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Prologue
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2020-08-12 21:13:39The wind gushing from outside the car’s window softly blew the bride’s veil, revealing her morbid yet beautiful face. She was on the way to her honeymoon. A sour smile curved in her lips as the bitter tears filled her eyes.
After she was forced to wear a wedding dress that morning, Audrey was left with no choice but to squish her bigger frame inside the slim-cut white gown. It was her wedding day. A supposedly special day for each bride in the whole world. But hers was certainly special and differently memorable. Her swollen eyes and puffed cheeks should be enough for one to tell that she wasn’t happy at all. All thanks to her dress, her groom, and her honeymoon trip. Her day turned out worse than it could ever be.
Audrey was not skinny at all. She was fat. Not so fat, but she got a lot of extra calories within her body and to her surprise－ her future in-laws had prepared a bridal outfit in a smaller size. It was like a slap to her face and to think that the groom’s mother was not doing it on purpose. It’s just that they hadn’t met for years until a few hours before the wedding started. Mrs. Vargas, her late mother's best friend was extremely sorry that she even suggested postponing the event until she could get her a new set of wedding garments on behalf of her deceased parents. Audrey declined it for two reasons; she wanted to get over with the so-called arranged marriage as soon as she could, and she didn’t want to spend another sleepless night thinking about her future with her soon-to-be husband.
Speaking of her groom, he was no other than Shane Vargas. Her childhood friend, her first love, and the most loved actor in the country. Shane rose in fame since he started shooting commercials when he was 15 and was featured in every teen magazine. At 18, he became the main lead on the sensational teen romance drama that became famous worldwide. His status skyrocketed after that. Audrey could definitely recite all his achievements ever since that day he stood in stardom. She was so proud of him then until she realized one thing… he was getting further away from her reach. And Shane proved their differences on the day of their wedding. He left for another country to shoot his movie, leaving her behind.
Like a joke, Audrey tried to complete the ceremony alone. She was totally embarrassed. It was not just her. Even the priest and the guests felt awkward when she walked down the aisle without anyone waiting for her at the end. She recited her vows and cried in the middle, wearing her wedding ring by herself, thinking that the ceremony was just for a show and the important thing was they already signed and registered their marriage contract the day before. All those self-comforting words failed to make her feel better. After all that happened, she ended up regretting attending her own wedding.
“Madam, we’re here.”
Audrey automatically went back to her senses when her personal driver’s voice echoed inside the car. She lifted her head and stared outside the window. They were in front of a luxurious resort where she was supposed to spend the first night as a wedded wife. But since her groom didn’t attend the wedding, the chances of spending the night with him was below 0.1 percent. If not for her mother-in-law who insisted she go, saying that Shane would definitely come to make up with what happened in the ceremony, she wouldn’t have bothered her driver.
She pulled off her veil and shook her head, letting her hair fall on her back. With a heavy heart, she breathed out. “Turn the car around, John. Let’s head to the villa,” she ordered. She had enough shits for the day.
‘What’s the point of waiting for him in the honeymoon suite when he could not even attend the wedding ceremony?’ she thought as the car engine started again. A smug smile curved on her lips when her eyes landed on the billboard by the roadside. It was her groom, wearing a sweet smile while hugging his leading lady in the upcoming movie he’s currently shooting. She fetched her phone in her purse and was thrilled when she saw him having a live interview with his crew. His face was shining brightly as he promoted himself and the other casts. ‘Right, there’s no way he’ll make it tonight.’
Watching Shane through her phone became her habit for years. She thought that it wasn’t that bad that the guy’s famous as she could simply type his name in G****e search and hundreds of the latest updates about him would pop up on her screen. Audrey wiped her tears after pulling several sheets of tissue beside her, smudging her makeup.
*Toot-toot-toot!!!*
“Madam!”
Everything happened in a flash. Audrey raised her head only to see the ten-wheeler truck coming towards them. She saw how hard John tried to avoid it but the look on his face was yelling it was impossible. Her heart was beating rapidly as the truck closed the distance to their car in an instant. Audrey clutched her phone with Shane’s interview still streaming. ‘Is this the end?’ Tears fell from her eyes once again when John jumped over his seat to protect her from direct impact as their vehicle collided with the truck.
The deafening sound of the ambulance rushing to the scene could be heard. Audrey opened her eyes for a second only to be welcomed by a pool of blood. Her trembling frame was lying cold on the concrete road as she whispered her prayers.
“Just… this once. Please don’t take me yet.”
