"What the heck did I get myself into?"
It was supposed to be the happiest day of a woman's life. It was a day of celebration for the union of two people, two souls that became one.
Fuck it, Andy!
Her white dress symbolized the purity of her love for the man she married, while the rings signified their vows, and the contract sealed the deal.
But none of that mattered because it was all fake. Those objects were mere props for an elaborate show.
"I guess I had gone mad." She muttered to herself as she stared at the ring on her finger.
She knew she wanted to get back at Jeremy for breaking her heart, but revenge had never been her style. However, someone said the best way to get over a heartbreak was to move on.
Yeah! Her method was a little bit unorthodox, but maybe Lucas was right. She should use her brain rather than her heart.
"I do."
"You are now man and wife."
"You may kiss the bride."
It all happened in a blur. The kiss was more like an obligatory ritual than a passionate union. It was a simple, short ceremony attended by close family, relatives, and friends.
"Let us welcome Mr. Lucas and Mrs. Andriana Preston," The officiating priest announced, followed by cheers and applause from the few guests.
Then, they stood together, looking into each other's eyes, forced to smile for the cameras. It would be their wedding souvenir, a reminder of this momentous day.
But she saw nothing in his eyes, no emotions reflected in his elusive brown eyes. She guessed this was another business transaction he could not wait to close.
"Mr. Preston, this is a wedding, not a funeral. It might be nice if you could show a little enthusiasm." She whispered into her husband's ears, reminding him of his role in this play.
Still, she could not believe her husband had agreed to this ridiculous arrangement. She still did not know what he would get from this marriage. It was not as if she could offer much to the table.
But he still did.
She was now Mrs. Andriana Bennett Preston.
Truthfully, she had never imagined this moment. Not in a million years. She had always dreamt of marrying Jeremy, her savior.
Her Prince Charming.
But as she had said before, she should not expect much from her dreams. Her wishes rarely came true. If they did, it did not last long before something snatched it away from her.
"Congratulations!" Most of them greeted her. But they did not know the truth. There was nothing to be happy about this day.
"I still don't get why you married him," Violet whispered in her ears.
But, of course, she understood why her friend would say that. It was not like she loved the man she married. But how could she explain to her friend why she did?
In her defense, she thought it was a good deal. She admitted she did not love this man. She loved another man. But could she depend on love?
Nope!
She had learned the hard way that nothing good came out of love.
It just brought her heartaches.
If she wanted a man she could rely on, it was him.
Lucas Preston.
But that was all she was to him, his charity case.
She guessed they would not be in this situation if the incident on her birthday had not happened. She would not have ended up marrying someone she did not love.
"Don't think that I will accept you as my daughter-in-law. Just wait until my son realizes his mistake and divorces you." That was her mother-in-law's best wishes.
Mrs. Liza Preston never saw her as part of their family. The older woman of the family had tolerated her presence because of her husband, but she never truly welcomed her.
Now, she believed the matriarch of the Preston family hated her more as she married her son, the heir of the Preston family. For her mother-in-law, she would never be good enough.
She was a leech that was sucking them dry.
Nonetheless, she replayed her mother-in-law's words in her mind until now. What did she mean by she was like her mother? She still could not figure it out.
"Andy, you made me so happy. Come now, dance with me." Daddy Frankie offered his hand, ushering her to the dance floor.
The man who stepped into her father's shoes made all of this happen. It might not be her fairy tale wedding, but he filled whatever was lacking with his immense love.
"I am glad that I made you happy, Daddy Frankie." She genuinely meant that. It was the least she could do for this man after all his help.
If not for him, she would probably ended up in the street, struggling to survive, with no house to call home. She would have grown up alone.
"May I cut in?" Tristan took her hand from his father, swaying her to the soft tune.
As usual, he never failed to make her feel that she was never alone. He always assured her that he would always be there.
"I'm not saying I don't want you to be part of my family." Tristan jokingly said. "But I still don't understand why you chose to marry my brother?" A clear note of pain was evident in his voice, even if he masked it with a smile.
Of course, Tristan knew she never loved the man she married. Therefore, it was natural for him to question her seemingly impulsive decision.
Unfortunately, she could not tell him the truth.
"Why not? He is a good catch." That was what she had kept telling herself.
Lucas was hot, no doubt about that.
He was successful, wealthy, and a gentleman. Many women had tried to catch his attention but failed. But, of course, not her. She did not want him.
"But you don't love him." Tristan voiced loudly what no one seemed to bother to ask her.
"I don't." She could not lie to him anymore. "But maybe in time, I will." But she seriously doubted that.
In this marriage, love did not matter. She only needed to stay married for two years before she could divorce him freely. However, she could not tell Tristan about that.
"Please, I know this is difficult to understand, but I need you to." She needed his support if she was going to go through this arranged marriage. "I need you to trust me."
She had to focus on the benefits of this message to her future. It was not like her husband had planned to take advantage of her.
Truthfully, his intentions had been noble. Besides, they would equally benefit from this union.
"I think it is my turn to dance with my wife."
She turned to see her husband waiting for his brother to give up his spot. She guessed it was time to continue their performance for their little crowd.
"I'm sorry if I had to step away for a few minutes, but I hope I can make it up to you for the rest of the night." Lucas swayed her to the music.
He held her as if she had been a delicate flower he did not want to break. She had never seen this side of him before. But honestly, she did not know much about him at all.
However, she believed she would never hold a grudge against this man. In truth, she was glad she married him. At least he vowed he would not break her heart at the end of this marriage.
After all, there is no love mentioned in their contract.
"Ok, so what is next?" She asked as the song came to an end.
"There is the cake." He pointed to a moderate-size white layered cake in the middle of the room. "Then, the wedding night." He whispered in her ears.
Damn! Of course, how could she forget?