Chapter 1: The betrayal

Hazel's pov:

I stood in front of the mirror as i admired my beautiful wedding dress that had thousands of tiny pearls designed on it. It was hand made from ZIMA fashion house, one of the top fashion companies in the country and also where I work as a designer. It took about a month and  lots of hardwork and money to make this perfect dress.

 Beaming with so much excitement as I could remember how my mum always told me how I would look like a goddess in my wedding dress. 

Well.. she was right, I did look like a goddess, except that she wouldn't be here to witness me walk down the aisle with the love of my life. She passed away years ago and I am stuck with my dad who pays more attention to my step mom and her daughter.

I am Hazel Carter, the 25 year old  daughter of Bennett Carter. The owner of 'Bennets Bakery'.  I would not call us rich but least we lived in our own house and I attended one of the best universities. I would say.. uh average, yes, we were an average family that was doing well. I was always my dad's favorite until my mum died when I was ten. The doctor said it was heart attack, and I recalled myself crying my heart out until my dad introduced me to my stepmom and stepsister  few days after my mum's burial. 

That was where it all started. The dislike for my dad. He said that the girl,  ivy was his biological daughter which meant that he actually cheated on my mum, something I didn't believe initially. I couldn't take in the news and I had an attack on that day. I was diagnosed with Anxionoma,  some sort of anxiety and panic disorder. 

In my wildest thoughts, I never imagined my dad would ever do something like that and we grew apart since then. 

I wanted answers but there was none. My dad never cared to explain what was going on. He didn't care about how I felt. 

Since then..I have worked really hard to leave this house and discard this family for good. 

Anyway..I am finally going to leave this  godforsaken house. I am going to get married to the director of ZIMA fashion house, Asher Williams, the handsome millionaire every woman wanted, but now he's stuck with me forever.

Asher and I  met when I went for my internship at the fashion house, and we didn't even start of on a good term, but now we're getting married. Our relationship wasn't a secret. Everyone in the country was aware. Most women in fact, didn't fail to hide their jealousy, as they were always  writing me off in his comments or telling Asher that he deserves a much better woman, my step sister included. 

I picked up my phone, took a picture of myself, and I uploaded it with the caption 'Off to steal Asher's last name'. 

It wasn't even up to a minute before the comments started to flood in but It was different this time. It wasn't congratulatory messages or writing me off. It was... Wait... What the hell is happening?

What are these people talking about?

Asher breaking off his engagement to be with another  woman? 

I scoffed. This is ridiculous.

I stared at my phone in disbelief as I began to read the comments.  

'Are you about to be the second wife?I guess Brianna was a better option'

'I said it. Asher has finally come to his senses, he wouldn't want to marry a cheating woman"

 Who cheated? And why are they mentioning Brianna's name in all of this? That was when it occurred to me that Brianna hasn't arrived yet. I was too happy thinking about how my future would look like from now, that I completely forgot that my chief bridesmaid hasn't arrived yet. 

"Calm down Hazel. It's not what you think it is" I told myself and immediately dialed Asher's number and he picked up on the second ring. 

"Where are you babe?What is going on?" I asked, unable to conceal the  fear and panic in my voice.

"What is happening is.. we're not going to get married anymore, you and I are done" He replied sternly

"What? What are you talking about?, This must be a joke, fine..fine you got me, hahaha, I was scared for a minute" I laughed it off and he scoffed 

"When you're done thinking it's a joke, you'll wake up to reality, you think I wouldn't find out?, how you cheated on me with your anonymous lover severally? " He said and ended the call immediately not waiting for me to respond or try to explain my response. 

I don't even know what I would have told him because I clearly don't understand what is going on .

My smile faded as I glanced at the phone screen. What is happening? So many thoughts ran across my head immediately. 

This is not true. I refuse to believe it. There was no text from Brianna either, and she wasn't responding to my calls but they were loads of notifications on my I*******m.

"Hazel!"  I heard my dad's angry voice and I turned my head to see him barging into the room with my stepmom and sister behind. 

"Dad...I " I tried to explain but he quickly cut me off, his eyes filled with rage and disappointment.

"What have you done! Do you have any idea what damage you have caused? Our name,the family name is out on the internet, how could you be so stupid and careless to cheat on your fiance a night before your own wedding"

I stood there, frozen , trying to process what I just heard. 

