Runaway Groom, Thanks for Setting Me Free
To avoid a ridiculous arranged marriage that had been decided before I was even born, I beg my father to send the family a picture of an ordinary-looking woman with a face covered in spots.
I've heard before that Austin Hammond, the most distinguished scion in Jarlesbury and the man I was supposed to marry, has an obsession with looks. If anyone who doesn't meet his standards comes within ten feet of him, he instructs his bodyguards to get them out of his sight.
Since then, I've continued to hide my captivating face and pretend to be a plain, unattractive woman—and one day, Joshua Farrell shows up.
On the day he proposes to me, he holds my hand and promises, "Your looks don't matter to me, Ellie. No matter what you look like, I will still love you."
Believing his words, I ignore my father's protests and insist on getting engaged to Joshua.
Finally, our wedding day arrives. Just when we're about to exchange our wedding rings, he stares lovingly at the surgically-enhanced face of his first love, Isabel Grady, and abandons me at the altar.
The guests mutter among themselves, casting pitying looks in my direction, but I simply smile.
It occurs to me then just how easy it is to see a man's true colors.
It's just as well. This means I can settle for being Mrs. Hammond without a care in the world.