Anna's POV
Nicholas's mother and I went to the wedding dress store.
The staff attended to us professionally and warmly.
I kept quiet while Selina told the designer in charge what we wanted without consulting me.
The designer, a tall vibrant woman, looked briefly at me for an objection, but I gave none and I merely stared at her.
The designer disappeared into an inner room for a while and called for me a while later.
"Can you go behind that curtain to put this on?"
She asked, pointing at a gown on a mannequin in the middle of the room separated from the rest of the wedding gowns.
Quietly obliging, I changed into the dress and immediately hated it.
The dress has an old-fashioned look to it that almost makes me look like a forbidden virgin nun.
"Do you like it?" The designer asked, waiting for my response.
"It's ugly" I said bluntly.
The woman smiled and nodded in understanding.
"But this is what your mother-in-law ordered", the designer said helplessly in persuasion.
"No problem, you can give the dress to her," I replied, smiling.
Selina saw me in the dress and pretended to gasp at the beauty.
She thanked the designer and paid for the dress.
I remained silent throughout the whole trip.
This is not a real wedding, it's not worth getting worked up for.
An idea occurred to me and I suddenly had a solution to the dress.
"That dress cost a fortune, so at least you should thank me and say thank you. Am I right?" Selina said as soon as we got to the car.
I ignored her and merely nodded.
My attitude got her angry and her eyes flashed with suppressed anger.
We both don't like each other and are barely tolerating but it keeps getting worse every day.
The wedding day arrived in a hurry. I was getting ready in my room in the house I share with Nicholas with the help of two maids and Lily.
I am now dressed in a different wedding, not the ugly one Selina chose for me. I had bought this one a few days ago after the other dress was delivered, and it is now safely tucked away somewhere in my closet.
The wedding was planned to be a low-key one because, according to Selina, it would be an embarrassment to introduce me to the whole world as the Chester family's daughter-in-law because of my family background and she somehow persuaded the grandfather to agree to it.
I did not argue because in a way it is helpful because my parents will get confused if the news of my marriage gets to them.
We might not be in touch with each other but that does not mean they don't care about me.
I walked down the aisle to meet Nicholas, my huge wedding dress floating as she walked by.
The guests stared in awe and I basked in their admiration.
The wedding hall was decorated in a way that feels like something out of a dream.
The guests clapped and cheered as Nicholas was asked to kiss his bride.
I was nervous, hoping he would decline but he didn't and he gently placed his lips on mine.
He gently draw me closer to deepen the kiss, butterflies went alive in my stomach and I leaned on him because I don't trust my legs to obey me.
The guests were relatively small, with just family and close friends.
After the wedding ceremony was over, the guests had all left and only a handful of people remained.
The guests were close families and acquaintances.
Nicholas and I stood beside each other and thanked the guests for their well-wishes and for coming.
Selina suddenly popped up and told Nicholas she wanted to take me away for a minute.
I frowned at her but did not resist.
I could already imagine why she wanted to talk to me privately . I know I will be getting an earful for changing the dress she had bought.
We left the wedding hall for a small room at the end of the hall.
"Why didn't you wear the dress I chose for you?" She immediately asked we were alone.
"I realized it wasn't a perfect fit for me, so I bought this", I replied, touching her dress.
"It's pretty right?" I smiled at her.
Without warning, a loud smack landed on my face, and I fell to the ground from the sheer force of the slap.
I looked up at Selina in disbelief, my hand on the spot where she had slapped me.
Selina hit me!.
"In the Chester family, I make the rules alongside my husband, and he also listens to me.
Who are you to think you can make decisions without consulting me?" Selina spat as she looked down on me.
I was still in shock from the slap, that could not get her tongue to work, my sight blurred immediately as tears welled up in my eyes.
I had never been hit before in my entire life.
"It's only a slap this time around, it won't be next time. Learn to know your place, your duty is to bear children for my son and take care of him. Everything else is out of your power", Selina concluded and walked out.
I remained seated on the floor for a while, it was almost like my brain had stopped working.
Pulling myself up, I tidied my dress and went back into the hall in search of Nicholas.
Rebecca stopped me suddenly. I looked at her in confusion.
"You might want to cover that up with some makeup," Rebecca said, pointing to my cheek.
I can tell it was now red and mildly swollen.
"I'm going to expose her to everyone here. Why should I be the one to hide? She is the abuser here" I said stubbornly.
"No one will believe you, she wouldn't have done this if she was scared of you exposing her" Rebecca replied.
I frown at the absurdity of everything.
"You shouldn't have changed your dress, it would have saved you all this".
"I would never wear that ugly dress even if I had to die. I will pay Selina back double of what she did", I said and stormed off.