It was her wedding day, and she was wearing a not-so-perfect stained white wedding dress while fighting the fate that was dragging her to her deathbed. She had it worse for a bride.
‘Shane… were you thinking of me even for once? Wondering about how our wedding ceremony turned out like…? What’s in your mind right now while I’m trying my hardest to let you hear my death throes… Shane, do you know that I love you?’ Audrey pursed her lips, her head was becoming fuzzy. She felt her energy rubbing off her. The clanking sound of her phone which fell on the ground was the last thing she heard before her world crumbled in silence.
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In a gasp, Audrey found herself waking up inside the car. She looked around to examine her surroundings and was relieved when she realized she was only dreaming. It had been five years, and she still couldn’t completely get over what happened that day. The fact that she was able to ride a car again was the fruit of her daily battle against the trauma she had from the accident, though it took her more than a couple of years to overcome the anxiety she felt whenever she rode a car. “Are you all right?” Nathan asked with concern painted on his face. He pulled over the car to the side and checked on her. His green eyes eagerly assessed her sweaty, pale face. Audrey nodded her head as a response. She met Nathan in Italy a few months after she recovered from the accident. The guy was then unemployed and wandering around the park near her rented apartment. She often saw him in a daze when she was in her daily jog routine. The first time they ha
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The cool and fresh air pervaded the car when Audrey chose to open the windows to let the breeze in. Her mind was filled with memories as the car went down the long, green driveway. Trees and flowers remained as good as they were when she left. In fact, they seemed to be more taken care of. On her parent’s will, it was written that the estate would be given to her when she married. Her late parents hired the best architect and engineers they could find to design the whole property. Unfortunately, a month after the development of the estate was finished, her parents died in a plane crash when they were heading to Europe to visit Shane’s parents. And a year after that, she got married to Shane as the arrangement made by both of their parents’ when hers were still alive. She thought she’d find happiness once she married the one she loved. Little did she know, the dark reality behind the marriage life began on the day of her wedding.
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After loads of work on his schedule, Shane finally had some time for himself. When his manager drove him home, his mind was filled with Zzz. Taking a cold shower and sprawling on his bed was his initial plan, though, he disregarded the ‘showering’ part and proceeded on taking off his clothes, leaving only his boxers on the moment he stepped inside the room. He climbed on the bed and grabbed the fluffy thing beside him to sleep. The sweet fragrance invaded his nostrils as he breathed. It made him feel lighter as he kept on sniffing the pleasant smell. He snuggled closer to the undeniably comfortable thing, thinking it was his human-sized pillow, burying his face on it while enjoying the lovely scent. That night, he fell asleep with a smile plastered on his face which was actually rare. It was two hours later, Shane was woken up by the subtle movements inside his arms. He frowned, lifting an arm, and rummaged through the table beside the bed to turn on the lamps. His vision was blurry
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“Mm…” Audrey slowly opened her eyes when she felt something wrapping her. A toned chest welcomed her after adjusting her eyes to the bright sunlight reflecting on the glass window. ‘What the…?’ Warm sweats were dripping from her face down her neck, making her uncomfortable. She remembered not turning on the air condition before going to bed the previous night and thanks to the man who was hugging her like a koala, she felt hotter. “Right,” she muttered when she recalled what happened. Shane came in the middle of the night and slept on her bed only to kick her after he found out she was there too. She was too exhausted to argue with the man, and he thought the same, so they ended up going back to sleep without further ado. “But hugging me like this isn’t part of the deal,” she softly said, trying to get off his hold. Audrey rolled her eyes when she failed to remove Shane’s arm. His grip actually went tighter whenever she tried to move. “H
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The crinkle on Shane’s forehead increased when he saw how well Audrey got along with the blonde man who’s showing off his biceps by wearing an apron and not a proper shirt early in the morning. He stood a few feet away from the dining table, leaning his back on the metallic door frame, and watched them conversed while exchanging soft giggles that irritated him. It wasn’t his thing to eavesdrop, so he faked a cough several times to announce his presence only to be totally ignored as the two were totally immersed in each other. ‘Who is he?’ Shane combed his jet black hair with his fingers when Audrey couldn’t stop laughing while brushing her teeth. He thought for a moment she changed because of losing a lot of weight but seeing how careless she could be, he knew that she’s definitely the Audrey he grew up with. Reminiscing some scenes fifteen years back, a smile crept on his lips but immediately faded when he heard what she said. &
