chapter 1

Chapter 1

The most awaited day finally arrived. The majestic, rich, handsome, Young Master Edmond was finally getting married.

Although the mood in the Edmond mansion was glorious as the Old Master Edmond smiled from ear to ear as he greeted the guests, the atmosphere in the bride’s room was slightly different.

Ella sat on the bed with a pale expression on her face. Her eyes were swollen, an indication that she had spent the better half of the night crying.

“Were you so excited that you cried the whole night? I bet you are one of the luckiest girls in the world, having the opportunity to marry such an amazing man.” the stylist said.

“Hmm-Mmm.” Ella nodded absent-mindedly. No one knew what was going on in her mind. They only thought that she was nervous about her big day.

Yes, it was true that she was nervous but not for any good reason. She only hoped that God would give her the strength to change her situation because she had no idea how she would continue to live after her ‘big day’.

Using all the strength she had mastered over the years, Ella pulled herself together.

She still remembered the man’s cold warning as he looked at her with his piercing eyes the previous night.

They had no emotions in them and he looked at her as if he was looking at the most insignificant being on the planet.

‘You are finally going to live your dream, right? Marrying the love of your life, huh? You should have known by now that I don’t like you, not even a single bit. It was my grandfather who has been forcing me to be with you when in the real sense, you disgust me.’

‘So, here is the deal, I am only marrying you because of the inheritance and nothing else. And for your information, we are having a fake marriage. Although the marriage certificates are real, we are going to sign the divorce papers the moment my grandfather hands over everything to me. But in name, you are going to continue to act as my wife.’

‘If anyone ever finds out about this, you would wish we never crossed paths. Pull yourself together and make sure that the wedding is a success. If you let my grandfather sense anything, you won’t be able to live with the consequences.’ the man’s words continued to ring in her ears.

“Miss Smith, Miss Smith…” the stylist's urgent voice brought Ella back to her senses.

“What is it?” Ella looked at her with a blank expression.

“Are you not feeling well? The wedding procession is about to start.”

“Okay.”

“But we are not done with the makeup. The Old Master has already urged us several times to hurry up.”

“Let us get done with it then.” Ella gathered her thoughts and forced a stiff smile on her face. She was yet to come to terms that the day she had been looking forward to for four years would turn out to be such a nightmare.

But she was yet to experience the real nightmare because the wedding gift that Daniel had prepared for her… was one of a kind…

Her perfectly crafted dream has fallen right before her eyes and she did not even have the right to complain. She had to smile like it was the happiest day of her life when in the real sense, she had already died on the inside.

Inside the luxurious decorated SUV, Ella sat in the car along with her stylist and two maids of honor that she has never seen before. She only heard that they were Daniel’s distant cousins and she has never heard anyone talk about them before.

The two ladies did not seem to like her much. Ella did not care about them either since they were not familiar with each other. They had been looking at her with scornful eyes ever since they saw her, so she did not have to be polite either.

The only thing that was running in her mind was why Daniel could do something like that. It was not like he did not know how she felt about him. She had been smitten with him ever since she laid her eyes on him.

For seven years, ever since she was taken home by Old Master Edmond, her gaze has never left him. She knew all of his likes and dislikes like the back of her hand, but she has never felt such rejection from him.

Although he has never shown much enthusiasm about their relationship, he has never treated her as coldly as he did last night.

The politeness he has always shown her whenever they were in front of people was nowhere to be seen. His gaze was cold and piercing as if he was looking at a piece of trash that he could not wait to get rid of.

Ella closed her eyes to prevent the hot tears that were threatening to fall and the conflicting emotions that were running through her mind. She had already cried enough last night and she also did not want to embarrass herself in front of the strangers.

“Just look at her, she appears as if she has the whole world in the palm of her hand, only if she knew what awaited her.” one of the ladies said as she looked at Ella with disdain.

“Ha ha, don’t even talk about it. I bet she will wish she was never born when she finally finds out the truth.”

“But sis, why would you tolerate that? You are already pregnant with Danny’s child. What was he thinking by letting you be this woman’s maid of honor?”

“I wanted to refuse but he said that if he doesn’t marry this woman, then his grandfather will not give him the inheritance. For the sake of our child’s future, I have no choice but to grit my teeth and bear with it.”

“Besides, he said that revealing our relationship to her would be the best wedding gift he would ever give her.” Kate, the woman who was carrying Daniel’s child, spoke as she looked at Ella with a smug smile.

When Ella heard their conversation, she was stunned.

‘Danny- was that Daniel, the man she was going to get married to, in a few hours?’

And did his distant cousin just say that she was pregnant with his child? What the hell was happening and why was she feeling as if she was about to lose her mind?

And she was intimately calling him Danny! What a cute nickname. She had once tried calling that and she could never forget the cold look that the man had given her.

He even went ahead and warned her in private that, that name was disgusting and he did not want to hear her call him that again.

Hah, but as turns out, it was meant for someone else.

So, Daniel has been having an affair all these years without her knowing. That would explain why he would sometime disappear for a month or more in the name of having gone on a business trip.

That would also explain even more why he has never touched her all these years since they officially became a couple.

Ha ha, she even had the absurd idea that the man was waiting for their wedding night. She had been excited that the man respected her and maybe a little, just a little, treasured her. But the truth that was right before her eyes was…

So, what exactly was she to him? A tool to help him gain his family inheritance and then go on to enjoy the spoils with another woman?

Ella realized that she had been such a fool all these years. Trusting a man that she never meant anything to. She had been worshiping him like god and she could not wait to give her life to him. Who would have expected such a turn of events?

She had been looking forward to this day but she never imagined that it would turn out to be her worst nightmare.

“Uncle Jimmy, please stop the car,” Ella said in a choked voice.

“Why miss? We are almost at the venue.”

“Just stop the car, please. I need to get some air.”

“But…”

“Do you want to get fired? If you don’t stop the car, I will tell my grandfather that you were purposely making things difficult for me.” although her voice was shaking, her words were threatening enough so the driver had no choice but to pull the car over.

Kate and her sister looked at each other, not understanding what Ella was up to.

“She must be so heartbroken after learning the truth that she wishes she had not worn that wedding dress. I feel pity for her.” Kate spoke. Although her words were sweet, her expression said otherwise.

If not for the sl*t shamelessly occupying her space, she would have already married Danny and they would have started a family already.

Just wait until the wedding is over and Danny finally gets the inheritance, she will make her pay for all the years she has made her stay away from Daniel.

Ella quickly alighted from the car. Her head was throbbing and she thought that she was about to lose her mind.

She was angry, frustrated, devastated- name all kinds of negative emotions someone can feel. She felt cheated and stupid, but she had no way of venting. She did not have anyone to call or rain her frustration on since her whole family perished seven years ago.

Her emotions were taking a toll on her and she did not know how to face everything. Looking at the vast blue sky, she felt as if she had been transported to a whole new world.

Her chest moved up and down as she tried to control her emotions. She wanted to cry but no tears came out.

“Aaaah.” Ella gave out a bloody scream, hoping that the heavens could hear and bring justice to her enemies.