Chapter 2: The Wedding Night.

Marianne took a deep breath as she sat beside her sister. Today was undeniably the happiest day of her life, as it was her dream to walk down the aisle with the man she loved. But at the same time, she was sad, unsure if the same was true for Alexander, her groom.

She was about to marry Alexander, who hadn’t spoken to her for a week since the incident. He had been avoiding her completely, ignoring her messages and refusing to give her a chance to address the issue.

“You didn’t tell me how it’s possible that you’re marrying Alex. Did something happen?” Winter asked, confusion on her face. Marianne sighed softly and bit her lip.

Marianne had intended to keep everything to herself, planning to tell Winter only when the time felt right, as she didn’t want to add more worries to herself. Despite Winter’s understanding nature, she was always curious about why her sister was suddenly marrying Alexander.

Winter couldn’t understand why her sister was wasting her time secretly loving Alexander when there were other guys who would do anything for her. Marianne was a stunning girl with an amazing figure, and aside from being a genius, Winter saw nothing appealing about Alexander that would attract her sister. It puzzled her that they were getting married out of the blue.

The door to her dressing room opened, and Mrs. Skarsgard, Alexander’s mother, along with Mrs. Corelle, Marianne’s mother, entered. Marianne forced a smile upon seeing them. The families were close, and their parents were friends, so she and Alexander had grown up together, with him being four years older than she was.

“My daughter-in-law looks so pretty,” Mrs. Skarsgard commented with a smile, admiring the elegant white wedding gown that fitted Marianne perfectly.

“I’ll see you at the chapel,” she added. After a brief hug, she left, and Mrs. Corelle smiled at her daughter, gently stroking her hair.

“Winter, could you give us a moment alone?” Mrs. Corelle asked. Winter hesitated but then nodded, offering a final reassuring smile to Marianne before leaving the room.

“Mom,” Marianne whispered, tears gathering in her eyes. “I didn’t mean for it to be like this, I swear… I really…” She couldn’t finish her sentence as her mother hugged her closely.

“I know this is difficult, Marianne. But you made a mistake,” her mother said softly as she pulled away from the hug.

“I had no idea it was going to end this way. I know I was greedy, Mom, but Alex won’t talk to me or reply to my messages. He…” Her tears choked her, and she didn’t care if she was ruining her makeup. She just couldn’t control her emotions.

Mrs. Corelle sighed, unsure of what to say. Although her daughter hadn’t explained everything, from her own perspective and what Mrs. Skarsgard had said, she could tell it was a misunderstanding. She knew about her daughter’s feelings for Alexander, but she also knew that Alexander didn’t have any romantic feelings toward her daughter. She felt the marriage was unfair to Alexander. However, with Mrs. Skarsgard’s insistence that they marry, Mrs. Corelle felt powerless to act.

Mrs. Corelle was about to speak further when Winter walked in. Marianne quickly wiped her tears and forced a smile. Winter shook her head, knowing her sister well enough to see through the pretense.

“It’s time,” she said. Marianne took her mom’s hand, who led her out of the room.

.......

Alexander sighed for the umpteenth time as he stood at the altar, waiting for his so-called bride. His face was a mask of indifference, revealing nothing of his emotions. It was clear he wasn’t happy—how could he be? Why would he marry his best friend? And yes, he had been avoiding her.

After reviewing the CCTV footage of the venue where the party had taken place, it was clear that Marianne wasn’t drunk that night. So, in one word, his best friend had done it on purpose, fully aware he had a girlfriend.

The chapel doors opened, drawing his attention. There stood his best friend, clad in a wedding dress. She was indeed beautiful, a fact he had always acknowledged, but beauty alone didn’t equate to love.

As she walked down the aisle with her mother—her father having passed away years ago—Marianne glanced at Alexander. Though she hadn’t seen him since the incident, it was his emotionless expression that stood out to her.

Marianne’s smile was tight, causing Alexander to scoff and look away. It wasn’t a grand wedding, and none of his friends knew he was getting married—not even Jake, his best friend, or Elena, his girlfriend. To him, Marianne was marrying a ghost of himself, not the real him.

