There was chaos outside the Blake manor.
Rain pounded against the cobblestone pathways that spanned the yard. The winds howled, blowing the compound's trees violently close to the ground and threatening to snap them completely off their roots.
Lightning framed the sky, giving the effect of a light show, except that this one was orchestrated by nature itself.
The compound was decorated and adorned with twinkling lights, draperies of white and gold, and cascading floral garlands in shades of white, blush pink, and champagne gold.
Any passerby would've assumed the procession of a wedding inside the grand mansion.
They would've never guessed the chaos that was also brewing inside as well.
THWACK!
A resounding slap could be heard through the rain, and all across the freshly cut lawn to the wrought iron gate.
Zara clutched her stinging left cheek, a red mark burned into it with sheer force.
"How dare you disgrace us like this? After everything we've done for you?"
THWACK!
This time, it was on the right cheek. Zara's eyes widened in shock, tears formed at the corners of her vision, but she held them back.
A much older man with gold-rimmed spectacles and blonde hair to match stood over her. With his stunning blue eyes and sense of charm, ladies vied for his attention.
This man was her father, Nathan Blake. CEO of Blake Bank Inc, the biggest and most influential bank in the country.
"Is this how you choose to repay us? Cheating around with cheap men?"
Zara opened her mouth to speak up, but what would she say now that she hadn't said before. No one in this hall seemed to listen to her, and she immediately knew whose fault it was.
"Oh, don't waste your breath on her, Nate. I told you she was a disgrace, a waste of our precious time. But you didn't listen. Now she's gone ahead and shown us her true colours."
Zara's stepmother, Nadia, was the one who spoke up this time. She stood by Nathan's side, draped in an emerald gown that clung to her like a serpent. Zara hated her.
After her mother, Emily, died, it didn't take long for Nathan to remarry. And he couldn't have brought any witch worse than Nadia and her two wicked daughters: Diana and Ariana.
Her two half sisters hated her guts, conspiring time and again with their mother to tarnish her image for the whole family to see.
Even as her father stood in front of her, brandishing the marriage certificate like a cursed object, she knew this was their doing.
Of course she would've known if she was already married to a "Diego Vasquez", but for some reason, her uncle, Ethan, insisted that it was real after his inspection.
"Of course, you can take it to the Ministry to confirm. But as a public servant with ten years in the field, I can tell you that this is very authentic."
"But I didn't marry anyone. I've been living with you all. I couldn't have been married and none of you would know."
"Being a snake that you are, who would've guessed?"
This time, it was Diana that spoke. A sneer plastered on her face. She was the older sister of Ariana but both of them were younger than Zara.
"Shame on you for doing this despicable thing. And what's worse, is that it's on your wedding day."
Ariana, the younger of the two, cut in, wounding Zara's pride even more.
"She had always tried to escape the arranged marriages dad prepared for her. This must be one of her tricks."
Diana continued.
"No one dragged any of you into this. You stay out—"
"No, you stay out of it, Zara."
It was the first time her fiancée, Collins, had uttered a word since the certificate's revelation.
Zara turned to him with an icy cold glare. She never even fully loved him, just tolerated. Her father had arranged several marriages for her that she had somehow managed to reject all this while, but she wasn't given an option with Collins.
He was fairly handsome, with curly jet black hair and a wispy beard that framed his face.
His family owned a supermarket chain that captivated the entire country. They were filthy rich, and had billions to their name. This marriage would've sealed one of the two strongest families in Imperial City. It was Nathan's ultimate game plan.
"You're not getting out of this.", he told Zara two months prior to the wedding.
"I need this alliance to work, Zara. Do this for your family. Do this for me, okay?"
"Okay.", she nodded, much to the elation of Nathan, whose blue eyes lit up in excitement. Zara had made the decision to see him happy for once.
Between work and family drama, Nathan had a lot on his plate that he couldn't so much as crack a smile.
Normally, Zara would've given multiple reasons as to why she could not marry Collins. He was a drug addict, arrogant and haughty, and terrible at treating women in general.
She had put up with his disgusting, childlike behaviour for two months, and now, he stood right in front of her, in a posh tuxedo, glaring like all the rest.
But Zara knew it was a facade. Even while engaged to her, Collins had multiple affairs with other women. Deep down, he was happy to have things this way.
His parents, Rena and Rouge Desmond, stood in the background with mortified expressions. They also wanted this alliance, and practically forced their first son into the marriage as well. At least now, he had an easy way out without him being the one to blame for once.
"I can't believe you would betray me like this after all we had."
Zara still glared at him, seeing right through his flimsy act. His composure wavered under her gaze, but he went on.
"You know what? We can't let a marriage as grand as this go to waste. It's a good thing I didn't make the vows already." He turned to Ariana, who was the only unmarried sister, asides Zara herself.
Zara's heart sank as she realised what this moron was about to do.
"I know this is unorthodox but Ariana—", he bowed to one knee and presented a wedding ring. Zara's wedding ring.
"Will you marry me?"