CHAPTER 4

I held the white bouquet with shaky hands and willed myself to breathe. Any moment now, the big doors would open and I’d be walking down the aisle to my husband— a husband I was being forced to marry. I felt tears threatening to spill but I took a deep breath and pushed them back. The last thing I wanted to do was breakdown in front of Christian and everyone. I was being forced to do this, and the least I could do for myself was do it with my pride intact.

I took one last look at myself as I heard the orchestra start playing from inside the hall. I was dressed in a strapless designer wedding dress, one that definitely cost thousands of dollars. I had real diamonds on my neck, and a thin veil covered my face and flowed down my back, creating a train. The heels on my feet were painful and uncomfortable but I couldn’t take them off. I would just have to deal with it. The large doors opened in front of me, and I looked up with a soft gasp. I saw the entire hall stand up and face me and I swallowed down the nerves and took one shaky step forward. Cameras clicked and bright flashes infiltrated my vision, little fairy lights lit up as I took slow steps to the altar where Christian and the officiant stood. I stole a glance at Christian, his expression as stoic as ever.

I finally reached the altar and we stood facing each other as the ceremony began.

"We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of these two..."

I zoned out and looked around at everyone seated and I felt like I would cry. This was my wedding, and somehow I felt like a stranger, like I was living someone else’s life. I couldn’t recognize a single person in the small crowd. Everyone had their eyes on me and I knew they were definitely nitpicking every tiny detail, they could probably see right through me and could tell I didn’t belong there with them. I looked at the people in the front row, they must have been Christian’s family. There was a woman with a little girl in her lap, she gave me a small smile as our eyes met. The little girl had big beautiful eyes that were focused directly on her. The girl stuck her tongue out and Hazel smiled at her, noticing that she had features that looked exactly like Christian’s. Hmm. Next to them was an older looking woman and two men.

“…it is now time to say your vows." I directed my attention back to the altar.

I hadn’t prepared anything special, I didn’t even have the time or the energy. I had to come up with something on the spot, and I expected Christian to do the same. “I, Hazel Bennett, promise to love you through thick and thin, through sickness and health, and promise to be there for you all the days of our lives.” I ran through the vows quickly and was done. It was now Christian’s turn. I looked at him expectantly.

“I’d like to say my vows to my wife alone, they’re a little private.”

I ignored the oohs and ahhhs in the audience, trying to hide my confusion as to why Christian would want only me to hear his vows. Something smelled fishy, and I didn’t know if I should be scared or not. Then he leaned in, close enough to my ear so that only I could hear him.

"My dear Hazel, I vow to make sure you spend all the days of your life in pain. I vow to spend my days making you pay for your crimes against me. I promise to give you a life of pain, so bad that you wish for a death that will never come.”

My bouquet fell before I could stop it. My eyes widened in shock, my heart raced crazily, it just didn't make sense. I felt a jolt of panic in my chest. “What?” I asked him slowly, but he ignored me.

He turned his attention to the guests instead. “Pardon my wife, she must be overcome with emotion.” He picked the bouquet and handed it back to me with a psychotic smile on his face.

I heard laughter, the guests were all laughing, I looked in the crowd and the only face I could see was Christian’s. I was slowly starting to hyperventilate, feeling like I was stuck in a very bad dream. I was more confused than I had ever been in my life.

"Do you, Christian Walker solemnly declare to take Hazel Bennett to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do."

"And do you, Hazel Bennett, take Christian Walker to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

I could hear the voices but they seemed so far away, my mind was a clouded mess, I felt like I would faint at any moment.

“Miss Bennett?”

“I… I do.” I declared, still staring at Christian in confusion and what felt like fear.

“You may now kiss the bride.”

I was still staring at Christian with questions in my eyes, and when the officiant asked us to kiss, I didn’t miss the disgusted look that crossed Christian’s face. He looked me up and down and then walked away, much to the surprise of our audience. My eyes widened in shock and I wished the ground would open and swallow me before I died of embarrassment. A round of murmuring started in the crowd and I stood frozen in place with my eyes darting around crazily before I finally came to my senses and ran down from the altar, using the bouquet as a shield to cover my face from the cameras.

I was going to find him and demand answers, he couldn’t just tell me something like that and then storm off. I burst through the doors of the hall but Christian was nowhere in sight. I turned a corner into one of the hallways calling out his name but I was met with silence. The hallway was empty. So I walked in the opposite direction to check the other wing and I could hear muffled noises as I approached.

“Christian?” I called out. There was no response.

I could still hear the noises so I inched even closer, and the sight in front of me made her blood run cold.

Christian was in front of me, his lips locked with another woman.