004

LUCIEN

I stood at the altar staring ahead at rows of empty chairs, the church hall was empty apart from the priest who patiently stood beside me and Knox, my supposed best man. I kept glancing at my wrist then at the door waiting for it to open up so I could get the hell out of there. I hated to be kept waiting and that was exactly what was going on.

I mean I would rather be anywhere than standing at an altar waiting for my “bride”. It sounded very dystopian but that was sadly my reality. I fought against it for so long that I couldn’t anymore, the board members, the press, my grandfather always on my neck. I thought I could look past all the lies and rumors that surrounded me and only do what I wanted but my title was threatened and that was something I never take lightly.

Since getting married was all I was supposed to do, I went ahead with it.

“What the fuck is going on?” I asked Knox

“Your secretary said they are on their way” he told me

“I have been here for over an hour” I gritted my teeth

“I would try to get a call across to him,” he said, digging out his phone from his pocket, and just then. The church doors loudly opened.

The first thing I saw was a flowy white fabric before she walked through the door with her arms wrapped around her father’s. She had a veil over her face so I couldn’t see her face but she walked slowly, too slow. It looked like her father was almost pulling her beside him.

They stopped when they got to the altar, one look at her father and he immediately apologized.

“So sorry about the delay, we had a bit of an emergency” he said

“Let’s get this over with” I signaled the priest and he swooped in instantly

“Do you take Ms Lancaster as your wife” the priest asked

“I do” I mumbled

“Do you take Mr Blackwood as your husband” the question turned to her but she didn’t respond

“What is this” I turned to her father, he leaned in and whispered something inaudible into her ear

“I do” Her voice came out in a whisper

“I now pronounce you husband and wife” the priest said and that was it

I stretched my hand out and a file was placed in my hand. I took out a pen from my pocket and stretched it out to her.

“Sign them” I simply said

She was unyielding and didn’t look at the marriage contract and certificate or try to take the pen from me.

“Sign it” Her father threateningly nudged her, only then did she take the pen from me. A long pause and a wave of silence followed, everyone was waiting for her to sign the papers.

I was already thin on patience and watching her act slow like she was retarded irked me so bad.

The arrangement was made a long time ago, it wasn’t something that happened out of the blue. They had enough time to reject the proposal if they wanted to back down on it. So I didn’t understand what the fuck was going on.

I was shooting her father a glare before I heard scribbling on the papers. She finally signed it and just like that I was married.

“Welcome to the family” Her father shook my hand with a bright smile, he was over the moon.

“Thank you, Mr Lancaster” I shook his hand back

“Stop!!” A loud voice echoed through the hall and a woman ran through the doors.

“Julia” Nicholas Lancaster looked at the woman confused

“Dad, why would you allow this!” She shouted at him rushing to the altar “I was in an accident and you didn’t try to find me, you gave up my spot to her”

I noticed her blond hair was ruffled up with a bandage wrapped around her head.

She looked familiar

“I am your sister why do you always want what is mine” A tear slipped from her eyes

I kept looking at her closely trying to figure out where I recognized her from. It took a minute before it hit me.

She was the one in the picture, she was the daughter of Nicholas I was to get married to.

“So who was standing in front of me?”

My head whipped around and I snatched off the veil that covered her face and I was met with a pair of piercing green eyes that stared right in the eyes without looking away.

“Did you just trick me into marrying someone else!” I thundered

“No not at all Mr Blackwood ”

“You brought someone else thinking I wouldn’t notice! I would fucking ruin you” I hissed

“She is also my daughter. I didn’t want to come with stories when we couldn’t find Julia-”

“She convinced my father to go ahead with the marriage just so she could take my place, she has always been jealous of me going after everything I have” the daughter I was supposed to marry jumped in

“That’s enough Julia” her father warned

I ran my hand through my hair in frustration. I signed the damn papers. I shared a look with Knox and he knew what I was thinking. I couldn’t go back on it.

The marriage according to the contract was supposed to go on for a year before I could get a divorce or I would lose position, I fucking lose everything.

I turned to the impostor with anger brimming in my eyes

“How dare you trick me!” I shot, she stared at me not saying a word. She wasn’t remorseful for at least trying to put on an act. I was boiling in anger.

“You are going to fucking regret this” I said through my gritted teeth and stormed out of the church.