CHAPTER 10 THE REAL WEDDING
544 Words
One month later.
The contract was gone. Shredded.
But everything else? It was real now.
"Are you ready?" Mrs. Ade asked, fixing my veil.
I looked in the mirror and barely recognized myself.
White dress. Not designer. Not million-naira.
Simple. Elegant. Me.
"Mom?" I whispered.
The door opened.
My mom was in a wheelchair, but she was smiling.
Healthy. Alive.
"My baby," she said, tears in her eyes. "You look beautiful."
"Thank you," I whispered. "For everything."
---
Sterling Gardens. 200 guests.
But the only person I saw was him.
Jake.
Black tux. No tie. Hair messy like he ran his hands through it.
His eyes found mine the second I stepped out.
And he smiled.
Not the CEO smile. Not the fake one.
The real one. The one he only gave me.
The pastor cleared his throat. "Dearly beloved..."
Jake’s hand found mine. His thumb brushed over my ring.
The same ring. But now it meant something different.
"Jake Sterling," the pastor said. "Do you take Isabella
to be your wife? To love, to honor, to stay?"
Jake didn’t hesitate.
"I do," he said. Loud. Clear. "For real this time."
People laughed.
"Isabella Adebayo," the pastor turned to me.
"Do you take Jake to be your husband?"
I looked at him. At the man who paid my mom’s bills.
Who defended me. Who chose me.
"I do," I said. "With all my heart."
"You may kiss the bride."
Jake pulled me in. And kissed me.
Not fake. Not for cameras.
Just us.
The crowd cheered.
---
Reception.
Amara was there. In the back. In black.
She caught my eye. Raised her glass.
No smile. But no fight either.
She left before cake.
Good.
My mom danced with Jake.
"I told you he was a good man," she whispered to me.
"You were right," I whispered back.
Later, on the balcony, just us.
Jake handed me a folder.
"What’s this?" I asked.
"Divorce papers," he said.
My heart stopped.
"From our contract marriage," he clarified. "Legally,
we were married under that 1-month contract.
These dissolve it. So we can get married again.
For real. With no contract attached."
I stared at him. Then laughed. Cried.
"You’re insane," I said, signing.
"For you? Always," Jake said.
He pulled out another paper.
"And this," he said. "Is your name on Sterling Group.
5% shares. In your name. Not mine."
"Jake, I can’t—"
"You can," he said. "Because you’re not a guest anymore.
You’re family. My family."
I hugged him. Hard.
"Thank you," I whispered.
"For what?"
"For choosing me. When I had nothing."
Jake kissed my forehead. "You had everything, Isabella.
You just didn’t know it yet."
---
Night.
Back at the penthouse. Our penthouse.
No more separate rooms.
Jake pulled me to the window. City lights below.
"So," he said. "Mrs. Sterling. What now?"
I leaned into him. "Now we live," I said. "For real."
"For real," he agreed.
He turned me around.
"One more thing," he said.
"What?"
"I love you," he said. Simple. Honest.
"I love you too," I said. "Jake Sterling."
And for the first time in my life,
I wasn’t scared of tomorrow.
Because this time,
the marriage wasn’t fake.
The love wasn’t fake.
And the ending...
was ours.
- Writer
