Chapter 1 - Jilted At The Altar

It’s a beautiful springtime morning in England, squinting, Moriah looked at the sunlight that was already peering at the half opened curtain.

Every single cell in her body was charged with excitement, she jumped out of the bed, darted to the French window and flung it open.

The chirping of the birds and fluttering sounds of their wings waltzed into her ears like a symphony.

Countryside fresh air filled her lungs as she took a deep breath.

A smile painted on her face, she couldn't contain the joy in her heart and it's overflowing.

The entirety of her body was filled with energy like that of a four year old child that could jump and run around for hours without feeling tired.

What made her feel that way? Today is the day she had been waiting for. The day of her wedding.

Finally, the love of her life, the man of her dreams will be forever hers. She would spend every waking moment of her life with him.

Shaun Stanton, one of the heartthrobs in London, her boyfriend since high school.

Many women envied her for having caught Shaun’s attention.

Waltzing into the room, Anastacia Chen's eyes watered. Her daughter dressed in her wedding dress made her heart swell with pride.

“You're so beautiful, dear.” Anastacia said to Moriah, surveying her. Her eyes conveyed how much she adored her daughter.

“Thank you, mama. I got yours and baba’s (dad) genes, ” said Moriah shakily while she’s stifling her tears. Expecting her father to make his entrance but didn’t, Moriah opened her mouth, “Where’s baba (dad)?”

Moriah’s eyes were on the door waiting for her father to show up. She wanted to see her father who’d always give her courage whenever she’s feeling jittery.

Suddenly she felt her heart banging inside her ribcage like it was going to jump out of her chest. Perhaps it is the feeling of all brides she thought.

“Oh, that is, he went ahead at the chapel to see if everything was fine. You know your baba (dad), he always wanted the best for his princess,” Anastacia answered, but at the back of her mind she knew that something was amiss.

However, she couldn’t tell what it was as Jianyu left at once when the groom's best friend Ethan Miller whispered something to him.

Anastacia was about to say something to her, but she got cut off by Moriah's best friend, Cindy.

Standing at the threshold, she exclaimed while holding her own face. “Wow! You’re the most gorgeous bride I’ve ever seen”

Moriah gave in to an unladylike reaction, snorted and rolled her eyes, saying, “Sweet talk!”

“I know you won’t believe me. Let’s wait and see until Shaun sees you. His eyes will pop out of his head,” Cindy was chuckling as she talked.

Peals of laughter permeated the room that gave a festive vibe to the rather quiet room.

“Let’s go,” said Anastacia once they stopped laughing, then went on, “The limousine is already waiting outside. You wouldn’t want your groom waiting, are you? ” Anastacia chuckled.

She walked down the villa towards the waiting limousine, Anastacia and Cindy in tow, carrying the train of her wedding gown.

When assured that everything was well for the bride, Anastacia and Cindy board their own car.

The chapel wasn’t that far from the villa, after a couple of minutes the car halted in front of the chapel at Miller Estate.

Unsuspectingly, the bride waited impatiently in the limousine.

She’s eager to walk down the aisle and exchange vows with the man she dreamed to spend the rest of her life with.

Finally, her dad fetched her, after half an hour, which seemed like decades of waiting for a bride who was too eager to see her dashing groom.

Every fiber of her being was immersed in euphoria which made her oblivious to the presence of the guests.

Her joy spilling over that it radiated on her face, making it glow. Moriah looks through her wedding veil, to glance at the man her heart belongs to.

But, bewilderment replaced the joy she had, seeing that Shaun wasn’t there and that the man standing down the aisle is not her groom but her enemy.

She stopped in the middle of the aisle and looked at her father quizzically.

“Shaun, jilted you at the altar” said Jianyu shakily, he’s holding back to break down at the myriads of emotions flooding his heart.

The full force of what her father told hit her like a thunderbolt, she stood there dumbfounded, unable to say anything. Slowly, pain etched on her beautiful face.

Looking at his daughter’s shock and anguish, he squeezed her hand to console her and continued to speak, “Ethan Miller had proposed that he is going to marry you.”

An almost uncontainable fright swept over Moriah, twisting her stomach into sick knots and draining the color from her face.

