The Unplanned Bride

Chapter 1: The Unlikely Contestant

The buzz of Rachael Bennett's laptop filled the quiet of her little apartment as she sat at her kitchen table. The room was filled with lengthy, weary shadows as the morning sun's warm radiance barely made it through the blinds. Even though it was Saturday, she had no respite. Her only break from her demanding work as a middle school math teacher was on the weekends, but even that was jeopardized today by an unexpected email that had landed in her inbox.

She idly browsed through her messages while half-listening to the news anchor's monotonous commentary on local happenings on the TV in the background. However, she was drawn to an odd subject line:

Are you going to be Derek's wife?

Anticipating a joke or spam, Rachael blinked and clicked it open. Instead, she was met with well-written advertising.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to marry Derek Montgomery, the CEO and heir of Montgomery Enterprises. To be considered as Derek's life companion, submit an application right now. Only the best ladies need to submit an application. Are you the one?

Rachael wrinkled her brows in shock. A contest for someone's spouse? She laughed out loud at the sheer insolence of it all. She read the remaining information as she continued to scroll down. Derek Montgomery himself would personally evaluate a chosen group of ladies, according to the advertisement, and one fortunate candidate would be selected to wed him.

"All right," Rachael rolled her eyes and grumbled to herself. "As if any of this were real."

The Montgomery family was familiar to her. They were well-off, well-known, and lived in a world of extravagant parties, high society gatherings, and corporate influence that Rachael could not fathom. She had seen the name Derek Montgomery in newspapers and publications. The multibillion-dollar empire's golden-haired heir, renowned for his charisma and distant demeanor. However, it seemed completely ludicrous that someone like him would publicly compete for a woman.

Rachael's curiosity overcame her and she clicked on the email's link. A photo of Derek Montgomery flashed on the screen as the page loaded rapidly. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with a stunning but distant face, just as she had anticipated. Sharp and self-assured, his eyes seemed to be peering directly through the camera, as if he were challenging anybody to attempt to earn his love.

An application form with questions ranging from standard background information to more intimate, revealing ones was placed underneath the picture. The haughtiness in the phrase "What makes you exceptional?" caught Rachael's attention. and "What makes you think Derek is the right fit for you?" She laughed. This is absurd. Why would I give this any thought at all?

More out of shock than anything else, she clicked through the application without giving it any thought. She found herself laughing more and more as she read. She would never be the kind of glitzy lady that these kinds of competitions appeared to like. Rachael was just Rachael. She was an unremarkable thirty-year-old math teacher at a middle school, with untidy brown hair, spectacles that were likely too large for her face, and a talent for numbers rather than people. It had been more than a year since she had even gone on a date.

Then, however, something changed inside her—a glimmer of something profound and longing. She was worn out. She was fed up with the routine of her life, the demands she would never meet, and the continual comparison to her friends who seemed to have it all. Rachael had the impression that she was never really seen and was caught in a never-ending loop of monotony. What if? was a concept that had never occurred to her before.

The application form was in front of her when she halted, her fingers hesitating over the keyboard. What would happen if she just filled it out? What if she could finally escape the confines of her routine, tranquil life? Yes, the notion was absurd. She was not deluded about being picked. However, what damage may it cause? A little amusement, a diversion, something to make her life interesting for a change.

Rachael selected the first query. Her name, age, and employment were requested. Her fingers moved without hesitation as she gave a prompt response. But as she proceeded through the form, she started to pause. "What are your greatest qualities?" was one of the more intimate inquiries. "How do you define love?" "What makes you want to marry Derek?"

As she sat there hammering out responses that were both flimsy and vulnerable, her mind raced. Since her most recent traumatic breakup, Rachael had not given love any consideration. It was too honest, too unvarnished. But she gave the best response she could. She wrote about a connection based on mutual respect and understanding, the type of love she had always imagined. However, she also talked about her anxieties, her skepticism about ever finding it, and the fact that she often felt too normal to be the type of person Derek Montgomery would be looking for.

With little expectation, she pressed publish. She noticed something odd when she reclined in her chair: she didn't feel guilty about it. Despite how ridiculous the whole thing was, she didn't feel she had made a mistake. Perhaps Rachael was sick of being invisible, or maybe it was the excitement of doing something so uncharacteristic.

She had no idea the button click was the beginning of a world she could never fully understand, one full of rivalry, deceit, and the potential for a love she never would have imagined.

The tournament organizers sent Rachael another email the next morning. She wasn't expecting the typical confirmation message. It was a personal message instead.

"I appreciate you applying, Rachael. We've looked over your application. Your replies have impressed us. Unfortunately, you were given the incorrect email due to a selection process error. Even if you didn't plan to apply, you may still be considered. If you still want to be considered, kindly confirm.

A beat skipped in Rachael's heart. Hold on. What?