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“Enjoy,” was what his manager said before hanging up the call. Shane slumped himself on the couch. “Easier said than done,” he muttered with his eyes closed. Just right when he finished his breakfast, which was great, he received a call from Lucy, his manager, telling him about the change on his schedule. The company would be giving him another week off if he could shoot a TV commercial in three days. But of course, it meant that he would only have three days' rest from now, and he should go back to work again. Then he could have an additional free week after that. Shane wanted to say no, and he would be lying if he had that choice. Despite being one of the most famous artists in their entertainment company, he could barely have time for himself because of the long lists of jobs he got and never-ending offers too. Yes, he got good pay in line with his profession, but he’s still young, and just like other men of his age, he also wanted to
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‘Shit.’ Audrey was cursing herself when she couldn’t find her phone in her bag nor her pockets. “Ah! Where is it?” She rummaged through her things inside again, and she wasn’t contented, she poured everything in her bag on the ground. “I’ll be doomed if I can’t find it. After all, I don’t want to ring the doorbell and let that guy act like he’s the house owner,” she murmured while picking her things up, one by one, and putting them back. “Found it!” she happily exclaimed when she saw her phone lying on the surface. In fact, it wasn’t in her bag earlier. It fell from her pocket while she was busy looking for it. After accompanying Nathan to his apartment which happened to be nearby, he drove her back. She insisted on getting off at the main gate to take a walk. Nathan agreed and went back to his place to arrange the interior, so they bid their goodbyes. She made sure to ask him about the passcode before getting out of his car. And he told
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Folding her arms on her chest while crossing her legs, Audrey patiently waited for Shane to return after dragging Stephanie outside. “Gosh! What’s taking him so long?” she murmured when he still didn’t come back after several minutes. “Did he decide to drive her home or something?” “I didn’t,” Shane said, walking towards her. “Take a seat then. Stop wasting my time,” she retorted. She watched him settle on the couch in front of her. Between them was a small, round, glass table with envelopes on top. Audrey saw how Shane’s face turned pale after noticing the brown envelopes. “Check it out,” she started, ignoring the sudden tension in the atmosphere. “What is this all about, Audrey?” Shane’s question made her laugh, a sarcastic one. “Annulment papers, what else? I know, divorce sounds better but it's not legal in the country yet. Since annulment also means legal separation then we might as well sign the papers, so we could get over with this,” Audrey said, hitting the point instantly
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The Deserted Bride Epilogue
The reddish lights painted across the sky meeting the sea ahead was more than a magnificent view to witness at dusk. A rare beauty to find in the middle of the ocean. Between the vast sky and the deep sea, a couple was found hugging each other. Loving gazes flashes across the other and sweet smiles were inscribed on their lips. It was a rare affectionate sight, filled with joys and hope melted on their faces. “Isn’t it wonderful?” Shane whispered to the woman in his arms. He prompted her to turn around and enjoy the scenery in front. “They say, watching the sunset together promises a happy life ahead till the last breath. Do you agree?” He bent down his face to smell the floral fragrance coming from the beauty in his hold. “Hmm… If I have known that watching the sunset will guarantee a happy life with you, I would have had already dragged you to watch the setting
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The following days were hectic for the Vargas family. Mrs. Vargas was a perfectionist at times and was the most reliable to handle the wedding preparation. She didn’t want his son to get more embarrassed after his epic-failure when asking for Audrey’s hand. After all his cheesy plans to surprise Audrey, Shane ended up getting surprised instead. The elder couldn’t forget how her son blushed while answering ‘Yes’ to her future daughter-in-law’s proposal. It was a rather unique marriage proposal she ever witnessed. Well, who would even want to give up her diamond engagement ring for the man she loved only to make up with him after giving him a tease during the crucial moments? Only Audrey was willing to do.Mrs. Vargas was told that the ring Audrey removed and inserted on Shane’s finger was the same ring that her son bought from overseas and used to get back with Audrey when they once had a major
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“Are we there yet?” Audrey asked while being guided by Shane somewhere outside the house. The actor came back in the evening with a bright face. He surprised her with a hug and kisses while she was preparing dinner. Thankfully, it was a weekend and Audrey didn't need to go out for work. Furthermore, she could spend more time with her fiancé which boosted her mood tenfold. She was so happy that she forgot about the 'pregnant' dilemma she had after the housekeeper mentioned something about it.“Almost there,” Shane replied as he held her hand by the hand. He made her wore a blindfold to add spice to his surprise. “Be patient, baby. There's no need to rush,” he continued.Audrey may not be around the house every time unless she got no plans during her week offs and had to stay home if not visiting at Nathan's place to have a ch
