Chapter2
828 Words
The music had started, Guests filled the large hall, Hundreds of people were watching. Her legs felt weak.
“This is insane”, she whispered.
The bridesmaid beside her fixed the veil.
“Maria please Smile,” she said quietly.
“I’m about to marry a stranger.” Natalie replied as her eyes widened from the realisation, As she walked towards the entrance door.
The music grew louder, The doors slowly opened. Every head in the room turned. And suddenly all eyes were on her. Her heart pounded violently.
At the end of the aisle stood the groom— Waiting, Watching, and completely calm. The bridesmaid nudged her forward.
“Walk Maria"
Natalie didn’t move, and replied , “I can’t do this.”
“Yes you can.”
The music continued, Guests started whispering.
Caitlyn leaned closer.
“If you embarrass this family again, things will get very ugly, not just for you, but us too.”
Natalie's stomach twisted. She looked down the aisle again, The groom’s eyes were locked on hers, Like he was daring her to try something.
Her feet moved. One step—Then another, The walk felt endless, Every step made the situation feel more real.
She finally reached the altar. The groom looked down at her calmly.
She was shocked, wasn't he the same man that was shouting furiously and making a scene, or was it the altar's purity performing its work.
The priest began speaking, but she barely heard the words. Everything felt like a blur. Until the vows. The priest looked at the groom first.
“Do you take this woman to be your wife?”
“I do.” His answer was immediate.
Then the priest turned to her, Her heart pounded.
“Do you take this man to be your husband?”
The room was silent, Every guest waited, She looked at the groom. He looked completely calm, Almost confident, like he already knew what she would say.
Her mind raced. If she refused…, What would happen?. Her hands trembled slightly.
“…I do,” she whispered.
The priest smiled.
“Then by the power vested in me—”
The words echoed in her ears, but she barely heard them, because reality was finally sinking in. She had just married a stranger.
“And now,” the priest said,
“You may kiss the bride.”
Her breath caught, The groom stepped closer, His hand lifted her chin slightly.
“You’re shaking,” he murmured.
“This is still a mistake.”she replied
“Maybe,”he answered .
Then he kissed her, The crowd erupted into applause, Cheers filled the hall, But she barely noticed.
Because in that moment she realized something terrifying. This wasn’t just a misunderstanding anymore. It was real.
And somehow…
She had just become someone else’s bride.
After the wedding, everyone started leaving the venue,
Natalie sat near a bar room to reflect on what just happened. and hopefully forget about this being her new reality,
She drank and drank, till even the bartender begged her to stop.
Adrian walked towards where she was and smirked, then went straight towards the direction of Hendrick. and started a conversation with him ,
“I'm guessing you feel like a free man now”,
They both laughed. Hendrick replied,
“ thank you for this solution, and Maria—, she'd warm up to you, she's just still in shock from all this “
Natalie was trying to read their lips, but was too drunk to even read what was on the rug on the floor, talk less of what two people were conversing.
Adrian then ended the conversation and started walking up to Natalie. In a calm tone he asked her what was all what she did in the morning,
he knew she was drunk and wanted to get the truth out of her while she was vulnerable,
He thought she disguised herself to run away from the wedding and wondered why, since she gave her consent when they were signing the contract months ago.
Natalie tried to give him an answer, “I’m…no…not…mar…”, before she could finish her sentence she slept off .
The wedding had happened at a large hotel, so they could spend the night there. Adrian lifted Maria like she was a light kitten, and took her to a bedroom,
he had no intention of touching her as he is a man of consent.
The only problem was that everyone had left, but he needed someone to help change Natalie's clothes, as it reeked of alcohol.
he then decided to do so himself. he wrapped her in a clean white bed spread, and dragged down her dress, and gently removed her heels,
when he saw a scar on her ankle, he had never seen it on Maria before, “how did she manage to get a scar this wide?”, he asked .
- Writer
