Wedding Drama

Isabella POV

Jean, my big sister, exhaled a breath as she curled my hair like an expert and I admired her through the vanity mirror.

It was apparently the wedding day, the dress was beyond elegant and the ambiance of the wedding was perfectly arranged including my hairstyle.

The food, the presence of the Priest, the cunning bridesmaids who were clearly hired for the day and the graceful music; absolutely dazzling.

Around two thousand guests filled the church's grand sanctuary, a number Jean had mentioned earlier, while outside, paparazzi and reporters casually roamed, treating the wedding as if it were breaking news.

As Jean finished curling my hair, I turned around in my chair, watching her silently apply a light coat of mascara to my face. Curiosity filled my gaze as I observed her and breaking the silence, I asked, "Do you think the guy will be a good husband for the next six months?"

"Well, I heard he's rich and I think he's an employee of the Martínez company, so it should be okay as long as he spends his cash on you, right?" She simply shrugged her shoulders with a chuckle, holding the tip of my chin.

I rolled my eyes, "Is that all you think about, Jean?" I asked, gazing up at her and she scoffed, angrily closing the lipstick.

"What are you referring to, Bella?" She asked, seeming pissed off.

"Money, that's all you seem to think about." I spoke up for once, "As long as the guy is rich, it's totally fine, right?"

"What am I supposed to think about, Bella?" She asked, chuckling as she stepped away from my chair.

"I'm the one getting married to a complete stranger, because of Dad, not you, Jean." I told her with a straight face and she threw the lipstick onto the vanity table.

"Yeah, a rich stranger for six months and I am pretty sure he can afford to give you everything you desire, before you both get divorced!" She surprisingly raised her voice as she took up her purse from the vanity table.

"Are you hearing yourself, right now?" I asked, unbelievably, gesturing a hand towards her, "And where have you been for the past few days, huh, you had Mom worried sick."

"I'm stressed, so I have been taking some personal time and I don't see anything wrong with that." She claimed, running a hand through her hair.

"You could have at least called her once, you know how she can be." I stood up from the chair, feeling the weight of my wedding gown cascading around me as I gazed at Jean. Her eyes glanced down at my gown as if it was a sight to behold.

"And I needed you, but you weren't there..." I reached out to touch her on the arm, "instead, you were out with some guy I never met, Jean." I softly chuckled, feeling a slight ache in my chest.

"You're so ungrateful, Bella." She recoiled and I watched as she quickly exited the room, leaving me completely confused.

The door closed behind her with a soft click and the silence that followed only deepened the unease in my chest.

Before I could process it, I was gently escorted toward the church, where the ceremony was about to begin.

I was gracefully led into the sanctuary, my parents and Pearl, my best friend, by my side. As we made our way down the aisle, Mom shared the news that Jean wouldn't be able to attend my wedding due to a sudden interview.

Holding my left hand, my Dad offered me solace as we walked towards the altar and each step I took seemed to stretch time.

I wore a white veil, covering my face and the enticing wedding gown fits perfectly without even displaying my hourglass hips. The white flowing layers of delicate lace and intricate beading, exudes pure elegance.

As I recalled the total number of individuals inside the church, I tightly held onto my bouquet and I exhaled a nervous breath, gazing at the altar.

I caught sight of the Groom's majestic back, adorned in a pristine white royal tuxedo, while the Priest stood beside him in a resplendent golden holy suit, clutching a Bible.

As I stood by the altar, my Dad gave me a reassuring pat on the back before joining my Mom and Pearl in the front row which was surrounded by joyful faces.

When I turned to meet the Groom's gaze, my breath caught in my chest, rendering me speechless and immobile as my throat went completely dry.

He slowly pulled the veil over my head and he didn't seem quite as surprised as I am, but he actually smirked...he smirked!

"This can't be happening." I muttered to myself as if this entire setting was a prank.

Justin Martínez...I'm marrying this arrogant, wealthy man and that's why he’s in charge of the wedding, overseeing everything in accordance with this contract?!

We stared at each other though he still didn't seem shocked as I and the priest began to speak.

We recited the vows mechanically and by the end of our orchestrated film, the credits rolled featuring us as wife and husband...we were married.

I was married to Justin Martínez.

"And with the authority bestowed upon me, you may seal this union with a kiss." The Priest declared and I raised an eyebrow in response.

Justin caught sight of my reaction and let out a soft chuckle. His captivating eyes remained fixed on me, filled with a hint of curiosity while I whispered to the Priest, "What?"

"Do I have to?" Justin chuckled as if he was mocking me and the Priest nodded with an awkward expression on his face.

I observed as the Priest made the sign of the cross over his chest and raised his gaze towards the ceiling in a reverent manner. The Priest then turned his focus back to us and I glanced at Justin, who responded by rolling his eyes.

Suddenly, he gave me a peck on the lips and my cheeks heated up from the warm sensation of his lips against mine, slowly shifting my attention to the Priest.

