CHAPTER THIRTEEN

I nodded and dropped the belt of the robe I'd been fiddling with. I couldn't tell him it wasn't what he thought. Rather the opposite, I wasn't scared, I was embarrassed to be with him alone after the stunt the woman had pulled and my state of undress hadn't helped matters. To be exact, I wasn't scared of anything he might pull, not because I knew him, obviously not, but I knew myself, and I was well versed in the act of protecting myself from peeps.

"Why are you not ready yet? The wedding is starting in less than an hour and I heard women take long to even put on their dress."

I shrugged. Wasn't he going to talk about my 'mother'? "I'm almost done, and I'm not most women. I'll be ready before the wedding starts."

He didn't look convinced. "Anyway, my mother was really happy when she saw you. She's not usually that open-minded towards most people and I want this day to be perfect." He narrowed his eyes. "We've signed an agreement. You have to play your own part and look the happy bride. I don't want any mistakes."

"Of course, I know my part. I trust that you will do the same." I regarded him, not hiding the fact his words had pissed me off. Was I a dummy or a child that needed to be reminded of what to do at every single moment?

His lips pulled up into a fake smile. "Of course. I'm prepared to do everything."

Before I could snap at him and tell him what was on my mind, a knock sounded on the door and my hairstylist appeared at the door. She looked between us and smiled. "Do I need to come back?"

I left Jonathan's side and sat down at the vanity. "Of course not. We have no time. Please come in."

I watched my husband's back as he walked out of the room without a word, and I let out my breath. Why exactly was it so easy for him to make me so frustrated? At the rate we were going, living together would kill us. Either that, or one of us would take the plunge and murder the other person, and I was almost sure it was going to be me.

The sound and whirring of the curling iron ensued, and I closed my eyes and waited for her to finish her magic. After about fifteen minutes, thankfully, she fluffed my hair and removed the cloth she had hung around my neck. "I'm done."

I looked at myself in the mirror and gave my first genuine smile. So far, my hair had been an essential part of me I couldn't really ignore and neither could I manage it, so I always had it in a bun or a ponytail, but she had made my normally dull hair into something I wasn't so used to. But I liked it anyway.

"What do you think?" She asked, spraying one more liquid on the hair and I smiled at her.

"I love it so much. It's so gorgeous."

She laughed. "You're the gorgeous one. Now, get up, let me help you into your dress." She winked. "Or would you rather your husband do it?"

I shook my head, refraining the urge to leave the answer as a polite nod. Like he said, I needed to play my part as well, so our plan would go without a hitch. "We're almost running out of time and I can't afford more wastage of time. I think it will be better if you did it."

She laughed until she was bent over. "Of course. I totally understand you."

I nodded and walked into the dressing room where my wedding dress had been hung. I gasped as I took it in. I hadn't been the one to choose any aspect of the wedding, having being vocal about my disinterest from the beginning, and it was my first time seeing the dress. For a fake wedding that already had the end planned out, I had expected something more basic, not the beauty that was staring at me. 

The dress was breathtaking yet simple in its design. It had a sweetheart neck and the bodice had been intricately fitted with tiny pearls. The fitted waistline flowed into an A-line skirt that gently pooled on the floor. 

"Wow." My hairstylist whispered with her hands on her mouth as she entered. She looked at me and started clapping. "This is beautiful." She exclaimed, emphasizing the beautiful, and I couldn't help but agree with her. All I'd been asked was to provide my measurements, and this had been created. I automatically knew the dress would look nothing less than stunning on me. I couldn't wait to put it on.

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I walked down the aisle, feeling the flashes of the cameras I knew were following my every move. I'd requested that the flashes be kept to a minimum, and thankfully that wish had been granted. Eyes straight ahead, I walked down the aisle, only one thought ringing through my head. Don't fall. Don't fall. I didn't allow myself to think of the man that was supposed to be walking me down the aisle or the fact that my mother was never going to experience this. I just looked straight ahead as I walked down the never-ending path.

Thankfully, before my nerves could fail me, or I could slip on the heels I wasn't very comfortable walking with, I reached Jonathan's side. He took my hands and smiled into my eyes, his hard grip reminding me to do the same. I smiled at him and stared at him with love in my eyes until I could hear gasps of adoration coming from the audience. I smirked, challenging him, and turned my attention to the officiant.

The officiant droned on for a couple of minutes, and I stopped listening, choosing instead to congratulate myself. This was no longer in the planning stage. As soon as the man stopped talking, and we got the festivities out of the way, everything was going to get very smooth for me.

A hard squeeze of my fingers brought me back to the present, and I realized it was already my turn to say my vows. I repeated the words of the minister I didn't intend to keep, and before I knew it, we'd gotten the kiss out of the way, signed the wedding document and were now in reception. All with Jonathan refusing to leave my side.

I smiled as yet another person I didn't know came forward to offer their congratulations and well wishes. 

"Thank you so much." I heard myself saying and sighed as the line finally became empty.

"Jonathan." A group of men called him and with a regretful look as well as a whisper not to do anything stupid, he finally left my side.

I sighed and moved closer to the bar and removed my shoe, my feet were going to be blistered by the next day.

"Congratulations." A shrill, familiar voice called, and I turned towards the voice and gave Lillian a grateful smile.

"Thank you so much."

She looked round the room. "Where is your husband? I don't see him anywhere."

I looked round and, not finding him where he had gone, shrugged. "He just left. He'll soon be back and I will introduce you. He will be pleased to see you." I almost added.

"How about you? I don't see Lucas anywhere."

I couldn't lie that I hadn't been looking for him and had been a little disappointed when he hadn't shown up during the wedding. Of course, I hadn't been expecting him to have come to see me in the bridal suite, but had it been too much to have hoped he had been present for the wedding? He would have been the only familiar face in the audience. As it was, I knew none of the people that had witnessed the wedding.

"He stopped by the restroom. He'll soon come and find you. It was a pity we missed the wedding, I would have loved to see it."

I smiled. "True, but you guys are here now. Thanks for coming."

She nodded. "By the way, I meant to ask you. I was so shocked when Lucas told me you were getting married. How did you guys meet?" She lowered her voice to a conspirational whisper. "I heard he's your boss."

I started to answer when the flicker of the conversation three young women were having beside us slid to my ears. "I told you it's true. People like him make me sick. The poor girl." The woman tsked.

Lillian bumped my shoulder with hers, her face lighting at the thought of hearing interesting gossip. "What are they talking about?"

I shook my head when more words flitted to me. "She's the secretary. I knew he was bad news from the beginning. Have you heard nothing about him?" That was when I began to notice the pitying and curious expressions people were throwing to me. Wait, was I the one being discussed right now?

Lillian stared at me, the smile dropping from her face. "What's going on? What are they talking about?"

The sound of hurried footsteps making its way towards me made me look up at Jonathan's furious expression, and I shook my head. "I don't know."