Chapter- [ 1 ]

[ Valeria ]

I gave myself a once over in the giant mirror and exhaled deeply. I had to force out all the nervousness which was building in my system. It was messing up with my brain and my emotions.

It didn't help either.

I was getting impatient and terrified as the clock ticked forward.

My wedding supposed to take place at eleven but now it's past twelve.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I was a bride, dressed in a beautiful white gown which I and Liam picked together a week ago. Everything seemed like a fairy tale.

Finally, I was getting married to my boyfriend whom I dated for two years. He was everything a girl wishes in her life partner. A charmingly handsome man who swiped me off my feet on our first meeting in a cousin's wedding.

I was only twenty two, my friends advised me to wait for another few years but I just wanted to be with Liam and devote myself to him.

A knock on the door put a break on my turbulent emotions. I craned my neck slightly. My father was standing at the door with a grim expression on his face.

My heart sank but I couldn't give up.

"He hasn't arrived yet, Val. The guests started whispering." He said in a calm yet angered voice.

I slowly walked up to him and held his shoulders. My family was against this marriage since the beginning but I convinced them that Liam is a nice person who loves me.

"Dad, he must be stuck in the traffic. You know our city and it's transport system." I tried to make a suitable reason for my groom, who hadn’t arrived yet.

"His family is here, Val. They are avoiding to answer. Do you still think that he wants to marry you?" My Dad gave me the look I dreaded.

"What are you saying, Dad? He proposed me in front of everyone. You were there. Of course, he wants to marry me." I defended Liam.

"We'll wait for another 30 minutes and then I'll call the wedding off, Val. People are talking about us. I don't want to be a subject of mockery. Your stubbornness already strained our relationship with Rodriguez family. They have been against this relationship that you and their son wants to tie." Dad shook his head.

My heartbeats accelerated.

"You can't do that!" I shouted.

"Your father is right, Valeria. We have to call off this wedding because your groom-" My mother's voice interrupted our conversation.

My gaze shifted on her. Her beautiful eyes were glossy.

"Mom, don't start like Dad. I talked to Liam in the morning. He's as excited as I am for this wedding. We love each other." I ranted. My heart wasn't ready to accept the present scenario.

"He called his parents. They informed us that Liam flew from the country with his secretary whom he got pregnant. I am sorry, my child but you have to accept the truth. That bastard betrayed you in the worst way possible." Mom broke into tears.

I staggered back. Her words resonated in my ears.

"No..no..you must have..misheard them. My Liam can never betray me." I shouted.

All the moments I and Liam spent together begun to play like a film in my mind.

"I warned you since the beginning, Val. He is a womanizer but your silly heart clouded your judgment. He ruined your life, Val. He left a taint on our reputation." Dad said in frustration but I ignored him and dialled Liam's number.

His phone was switched off. I dialled again but same response.

Multiple footsteps approached the room. Mom was sniffing silently whereas I was unable to react.

I was numb. My brain failed to process anything and an agonizing pain surged through my chest.

"James, we need to talk." Mr. Jason Rodriguez, Liam's father said to my Dad.

He sounded pissed off.

"What do you want to talk about now, Jason?" Dad yelled on him.

"Keep your voice down, Mr. Miller, we're not your servants." Vivienne, Liam's mother reprimanded my father.

Unlike everyone, she looked calm and unaffected. She never liked me neither her daughters. They thought my family was a gold digger as my father's business faced a rough time recently and the reason I dated Liam so we could use them as ladder to overcome our financial crisis.

"Liam dumped my daughter on the wedding day and you want us to act loke nothing has happened. Do you even hear yourself?" Dad threw his hands in the air.

"The damage is done, James. We can't do anything. My son must be flying by now. We have to make the announcement before our guests make a scene of our reputation. I am ready take the blame of my son's fault." Jason said, he sounded ashamed.

"Nonsense, we can't do that. It will reflect on our image, Jason and we have more respect in the society than these Millers. This girl has to take all the blame on her." Doris pointed her finger on me.

The woman had gone insane. Her son broke my heart, made a fool of me and she wanted me to apologize to our hypocrite society for Liam's fault.

Couldn't she see my pain?

"My daughter won't do such thing. We'll expose your son in front of everyone." Dad argued.

"No, James, it will destroy us. We can talk and find a middle way." Jason tried to convince my father.

"Is there any middle way, Mr. Rodriguez?" I chuckled humorlessly and wiped my tears despite the excruciating pain in my heart.

"Valeria, I'm really ashamed of my son. You don't deserve any of this." Jason sounded regretting but it didn't lessen my pain.

"I need some time alone. Please don't come after me and do whatever you want to cover up for Liam." I said and stormed out of the room.

The decorations and lighting, everything seemed to mock at me. I ran from there, I felt suffocated. My fate played a cruel joke on me. Tears blurred my vision. I didn't care if I resembled a zombie or the passing by people gave me a weird look.

I ran out in the open cemetery behind the chapel. The quietness in the air gave me the much needed environment to unleash my wounded emotions.

I fell down on the grass and cried.

"Why did you do this to me, Liam? I love you with every fibre in my body. I worshipped you. I was ready to fight the world for you. What am I going to say to everyone who is here to witness our union? You made a fool of me and our families." I shouted because there was no one to hear my agony.

"We can still save our reputation, Valeria."

A deep but smooth manly voice floated in the air. I stopped crying and turned to face the person who just disturbed me.

There he was, the famous businessman man, Ashton Rodriguez standing at a distance with an emotioless face but his beautiful grey eyes were soft.

"Excuse me?" I frowned at him.

He stepped forward with slow steps.

"We can save our families from being ridiculed, Valeria. I may hate my cousin and his useless son but I love our family's reputation. Rodriguez are the ruler of this city. You can't deny the fact." He said with pride dripping from his tone.

He was Liam's uncle, the most desirable bachelor in the country. I met him only once but he couldn't be forgotten easily.

"If you're here to brag about your family's wealth and power then don't be my guest. Liam have already given me enough scars to regret till my last breath." I said coldly and wiped my tears.

"Think about your family, Valeria. Your father's business will suffer more than he has already on his plate. Your impulsive decision already caused him great stress, don't kill the old man." He said as a matter of fact.

I looked down in shame. My whole family was suffering and I was the one to be blamed.

"Marry me, Valeria. We can save the family from the shame and help each other." He said with confidence but I felt like the earth slipped under my feet.

"What?" I exclaimed.

He looked confident.

"Marry me, Valeria and save your father from going bankrupt. I will invest in your father's company and you can help me to escape my family's constant pressure for marriage. You see, I turned thirty four recently. People think I'm impotent and it displeased my family. I want to break the notion." He said each word very calmly.

"This is insane, Ashton. Marriage isn't a joke. I can't accept your proposal. I don't even know you except your name and you're Liam's uncle. I am much younger than you." I voiced out my disagreement.

He winced on my last sentence.

"You're not a child either, Valeria. You were ready to marry a thirty years old guy but you have problem with me. Besides, we don't need to know each other. This is a marriage of convenience. If I don't help your father, you know very well that you all will be on streets sooner. Think wisely, you can still correct your mistakes. If you're ready then meet me in next ten minutes at the back entrance." Saying this, he turned and walked out of the cemetery.