Chapter 3 - The Wedding

Chapter 3 - The Wedding

After what felt like a seemingly endless thirty-minute drive, the limo finally came to a stop in front of a grand estate guarded by imposing figures. As I stepped out of the car, I was immediately greeted by a group of maids who hurriedly ushered me into the house. "Wait a second," I protested, "What's the hurry?"

The maids exchanged glances but didn't offer an explanation, just continuing to push me forward. "Hey!" I objected, but they remained silent, their determination unwavering. My father tried to reassure me, "It's alright, dear. We'll wait for you inside," he said as we passed through the door.

Inside the mansion, I half expected to be led into a dark room or some hidden corner, but to my surprise, they brought me to a lavishly decorated room. The bed alone was twice the size of my parents, and the closet was vast, filled with exquisite gowns and shoes of all kinds. "Oh," I exclaimed, taking in the opulence around me.

My attention was then drawn to a golden standing mirror, adorned with stunning jewelry and more wedding gowns. It became apparent that they intended to dress me for the occasion. But did I need a change? Lost in my own thoughts, one of the maids suddenly placed her hands on my shoulder, and the others urged, "Tire it off."

I immediately pushed her away, responding angrily, "Tire what off? Do you have any idea how much this outfit cost? It's worth ten times your salaries combined!" I snapped, even though I didn't know the exact amount. "So, it's either you act like normal human beings and explain what needs to be done, or we can resort to more primitive means," I threatened, glaring at them.

The maids looked at each other and then, to my surprise, one of them, with black hair, burst out laughing. "Seriously, when I heard the boss was getting married today, I thought it was going to be someone worth a while. But for the boss to get married to this," she gestured towards me, "it's really disappointing."

"Keep it shut, Lisa," the older maid scolded her. "Who the boss marries is none of your business," she said to me, introducing herself, "Hi, my name is Josie, and the one with the lizard tongue is Lisa," pointing to the black-haired maid, "and the one with red hair is Mary. We apologize for earlier; we didn't mean to scare you."

"It's fine," I replied, still a bit steamed.

Josie continued, "The boss gave us a direct order. We have less than thirty minutes before the priest arrives, and he wants us to get you ready."

"Thank you very much, but that's not necessary. I'm ready," I asserted, not willing to part with my expensive gown.

"Huh?" Mary seemed taken aback.

"He didn't just tell us to get you ready; he said to tire whatever we found on you and put on these," Josie pointed to the gowns on the bed.

"That's exactly how he put it," Lisa said, still amused.

"I'm sure that's how the bastard put it," I muttered under my breath. "But you see this outfit? It's a gift I got from someone rich and important. It's worth a lot of money, and this is the first time I'm wearing it," I said with a forced smile. "I don't intend to take it off until this whole thing is done. So, it's either you help me add some touches to my look, or we're going to stand here and keep staring at each other until the priest arrives," I stubbornly declared.

"That's not good," Mary murmured.

"I'm sure it isn't," I replied.

"Why do we need her consent? Since it's not entirely a lovely wedding, we can tire her down and get this over with," Lisa suggested, causing my anger to flare up again.

"I would love to see you try that," I snapped back, my eyes narrowing. "And I won't mind dragging you to hell myself."

"Right," Lisa managed to utter, seemingly intimidated.

After a bit of disagreement, Josie eventually agreed to go along with my choice of clothing, and began making adjustments to my appearance. Although it was initially intended to be a brief touch-up, the process ended up taking quite a while. However, I must admit that the final result was impressive.

Once there was a knock on the door, and the maids informed us that it was time. My father assumed command and escorted me downstairs. "Mira, put on a smile. This isn't a funeral," he demanded.

"To You maybe but I want you to understand that losing my freedom is not something I take lightly. It feels like a fate worse than death," I stated firmly, my smile now gone. I knew there was no point in directing my anger towards him when the real issue lay downstairs, waiting for me to confront it. 

 "Oh, come on now. It's not that bad, hun," he sighed.

I immediately fired back, "Really? How about you take my place, Dad?" His silence spoke volumes, and I forced a smile while muttering, "Just as I thought." he doesn't even understand the severity of the situation, even though it was his idea to give me out just like that.

