The Betrayal

The officiator let out a deep sigh before stepping down from the podium. It's been an hour since the appointed time, yet the wedding hall was empty, save a person.

Walking over to the beautiful young woman in a wedding dress, situated in the front-row seat with a lost expression on her face; he gave her a pitiful look.

"I'm afraid I can't wait anymore, as I have another wedding to officiate, dear."

Rebecca looked up at him with moisture glinting in her eyes.

The man felt saddened on her behalf, but there was nothing he could do. To officiate a marriage, you need a groom, a bride, and witnesses.

There was no one but the bride here.

Giving her a soft pat on the shoulder, he turned to walk out of the wedding hall.

Her eyes trailed behind him, begging him not to leave yet, as there must be some sort of explanation- maybe a miscommunication of some sort.

But it wasn't up to him even if he wanted to help.

At the door stood her assigned attendants for the day, huddled together as they shared whispers amongst themselves, throwing her wary glances now and then.

She felt uncomfortable under their judging gazes.

Rebecca rose to her feet abruptly, startling everyone as she made a beeline for the door with a purposeful look on her face.

Maybe they were caught up in traffic, or they missed the venue. Yes. That was probably the reason why they were so late, so it'd be better to go look for them instead.

Doubts filled her mind as she ran out-

Her wedding was supposed to be the wedding of the year; two of the richest families in country-the Park and the Lee families, were coming together in holy matrimony; it was the talk of the town.

But that didn't matter to Rebecca. More importantly, she was getting married to her childhood sweetheart and heir of Lee conglomerate, Jacob Lee.

This was more than just a wedding for her. It was her salvation.

Salvation from her cruel life.

Contrary to what everyone believed, growing up as the eldest daughter of the Park family was a nightmare. Life had never been easy for her. Living with a wicked stepmother and conniving stepsister was difficult. She'd lost her mother before she could even learn to speak, and her father, Mr. Park, had remarried not long after.

For a two-year-old child, getting a new mother should've been comforting, but it was the beginning of her hell. She grew up maltreated and unloved, living like a slave in her own home. But Jacob was there for her. He was the first person to ever treat her kindly, so it wasn't long before she fell in love with him.

A firm look crossed her face.

He was different from her family; there was no way he'd betray her this way.

She ran out of the hall, bursting into a sea of people, causing a falter in her steps. Rebecca staggered back.

It seemed like a wedding had just been concluded in the hall beside hers, and the guests were filing out, happily conversing.

She felt exposed to the glances that were thrown her way-their curiosity was evident, and they were allowed to.

Why was a woman idly walking around in a beautiful wedding dress, with a sad look on her face?

Rebecca took another step back, hoping to get away from their prying eyes, until she caught sight of the bride of the event stepping out with a big grin, her family not too far behind.

Her mouth fell open, letting out a sharp gasp with widened eyes.

Was that her stepsister?

Patricia Park stood prettily with a wide smile on her face as she accepted congratulatory messages from the guests. Rebecca made a move to go to her but paused when she extended an arm, and the groom stepped forth.

This time, she nearly fell to the ground, a mixture of both horror and shock clenched at her heart.

Was that Jacob?

He also had a big smile on his face as he took Patricia's arm in his, posing for pictures as though it was normal.

A wedding did happen. But it wasn't hers.

Without thinking, she pushed her way through the thick crowd, walking as fast as her wedding dress could allow-stopping a few steps away from them.

Her stepmother, Mrs Park, was the first to see her, and the smile on her face turned into a scornful smirk.

"Look, who finally decided to show up? How can you be late for your own sister's wedding?"

Rebecca blinked, wondering if it was a dream. Her lips quivered.

"What is going on?" She looked over to Jacob, who in turn, avoided her gaze. "I've been waiting for over an hour, but you were here, getting married to my sister?"

He remained silent.

"Answer me!" She screamed, attracting the guest's attention, and the room became silent. Patricia watched her stepsister rave, with a discrete smile.

"This must be a prank," Rebecca concluded, reaching for Jacob, but her hand couldn't complete its journey.

Slap!

Her stepmother sent a flying hit to her face, the force causing her to lose her balance as she stared up at the woman in shock.

Standing in a limited designer dress with a blindly bright pink elaborate hat, Mrs. Park peered down at Rebecca with a venomous gaze.

"Enough! Don't you have any shame? How dare you try to seduce your sister's fiancé into marrying you?"

Rebecca's already shocked eyes widened further.

What?