"You are already married to someone?" a man's voice echoed through the beautifully decorated wedding hall, filled with guests.
Natalie Ford, in her white bridal gown, stood frozen at the altar, her light brown eyes staring in disbelief at the document in her hand—her own marriage certificate, stating that she had been married a year and a half ago.
She looked at the shocked man in black suit standing before her. Ivan Brown, the man she was supposed to marry in the next few minutes. After her mother died, Ivan was the only person who had ever treated her like a human, the one she could rely on while fighting against the pathetic family she had.
"I-Ivan, this document is fake. I never married anyone. I don't even know the man in this document. I have never met him or even heard his name!"
Aiden Handrix was a stranger to her.
Ivan examined the signatures at the bottom of the document.
"But the signature is yours," he said, his gaze furious.
"I don't know who could copy—"
"It's you who signed it. You know it well."
Natalie couldn't deny it; it was indeed her signature, and it didn't look forged.
"But the certificate could still be faked," She protested. Natalie hoped that her future husband would trust her, but before he could respond, someone snatched the document from her hand- her grandmother Sephina Ford, the head of Ford family. She observed the document and snorted.
"You dare call a government certificate fake?"
"Grandma…"
Slap!
"You wretch, you are just like your mother, filthy and immoral," she spat out and turned to her son, "You should have died with your mother back then and saved us this humiliation."
It was not unexpected for Natalie to hear it. Sephina had always hated her while she loved her half-sister Briena. Natalie always wondered why this woman hated her this much when both shared the same blood as her.
"Mother, calm down," Clara Smith, Natalie's stepmother, intervened, "My brother Henry can help us check if this document is fake. He is a high-ranking official after all."
A middle-aged man in a brown suit, Henry Smith, stepped forward and took the document from Clara. Everyone in the wedding hall held their breath, waiting for his verdict. Natalie's hopeful eyes were fixed on him, he was her only chance out of this nightmare situation.
"This document is not fake. It is indeed a genuine wedding certificate for the two people mentioned in it—Natalie Ford and Aiden Handrix," Henry finally announced.
Natalie felt she had been struck by lightning again, as if the initial shock of having a stranger bring this document just before she was about to exchange vows with Ivan wasn't enough.
"This can't be," she shook her head in denial and cried out, "Uncle Henry, please check it again."
Henry looked at her with disappointment in his eyes. He calmly replied, "If you do not trust me, you can go to the marriage bureau and recheck it yourself. But I am certain the result will be the same." He handed the document back to her and walked away from the altar.
All eyes in the wedding hall were on her, their gazes accusing her of fraud and deceit.
Holding the document in her trembling hands, Natalie once more turned to Ivan, who had not uttered a single word until now, but his gaze had clearly turned hateful, accusing her of cheating and breaking his trust.
"Ivan, trust me. I didn't—"
"The truth is in front of us. Do you still dare deny it?" Her step-sister Briena interjected, her hazel eyes gleaming with satisfaction at Natalie's despair. She stood beside Ivan proudly.
"This is none of your business, Briena," Natalie glared at her.
"You ruining our family's image with your lies makes it my business," Briena countered, glancing at their father who still looked shell-shocked at the turn of events. "You've humiliated Father in front of everyone. If you had another man and were already married, why did you hurt Ivan? Why did you plan this wedding? To hurt and humiliate everyone? Well, you've succeeded."
She flicked her long honey-colored hair over her shoulder and looked at Ivan, her eyes suddenly turning soft and sad. "I know my sister has hurt you and your family, Ivan. I apologize on her behalf."
Ivan's cold gaze remained fixed on Natalie, before finally turning to Briena. "Would you mind being my wife?"
Briena felt as if she had heard wrong. Ivan Brown, the man who always had eyes for her sister despite all her efforts to get his attention, was suddenly asking her to be his wife. Her mother, Clara Ford, felt like she had won the lottery but contained her excitement.
"Ivan…" Natalie called out to him, but he ignored her.
"What are you talking about, Ivan?" Clara asked. "I know Natalie has hurt you, but you should not make any decisions in haste. You should be calm and talk to your parents first."
"We do not mind our son's decision," declared Amelia Brown, Ivan's mother, while her husband, Lucas Brown, nodded in agreement.
Natalie tried to explain. "Mother, trust me—"
"No more words, Natalie," Amelia interrupted. "I was never happy with this marriage, but I agreed because Ivan wanted to marry you. Now he can see what kind of woman you are before it's too late, and I couldn't be happier. My son deserves someone like Briena, not a wretch like you."
Amelia went to Briena and held her hand, "Would you like to be my daughter-in-law, Briena?" Her gaze and tone were gentle, the opposite of how she had spoken to Natalie.
Briena looked at her grandmother, who said, "We know you are the responsible daughter of the Ford family, and you would make the right decision."
Clara looked at her husband. "Jay, won't you say anything?"
Jay, who still had his fists clenched over Natalie, relaxed slightly. "Briena, I would agree with your decision."
"Father," Natalie pleaded, feeling invisible in the wedding hall that was meant for her.
Jay Ford glared at her, gritting his teeth. "I will deal with you later."
Helpless, Natalie turned to Ivan once more. "Ivan, for the last time, I am telling you I don't know anything about this marriage certificate. I will prove to everyone that I am innocent," her gaze turned determined, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "But if you do not trust me now and humiliate me by marrying Briena, I will never accept you, even if you beg me to."
Ivan was about to respond, but Briena held his hand and spoke instead. "How are you going to prove it, Natalie? To register a marriage and get this certificate, you have to be present at the bureau, submit your national IDs, take photographs, and sign the document. Do you think there's a clone of you who did it?" Briena sneered.
"Who are you trying to deceive? Ivan, who has loved you unconditionally despite how pathetic you've been acting all these years? Have some self awareness."
"I only know one thing: I am innocent," Natalie repeated, her gaze turning angry as she looked at Ivan. "Do you choose to believe me or not?"
Ivan scoffed. "I didn't know you were this stubborn. Instead of accepting how you betrayed and deceived me, you dare threaten me." He walked towards her, glaring into her eyes. "Natalie Ford, you are the biggest mistake of my life and this is the time to correct it. I choose your sister over you. You don't deserve to even stand in front of me at this moment. Do whatever you want, but one thing is sure, you are absolutely nobody to me." He turned to his mother. "Give me the ring."
Amelia handed him a small box containing the wedding ring that was meant for Natalie. Ivan walked towards Briena, held her hand, and slipped the ring onto her finger. "From today onwards, you are my fiancée. I do not wish to marry in this wedding hall, tainted by your sister's presence. But I promise you a great wedding that you will never forget."
A wide smile spread across Briena's lips. "Thank you so much for considering me, Ivan. I will do my best to be a perfect wife and never let you down."
Everyone in the hall congratulated the couple while Jay Ford came to Natalie, "From today, you have no place in my home. I do not wish to see you ever. I will forget that I have two daughters. Leave and go to that husband of yours and do not ever return."
"Father…"
"Guards, throw her out of here," Jay ordered.
Two guards came to her. They were about to hold her, but she raised her hand. "Do not bother."
Glancing around the entire hall and then observing her so-called family, a cold glint appeared in her eyes, "One day, I will make all of you regret this." She turned around and walked away.