

He glanced at the screen and got up. "Let me grab something from the house. I'll be right back." "Ethan—" Before she could protest, he was already walking away.

Emily stared after him.

The event ended close to midnight. But there was still no sign of Ethan. Tired and frustrated, she decided to visit him.

A few minutes later, she was in his house. The house looked empty. But Ethan's car was outside. He was home. She could hear voices coming from upstairs. Was he with someone? When she got upstairs, the door wasn't fully closed. Voices crept to her ears. There was a woman in there with him. She knew that voice. It was painfully familiar. Her heart wanted to explode at the thought of it. The bedroom door was partially open.Just enough space to see inside.

Her breath stopped.

Ethan sat on the edge of the bed, shirtless, with his arm tightly wrapped around Serena, Emily's cousin.

"When will you tell her?" Ethan laughed.

Emily was completely pierced by the response that followed.

"After tomorrow," Ethan replied.

"What if she finds out?" "She won't." Ethan's response was so solid.

"You can't be too sure." "Please."His voice was filled with arrogance."The silly girl trusts me completely. You don't have to bother." Serena giggled.

The next words destroyed whatever remained of Emily's heart.

"I feel bad for her," Serena said in a mocking tone.

Ethan snorted. "I don't." A long silence followed.Then he added casually, "Once I get those shares, sweetheart, I won't need her anymore." Emily was in total shock. Five years of her life with him was never true. Tomorrow was supposed to be the wedding. And a lot was at stake.

Her family company's voting shares. This was supposed to be a sort of redemption.

She pushed the door open violently and chaos broke out.