"Why did you marry me?" He growled, his hold on her neck tightening.
"Because I love you," she replied weakly with tears in her eyes, 'was he going to kill her?' She thought in fright, her life flashing before her eyes.
"Stop lying! If you love me, then why are you here with him?" He growled, his voice full of suppressed fury.
~~~
Present Day,
In the front yard of the luxurious seven-star Mitchell hotel in Manhattan, the outdoor wedding of the number one socialite, Odelia Graham, the CEO of Odelia Foods and Restaurant, was about to begin.
It was an autumn wedding in the late afternoon. The venue was set to face the breathtaking sunset. At the end of each seated aisle, jasmine-scented candles hung from naked tree branches.
The leaves on the tree had transformed into stunning shades of red, orange, and yellow and complemented the day. The weather was good—not too hot and not too cold.
A limited edition Rolls Royce arrived at the entryway with the bride sitting in it. She looked like a fairy in her white wedding dress. Her makeup was flawless, enhancing her features and giving the impression that she was a gentle and delicate woman full of innocence.
Her looks today toned down her usual strict look, which normally made her exude an aloof and cold aura, like that of a strict school teacher, making her look independent, as if she had everything under control, which in turn made men not dare to approach her but couldn't help but admire her in secret.
Odelia felt giddy like a teenager as she made her way out of the car. One could hardly blame her; today, she was finally tying the knot with her longtime fiance Adam Gray, the heir of Gray Enterprises. They had been together ever since she returned to the Graham family about 5 years ago.
Well, they started as friends, and as time went on, Odelia was sure no one deserved her love more than Adam. He was handsome, a gentleman, and every woman's dream came true.
He was the only one who didn't look down on her and call her a country bumpkin like other people used to do and make fun of her. He had even left his family company and willingly joined her new company, helping her to manage her finances at Odelia Foods and Restaurant, acting as her finance manager. Through their joint efforts, her company rose through the ranks and became the most popular brand for food items in Manhattan.
Most of the wedding guests were already seated. In attendance were some big names in the city of Manhattan, ranging from business tycoons, wealthy heirs and heiresses, some political figures, and the like. The wedding was screaming money and luxury.
Even though she had come from humble beginnings, Odelia had hated her previous life, which was filled with poverty. She had always dreamed of shedding off the clothes of poverty that had clung to her all her life.
So she strived to be the best in her studies and grabbed any chance to learn something new, as she believed education was the key to opening the door to her greatness. She was ambitious, proud, and hardworking. A combination that gained her many enemies in the shadows.
And the heavens heard her prayers; it turned out she was the original daughter of the Graham family. She and her sister, her fake sister Anna Graham, had been switched at birth.
Odelia had been brought back to the Graham family when she was 17 years old, but due to some advice she took from Anna at the beginning, not knowing any better, she made some decisions that made her a disgrace in the eyes of her biological parents, which in turn made them ignore her and rather focus their love and care on her substitute, Anna Graham.
Odelia was bothered at first, doing all she could to win her biological parents' love, but when it didn't work, she later gave up. She focused on upgrading herself and getting herself to the top.
'If she got to the top and people flocked to her for her attention and approval, her parents would naturally have a good opinion about her.' Odelia thought.
So she set on her journey to the top, starting with etiquette lessons to become a prim and proper lady, learning and topping her class, making her the top scorer in her school.
Coupled with her knowledge of cooking many nutritious delicacies she had learned from her earlier years in the countryside, she began Odelia Restaurant after college, which flourished in no time, and she later began to add packaged and processed foods.
She also started an online channel where she uploaded many recipes and beauty tips for women, making her garner a lot of fans and followers, and became an internet sensation, earning her invites to big events and ushering her into the elite circle of the rich and members of high society.
She became publicly recognized by the Graham family, taking her place as their eldest daughter, but Anna Graham was still around, worming her way into the hearts of her biological parents so much that they refused to let her return to her biological parents, making Anna the youngest daughter of the Graham family.
All Odelia wished for had come true. Her company was booming; her parents had acknowledged her publicly, even though, in private, they were still not so close. But Odelia didn't care.
She believed many people loved her with how they flocked to her during high-class events, and with her current status, she had nothing to fear. She had also earned the title of the number one socialite in the city of Manhattan.
And in the next few hours, she would be the wife of Adam Gray and become the future matriarch of the Gray family.
Odelia believed it wouldn't be long for those who still called her a country bumpkin and still looked down on her in secret to die of envy and bow to her. Yes, she was their queen, and she had arrived.
Odelia walked slowly onto the carpet as the band played A Thousand Years by Christina Perri, with her head held high, smiling brightly with her veil covering her face, but it was transparent enough to see in front of her.
Her father did not give her away, which was such a bummer, but Odelia decided to stay positive. With Adam by her side, she did not mind. He was all the family she ever needed.
Odelia paused in her steps halfway to the end of the aisle. Adam was supposed to be standing at the other end waiting for her, but the spot was empty. Her heart skipped a beat thinking about the various reasons why Adam had not arrived.
'Did he mistakenly oversleep and run late? Did he get into an accident on his way here? Was he alright?' Odelia's mind was in a mess.
She increased her steps, forgetting all proper etiquette, and walked to the altar, took the microphone from on top of it, and said,
"Hi, everyone. I'm sorry about the delay, but the groom, my fiance, is running a little late and will be here soon. Thanks for your patience." She said and walked to a blind spot and brought out her phone from under her wedding dress.
She smirked at her smart thinking. She had worn underwear that had pockets and tucked her phone in it, and it had come in handy. She had better called Adam to check on him and see why he was late.
Due to Odelia being flustered and in a panic, she did not pay any importance to the seating arrangements. The space for the Gray family was empty, and so was the space for her parents. Even the priest was nowhere in sight.
Odelia dialed Adam's number and waited for him to answer, tapping her legs on the floor nervously, hoping and praying to the heavens that he was alright.
"Hello, Adam is sleeping and can't answer your calls; do you want to leave a message?" A female voice answered the call, and Odelia could recognize that voice anywhere; it was her fake sister Anna. Her substitute. 'What in the world was Anna doing holding Adam's phone, and even she had even answered it?' Odelia thought in confusion.
"What the hell are you doing with Adam's phone? Give him the phone and let me speak to him," Odelia yelled into the phone angrily, huffing and puffing.
At the other end of the phone, Anna smiled in glee; she had long waited for the day to crush Odelia under her feet for daring to steal her things from her. She was very happy seeing as Odelia was riled up by just a few sentences she had said.
"I said he is sleeping; are you deaf?" Anna hissed, then she added excitedly,
"I didn't want to say it, but since you are so stubborn and stupid, let me tell you. Adam is still sleeping; we were too wild last night, making him very tired. The person Adam loves is me; he had never loved you. You are just a country bumpkin; did you think you were worthy of him? If it wasn't for the Graham family name, do you think he would even glance at you?" Anna sneered, her tone full of mockery and disdain.
Odelia's eyes widened in disbelief. Her sister and her fiance were having an affair? Since when? How didn't she ever notice?
No! This was a prank; Anna was joking. And then she heard it—the ruffling of sheets and the sound of a man's voice, which sounded hoarse like someone who had just woken from sleep.
"Babe? Why aren't you sleeping? Are you okay?" The voice was gentle and coaxing, as if he were speaking to a delicate flower, making Odelia feel goosebumps. It was Adam's voice. Adam had never spoken to her with such a gentle tone.
The phone slipped from Odelia's hands.