The Unwanted Bride

CHAPTER 4: Vows Of Deception

“Come, Georgina. Let’s get married.”

Thomas reached out his hand, his voice calm but firm. Georgina gripped her champagne glass tighter. Her eyes widened—not completely shocked, but enough to show she hadn't expected this.

At the altar, Helena stood waiting, unaware of the quiet tension behind her. The guests whispered among themselves, too focused on the bride to notice what was happening. Georgina swallowed hard, looking back and forth between the man in front of her and the cousin she could never betray.

“No,” she said, her voice steady. “I will not marry you. I don’t love you, and I never will.”

She drank the last drop of champagne, letting the bitterness burn down her throat.

Thomas felt something inside him break, an ache that quickly turned into anger. His jaw tightened, and his heartbeat pounded in his ears. Before he could say a word, a sharp voice interrupted.

“Is something wrong, Mr. Brooks? My daughter is waiting.”

Helena’s mother stood beside them, her eyes suspicious. Thomas quickly slipped his hand back into his pocket, keeping his face blank.

“Not at all, Mrs. Catherine,” he said smoothly. “I should get back to my bride.”

Without another look at Georgina, he walked back to the altar, leaving behind the pieces of a moment that never should have happened.

Helena’s mother shot Georgina a sharp look before turning away, her heels clicking against the floor as she walked off.

At the altar, Thomas stood beside his bride, his face unreadable. But Helena saw it—the sadness in his eyes, the weight in his stance. Her mind raced. Why had he gone to Georgina? Hadn't her cousin once said she was seeing someone? Or… was that someone Thomas all along?

The priest cleared his throat. “Are you ready, Mr. Brooks?”

Thomas exhaled, forcing a smile. “Yes, please.”

“Then we shall begin.” The priest’s voice rang through the hall.

He raised his hands, his next words commanding the room’s attention. “If anyone has a reason why these two should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace.”

The crowd shifted, eyes darting around, but no one spoke. A few seconds of silence passed, then a voice cut through the air.

“Objection!”

A man stood up from the audience.

Gasps rippled through the room. Whispers spread like wildfire. Helena’s heart pounded in her chest.

Thomas turned, his jaw tightening.

The wedding had just taken a turn no one saw coming.

The priest nodded. “Go on.”

A heavy silence filled the room before the man spoke. “The bride is pregnant for another man. This wedding cannot happen.”

Shocked whispers spread through the crowd. Some people even covered their mouths in surprise. Helena’s stomach twisted as all eyes landed on her. She felt exposed, humiliated. But she knew the truth that she wasn’t pregnant anymore.

Thomas stared at her, his expression unreadable. Her father’s face darkened with anger. “Who are you? You can't just walk in here and accuse my daughter of such nonsense! She is pure! She has never been with any man!”

The man gave a small, amused smile, completely unbothered. “I have proof.”

He held up a paper, gripping it tightly.

Helena’s father snatched it from his hands. His eyes moved across the document, and his face changed. Shock. Recognition. He had seen this exact paper before—the same test result he had once found before the pregnancy was gone.

Someone was behind this. Someone who knew her past and was using it to destroy her future.

“She’s carrying my child, and we want to make it official. This is none of your business. I could have you sued for this!” Thomas’ voice filled the hall, strong and unshaken.

His eyes briefly met Georgina’s. He was doing this for the deal, for the promise he made to Helena’s father. Georgina had made her choice so now, he was making his.

Helena’s father didn’t hesitate. “Security! Grab that man! He must confess who sent him and how he got this fake information!”

Fear flashed across the stranger’s face before he turned and ran. People gasped, and voices rose in confusion. The room turned chaotic, but before the guards could reach him, he slipped through the doors and disappeared.

Just like that, silence fell again.

The priest cleared his throat. “Shall we continue?”

The crowd settled down, accepting the wedding would go on.

Helena stood stiff beside Thomas, her heart racing. What had just happened? Why had he defended her? Did he really want this marriage, or was there another reason?

Before she could make sense of it, the priest’s voice pulled her back.

“Miss Helena Adams, do you take Thomas Brooks to be your husband? In sickness and in health, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, till death do you part?”

The moment of truth had come.

Helena’s heart pounded as she stared at the man beside her. Nothing about this felt right. The secrets, the lies, none of it made sense. Her mind screamed at her to stop, to walk away. But then her eyes met her father’s. His stern gaze held a silent command.

Obey.

The room was dead silent.

The priest’s voice cut through the tension. “Miss Helena Adams, do you take Thomas Brooks to be your husband?”

Her throat tightened. She hesitated just for a second then forced the words out. “Yes, I do.”

Relief washed over her father’s face.

The priest turned to Thomas. “And do you, Mr. Brooks?”

His response came almost too quickly. “I do.”

The vows were spoken. The deal was sealed.

When their lips met, it was nothing more than a formality—a quick, empty kiss, cold as ice. No love. No passion. And just like that, they were bound forever.

Cheers erupted as they turned to leave, walking down the aisle. They didn’t hold hands. They didn’t even look at each other.

Alice, Helena's best friend and bridesmaid, followed closely behind, her heels clicking against the floor. Then, suddenly…

A sharp tug.

Helena barely had time to react before the fabric of her wedding dress pulled tight, and in an instant, she was crashing to the ground. Gasps filled the air.

She blinked, dazed. Had Alice just..?

Her mother was the first to rush over. Not her father. Not the man she had just vowed to spend forever with.

Thomas didn’t even flinch.

Helena lifted her head, locking eyes with Alice.

And for the first time that day, she felt it in her gut.

Something was very, very wrong.