Accidentally contracted To The Crippled Billionaire

Chapter 5: A Forced smile

*Elara’s pov*

"Dad," I stammered, my palm caressing my burning cheek.

"You have completely humiliated this family," he snarled. "I actually believed you when you said you found someone better than Evander, never expecting the 'better' to be a cripple. What is wrong with you? Do you have any pride left at all?" he added before I could respond.

I stared down, my chest heaving, fighting to choke back the tears before they ruined my makeup. Then, those words left my mouth before I could process them.

"Just because he's in a wheelchair doesn't make him less of a man!" I yelled, my hands fiercely gripping the fabric of my wedding dress, pouring all my sadness into the grip.

Celine must have told him. She must have seen him earlier.

"You are a total disgrace, Elara," Dad said, his voice devoid of any fatherly warmth. "I should have known you would pick the worst option. I never should have listened to your promises," he snarled.

My throat went completely dry. I knew I had picked the worst option, but he shouldn't be doing this right now. All I had ever wanted was to be happy. But now, look at me. I was being called a disgrace on my own wedding day, forced into a marriage with a stranger just to prove to my family that they couldn't control my entire life. And to top it all off, my own father had just slapped me while I was standing here in my bridal gown—fully aware that I shouldn't walk down the aisle with a teary face and a red cheek.

"You are getting a divorce the second this wedding is over." Those words rolled out of his mouth like they meant nothing.

My hands shook violently. It wasn't from the pain of the slap, but from the sheer shock of his words. Before I could respond, he left.

My knees felt so weak that I had to grab the edge of a nearby flower vase just to stay upright. The tears I had tried so hard to hold back finally rolled down my face.

"Such a pathetic loser," I heard that familiar voice mutter. I didn't even have to look before I knew it belonged to Celine.

I stood up from the floor with a straight face, trying to hide my tears. I had promised myself I would never let her see me cry or feel intimidated by her.

"What do you want?" I asked. My gaze flicked to the mirror for a second. I would have looked much prettier if I hadn't cried.

She chuckled, then gasped. "Did you get a fake wedding dress? There is no way your crippled husband could afford the original one, not even to rent it. Or did you spend all your own money just to rent it? I wanted to get this exact dress, but it was way too expensive. So tell me, did you steal it?" she glared, her eyes darting all over my body.

"Today is a big day, so don't ruin it for me, Celine," I said, my voice cracking slightly.

"Let's see how this ends," she muttered with a malicious smile.

---

A few minutes later, the doors opened. Dad stood between us, taking both Celine and me by our arms as he walked us down the aisle. The whole thing felt completely detached. The guests clapped; to them, it might have looked like a perfect wedding, but to me, it wasn’t. I looked at Thane, and the shock on his face was something he couldn't hide well. He clearly hadn't expected the man I was marrying to be his uncle. Celine, completely unaware of the drama about to unfold, was smiling.

We made our way toward the altar, everything moving in a blur. Then, we got to the vows—my favorite part, the exact moment I had always wished for. My gaze shifted to Celine. I could see her hands shake the second she heard his name. The look on her face told me she wanted to drag me by the hair and call me names, but she couldn't do that here. Not on the altar, and not in front of the guests.

Before I could even process the reality of it, we were being ushered around for photos. The camera flashes blinded me as the photographer snapped picture after picture of a couple who didn't even know each other. By then, Celine's smile looked completely forced, like she knew she had lost.

Once the ceremony finally ended, it was time for the reception. I was rushed back into the dressing room to change out of the wedding gown and into my after-party dress, bracing myself for whatever the rest of the night was going to bring.

I had barely zipped up the dress Vaughn had bought for me when Celine barged into the room.

"You seduced him, didn't you?!" she shrieked, her voice pitched so high I thought it might crack if she kept going.

I wanted to ask if that was how she had seduced my fiancé, Thane. But something stopped me before the words could leave my mouth. She was my twin sister, after all.

"I didn't," I said flatly, finally finishing with the zipper.

I tried to walk past her, but she grabbed my arm and yanked me back.

"I'm not done talking to you!"

"Don't test my patience, Celine," I warned, my fists clenched

She chuckled not in happy way but bitterly. "Finally showing your true colors, huh? You're such a b***h," she spat.

"Get ready to call me Aunt," I said. I forced a smile, but it wasn't genuine; it was entirely hollow, masking the sadness inside me.

"I would never call you that! You're a slut, Elara. You're nothing but a tool for Vaughn. I've heard how cold-hearted he is, so get ready to suffer. What has he actually given you? Nothing. Just a fake wedding dress. Oh, and I forgot to tell you—you looked absolutely pathetic at the altar, like a total w***e!" she screamed.

Before I could even think, my hand moved on its own. A slap landed right across her cheek.

Celine froze, completely stunned. The shock on her face lasted only a few seconds before it turned back into pure hatred.

But before she could hit me back, the door swung open