CHAPTER 2

I snatched the envelope from her and opened it as quickly as I could. It was still sealed, so I knew they hadn't opened it yet. I found a handwritten letter inside, it was written in Isabella's writing, I started reading:

"Mum and dad, I'm sorry, but I can't marry Blake, I know this might come as a huge shock to you but this is what I want, I hope you'll understand why I had to do this. And don't look for me please, I'm fine. I'll come back when I'm ready." 

She hadn't even bothered to mention me in her letter.

Of all the things I expected to go wrong today, a missing bride was not one of the things I planned for. How do I do damage control to a missing bride situation?

I ran to our parents room, we needed to come up with a solution and we needed to come up with it fast, I knocked once and entered. On entering, mum was seated at a vanity table, retouching her makeup while dad was sitting in one of the chairs, reading a newspaper. 

"Mum? Dad?" I called out to them and they turned to me. 

"What do you want Helen? Today is an important day for this family, there's no time to accommodate your dramatics at the moment." Mum fired at me, giving me no chance to say anything. 

I cast my eyes downwards and apologized, "I'm sorry," I started, "but something has happened."

"What the hell have you done Helen? Why do you want to bring shame on this family on a day like this? Robert, I told you we should have left her at home." She snarled at me before turning to dad. 

"What happened?" Dad finally closed his newspaper and turned to address me. 

"Um-um-I didn't do-do any-any-any-thing…." 

I stammered, not really knowing where to start from, but mum was loosing her patience, she shouted harshly on me before I could finish putting my words together, "Will you just open your mouth and speak, you imbecile! This is why Isabella is better than you and this is why she's the one making us proud today, not you." 

I had heard this all my life, and it still hurt every time I heard it. They had always reminded me of how Isabella was better than me from the first day she was born, she was the perfect daughter, while I was the daughter they had to put up with, it hurt me more than anything but there was nothing I could do. They were still my family, no matter how harsly they treated me. 

I pulled myself together and finally spoke, "Isabella isn't here and I don't think she's coming." 

Mum was in my face immediately, "What do you mean she's not coming? What did you do to her?" 

"I didn't do anything to her mum. I'd never hurt Isabella, especially not on a day like today." 

"Liar!!! Why isn't she here then?"

"I don't know mum. Her bridesmaids found this in her hotel room this morning." I pulled the letter out and showed it to them.

Mum snatched it out of my hands immediately and read it.

"Robert, you have to see this." She called out to dad and passed him the letter. 

He sighed heavily after reading the letter, "What are we going to do Robert? What if the Robinson's change their minds? This wedding is part of the contract." Mum lamented, completely forgetting that I was still in the room. 

"Wait, what contract are you talking about?" I asked, but they just ignored me.

"That's not going to happen. They want a wedding right? Then we'll give them a wedding." Dad said firmly and turned to me, "Get dressed. You're getting married." 

"What?" Mum and I asked in disbelief at the same time. 

"Did I stutter? I said get dressed!!!" He shouted at me, now on the verge of losing his cool. 

"I can't marry Isabella's husband dad." I argued, hoping he'd hear how ridiculous this idea of his was. 

"You ungrateful rat! Is this how you want to repay us? After everything we've done for you? After we rescued you from rotting in that Orphanage?" He yelled at me again.

"I'm sorry dad, but I can't marry Isabella's husband. Let's just call the wedding off, I'm sure Isabella will come back, she's just getting cold feet." I told him, hoping he'd take my advice. 

"Call the wedding off? Are you insane? I will drag you to that alter if I must, but this wedding will happen and it will happen right now." Dad sneered and grabbed my wrist, pulling me in the direction of Isabella's room. 

"Dad! Please wait! You're hurting me please." I cried but he didn't listen. 

He pushed me into the room and all the bridesmaids turned around and looked at us, "Everyone out!!" He yelled and they all scurried out of the room. 

"Now listen, you are Isabella Davies and you are getting married to Blake Robinson today. Do I make myself clear?" He asked me in a cold voice that made me tremor in fear, so I nodded timidly and he left me in the room.

I tried my hardest not to cry and sat there as I got dolled up and before I knew what was happening, I was standing in front of the doors that led to the wedding hall, in a white wedding gown, about to walk the aisle and get married. 

The music started playing and I looped my hand through dad's own, "Make sure this is perfect, you're getting married in your sister's place, so make sure you do everything you can to satisfy Blake, and I mean everything." He told me. 

I nodded and gulped harshly, the doors opened and we walked inside. 

I kept my eyes down the entire time we were walking the aisle, I was scared that if I made eye contact with anyone, I'd lose my cool and run out of the hall, I needed to go through with this.

As soon as we reached the end of the aisle, Blake outstretched his hands to me and I looked up at him about to take his hands but when he looked into my eyes, he said, "You're not Isabella."

He dropped his hand and stepped away from me. 

I looked at him with wide eyes. What was he going to do now?