1

Chelsea

I stood in front of the mirror staring at the woman in the mirror.

I couldn’t believe my eyes and barely had time to process what was happening to me.

I came here as a bridesmaid for my sister, and now, I am wearing a wedding dress and getting married to a man I have only heard terrible things about.

I don’t want to be married.

I have never liked the idea of marriage, and that’s why I avoided commitment as much as I could.

Now, I am being forced into this marriage that wasn’t even supposed to be mine.

If Esther hadn’t taken off, I wouldn’t be standing here in a wedding dress.

“You have to do this, Chelsea. For your dad.”

I whispered to the woman in the mirror. I had no choice but to do it. Marrying Edward Montague was the only way to make sure that my father wouldn’t be thrown out of the care home where he currently lives.

I would take care of him myself if I could afford to, but I couldn’t.

“You look so gorgeous!”

I turned at the sound of my mother’s voice...the woman who birthed me but didn’t mind selling me off for connection.

I am not even surprised. She left my dad once she found out he was ill and married into a rich family.

“Mom, I don’t want to marry Edward.”

I tried again to get away from the marriage.

My mother scoffed.

“Don’t start again, Chelsea! We talked about it! This is your chance to prove your loyalty to this family and show your father that you are a good daughter who listens.”

My mother warned and started fixing my dress.

“He is not my father! My father is the man you left when he needed you the most!”

I pushed my mother’s hand away from my dress. She stepped away from me and smirked.

“You are a Richardson, Chelsea, and you are going to marry the man your father picked for you, or that man you care so much about will be out in the street!”

I blinked back tears at her words.

“You are so bad, Mom! Can’t you see what they are trying to do to me? They know that Edward is terrible. They know he has anger issues, they know he's a womanizer, and that’s why they let Esther get away, that’s why they want me to marry him instead.”

I cried, but my mom felt no sympathy for me.

“Stop acting like a child! This is your chance! Don’t mess it up by being so silly.”

My mother told me. My chance? I have never had a chance, not since I became a Richardson.

Esther isn’t even my real sister. She is the daughter of the man my mom married...the real princess.

The one who gets everything, and all my life, I have been her shadow.

I thought that with her getting married, I would finally be free from being in her shadows. If I had known this was her plan when she made me her only bridesmaid, I would have declined.

“This is our chance to solidify our place in this family, and I won’t let you ruin it for me! Marrying into the prestigious Montague family is every girl’s dream!

I couldn’t believe my mother.

“You married into the Richardson family, and you are still treated like a mistress! What makes you think I will be treated better if I marry Edward?”

I fired at her.

“Don’t insult me! Besides, my case is different! I am the second wife! You will be his first wife, and that will give you a lot of advantages. You can finally get that freedom you crave so much. You can finally give that man you love so much the kind of life you want.”

My mom rumbled on and on about the benefits of throwing my life away and becoming the wife of Edward Montague.

“Mom, just leave! You are not helping me right now.”

What’s the point of trying to get her to listen when I know she won’t listen to me?

She has always been materialistic. That’s why she didn’t mind becoming the mistress of a man who already had a wife and eventually marrying him after their affair became public.

“Do you really want me to leave knowing that your stepmother will be here soon? Remember how much she hates you! Do you really want to be alone with her? I came here to save you from her.”

I sighed in anger.

“She is not my stepmother! She is the wife of the man you seduced and married! Why do you think she hates me so fucking much?”

I yelled at my mother, but like always, she ignored my outburst and instead started checking herself in the mirror.

“Don’t say anything stupid.”

My mom whispered when the door opened again, and my stepmother, the queen bee, walked in.

Ever so classy with her expensive clothes and jewels. She looked me over with mean eyes that I was already used to.

I have been getting those looks since I moved into the family’s mansion as a five-year-old child.

“I see you are ready.”

I nodded without words.

“Good. Just so you know, the marriage is temporary, and you can’t go around calling yourself his wife! This is only until my daughter is found, and once she is, you will walk away like the marriage never happened.”

I blinked in confusion at her words before I could ask a question, and she put her hand up to stop me like she always does.

She never lets me speak. Never let me do anything, and never forget to remind me that I might carry the Richardson name, but I am not a real Richardson.

“What’s that supposed to mean? My daughter is the one marrying into the Montague family! You can’t change your mind now that the groom has changed!”

My mother’s words made me even more confused.

“The groom has been changed? Why? To who? Who am I marrying?”

I asked both women who looked like they wanted to kill each other.

I grew up watching them rival each other, so I was used to it.

I just wanted answers. If I am not marrying Edward, then who am I marrying?

The door opened again before I could get an answer to my question.

I was utterly dumbfounded when I recognized the person who walked into the room.

He took one look at the two women who stopped arguing once they saw him and started walking towards me.

I tried to stay calm and composed, but there was only so much I could do in the presence of Nathan Montague.

Please, don’t let him be the new groom.

I don’t even mind Edward anymore.

I just don’t want it to be Nathan.

“You both leave, I need to speak to my bride alone.”

I felt the walls closing in on me when he said those words.