Moriah swallowed the lump forming her throat and voiced her protest, “No, I can’t marry him, baba (dad).”

She can’t marry her foe, her marriage would be a living hell. She would rather be humiliated than to marry him.

“Moriah, dear child, think about our relatives. They will have the reason to taunt our family again.

Ethan Miller is rescuing you from this disgrace and please don’t allow our relatives to trample on us yet again.” Jianyu said, his voice imploring yet authoritative.

For Ethan Miller to marry Moriah will be her redemption from the humiliation of being dumped on her wedding day.

Ethan Miller is a 31 year old billionaire. At the age of 17 he was already an astute businessman and became the youngest billionaire in the UK at the age of 25.

All thanks to his father who had taught him brilliant business principles and skills.

Apart from being a young billionaire, he was also endowed with a perfectly handsome and gorgeous face and added to that is his lean chiseled physique.

He is the epitome of male beauty and most single women had a fancy for him.

Nonetheless, Moriah wasn't part of those who fancied him. She actually loathes him that much.

She looked at her grandpa, uncles, aunties and cousins who came from China just to grace her wedding.

Her family migrated from China to England after the incident where she was almost killed.

Her dad belongs to a wealthy and powerful noble family from Shanghai.

He fell in love with her mom when he was about to marry. It was an arranged marriage and he didn't love his fiancée.

Naturally, he called the wedding off and married her mom.

This enraged his grandfather and disinherited her father.

And to make things worse, her mother isn't Chinese, but an English woman.

They hated her and her mom so they tried to eradicate her and mom by kidnapping them.

She didn't understand their sudden appearance and why they came to grace her wedding, when it was clear as day that they still can't accept a mixed -blood child in their family.

How could they possibly welcome her into the family when she inherited nothing of her dad's look except his flawless fair skin while inheriting her mom's stunningly beautiful face and body.

She depicts nothing of Asian physical attributes. They must be thinking that she's not her father's daughter.

"Smile, my darling their eyes are on you," Jianyu's voice broke her trance.

Moriah looked at her relatives who were already sneering, Moriah closed her eyes and composed herself.

She could put up with her relatives' unkind behavior towards her, however, she can’t tolerate it when they attack her father and mother.

Taking a deep, long breath, her nerves calmed a little and muttered, "You can do it."

She wore her sweetest smile, she wouldn’t allow her relatives to have the last laugh.

On Ethan Miller’s side, he waited patiently at his reluctant bride.

The most respected business mogul he is, people never make him wait. Only his bride made him wait, nonetheless he overlooked it, given that he has been just a replacement groom.

It’s just a natural thing for an excited bride to be shocked when her groom left her at the altar and another man volunteered to marry her.

Cindy's heart goes to her best friend and whispers a prayer, "God help her."

Her eyes stung because of the unshed tears in her eyes.

"I hope she'll be fine," Cindy muttered and forced a smile as she didn't want Moriah's family who came from China to know of her being jilted at the altar.

She just pitied her friend's predicament of being abandoned at the altar and now marrying a man she hadn’t dreamed of.

Particularly, to a man that hates her, and in her friend’s case, the feeling is mutual, they both hate each other.

On the other hand, Anastacia smiled sweetly, unwilling to give a pitiful look at her daughter.

It’s not the time to show sympathy to her daughter because she doesn’t want the guests to feel pity for the bride.

Ethan stood there with an unreadable facial expression. No one could decipher what was going on in his mind. His face was neither sad nor happy.

At last, the bride was in front of him. Ethan took her hand and placed it in the crook of his arm. They walked towards the altar and the priest started.

When the time came for the exchanging of vows, Ethan imprisoned Moriah’s green eyes with his blue eyes before he said his vow.

“Moriah, my love,” he said,

Moriah's eyes widened as she heard him say 'my love' smoothly as if he truly loves her and does not hate her.

She would believe him if he said, 'my enemy'.

She was impressed with his impeccable acting. He’s qualified to be an actor.

“Your presence makes everything else fade to the background. You are the sunshine in my stormy days.” Ethan paused, watching Moriah’s reaction.