In high school, I was a nerd and in college, my sole focus was on my courses. As I grew out of my small frame, guys began to notice me, but I didn’t have time for relationships. My priority was taking care of my family, especially knowing how much they had to sacrifice to send me to college.

I was brought back to reality as the guests applauded in congratulations to the wedding ceremony and we both began to walk down the altar, leisurely exiting the church's sanctuary.

The diamond wedding ring was quite cunning on my finger, but I still couldn't believe that I have to spend the next six months with Justin Martínez.

When I saw my Mother and was about to hug her, I was gracefully pulled aside by Justin. He rested a hand on my lower back, looking down at me with a devilish glimmer in his eyes.

I suddenly spotted my Father, approaching us and I remembered seeing him completely astonished throughout the wedding, upon this moment.

"My dear, mother-in-law." Justin broke the silence as he turned his attention to my Mom, "We have to leave now, it's a long journey and don't worry, I'm going to take such good care of your precious daughter."

"Long journey, I'm not going anywhere with you." I scoffed at Justin and he shifted his gaze to me.

"A wife is supposed to live with her husband, unless they both are having feuds and you should know this as a newlywed." Justin tapped me on the nose and I glared at him.

"Can't I at least see them off?" I asked, gesturing a hand towards my parents. Justin shook his head as he charmingly held me by his side while he led me towards the white limousine, parked before the church.

The bodyguards cautiously tried to block the paparazzi and reporters, snapping photos of us as I glanced back at my parents.

As we stood by the sleek limo, I saw Noah graciously opening the back door for us and once we all settled inside, the driver started the engine.

We began the journey from the church, the ride filled with a comfortable silence, the windows tinted and the air conditioner providing a cool breeze.

I took notice of the luxurious interior of the limousine, appreciating the plush seats and their soft texture. Meanwhile, Justin was constantly typing on his phone and Noah had his gaze pasted on his iPad.

"Where are we going?" I decided to question which led to me breaking the silence inside the limousine and Justin glanced at me.

"Just relax and let the driver do his job." Justin responded, loosening his tie with a pull of his thumb.

"But, I don't have any belongings with me." I reminded him, tossing the bouquet at him.

The bouquet fell on his lap in the limo and he exhaled a deep breath, saying, "Isabella, you will receive those personal stuff soon." He leaned back in the seat, placing the bouquet beside him.

I opened my mouth to respond, but he spoke, "So, can you just shut the hell up?" There was a slight change of tone in his voice as he locked gaze with me and I rolled my eyes.

"I literally spoke two sentences just now and you're getting upset about noise, while you're sitting over there, typing like a sassy ass teenager on your stupid little phone." I blasted my frustration, gesturing my hands towards him.

Noah slightly chuckled.

"I can't believe I'm actually married." Justin shook his head with a short laugh as if he just came to realization.

I scoffed, "I can't believe you orchestrated to marry a complete stranger when there's so many other girls out there, dying to date you."

"I know, but I was convinced to have you." He claimed, "At that moment, I told myself, if it wasn't you, Isabella, it should be no one else."

What, is he crazy?

I stared at him, my frustration boiling over. "You’ve literally ruined my future. I at least deserve to know why you wanted to get married in the first place—and to me, specifically."

He leaned back lazily, his nonchalant expression as infuriating as his words, "That’s not your concern, Isabella. It’s mine. Worry about what’s in your control."

My control? What a joke.

"I'm the classified offeror and sole benefactor of this marriage contract," He continued coldly. "That means, for the next six months, you’ll do as I say and be exactly what I need you to be—my wife."

An arrogant smile crawled across his face, but there was no warmth in it.

I raised a brow, barely able to suppress my indignation. "Excuse me?"

"And once the time is up, I’ll divorce you as per the terms of the contract." He stated bluntly, as if it were a simple fact. "But let me make this perfectly clear—if you break a single term of this agreement, whether it’s walking out before the six months are up..."

"Or defying the conditions which we'll discuss more later, you and your family will be responsible for every cent of what’s owed." His tone turned sharper as he continued.

Noah sat across from us, offering a weak, apologetic smile, but even he didn't dare say a word.

"That’s two million from the marriage contract alone," Justin added, his voice growing colder. "Plus the full cost of this wedding—which wasn’t exactly cheap—and the three million your father owes my company."

"You’d have exactly one year to pay it all back. No extensions. No excuses." Justin shrugged, as though the absurdity of the situation didn't faze him.

The breath hitched in my throat as his piercing gaze locked onto mine. "And I promise you, Isabella, I won’t hesitate to enforce it."

He wasn’t just controlling my life—he was dangling my family’s financial ruin over my head.

Typical rich, arrogant, entitled men like Justin Martínez.

He turned his attention back to his phone, dismissing me entirely, as if the conversation hadn’t just upended my world.

I sat silently, glancing out the window, trying to hold back the knot of frustration rasing in my chest.

For the next six months, I'm supposed to endure this arrogant, heartless man.

How on earth was I going to make it through without losing my mind?