Once downstairs, I was met with a group of men in suits. They were handsome, but among them, I wondered which one was my groom. Or was it all of them? I quickly shook off the thought, hoping this was not some absurd polygamous arrangement.

My dad ushered me past the suited men, and I let out a sigh of relief. I spotted the young priest up ahead, but there was no sign of the groom.

"Where is he?" I demanded, my frustration growing.

My dad shot me a stern look and instructed me to simply stand at the altar. "He'll arrive," he assured me.

I stood there, feeling awkward and uncomfortable, doing my best to avoid the priest's silly grin. I knew better than to say anything I might regret later.

Standing next to the priest, I awaited the arrival of a groom I had never met. Two men approached with papers in hand, completely engrossed in conversation. I openly stared at both of them, hoping that one was my groom. Despite my curiosity, I was immediately drawn to the taller man with black hair and a strong build. His charisma and authority were undeniable. However, I reminded myself that this was a contractual agreement and attempted to shake off any attraction.

The men appeared to be completely engrossed in their conversation, completely oblivious to the fact that a wedding was taking place. I was growing increasingly frustrated and couldn't resist forcefully shouting, "Excuse me, are we or are we not getting married?" Despite my impatience, I found myself uncertain as to which one of the gentlemen was meant to be my soon-to-be husband.

"Oh, dear!" I heard my mother gasp, probably mortified by my lack of decorum.

Lucian's head shot up in confusion at the sound of a voice. "What's happening?" he demanded.

His secretary Ken, standing beside him, replied sharply, "It's your wedding, sir."

He was taken aback to find everyone gathered and the wedding about to begin. "Today?" he muttered absentmindedly. "I wasn't aware," he admitted.

"That's what I was trying to say earlier," Ken reminded him, 

He responded with a distracted smile, "Ah, yes."

"This... this fucker," I muttered under my breath as I watched them.

"Mira, calm down,” I could hear my mother’s bird voice trying to cut through my pissed-off brain.

Yeah, I had anger issues; it has been like that since I can remember. I honestly thought…. I had outgrown it but who knew it was still very much intact, hidden deep inside, and right now as I watch the handsome bastard strolled towards me, that anger is trying to spell out.

I watched him walk majestically, towards where I was standing with a stupid grin on his face; I turned my head back to the priest, trying to calm my mind.

When he finally got close, he smiled at the priest, “Let’s get this over with,” he blurted out,

“Thank God,” I murmured.

The wedding ceremony finally began. The priest chanted the customary verses, and although there was no romantic exchange of vows or intimate moments, I was relieved that the process was moving forward. After the rings were exchanged, the priest turned to him, ready to give the traditional instruction to kiss the bride.

"No way in hell," I cut him off. "I would prefer you go straight to the ring now, Father," I said, forcing a smile.

With a nodded agreement from the husband-to-be, we moved on to the ring ceremony, and just like that, we were officially married.

"Finally, I can breathe," I whispered to myself, trying to mask my true feelings.

"Thank you, dear," my mother said, hugging me.

"It's okay," I replied with a forced smile. "All that remains now is the papers for Father's company," I said, eager to move on.

"Oh, it's fine. He's about to give it back," Mother reassured me.

"Oh, that quick! This marriage might end even before it started. That's good," I smiled, trying to maintain a sense of optimism.

As the ceremony concluded, the boss's assistant approached us, asking me to join him. "I think I would pass," I replied, not willing to participate in any post-wedding formalities.

"It's not a choice but an order," he said, clarifying that I had no say in the matter. "If you have something to say, please say it to him," he pointed to the man sitting not to far from where I stood.

My mother looked horrified, but I couldn't let them push me around. I took a deep breath and faced the man who was now my husband, ignoring the four eyes beside me. "I would rather not," I said with a hint of defiance in my voice.

He looked slightly puzzled but didn't press the matter. As he resumed his conversation, I couldn't help but think, "This is just the beginning of our contract marriage. It's nothing more than a business arrangement." Yet, somewhere deep inside, I couldn't ignore the small spark of curiosity that made me wonder what would come next.

"I know it is dear, but we don't have a choice but to do what we are told," Mom said breaking into my trail of thoughts and I just looked at her.