The Wedding

Chapter Two

I sit alone in the dimly lit room inside the hall, clutching my phone tight. The screen lights up to yet another call from him, my boyfriend. I peer at his name, feeling my heart twist, but I don't answer. How could I explain any of this, the lie I'm about to live, the promise I'm about to make to another man? I feel the weight of the betrayal, yet I cannot bring my fingers to touch "answer."

"Miss Rachel?" A soft voice pulls me out of my thoughts, and I look up to see an assistant standing at the door. Her face is blank and professional, as though this were just another task on her list.

"Yes?" I say, barely above a whisper.

"They're ready for you," she says politely, but I catch the hint of pity in her eyes. I nod slowly and rise to my feet, feeling the weight of the moment pressing down on me.

As I step into the main room, my stomach churns. Barely a couple of family and close associates seem to pay any attention to my presence. At the front, Mr. Noah waits, looking cool, distant, and serene—the same look he has when he is closing yet another business deal.

"Rachel," he says as our eyes meet, his tone as smooth as silk but about as warm. "I didn't think you'd keep me waiting."

I force a small, quivering smile. "Ain't I here?" It even sounds unconvincing to my ears. I look aside, the pang in my heart craving another life.

The officiant clears his throat and begins the ceremony. His words sound muffled and distant, and all I can really focus on is the reality that's trying to sink in. My father's hospital bills are paid for, his health no longer in immediate danger—and all due to Mr. Noah's help. Yet the price is standing here, saying words that should mean everything but now mean nothing.

As I am to say my vows, I fumble; my mouth is as dry as sand. My mind drifts back to my boyfriend. I wonder if he is still calling me, still at least waiting for an answer from me that shall never arrive.

Mr. Noah looks back at me with a rise in the eyebrow. "Huh, Rachel?" The tone is mocking; he is daring me to change my mind.

I swallow hard. "No. I'm just… thinking," I whisper.

He leans in closer, his voice low. "It is not that you have any choice again; this is what you choose to do for your father."

I nod, barely able to meet his gaze. "Yes. This… this is what I have to do."

He eyes me, his gaze cold and calculating. "Then say the words, Rachel. Get it over with."

I take a shaky breath and force myself to speak. "I… I do," I manage to say, the words almost catching in my throat.

There's no warmth in Mr. Noah's face, no flicker of sympathy. He simply extends his hand, slipping the ring onto my finger with the same precision he'd use to sign a contract.

And when he does, his words are steady, free of any semblance of faltering. "I do," he says, his voice firm but completely void of emotion.

I look down at my hand, the cold metal wrapped around my finger, and feel trapped. This little circle of shining metal now binds me to a man I barely know, a man who doesn't care about me.

The voice of the officiant finally comes to an end. "I now pronounce you husband and wife."

Mr. Noah bends slightly, his lips barely brushing against my cheek. "Welcome to your new life, Mrs. Noah," he says in a mocking whisper.

I shut my eyes for a second, trying not to burst into tears. "Is it really new," I whisper in return, "or just another prison?"

He draws back; his face is impassive once more. "That depends on you, doesn't it?"

I feel the wave of bitterness and swallow hard. It was my decision; I made it. For my father, for his life.

They are clapping politely as the small crowd greets the newlywed couple, but to me, it's hollow, much like this marriage. I cannot bear to look at him any longer, the coldness in his eyes. Lowering my head and holding my hand tightly, I feel more alone than at any other time in my entire life. As the ceremony comes to a close, I realize I have left one life behind and stepped into another—a life I never wanted.