The Stranger I Met On The Altar

“Marry Aaron Vanderbilt. Protect this family. Protect our legacy”

I stared at myself in the mirror, draped in the most beautiful wedding dress I had ever seen and my father's words kept replaying in my head.

It was my wedding day.

Outwardly I looked angelic, a silk veil framed my face delicately, my makeup subtle but flawless and my Vera Wang custom-made dress clung onto my body like it had been made on my skin. I looked like a dream.

But inside? I was a mess.

A week ago I had been on a yacht in Mexico, shaking my ass in a thong, partying loudly with lots of tequila… and bad decisions.

Yes, ending up in bed with this hot stranger I had been grinding on all night and having him do unspeakable and ridiculously pleasurable things to my body definitely counted as bad decisions.

My dad’s urgent call had sprung me up the morning after, prompting me to get on a jet he was sending over and head home immediately. It was so impromptu that I had not been able to get the name of the green-eyed dude I had spent the night with. He had probably told me, but either I was too drunk to remember or I just didn’t care.

And so I came home. And here I was, getting hitched to someone I was meeting in person for the first time on the altar! Yeah, feel free to find it amusing, my life is a soap opera right now.

The company was in trouble, Dad had said.

A major launch that would have catapulted the company into higher levels had been sabotaged, and as such, major investors were pulling out, and banks were already calling for their loans.

When Dad said I could help fix the company, I almost laughed. I could barely fix myself a proper cup of coffee.

I have never been involved in the family business, and I do not plan to. I couldn’t remember some of the things that had been said because I mostly blinked through it all, but the only part that stuck with me was the part where I had to be traded off to a stranger I had never met just so there could be a merger that would help resuscitate the company.

“If merging with this company will save Knight Corp, why not ask for a simple partnership?” I had asked, “Why does it have to be marriage?”

He focused his gaze on me, “Getting married is the partnership. A merger could make headlines, but marriage would stir hearts, it would blow minds, and our stock would skyrocket.”

Then he swallowed uneasily as if he wanted to say something else, but wasn't exactly sure if he wanted to say it or not.

He proceeded anyway, “Besides Charles Vanderbilt, Aaron’s father, we have a bit of a not-so-good history in the past. Marriage is kind of the only way to ensure neither of us will have to screw each other over since we would become family.”

I had laughed bitterly. Collateral. Hostage. Call it whatever, but that was what I was going to be in this marriage.

“What if I say no?” I had asked him.

He shrugged “You can choose to fold your arms and watch everything we’ve ever worked for, our legacy, our name, power and wealth go down the drain. You will lose everything, including the good life you’re so used to. If you’ll be okay with yourself seeing everything go down south when there’s something you could have done to save it, then feel free to say no. But you will not continue to live in my house, and you will enjoy no benefits from me whatsoever”

Emotional blackmail. Threats. These were the tools used on me.

My thoughts were interrupted by the door opening. My mother walked in. Alexis Knight in all her glory. She looked stunning, as always. Heck, she might as well be the one getting married, cos she looked even brighter than the supposed bride.. me.

Dressed in an elegant black flowing dress that accentuated her curves with her annoyingly perfect hair styled to perfection and cascading richly down her shoulders, and jewels complementing her skin, she looked nothing her age.

“Where’s Taylor?” Her voice was sharp and devoid of emotion.

“Will be here soon,” I replied with a heavy tone. By Taylor, she meant my best friend and maid of honor, who had tried to constantly talk me out of this madness and offered to run away with me. But I had remained in the cage of my father’s emotional blackmail and the heavy weight of responsibility placed on my shoulders.

Alexis moved closer to me, clutching her purse elegantly. She darted her eyes across me briefly before letting out a sigh of displeasure. I rolled my eyes inwardly even before her next words came out of her mouth.

“It is one thing to wear a designer dress, it’s another thing to have the carriage and charisma to body the dress. Now I do not know what’s going on with you, but I need you to chin up, ease into the moment, and OWN this dress.”

She said.

One thing about my mother? There must be something to complain about. No one was perfect. Asides her.

“Otherwise, you’ll end up looking like a lowlife draped in expensive jewels. The Vanderbilts are people of rich caliber, class, and elegance. If you’re going to be one of them, then you have to look the part,” she continued.

“Funny how I didn’t ask to be one of them,” I retorted before I could stop myself. I was irritated.

“Today is not a day to be silly my dear. You can keep up with the tantrums later, just not today”

She reached out and smoothed my hair, even though I was sure it was perfect.

“You look just like me when I was your age, very beautiful” She smiled and left, the noise of her heels kicking the floor filled the room.

I don’t believe I look anything like my mother. I might have gotten my thick black hair from her, but that was it. I wasn’t as cold as she was, not as sophisticated, scheming, and icy as she was. No, we were complete opposites.

Taylor walked in with a smile, dressed in her pretty peach-colored dress. “You ready, Beth?”

I nodded quietly.

“I have a car waiting outside on standby. All you have to do is give me a signal, and I’ll grab your hand, and we will run away together,” she said. She might have said it to ease the tension, but I’m sure she meant it.

I laughed silently, “Let’s go get married,” I said.

In my head, I meant, time to be a pawn in a corporate scheme.