BOUND BY HER NAME

THE IMPOSTER BRIDE

Serena’s POV:

The door opened.

“It’s time”

Mrs Elena said.

Outside the bridal suite, staff were lined up. None of them congratulated me because they knew the truth. The gave reassuring smiles and some had sympathetic expressions written on their faces.

“Ready?”

Mr Blackwood asked.

I looked at him and nodded slightly.

“I’ll walk you down” he said as he extended his arm. I slipped my shaky hands around his.

He wasn’t my scary powerful boss anymore, right now he was my dad walking me down the aisle.

As we walked through the hallway everything started to feel real. I was truly getting married.

“I’m really sorry Serena, I never imagined asking you of this”. He said to break the silence.

I looked at him and for the first time I saw genuine remorse in his eyes. I simply told him that it was okay because nobody plans for things like this in life.

When we reached the entrance, two enormous doors stood closed before us, I could already hear the soft music playing in the hall. Beyond these doors, hundreds of guests awaited. I could already smell the expensive fragrance and perfumes through the closed doors.

As the doors opened, I felt the weight of the Grand Peyton Hotel. It was a place built for people with power and wealth. Emerald silk draped from the vaulted ceilings like vines on a tree. Gold accents lined every archway catching the light flashes. Even the chandeliers were wrapped in fine gold garlands.

One of the wedding coordinators signaled for us to start walking in. The aisle was very long and it was designed with roses and tulips arranged in elegant spirals of gold and emerald ribbons. Everything looked perfect.

As we walked in, everyone rose to their feet. The hall was filled with the most influential families. Billionaires, judges, fashion icons, celebrities, politicians even foreign businessmen were present.

Light flashes filled the room as reporters and television crew members behind the security barriers started to broadcast and take pictures.

All eyes were on me, people admired, smiled and celebrated.

I could hear the sound of the journalists outside saying “The wedding of the decade is officially starting”

Little did they know that the bride walking to the altar was just a housekeeper’s daughter.

Waiting patiently at the altar was Chris Ashton. He was dressed in a perfectly tailored tuxedo. The lighting of the hall highlighted his sharp facial features, his hair was slicked back and no single strand was out of place.

As I approached the altar he gave me a warm smile which made me feel even more guilty. He looked at me the way every groom should look at his bride, with a warm tender smile. He reached out to hold my hands and the guilt started to swallow me.

Mr Blackwood stepped away giving me a reassuring smile. He walked to the front row seat where Mrs Elena was already seated and his shoulders dropped as if he had been carrying the weight of the world. I guess I wasn’t the only one that guilt was killing.

“You may be seated” the officiant said to the audience.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of family….” He continued.

His voice was calm and steady but as he continued my stomach twisted every time he mentioned Armelia’s name I felt like an imposter. I tried my best to stay calm but my hands kept shaking.

Chris used his thumb to lightly brush my fingers as if trying to calm me down. At this point I couldn’t even hear the officiant, the voices in my head were louder than his.

The sound of the officiant closing the bible stopped my train of thoughts.

“We may now proceed with the vows”. He said

Chris’ best man handed him the most gorgeous ring I had ever seen in my life. I thought the engagement ring was stunning but this was completely out of this world. It was a beautiful oval cut diamond and the band was slender, it was lined with smaller diamonds which made it more radiant.

He turned to me and said his vows…

Honestly it was the most beautiful thing I ever heard. I couldn’t help but tear up but the realization that these vows weren’t for me but Armelia made me less emotional.

It was my turn to say my vows. Hours before, Mrs Elena helped me rehearse the vows she had written for Armelia. It wasn’t as wholesome as Chris’ but it did wow the crowd.

“Do you Chris Ashton take Armelia Blackwood to be your lawfully wedded wife?” the officiant asked.

“I DO”. Chris didn’t even hesitate, he said it with so much confidence and passion.

“Now do you Armelia Blackwood take Chris Ashton to be your lawfully wedded husband?” The officiant asked me.

Everything around me disappeared. All I could hear were those annoying camera flashes and my heart pounding in my chest.

I tried convincing myself to just say I do, I parted my lips and nothing came out, I looked into the crowd to search for comforting eyes but I couldn’t even see my mother, I only saw Mrs Elena in the front row clasping her hands as if begging God that I would just say the words.

There were murmurs in the crowd.

I looked back to Chris. He gave me a warm smile and whispered “Whenever you’re ready”

That alone gave me some comfort and I immediately turned to look at the officiant.

“Yes, yes I do” I said boldly.

A collective sigh of relief echoed through the hall.

Chris gently slid the diamond ring into my finger, it fit perfectly almost as though it belonged to me. I placed his wedding band into his fingers and flashes illuminated the room.

The officiant smiled broadly as he said “With the power vested in me I now pronounce you husband and wife”

The crowd erupted with an applause. Everyone was cheering and the music started playing.

“You may now kiss the bride”

Those words made me freeze, I totally forgot about this part.

I stood still as Chris leaned forward.

“You look absolutely beautiful”. He said.

I was about to say thank you until I felt his lips brush mine. It happened so fast and I reciprocated the kiss.

The hall was filled with applauses once again.

He hugged me and he whispered into my ears

“You’re my wife now, ready to leave?”

I gave him a slight nod then he took my hand and guided me down the aisle.

The grand doors swung open, outside we were met with hundreds of reporters asking us several questions.

“Mr and Mrs Ashton, this way please”

“Over here just one picture”

“How do you feel being married now?” “Do you two plan on having kids immediately?”

The questions kept going.

“Are you alright?” Chris asked.

“Yes I am”

He laughed softly then ushered me into the limousine.

“I’m sure you’re used to them”

He said as if trying to start a conversation.

“Oh yes I am”

I tried my best to make my answer as natural as it could be.

“So how do you feel, still nervous?”

He asked.

“Oh not really, now we’re alone and the crowd is gone”

I replied.

“I was really shocked by you today, the Armelia Blackwood I know has never been scared of crowds so what happened today?”

He asked.

I thought of a thousand things I could say to him but none sounded reasonable. He was right, Armelia was always confident, not even a big crowd could shake her confidence.

I thought to myself

“Wedding jitters? Is that it, is that why you were nervous today?”

He asked.

“Oh yes yes definitely, normally I wouldn’t be but today’s a really big day”

I said trying to laugh it off.

“Where are we headed to?” I asked.

“Well we are heading back to your house for a dinner I thought you’d know that”. He said with a questionable look.

“Ohh yeah I knew that, just slipped my mind”. I said

I most definitely didn’t know that. I thought I had overcome the hard part but now I’d be having dinner with both families. Sounds like hell.