The Man at the Altar is not Ethan Walters!
Mina Campbell stands nervously at the back of the grand hall, her fingers trembling as they tug at the delicate lace of her wedding dress. She tries to ignore the weight of the fabric, but it feels like a shackle, only a reminder of the life she never chose by herself.
Susan, Greta and Larry Campbell, stands beside her, beaming with pride. Fake laughs, pretense joy. They're excited about the wedding. They're excited about the money and status this marriage will bring to their family.
But Mina doesn't feel any of it. She had tries to run before but the weight of the dress did not help matters, and neither did the fact that se had a bodyguard everywhere she went. They did not hold back on making sure she could not run away.
She doesn't want this. She doesn't want to marry Ethan Walters, the man her fake family has arranged for her. He's a good match in their eyes, of course he is, as long as its Mina that's marrying him, not Susan, but Mina doesn't want hi or anybody. All she wants is to be out of the toxic air everyone is breathing.
She doesn't even know him. Yet, here she is, walking down an aisle toward a future that doesn't belong to her.
Her eyes sting.
Susan holds her arm, practically dragging her forward. Susan had ordered, joyfully earlier to walk her down the aisle as the best sister she is. She can feel Greta's excitement radiating through her, but all Mina feels is dread.
The Campbell family has always pushed her into things she doesn't want, but this time, it's different. This time, she's about to lose everything, once she gets shackled to that mentally unstable man, her life comes to an end.
The guests are seated, the air thick with the buzz of their whispered conversations. Mina's heart races in her chest, not for joy.
Why does it feel like she's walking toward her doom?
The doors at the front of the hall swing open, and the sound of wedding music fills the air. Mina begins her walk toward the altar, step by step, but with each one, the weight of her dress feels heavier, and the reality of the situation sinks deeper into her bones.
"Susan…" She starts under her breath, willing to plead if that's what it'll cost to leave here.
"Shut up." Susan responds through gritted teeth, holding her elbows tighter.
Mina keeps quiet, her eyes moistening. She doesn't look up until she reaches the altar, and when she does, her world stops.
Standing at the altar isn't the person she expects. She's seen pictures.
It's another man.
Mina's breath catches in her throat. It's the same man that had entered her room that night of the checking. The man she met just two days ago. The man who kissed her as if the world was ending and then disappeared?
Her heart skips a beat. What is he doing here?
Susan gasps as well.
Looks like it's not just her that is surprised by this new development.
Who is he?
Eric stands tall, his dark suit sharp against the soft lighting of the room. His eyes meet hers, and for a moment, it feels like no one else exists. His expression is calm, but there's something in his gaze that she can't quite read. He's standing at the altar as if this is exactly where he belongs.
Susan's frantic movements help Mina understand that this wasn't part of the plan. Ethan was supposed to be here, not whoever this man is.
"Mina Campbell." His voice rings out clearly across the hall, low and steady. "I'm the one you're marrying today."
The words hit her like a punch to the stomach. She doesn't know what to say. She doesn't know what to think.
Before she can process anything, Larry Campbell steps forward, his face red with confusion and uneasiness. "Eric, what is going on?" he demands, his voice trembling with nervousness. "Where is Ethan? Why are you here?"
Eric? Eric Walters?!