Cassandra Williams

She couldn’t unsee what she had just seen. Her supposed groom was in the dressing room, kissing Cassandra hungrily as if his life depended on it.

“You are all I’ve ever wanted, Cassy,” Raymond’s words were soft, almost inaudible as he pulled away from the kiss.

“Then why did you have to choose her?” Cassandra’s voice was faint, almost choking on her words. “If you love me, why did you have to marry that slut?”

Each word pierced Eureka’s heart like a sharp knife.

“I’ve told you about it. My father forced this union, and that opportunist is taking advantage,” Raymond spat, his tone laced with disgust. It tore Eureka apart from where she stood. “If it were up to me, I’d choose you over and over again. I just can’t wait for this façade to end. We’ll be together again, trust me,” he assured Cassandra, his words a soothing balm against her troubled expression.

And to think Cassandra was Eureka’s best friend made it all the more painful. Raymond had been rumored to have a girlfriend he loved deeply, but she hadn’t expected that person to be Cassandra of all people.

“Cassandra knew Raymond was arranged for me all this time, yet she was cheating with him. Why was she pretending to care and hiding her feelings from me?” Eureka muttered to herself, tears threatening to spill and ruin her makeup.

She didn’t want to care, but an inexplicable pain gripped her heart. Even though Raymond didn’t want her, it was disrespectful of him to commit such an atrocity on their wedding day. Afraid of being seen, she bolted away, her high heels clicking loudly on the tiled floor.

“How can he even be so stupid?” she whispered to herself as she entered the powder room, wiping away the stray tears. “No,” she shook her head as if resisting something. “This is just an alliance. What do I care if he cheats on me? I was never in his heart, and I never will be.”

She composed herself with a little pep talk before stepping out of the powder room.

Raymond, on the other hand, had heard the clicking heels. Worried about the consequences, he went after the sound. Though he doubted Eureka would stoop so low as to follow him, he couldn’t take the risk. If his father found out, it would be disastrous. Losing his inheritance was not an option.

Eureka adjusted her dress as she reentered the hall, smoothing the fabric over her hips and composing herself. She had imagined a thousand ways to break down in front of the crowd, but certainly not because of this—not because of Raymond. She wouldn’t give him or Cassandra the satisfaction of seeing her broken, at least not today, not now.

Raymond stumbled back into the hall and froze at the sight of Eureka smiling brightly as she took pictures with her family and friends. When their eyes met, he composed himself, relieved it wasn’t someone important who had overheard him. He joined the celebration, masking his apprehension.

“Are you okay?” Eureka asked, a warm smile lighting up her face as she stepped toward him. Her calm reaction caught him off guard, and he narrowed his eyes at her. “I think you’ve got something here,” she said, lifting her hand to his mouth and wiping his lips gently. Her touch was soft, almost feather-like.

He grabbed her hand and pulled it away. “Stop misbehaving,” he scolded, his tone firm.

“Oh,” she replied softly.

He thought she was misbehaving when, not long ago, he’d been busy kissing his girlfriend in the dressing room? She had the urge to slap him, tell him how stupid of a man he was, and end this sham of a marriage. But remembering why she had agreed to marry him, her expression softened.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

At that moment, Cassandra entered the hall, adjusting her dress while scanning the crowd. She looked flawless, of course: perfectly applied makeup, a dress hugging her curves, and an air of effortless confidence.

Seeing her, Eureka grabbed Raymond by the lapel, pulling him closer and pressing her lips against his. Raymond was startled, almost disgusted, as he tried to pull away. But noticing his parents’ watchful eyes, he reluctantly succumbed to the kiss.

The kiss wasn’t for him. It was for Cassandra. Eureka kept her eyes fixed on Cassandra the entire time, watching as her confident façade cracked just a little.

Eureka saw it—a hint of pain in Cassandra’s eyes as she watched them.

“What was that all about?” Raymond groaned when the kiss ended, his voice low but sharp.

“I love you too, baby,” she smiled, looping her arm through his and leading him deeper into the crowd. “If we’re going to make this work, it has to look genuine,” she whispered, her tone calm but firm as she maintained her radiant smile.