The CEO's Bride

The wedding escape

Ysabelle Arellano's parents arranged her marriage against her will. She will marry and spend the rest of her life with Liam Lopez, someone chosen by her parents, someone she didn't love.

Today was her wedding day and she sat in front of a mirror with a nervous expression. She's so scared of disappointing her parents but it's her life, her future. No one can decide except herself. She knows her parents may be disappointed at first, but they love her, so she makes a decision.

“I can't do this. I can't marry him!” Ysabelle's heart is racing with panic. She spots her bridesmaid and friend Sophia coming into the room and quickly approaches her.

“Sophia, I need your help. I can't go through with this wedding!”

“What? But why now? Everything is all set and the wedding is about to start?” I asked feeling confused.

“I don't love him. I can't spend the rest of my life pretending. Help me, please Sophia!”

“Okay, okay. Take a deep breath. We'll figure this out. But you need to calm down first.”

Ysabelle nods, trying to steady her breathing.

I looked around and said, “Okay, I'll be right back just wait for me!”

A minute later, I went back with a glass of wine in my hand. “Here, have a drink. It'll help you relax!”

Ysabelle hesitates for a moment before taking the drink from me. She takes a sip, and then another, until she's gulping it down.

Moments later, Ysabelle is noticeably tipsy, giggling and swaying slightly.

“Now, let's get you out of here before anyone notices you're gone!”

Together, we sneak out of Ysabelle's room. We stumble through the streets until we reach the taxi that was waiting two blocks away, its driver leaning casually against the hood, unaware he was about to become part of someone’s great escape. They jumped inside, gasping for breath, and closed the door.

“Where to?” the driver asked.

I gave my address to the driver and minutes later we were already there. Upon arriving at the apartment, Ysabelle collapses onto the couch, her head spinning. She giggles. “That was close, Sophia. Thanks for saving me!”

“Anytime, Ysabelle. But now we need to figure out what to do next!”

“I don't know. I just know I can't marry him!”

“We'll think of something okay, but for now, you need to rest. Tomorrow is a new day, and we'll face it together.”

Ysabelle nods, her eyes drooping with exhaustion.

Meanwhile at the wedding venue, Johaima’s chest tightened with each passing second. She pulled out her phone and dialed the one person she thought might know something—Sophia the bridesmaid and a friend.

Minutes later my phone rings. I picked it up after the third ring. “Johaima? What’s wrong?”

Johaima didn’t waste a breath. “Is she with you?” There was a pause on the other end, just long enough to make Johaima’s stomach drop.

“Who?” I asked carefully, too carefully.

Johaima’s voice hardened. “Sophia, you know exactly who I mean. She’s gone. The ceremony’s stalled, everyone’s waiting, and I can’t find her anywhere. Now tell me… is Ysabelle with you?”

Silence.

Johaima pressed. “Sophia, I’m serious. If you know where she is, you need to tell me right now. People are starting to whisper. The groom’s losing it.”

Finally, I sighed, but it was the kind of sigh that said I know more than I should. “Johaima… Ysabelle said she needed to get away for a while.”

Johaima froze in the middle of the corridor. “Get away? From her wedding?”

“She didn’t explain everything,” I said softly. “She just said she couldn’t do it. That something felt wrong. She sounded… scared, Johaima.”

Johaima shook her head, glancing toward the reception hall where the music had stopped entirely. “Scared? It has been planned for months. Why would she—”

“You don’t know?” I interrupted.

Johaima’s pulse thudded in her ears. “Know what?”

“I think you know very well that she didn't like this arranged marriage with him.”

Johaima leaned against the wall, her mind spinning. “I know, but why now?”

“I’m not sure,” I admitted. “Ysabelle just kept saying she couldn’t walk down that aisle. She wanted to think things through before making a mistake she couldn’t undo.”

Johaima’s grip on her phone tightened. “And you let her go? Sophia, she’s your friend too! You could’ve convinced her to stay, to at least talk to Liam before—”

“Johaima, listen to yourself,” I snapped. “If Ysabelle’s instincts told her something was wrong, then maybe she’s doing the right thing by not rushing into this. You’ve known her for years. Has she ever been this unsure before?”

Johaima opened her mouth, then closed it. She thought back to the past week—how Ysabelle’s laughter had been quieter, how she’d avoided answering certain questions about the arranged marriage, how her hands trembled slightly when she tried on the dress.

“Where is she now?” Johaima asked finally, her voice lower.

“I promised her I wouldn’t tell anyone, but… she said she’d be somewhere peaceful. Somewhere she could think. She told me she’d reach out once she knew what she wanted to do.”

Johaima pressed her forehead against the wall, frustration and worry warring inside her. “Do you know what this looks like to everyone here? The groom’s family thinks she’s embarrassed him. The guests are gossiping. And Liam… he looks like his whole world just collapsed!”

“I know,” I replied quietly. “But Ysabelle has the right to figure out what she wants for her life. This isn’t about saving face. This is about her future.”

Johaima exhaled shakily. She knew Ysabelle was right, even if it hurt. Marriage wasn’t a decision you could take back with ease, and if Ysabelle truly doubted it, disappearing might be the only way she could think clearly.

But Johaimama also knew the fallout would be brutal.

“All right,” Johaima said at last, forcing herself to stay calm. “If you hear from her again, tell her I just need to know she’s safe. That’s all. I won’t push her for more.”

“I will,” I promised. “She’s okay, Johaima. I could hear it in her voice. She just… needs time.”

Johaima ended the call and looked down the empty hallway. The bouquet still lay there, a silent witness to Ysabelle’s choice. She bent down, picked it up, and brushed the petals off her dress. She was also ready to protect their friendship until Ysabelle was ready to face the world again.

On the other hand, after ending the call with Johaima, feeling guilty, I stares at Ysabelle sleeping soundly on the couch. I covers her with a blanket before turning off the light and joining her on the couch.