Chapter 7

~Megan

I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection. I was wearing a beautiful white dress, but I felt anything but beautiful. 

I thought of my friend Jenny, who had died a few days ago. I couldn't even attend her funeral, because I was planning my stupid wedding with a man I have never met. 

I remembered her smile, her laugh, and how much I would miss her. Tears streamed down my face, I felt my heart breaking into pieces, I slumped to the floor weeping.

But I knew that I had to do this, for my family.

I took a deep breath, and wiped away my tears. I tried to steel for what was to come. I knew I had to be strong.

The door opened, and my mother stepped into the room. 

"How are you feeling, sweetheart?" she asked, her eyes filled with concern.

I forced a smile. "I'm fine," I lied. 

"Just a little nervous."

My mother placed a hand on my shoulder. "It's okay to be nervous. This is a big day. But remember, you don't have to do this alone. We're all here for you."

I knew she was right, but I couldn't shake the feeling of dread that was settling over me. 

I looked at my mother, and she gave me a reassuring smile. "You're going to be okay," she said. "Just take it one step at a time."

I nodded, even though I didn't believe her. I knew that I was in over my head. But there was no turning back now. I had to go through with this wedding, no matter what.

I heard a knock on the door, and my mother went to answer it. A moment later, she returned, followed by my father. "We're all ready for you," he said smiling.

My father took my arm and led me out of the room. 

We walked down the hall, my heart racing. I could hear the sound of music and voices coming from the ballroom. I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. 

As we neared the ballroom, the music grew louder. And then, we stepped through the door.

I looked around, my eyes wide. There were so many people, all dressed in their finest clothes. I saw my family and friends, all smiling and cheering.

And then, I saw him. 

My father and I continued down the aisle, slowly making our way towards the altar.

As we got closer, the groom's face came into view. And to my horror, it was Charles.

Charles, the man I had humiliated at the hotel. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I felt like I might faint. 

I couldn't believe that he was the groom.

And then, I saw the best man. It was Steve, my ex-boyfriend. 

I couldn't believe it. This couldn't be happening. What was going on?

As my father and I reached the altar, I could feel my legs trembling. I felt like I was going to collapse. 

I heard people whispering, wondering what was wrong with me. I could feel the eyes of Charles and Steve on me, but I couldn't look at them. I felt like I was going to pass out. 

And then, the moment of truth came.

Charles took the veil off of my face, and he gasped. 

His eyes widened, and he took a step back. I saw his mouth open, but no words came out.

I stood there, frozen, staring into Charles' eyes. 

Then, I turned and ran. 

I ran out of the ballroom, not caring who saw me. I heard my family yelling after me, but I didn't stop. 

I ran out of the hotel and into the street. I didn't know where I was going, but I just kept running. I felt like I was in a nightmare. 

I ran for what felt like hours, until I finally collapsed on a park bench, sobbing.

I heard footsteps behind me, and turned around. It was Charles. He handed me a bottle of water.

Charles was about to say something when a black car pulled up next to us. 

Two men in black suits got out of the car and grabbed us. 

They threw us into the back of the car and sped off. 

I was terrified. I had no idea what was happening or where we were going.

Charles was struggling, trying to get free, but the men were too strong. I could see the fear in his eyes, and I knew that we were in serious trouble.

Just when we thought things couldn't get any worse, the car stopped. The doors opened, and we were dragged out. 

I looked around, trying to get my bearings. We were in an abandoned warehouse, and there were a group of men standing in front of us, all wearing masks.

One of them stepped forward and said to us, "Welcome to your worst nightmare."

The masked man's words sent a chill down my spine. I had no idea what they were planning, but I knew it couldn't be good.

Charles was looking at me, his face pale. I could see the fear in his eyes.

One of the other men stepped forward and spoke. "We have a simple proposition for you," he said. "If you want to live, you'll do what we say. If you don't, well, let's just say the consequences won't be pretty."

As the man was explaining their "proposition", Charles's phone started ringing in his pocket. He wriggled and struggled, trying to get to his phone. 

As he did, one of the men lost his grip on Charles's arm. Charles took the opportunity to bolt, but before he could make it out of the room, a gunshot rang out.

We heard a thud as Charles hit the ground. The room was silent. My heart was pounding, and my stomach was in knots. I had no idea what had happened.

As I tried to run to Charles, one of the kidnappers grabbed me and held me back. I struggled against him, but he was too strong. I watched helplessly with tears streaming down my face.

Immediately, a man stepped into the room. My eyes widened in shock as I realized who it was. 

It was my father.