The white dress they chose for me was stunning. It was designed with lace and pearls beading all over, and the long train swept the floor behind me. By all accounts, I should have felt beautiful. But as I walked down the aisle alone, hot tears blurry my vision, all I could think of was how wrong I felt.
They sold me. After everything I endured in that house, after years of servitude and cruelty, they found one final way to get rid of me. A bride to a man I never met, a man who wanted a wife badly to take someone like me.
Every step I took seemed to pull me down. I couldn't see the few guests clearly because of the tears in my eyes. I was focused on simply putting one foot in front of the other, so that I wouldn't trip and fall.
I finally reached the altar where the priest was standing. Through my hazy vision, I could make out my family seated in the front row. My mother sat rigid behind my father who looked bored, checking his watch as if the wedding was keeping him from more important business. My stepmother sat beside him, back straight, a satisfied smile playing on her perfect lips. They were finally washing their hands of me.
But someone was missing. Claudia.
That was strange. She wouldn't miss my wedding for anything, especially not the chance to watch me being handed off to some old man, to snicker behind her hand at my fate. Why wasn't she here to witness her final victory over me?
Soon, silence fell over the church, followed by the echo of footsteps that announced my groom's arrival. As my heart began to race in my chest, I quickly looked down, fearful of what I might see… an old man with a bald head, yellow teeth and a pot belly, an image that made my stomach churn with anxiety. Yet, despite my fear, curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to take a look.
As I slowly raised my head, my eyes met his, and a gasp almost escaped my lips. The man approaching me was young, tall, and impossibly handsome with striking features that both captivated and intimidate me… thick, arched eyebrows, a sharp jawline, and cold midnight blue eyes that seemed to bore into my soul.
There was something oddly familiar about those eyes. I racked my brain, trying to remember where I have seen those piercing gaze before, and then it hit me like a physical blow. The portrait in Claudia's bedroom, the one she gazed at adoringly. Alexander Leir Vaughn. My half-sister's fiancé.
My jaw dropped. How? Why would Claudia's fiancé want to marry me instead of her? Was that why she wasn't here? They sent Claudia away so they could avoid the scene she would make.
It began to make terrible sense. They were using me to secure the Vaughn connection while removing Claudia from it. But why? What could possibly be worth risking Claudia's wrath?
I needed to stop this. I couldn't marry him, not Claudia fiancè. Whatever she had done to me, I couldn't do this to her. I started to back away, but it was too late. Alexander was already standing before me, towering over my small frame. I froze, staring up at him, shock and confusion paralyzing me. His face remained expressionless as he looked down at me, not bothering with a smile or a greeting.
"Begin," he instructed the priest, his deep voice echoing through the space and sending shivers down my spine.
Everything after that was a blur. I stood there, numb, as the ceremony went on around me, the words and actions was all meaningless in the face of what I had just realized.
"I do," I heard myself say automatically.
"I do," Alexander also said, his voice cold and detached as if he was agreeing to business terms rather than wedding vows.
Even when he slid the sparkling diamond ring onto my finger, his eyes never softened, nor did he smile. I just knew whatever reason he married me, it wasn't affection.
"You may kiss your bride," the priest declared, and Alexander leaned down, his face few inches from mine. I braced myself for a kiss on the lips, but instead, he surprised me with a gentle, brief touch of his lips on my forehead. The touch sent a flutter in my chest, but I was still confused as to why he did that.
He straightened up, his eyes meeting mine for a second before turning to face the guests. The congregation erupted into applause and cheers, but I stood frozen, looking at how surreal everything was. Just like that, I became Mrs. Anna Vaughn.
The ceremony was over, and soon it was time to leave. I stood at the stairs outside, waiting for someone or anyone from my family to say goodbye, or to give me an explanation. But no one came.
"Why are you waiting?" Alexander's voice appeared beside me.
"My family... I thought they might..." My voice trailed off. Of course they wouldn't come. They had already gotten what they wanted. I felt like a fool.
I climbed into the limo, my new husband following behind me, creating some distance between us as he settled down, before we rode away to my new home.
Husband. That word sounded strange in my mind. This cold, beautiful stranger who was supposed to be my half-sister's fiancè was now my husband. And I had no idea what he wanted from me.
****
The ride home was silent, suffocating. Alexander didn't speak to me neither did I. He kept staring down at his tablet with no expression, while I sat stiffly, playing with my hands, too afraid to even breathe loud. My mind was rolling with questions, even I couldn't find answers to. Why me? Why now? What was happening?
Soon, the limo came to a stop. Alexander stepped out first. He turned, extending his hand to me. I hesitated, staring at his outstretched palm. Did I even have a choice anymore? After a moment, I took it and he helped me down.
I looked up, and the sight before me stole my breath. The mansion was towering, modern, and coldly beautiful. The setting sun reflected on the glass walls, casting orange hues over the sprawling garden and the fountain which seemed to sing with its cascading water. It was a kind of place you only see in magazines… so perfect, like it wasn't meant for someone like me.
"Leir," a voice called.
I turned to see about four men in dark suits walking towards us. They moved with casual confidence, but something in their eyes made me step closer to my new husband.
"Sorry, we couldn't make it to your wedding," the tallest one said smiling, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Thought we would come by to welcome your new bride."
"Is that so?" Alexander asked.
"Of course. We are brothers after all."
Brothers?
"We were hoping you would join us for the family dinner tomorrow," the man continued, his eyes sliding to me. "We would love to take a look at the woman you choose instead of your beautiful fiancèe."
The words hit me like a slap, though I wasn't sure why. Was he mocking me? Comparing me to Claudia? My chest tightened, but I said nothing. I didn't belong in their world, and they knew it.
Alexander stepped forward, closing the distance until he was standing toe-to-toe with his brother. If he was trying to intimidate him, then it clearly worked.
Because the air suddenly shifted. Guns clicked. Bodyguards appeared behind the brothers, their weapons drawn.
I didn't know they were men behind us too until I heard them pull out their guns, pointed, ready to shoot.
What was happening? I thought they were brothers? Or did I hear wrong?
"Take this as a warning," Alexander began with a calm tone that didn't match the menacing look on his face. "Next time you step foot on my property, you will find out what regret really means."