The Deserted Bride Chapter 113
The white ceiling in Lucy’s office was always boring but somehow, Shane took an interest in it and even stared at it the whole time since he entered his manager’s office. The actor chose to face the ceiling rather than looking at Lucy’s fuming face. If was born with a talented hand, he could have already drawn her cartoon version with the smoke-like effect coming out from her nostrils. He was thinking about how his manager would look like when he heard him call his name in her infamous low voice.“Shane,” Lucy mumbled his name slowly and with an accuracy of the sound of every letter containing his name. “What do we do now?” Her tone remained the same though her voice went lower than before. Shane could guess, Lucy was in a not so good mood.A month ago, he did something on his own without telling his manager again. Just
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The soft breathing sounds woken up Audrey. She smiled upon seeing the man beside her. His face was an embodiment of manly beauty. She could watch him all day long and would be certain not to get bored at all. Her hand fount its way to his cheek. She chuckled when she remembered how she pulled it off until it turned red though she was glad it wasn’t swollen.“Good morning,” Audrey greeted with a smile when Shane opened his eyes. His dark brown irises were always fascinating. They were like magical crystals that drew her in whenever she looked at them. “I love you,” she mumbled and moved closer to kiss him on the lips. It was a quick smack, and she found it sweet yet sincere.Shane smiled back at her after mouthing ‘Good morning,’ as his reply. He pulled her closer to his bare chest, rubbing their skin against each other.
The Deserted Bride Chapter 111
An awkward silence filled the car while Shane was driving home. He would throw glances at Audrey who kept wearing a serious face that terrified the other. The trip was long and the actor wished he could make the car sprint to the villa just so to avoid Audrey’s occasionally cold gazes. After what happened back in the restaurant, Shane suddenly felt intimidated. Why not? Audrey effortlessly beat him almost to a pulp. If not for Nathan and Francesca’s interruption, pulling Audrey away from him, the actor would be less than admirable with his bruises. Well, he didn’t blame Audrey a bit. He was aware of her ‘violent’ side beforehand. After all, he earned a kiss from her in advance. It was more than sufficient for him.“Have you had dinner?” Audrey took the chance to break the silence when Shane was parking the car on the driveway. She took a peek at the time on her digital wristwatch. Sh
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Tears welled-up in Audrey’s eyes when she finally saw the man she was longing for after a month which seemed to be years of waiting. Her hands automatically moved to reach out to his face, she caressed him softly with nothing but tears of joy in her eyes.“Shane…” Audrey called out his name again. She blinked her eyes several times to make sure she wasn’t dreaming but her tears just blurred her sight instead. Shane wiped her tears with his thumb and smiled at her. “Shane,” Audrey whispered. She had a lot of things to say but her mouth didn’t want to cooperate with her. All she could mutter was his name and it had been three times since she called him out.“Yes, baby. It’s me, I’m back,” was what Audrey heard him say. The lady still couldn’t believe her eyes, but she was genuinely glad to s
The Deserted Bride Chapter 109
It had been a month since the last time Audrey saw Shane in person. She was missing him so much though she couldn’t lift her phone to dial his number nor compose a message. Her long face became her everyday mask. The staff in the restaurant were never tired of cheering her on. Not that she wanted to worry them, she could still do what she had to. And her current situation was something she had to face alone. She decided to trust Shane and while she was at it, Audrey thought it would be wiser not to bother the actor in the meantime. Calling him should be easy for her but who knew? Her action might cause him more trouble. She decided to wait, and she would endure it how long it may take.“Auddie, aren’t you going to take a break? You can let Nathan take your place for a while. You need to eat,” Francesca who became more talkative than usual said. She rarely talked in Italian thus the others could easily
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The function hall was filled with media reporters coming from all over the city with their crew in tow. It was late in the evening, yet they couldn’t miss the rare opportunity to be present during one of the celebrity’s press conference. Especially when it was someone who never had any press con before unless it was regarding promoting his movies and shows. Not when it was about his personal life which people were more curious about.Camera flashes stopped and the hustling of the crowd slowly went down when the superstar and movie king, Shane Vargas stepped on stage. He was wearing the same suit he had when he attended the movie premiere earlier. With his inborn beauty and appeal, he took over everyone’s attention. The noise inside the hall died down when he prompted to speak on the mic prepared for him. “Good evening, everyone. Thank you for coming,” Shane started with his ‘charming tone’, ac
