She felt like everyone was staring at her, judging her.
Finally, she reached the altar. Chris took her hand, and she felt a jolt of electricity run through her. She looked up at him, and he gave her a small smile. It was the first bit of emotion she had seen from him, and it surprised her.
The minister began to speak, and she tried to focus on his words. But her mind kept wandering, and she had to force herself to
Lily felt a tap on her shoulder, and she turned to see one of the maids holding out a bouquet of flowers. She took the flowers, and suddenly she felt more confident. The flowers were like a shield, protecting her from the prying eyes of the crowd.
The minister continued to speak, and she focused on his words. She began to feel more and more calm, and her anxiety started to fade. She realized that she was actually beginning to enjoy herself. This wasn't as bad as she had thought it would be.
And then, she heard the minister ask the question she had been dreading. ""Do you, Lily, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?" the minister asked.
Lily's heart was racing, and she felt like she was on the verge of panic. But she took a deep breath, and she looked at Chris. He was staring at her, his eyes full of hope. She could see that he was nervous too, and she felt a sudden wave of compassion.
She took another deep breath, and she said the words that would change her life forever. "I do."
"And do you, Chris, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?" the minister asked.
Chris looked at Lily, and she saw the flicker of emotion in his eyes. She knew that he was trying to tell her something without words. And she understood.
He turned to the minister, and his voice was clear and strong. "I do."
The minister smiled. "By the power vested in me by the state of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
As Chris leaned in to kiss her, Lily felt a strange sense of disconnect. She could feel his lips on hers, but it was like she was watching from the outside. She felt like an observer, watching a movie or a play. She felt nothing.
She pulled away, and their eyes met.
"What's wrong?" he asked, concerned.
He looked away, and then back at her. "Nothing," she said, her voice shaky. "I'm just...nervous."
"I'm sorry,"she said, taking her hand. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I just...I just wanted to make sure that everything was okay."
She gave him a small smile.
"It's okay," he said. "I know that this is new for both of us. We'll figure it out."
He nodded, and they stood there for a moment, not saying anything. She could feel the tension in the air, and she knew that they both had a lot to figure out. But for now, they were stuck together, for better or for worse.
"I do", she replied.
As the wedding guests started to make their way towards them, Lily saw the insincerity in their smiles. They were all pretending to be happy for them, but she knew that they were secretly judging her. She felt like an outsider, like she didn't belong.
But Chris didn't seem to notice. He was beaming, and he introduced her to his relatives with pride. "This is my wife, Lily," he said, his voice full of joy.
She forced herself to smile, even though she felt like she was about to burst.
As Chris's uncle shook Lily's hand, his grip was cold and tight. He gave her a forced smile, and she could feel the tension in his body. She knew that he didn't approve of her, and that he was not happy about the marriage.
She tried to make small talk, but he wasn't having any of it. He was only interested in talking to Chris, and he made it clear that he didn't want to spend any time with her.
She felt like a fool, and she wondered why she had agreed to this. She should have known that it would be like this.
It was clear that Chris's relatives were upset about the marriage for one reason - they were worried about the future of the corporation. Chris was the only child, and he was set to inherit the company when his father retired. But now that he was married, there was a chance that the company could go to Lily instead.
The thought of losing control of the company was too much for them to bear. They wanted to keep the company in the family, and they were afraid that Lily would not be able to run it properly. But they couldn't do anything about it. The marriage was a done deal, and there was nothing they
Lily could feel the hostility in the air, and she began to feel uncomfortable. She was used to being the center of attention, but this was a different kind of attention. She felt like a target, and she was starting to regret coming to the wedding.
But then, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Chris standing behind her, a look of concern on his face. He knew that she was feeling out of place, and he was doing his best to make her feel comfortable.
"It's okay," he whispered in her ear. "I'm here for you. We'll get through this together"
As they made their way through the crowd, she felt a sense of calmness come over her. She wasn't sure if it was his presence or the fact that she was finally starting to accept her new reality, but she felt like she could face anything that came her way.
As they approached the reception hall, the band started to play and the guests began to mingle. She looked around, and saw that some of the guests were giving her curious looks.