Husband or billionaire

“Why didn’t he refuse?” I whispered to myself, staring at my reflection in the mirror. The wedding dress hugged my body perfectly, the lace shimmering under the soft light. My hair was neatly done, the veil draping over my shoulders. I looked like a bride, but I didn’t feel like one.  After that encounter at the bar, I thought he’d want nothing to do with me, much less marry me.

Every possibility I thought of only added to my unease. Was this some power play? A business move? A way to humiliate me further? I wanted to refuse this marriage but I couldn’t. My parents were extremely happy like this marriage was the best thing to ever happen to our family. I couldn’t refuse their happiness.

My mother’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

“Lena, try this one,” she said, holding up yet another veil. I nodded absentmindedly, letting her adjust it over my head.

“You look beautiful,” she whispered, her eyes misty. I managed a small smile. It wasn’t the veil or the dress that bothered me. It was the person waiting for me at the end of the aisle.

“You’re about to start a beautiful new chapter in your life,” she said softly.

A new chapter? It felt more like the end of one. My life was no longer mine.

“Are you nervous?” she asked, sensing my silence. I nodded, biting the inside of my cheek. Nervous wasn’t the word for it. Terrified was closer.

“Alexander is a good man, Lena. He’s going to take care of you.” Her eyes softened.

If only she knew. The memory of his piercing blue eyes, filled with cold amusement, flashed in my mind. “Yeah, sure,” I murmured, avoiding her gaze. As she left the room, I stared at my reflection again. How could someone who treated me with such indifference and disdain agree to marry me? What was his motive? It didn’t make sense.

A knock at the door startled me, and my brother’s voice came through. “Lena, it’s time.”

Taking a deep breath, I rose to my feet. The weight of the dress suddenly felt suffocating, but I had no choice. With trembling hands, I grabbed my bouquet and opened the door.

“You ready?” My brother smiled, his face brimming with pride.

“Not really,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.

 “You’ll be fine. Trust me, Alexander is a great guy. ” He chuckled.

Great guy. The words echoed in my head.

“Before we go out, someone wants to meets you.” His smile widened and when he turned, I froze.

It was him.

Ethan.

The world tilted as our eyes locked. His face was a mix of disbelief, shock, and something deeper, something I couldn’t name.

What is he doing here? My mind raced, a thousand questions colliding, none finding answers. My pulse roared in my ears, my blood to freeze in my veins.

Ethan wasn’t supposed to be here. Not like this.

“He thinks you’re upset with him for not inviting him to the wedding. You two have ten minutes to sort it out. Hurry up!” My brother gave Ethan a careless pat on the shoulder, grinned, and walked away.

I turned, my breath catching as I saw Ethan, standing near me with a bouquet. His lips were smiling, but his eyes… they were filled with fury.

As soon as my brother disappeared, Ethan stepped forward, grabbing my arm and pulling me aside.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I hissed, yanking at his grip.

“That’s my question for you, Lena. What are you doing?” His jaw clenched, his eyes blazing with anger. “You’ve got to be kidding me. You trapped my brother for revenge, didn’t you?”

“Your brother?” I looked at him in confusion. His gaze hardened.

“Yes. Alexander is my brother. Don’t play dumb. This is all about me, isn’t it? You’re using him to get back at me.” The words hit me like a punch. Alexander… Ethan’s brother? No. That couldn’t be true.

“You… You’re lying,” I stammered, barely able to speak.

“Why else would you marry him? Tell me, Lena, what’s your endgame here?” Ethan leaned in closer, his lips curled in disdain. My lips trembled, my mind racing. Footsteps echoed outside, but I couldn’t move. My legs felt like they were stuck to the ground.

“Call it off. Don’t do this.” Ethan’s voice dropped to a whisper, his tone sharp and commanding.  I swallowed hard, tears threatening to blur my vision, but I forced myself to lift my chin.

“Why does it matter to you?” I whispered back, my voice trembling with defiance.

“You’re doing this for me, aren’t you? Using my brother to get my attention. That’s not fair, baby.” His lips curled into a smirk as he leaned in closer. I took a step back. His tone dripped with arrogance. This wasn’t the Ethan I once knew—he was different now, someone dangerous.

“Call off the wedding. We’ll sort things out later. I promise you won’t regret it. Alexander isn’t your type anyway. He’s rude, cold, and too uptight to make you happy, sweetheart.” He stands back with a smile, a look of pride.

“I’ll handle it. I am going to tell everyone you’ve changed your mind because you’re in love with someone else. You can stay here and rest.” Before I could respond, he reached out and patted my cheek with a confident smile, then turned to leave.

“You don’t want me to marry your brother—the same brother you’ve always wanted to destroy…”

“Shut up. Don’t say another word.” Before I completed my sentence, he spun around so quickly I barely saw it coming, his hand clamping over my mouth.

“Don’t even think about exposing that to anyone,” he hissed, his tone deadly. The next moment, he pulled out his phone. “I almost forgot—I have something for you. You should see this.”

My heart sank as he swiped through the screen. My stomach churned as I stared at the photos. Each one showed me with him, very close to him. Ethan’s face wasn’t clear in the pictures, but they were enough to ruin me—or worse, blackmail me.

“But we never…” My voice faltered. “We never had a physical relationship. Those photos—”

“Oh, sweetheart, only you and I know that. Do you really think anyone else will believe you?” His words were venomous, his smirk cutting through me. “Now it’s your choice—should I show these to everyone at the ceremony, or will you do as I say?”

He leaned closer, his smile cold and mocking.

“Choose wisely, my darling.”