Marianne took a deep breath as she reached the altar, standing face-to-face with Alexander, who closed the distance between them.

“So, are you happy now?” he asked. She shook her head vigorously.

“I can explain, Alex. It…” 

“It was a mistake, I suppose,” he interrupted with a forced smile. Marianne bit her lip, unable to respond.

“You weren’t drunk, Marianne,” he continued. She looked at him, tears glistening in her eyes. It was the first time he’d called her by her full name and not the usual ‘Anne’ he always used.

“Why do you want to ruin me? Why did you do it? What kind of friend are you?” he demanded through gritted teeth, though no one else heard them.

“I hope you’re satisfied now,” he said, his disbelief evident, as he took two steps away from her and signaled the priest to proceed.

Alexander wasn’t here of his own will. He was forced into this by his mother, who had threatened to take her own life if he didn’t comply.

The priest continued with the ceremony, reciting the vows and exchanging rings, finally pronouncing them husband and wife. As the moment for the kiss arrived, Alexander simply walked out of the chapel.

At least none of his friends were present, and no one knew about his marriage.

He left the hall despite his mother’s calls, entered his car, and had the driver take him away to his destination.

*****

At 8 PM that evening, Marianne, accompanied by her sister Winter, arrived at the new mansion that Mrs. Skarsgard had gifted her and Alexander for their wedding. Marianne turned to Winter with a smile.

“I’ll handle it from here. You should head home,” Marianne said. Winter looked at her curiously, sensing that her sister wasn’t being entirely forthright.

“You’re not telling me anything,” Winter said.

“I will, okay? You’re the one who knows me best,” Marianne replied with a smile.

“That’s not true; Alex knows you better. But fine, I’ll leave you to rest.” Winter said, getting into the car Mrs. Skarsgard had arranged. She waved to Marianne as the car drove away.

Marianne took a deep breath and headed toward the house, only to be shocked by the sight of Alexander and his girlfriend, Elena, in a passionate kiss. Her heart sank as she watched them.

“Alex,” she called, trying to keep her voice steady and her tears at bay. Why did this have to happen today of all days? At least he should have waited until tomorrow or the next day.

“Oh! Marianne, what a surprise,” Elena said, noticing her. Marianne couldn’t bring herself to respond. How could she admit that she was married to Alexander, Elena’s boyfriend?

“Babe, I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? I need to talk to Marianne,” Alexander said, and Elena nodded understandingly. She knew how close Marianne and Alexander were and wasn’t upset by the situation.

“Alright. Goodnight,” Elena said, pecking Alexander on the lips before leaving the mansion.

Alexander then turned to Marianne. “You called me,” he said, walking toward her.

“Is this about the kiss we were supposed to share at the altar? Do you want it now?” Alexander asked, pressing her against the wall as he tried to kiss her. Marianne resisted, pushing him away.

“Why? You weren’t drunk that night and took advantage of me. Why back down now when this is what you wanted? Should we have sex again?” he demanded. Marianne freed herself and slapped him in response.

“Why won’t you believe me when I say it was a mistake?” she shouted, tears streaming down her face.

Alexander smirked irritably. “A mistake? Or were you just trying to get a share of my late father’s company? Isn’t that what it looks like?” he said. Marianne’s face fell at his words.

“What?” she exclaimed. Alexander knew she hated such insinuations. Although Marianne wasn’t poor, her family was average, and she hated when people assumed she was with Alexander for his wealth.

“You call this a marriage?” Alexander scoffed. “If you don’t want to hear more hurtful words, then stay away from me. Let’s avoid each other,” he added.

In tears, Marianne removed her wedding ring and threw it across the room.

“I didn’t want this either. If you think I did it for your money, then I’m deeply disappointed in you, Alex. I thought you knew me, but it seems I’ve been the only one invested in this friendship. I’ll stay away as you want, and I promise to keep myself hidden from you as much as possible.” She said, turning to leave but pausing at the door.

“It’s Marianne Corelle, not Skarsgard. Don’t forget, I was never truly your wife. I’m sorry for ruining you,” she said, her tears falling as she walked out of the house that night.