Taming My CEO Daddy

A prank

Sophia Grey's POV.

I took a deep breath, encouraging myself that it was just a random prank they were playing on me. I turned to them, clearly looking infuriated. Before I turned to leave, I thought of something, then I stopped and said, "If you know that these are one of your expensive jokes, then you need to tell me now so I can focus on my wedding day and forget anything ever happened," I said while standing by the door.

"Ma'am, you left your phone on the table, and it seems there are frequent messages of debit alerts popping up on your screen, which logically means that all we are saying is nothing but the truth," the manager lets out gently.

I paused and rushed back to check my phone. I stood there frozen, my gaze frantically searching the room, trying to look for a hidden camera, because maybe they were trying to act out a reality show to gauge my reaction, which I wasn't finding funny.

I mustered enough courage and asked, "Who had sent you to do this? Because I don't believe it was Ethan. I know who Ethan is, and he will never do such a thing," I retorted defensively.

Peter was silent, and not a word escaped his lips; his sad and guilty expression said it all. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but he was the one who had told the manager what to do, and he had instructed me to take you personally to him..."

"And I couldn't deny him because I saw your legal signatures on the documents, so I couldn't have said no since you handed everything to him." The manager cut Peter short.

"I only handed him the company, not the house on my property."

"I'm sorry, but it was stated in the legal documents that it included your savings, lands, and properties owned in your name."

"No, no, that's a big mistake; let me check the documents myself," I let out as burning tears threatened to fall down my cheeks. I rushed back to the table where the documents were placed, and I tried to skim through the documents, and I realized what the manager had said was true: there were unseen clauses that showed I had blindly signed a document that transferred everything into his name, including the things I had worked for.

"Ethan has a lot of explaining to do." I stormed loudly as I briskly walked out of the building. There must be something wrong, but I can't put my hands on it, because I have known Ethan all those years, and he'll never betray me in the worst way possible and not on any day, but he chose the happiest day of my life—my wedding day, of all days.

When I was out of the building, I slid into the car and told the driver to take me to the wedding venue. The driver drove us to the venue and parked the car. I felt slightly elated when I noticed many cars were parked outside, the church was open, and social media paparazzi were waiting in line.

A smile crept on my lips; maybe I had overreacted, maybe it was just a prank to ruin my day. I have heard stories of how women encounter such incidents on their wedding day, so why would mine be any different?

The tears that had already smeared my makeup made me look terrible, so I immediately adjusted some little facial features before sliding out of the car and tightly holding my bouquet. I took every step with precision, my heart pounding so fast against my chest as I gently took graceful strides towards the entrance.

Immediately, they rushed towards me, and the questions that followed made my heart stop beating for a millisecond.

"Are you the bride who's coming to ruin the wedding of the great bachelor in town?"

"Do you intend to wear a wedding dress to serve as a costume or as a second bride?"

"Are you the broken ex of the most wanted bachelor and want to seek revenge?"

Some of the questions seem taunting, but I can't help but wonder why it seems like there's an undertone in between their questions.

I ignored them and continued walking forward. I was now standing in the middle of the aisle. Everyone stopped; they stood up to look at me. I could see the looks of disgust on their faces; some had looks of anger, and some had looks of pity as others shook their heads.

But I heard words that came from the marriage officiator's lips that made me stop walking and lift my face to look at Ethan, because my gaze had been focused on the ground and then the people beside each side of me.

"Do you take Dorothy Stones to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?"

There was silence from Ethan; I waited. My hands tightly clamp the hem of my dress, every second feeling like an eternity because I still believe in our love and that Ethan won't possibly say yes, and not only to any lady, but to my friend whom I have always trusted, Dorothy.

Ethan took a long breath and said, "Yes, I do."

"Okay, do you take Ethan McCarthy to be your lovely wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?"

"Yes, I do, Father," Dorothy let out excitedly, as she had always waited for this day all her life.

Everyone clapped; the people who had stared at me with pity, disgust, and anger all joined in clapping for them. I stared, too weak to move, too stricken to cry, or too broken to voice out.

"You may kiss the bride," the marriage officiator continued. I thought Ethan wouldn't possibly kiss Dorothy, then I saw him remove her veil. He was about to kiss her, totally ignoring my presence, before I called out after getting my voice, "Ethan..."

"Dorothy..." I said her name as tears rolled down my cheeks. I wanted at least one of them to explain what the f**k was going on here, and then Ethan turned to look at me. I couldn't comprehend his emotions through his face, but one thing I was sure of was that this was not the same Ethan I knew. Then he said something that completely broke the little pieces left of me. "Take her out of sight and make sure you lock her up for the murder case of her parents, who had died in a car accident some years back, because evidence had shown you were the one who had caused the accident."