THIRD PERSON POV
A small Chapel behind the Registry building.
Dressed in a white wedding dress with all the glamor and fluffiness of a Princess' ball gown, Sky Rivers sat with a solemn expression. Her eyes had a faraway look, tinted with regrets and acceptance.
All her life, Sky had always fantasized about getting married in a grand style, how her best friend would be with her while her father would lead her to the altar accompanied by a solemn wedding hymn.
But here she was, getting married to her boss, her crush, which would last for just a year.
She wondered if she would be able to keep it hidden that she was in a contract marriage with Ocean.
Sky shivered.
At the same time, the door pulled open and a lady in her twenties poked her head in.
"It's time, Miss," She whispered with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Oh, thanks."
Snapping back to her senses, Sky stood up and followed her out of the waiting room.
When she entered the church, Ocean and the priest were already standing by the altar, waiting for her. The young lady handed her a bouquet of white roses, then left her to approach the altar alone.
Darting her eyes across the empty chapel, her chest became heavier than before.
Where were her family members? Her bridal train? The flower girl? The ring bearer? Her mother was supposed to hold her and cry with her, reluctant to let her go. Her Grandma was supposed to bless her and remind her to take good care of her husband. Her best friend should be the one handing her the bouquet. Not some stranger with a fake smile. Where was everyone?
Because of the confidentiality of the wedding, she couldn't invite anyone. If someone told her a few weeks ago that her wedding would be this dry and boring, she would have laughed in their face, and then given them a load down of her dream wedding. Everything was planned before she graduated from college. With each passing year, she updated her wedding according to fashion trends, but now, she wasn't even allowed to rent a photographer.
Her mother's frail body lying on the hospital bed flashed across her mind. Taking a deep breath, Sky relaxed her taut shoulders and made her way to the altar.
"This was a fake wedding after all. Just a business deal, that would help me get money for mom's hospital bills. I can do this," she mused within herself.
Soon she was standing on the altar, across from her soon-to-be-husband.
"Do you, Mr Ocean Woods take Miss Sky Rivers and your one and only wife, to love and to cherish, for better, for worse, till death do you part?"
Sky's heart thundered and her anxiety rose to a new level. Even if it was a fake marriage, she was getting married to the man she secretly crushed on. She badly wished it was the real deal? She would have been so happy.
"I do."
"Do you, Miss Sky Rivers, take Mr…"
"I do," she interjected, unwilling to make a fake vow before God and man.
"I have to read the vows out, ma'am." the priest said with a knowing smile.
He couldn't help but wonder why someone so beautiful and sunny would be in a hurry to marry a pillar of ice.
Realizing that her action had been misinterpreted, Sky blanched. Stealing a glance at Ocean, his icy gaze seemed to have solidified, sending a wave of chill to her toes.
"I am sorry," she stuttered, lowering her head in remorse.
"Do you, Miss Sky Rivers, take Mr Woods as your one and only husband, to love and to hold, in sickness and wealth, for better and for worse, till death do you part?"
"Yes, I do." She nodded, still unable to look at Ocean.
The priest presented them with a small tray. They both picked up a ring and slipped it into each other's ring finger. Touching him felt like grabbing hot coal. One she dared not drop. Once that was done, the priest wrapped a white sash around their intertwined hands and smiled at them.
"I now declare you husband and wife."
The sound of his declaration was like a thunder strike in her head. Sky quivered, wondering for a moment if she did the right thing.
As long as Mom is fine. As long as Mom is fine. She reminded herself over and over again.
"You may kiss the bride!"
Sky stopped moving, her legs stuck to the ground, her bones creaking from the tension.
Ocean was about to kiss her and it felt so surreal to her. She felt excited and anxious at the same time. Her cheeks were burning red, while her toes curled up in her shoe.
But her expectations crashed the moment she felt his lips on her cheek, instead of her lips. He pulled apart just immediately, even though he only packed her.
Ocean was back in his position, looking as cold as ice, and as steady as a mountain while her face dropped in disappointment.
How could she have thought that he would kiss her? He never even noticed her until a few days ago.
She was lost in thoughts and failed to notice when Ocean walked out.
"Coming along?" His cold voice came from a distance away, pulling her out of her head.
She nodded and stepped down from the altar, increasing her pace in order to catch up with him.
—
They got into the limousine and Sky let out a sigh once she got in. What a day.
At least, one thing was right. Just like in her dream wedding, there was a limo to drive her home.
The journey home was in silence and when they entered the house, Ocean just walked ahead of her, giving her instructions.
"Take any of the guestrooms. If you need help with anything, ask the maids."
Sky stood in the middle of the ground-floor living room, looking around. This fancy looking house was going to be her home for the next year. She married the man of her dreams, in a way she never dreamed of. There was no happiness or sadness within her. Just an immense sense of dissatisfaction.
Pursing her lips, she looked around the house. Her eyes settled on a door close to the kitchen. It was a guest room she had used several times in the past. Decisively, she rolled her large box towards it.
Getting to the room, she quickly opened her box and started arranging the limited clothing she brought with her since she wasn't given enough time to pack up her things. Once everything was done and the bag put away, Sky found herself idle and nervous. What should she do? Sleep? She wasn't sleepy. Make lunch? She wasn't hungry. She was just a bag of nerves.
"I should go see my mother." She muttered under her breath.
She quickly took a shower, changed into something comfy, and left the room. She was almost at the gate when she stopped and turned around, staring at the house with a confused gaze.
Was it right to just leave without telling him that she was going out? Though the contract stated that they wouldn't be privy to each other's private businesses, leaving the house without telling him still felt wrong.
Sky walked back into the house, planning to drop a message with the maid, but when she got inside, the plum, elderly woman was nowhere to be found. Remembering his icy look during the short wedding they just had, she wished she didn't have to talk to him. At least until his mood gets better. But what if leaving the house without telling him makes it worse?
With resolve that grew stronger as she ascended, she started climbing the stairs while rehearsing what to say to him.
Getting to his door, Sky cautiously knocked on the door but got no response. She listened for a while, yet nothing moved.
Wondering if he was still in the room or if he had gone out, she subconsciously turned the knob and the door opened inward, snapping her back to her senses.
Looking up, her eyes landed on his naked torso. They were firm and dented in the right places. The droplets of water on his skin made it glittery and alluring.
Ocean just came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. Seeing her openly devouring him like that, the warmth in his eyes evaporated and the air turned chilly.
"Oh my goodness. I am so sorry!"
Though her lips moved, her legs refused to act. She was frozen.