"Dad..what are you talking about? I don't know what is happening, I don't_"

"Don't lie to me Hazel. The last thing I would want to listen to right now is your lies. " He interrupted. 

"Yes sis. The video of you kissing and touching another man at the hotel is everywhere on the internet" Ivy, my stepsister said as she passed her phone to me. 

I looked at everyone and reluctantly took the phone from her and watched the video she was talking about and I gasped as tears filled my eyes the moment I saw what she was talking about.

It was me! With a man I don't even recognize. I held the man so tight and kissed him so hard at the hotel corridor and then eventually, I was dragged into the closest room and the video ended there. 

How did this happen? I remember a little bit of what happened last night. I remember waiting for a client at the lounge and then I don't know how I found myself in one of the rooms almost naked in the morning. 

"Dad..I can explain. I swear I didn't know what I was doing , it wasn't my fault, my drink was laced with some drugs and... and " I tried to explain  but he wasn't even ready to listen to me. He shook his head in disappointment 

"I trusted you. How could you do this? Asher has broken off the engagement, the family name is in the news for the wrong reasons. You are nothing but a disgrace to this family" He said sharply, and I only stared at the ground in shame. I wanted it to open up and swallow me. I wanted to run.. I wanted to speak...I wanted to do something but the only thing I could do at that moment was cry

"I am so sorry.." I whispered, audible enough for him to hear me. 

"Do not expect anything from me any longer" He said and stormed out of the room 

"I told him you were always like this. You have finally shown how much of a bad daughter you are to him" my stepmom smiled and she went after my dad while I was left alone to deal with the only thorn in my flesh. Ivy Carter. 

I am not  in the mood to say anything to her right now. I just wanted to be alone at the moment and take in all that has happened. 

Ivy gave a mocking smile as she walked towards me 

" Awnnnn..my poor sis, you thought you were the only one that wanted something good? Of course It is Asher Williams, you didn't think I would just sit there and make you steal him from me" she sneered 

I stared at her with rage, unsure of what to say to her. Is she behind all of this? 

"Ivy..leave my room this instance" I commanded, and she only smiled, which angered me more. 

"I have waited for a day like this for the longest time. You were the perfect daughter. So how did the perfect daughter make such a silly, stupid mistake?"

" Did you do this ivy?" I asked staring at her suspiciously.

" Oh..sis, you think it's me? I am not your only anti-fan. Well, it could be me and it could be someone else. Anyway, the best I can do is to help clear our family name but Hazel...you have lost everything that was supposed to come to me. Asher, Your best friend, your reputation, maybe your job too and dad's trust. You have nowhere else to run to now" she mocked and finally left the room. 

I sank into the chair the moment I was left alone. Finally some peace and quiet and enough time to recall what really happened yesterday. 

I was at the Gray's five-star hotel to meet up with a client that wanted to invest and also buy some designs from ZIMA.  If Brianna had not called it an emergency I wouldn't have come because it was a day to my wedding and I was supposed to be making preparations.

It was Brianna!

She set me up. She fucking ruined my life. 

My Anxionoma was kicking in but I tried to fight it. 

I was still trying to think when I heard my phone beep. I wiped my tears and immediately checked to see what it was. 

It was an email, from ZIMA fashion house. 

I clicked on the message and read it. They were letting me off? They just fired me. 

"Nooo no no"  I muttered to myself as my trembling hands dropped the phone. 

I started to feel dizzy and my breath shortened. I wanted air. I couldn't breathe. I clutched on my chest as I immediately ran out of the room and I didn't stop until I was outside the house. I lifted my dress higher and ran faster into the next street. 

I could faintly hear my dad call my name as he ran after me but I didn't respond. 

I just wanted to leave. 

No one would believe me anyway. There's no point waiting or trying to explain anything to anyone. All I feel this moment is pain, hurt and betrayal. My chest was hurting really bad, and I didn't stop to even catch my breath.

I wanted to escape from this harsh reality. 

My Anxionoma kicked in again and I stopped at the spot and held my chest tightly. The tears that clouded my eyes made my vision blurry that I didn't even realize I was at the middle of the road. I only heard car horns and the next thing I heard was a car screech as the car headlights flashed to my face.

I tried to move but it was too late as I felt myself fall with a loud thud on the floor. 

Finally. I am free!

"Hazel!!" I could faintly hear my dad's voice and the next thing that clouded me was darkness and silence.