Marrying a millionaire and going from rags to riches wasn't at all what Dawn had foretold for herself but when the former becomes the latter, she finds herself sharing vows with a retired fuckboy who has quite the reputation in slutry. However, as time progresses, the newlywed's both come to realize that: it isn't what happens at the outset that matters, it's the rest of the other days when you have to live in a whole new world called marriage - where sometimes, the steamy sex and miscellaneous extravaganzas aren't enough to keep the past skeletons hidden.
Five rules.
Hold your bouquet low.
Shoulders straight. Head high.
Don't forget to walk.
Be careful not to trip on your dress.
Smile at the guests.
Dawn went over these rules, pacing around the room with her heart beating a million times faster than it should.
She had spent the last few days of her life rehearsing for this moment - waiting for her time of glamour to reveal itself but now that it was finally here, she felt stuffed and the figure-hugging white wedding dress didn't help lighten her burden.
"Quit pacing around, you're making me dizzy" her sister, Paula, (who'd been watching her walk back and forth for over ten minutes) scolded with a slight huff of annoyance but Dawn was too apprehensive to notice.
She'd been fidgety all morning and having Paula as the bridesmaid wasn't doing anything to help calm her down. In fact, it made her worse.
"I can't Paula" she chewed on her lip, almost tempted to run a hand through her face but she knew better than to fortify the two hours' worth of makeup baked on her face.
"If you're worried about the dress, I'd say you look stunning in it" she commented, adjusting the straps of her own gown.
"No, it's not the dress" Dawn groaned.
Okay, maybe it was, just a little bit of it, but of course, she couldn't just go about telling her that the dress she'd chosen barely gave her room to breathe.
"Then what is?" At this point, Paula was frustrated.
"I'm just nervous" she sighed out, subconsciously smoothening out the nonexistent wrinkles on her dress.
She had a valid reason to be nervous, for it wasn't every day that one got married to an Argent and the thought of it feared her.
"About what?" Paule raised an eyebrow, searching her eyes.
"It's just - " she paused, stopped, and fully turned to her. "Wh-what if he doesn't show up at the altar, what if he changes his mind?" She stuttered, her brows creasing with worry.
Maybe it was too soon for marriage, they'd only been together for half a year, and thus didn't have enough time to familiarize themselves properly.
What if he just felt rushed and proposed because she promised to leave if he didn't take the first step? What if he'd planned to bail on her as they did in the movies.
She mentally pulled on her hair. She was going crazy.
Paula scoffed. "C'mon, Dawn, this isn't the movies. You and I both know that if he was going to change his mind, he would've done it by now."
Dawn's shoulders drooped, obviously not at all comforted with that statement and Paula must have noticed because she quickly added. " What I mean is... as much as I don't like that blockhead, I have to admit that he's a good man, and if he were to change his mind about marrying you, he wouldn't wait until the ceremony or humiliate you in front of everyone."
Dawn bit inside her cheek. Paula had a point but she still couldn't dust off the uneasy feeling in her gut.
"But what if I trip?" She was always known to be the clumsy sort, especially when she was nervous and apprehensive.
Paula sighed and gently brushed her fingers over her thick curls. "Today happens only once in a lifetime Dawn, stop worrying about the moment and just focus on yourself. Trust me, it will be over quickly and the best parts will come after" she placed a hand on her shoulder. "Whatever happens, good or bad, David isn't going to love you less for it okay? So just drop it all off and enjoy your day"
Dawn took a moment to inhale deeply before breathing out. "Thank you, Paula," she said, finally turning to examine herself in the full-length mirror.
"You're going to do just great," Paula assured with a soft smile gracing her features.
"You think so?"
She nodded vehemently. "I know so. Now come on, we better go before David actually changes his mind"

The ceremonial song began to play, urging everyone to stand and turn to look toward the back of the chapel.
"Are you ready?" Martha asked, squeezing her daughter's arm lightly and Dawn nodded, sucking in a deep breath before taking the first step into the chapel, and upon her entry, an awe-stricken gasp eluded from the crowd.
She walked the distance, holding her bouquet firm as she followed the slow pace of her mother who joyously governed her into the chapel.
"Nothing else mattered," she told herself, smiling broadly as she made her way to the only man who had managed to capture her heart and make it sink so deep. She kept her eyes on him, only seeing him while the rest of the world around her faded into a perfect illusion.
David stood at the altar, watching in marvel as his soon-to-be wife walked graciously towards him.
"Last chance to bail David" his best man, Tanner teased but he was too far gone to heed his jest.
She looked beautiful - her smile, her blue star eyes, that bashful look on her face -he couldn't believe it was the girl he'd fallen hopelessly for. The dainty little clumsy girl who came unexpectedly into his life and took his heart by surprise, the girl who found parts of him he didn't know existed- it felt like a constant euphoric rush and he was completely at a loss of words.
For the first time in his life, he didn't know what to say or do and before he could blink, she was standing beside him with a smile on her face.
"Good afternoon," said the priest as he took his place between them. "We gather here today to witness the celebration of deep love between David and Dawn and their wish to unite in the bond of marriage. On behalf of them," he paused, and gestured to the crowd, "I welcome all of you"
The priest began the wedding ceremony shortly by giving a short speech about love and how important it was in a relationship but David knew exactly what love was.
Finding someone you couldn't live without, someone you couldn't breathe without, that one person that made your heartbeat rise every second of the day, that was love - that was Dawn, and there was something about her that made him want to fall, or turn to liquid or burst into flames.
"David and Dawn, if you are ready to step into the circle of matrimony, assuming all its rights, obligations, and abundant joys, please so indicate by joining hands."
David turned, his winter grey eyes piercing her blue ones as he took her hand into his and squeezed gently.
The priest smiled. "Do you, Dawn Araceli Montgomery, take this man, David Argent as your husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health. Do you promise with all your heart to honor this vow till death do you part?"
"I do," Dawn promised without hesitation and David's heart thumped with euphoria.
"Do you, David Earl Argent, take this woman, Dawn Montgomery, as your wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health. Do you promise with all your heart and soul to honor this vow till death do you part?"
"I do." He said, his eyes never leaving hers.
The priest continued. "David, place the ring on Dawn's finger and repeat after me," he instructed and as David slipped the silver band onto Dawn's left hand, the priest recited "As this ring..."
"As this ring..." David repeated.
"Has no end..."
"Has no end..."
"Neither shall my love for you."
"Neither shall my love for you."
"Dawn, place the ring on David's finger and repeat after me."
After the process had been repeated and the rings were exchanged, the priest proceeded.
"David and Dawn, now that the two of you have joined hands and placed the rings on each other's fingers in the presence of your family and Yahweh, you have declared your eternal love for each other, therefore, by the power vested in me by the most heavenly Father and the court of law, I hereby on this day pronounce you husband and wife. David, you may now kiss the bride"
The congregation cheered and applauded, but David didn't hear any of it. In the drawn-out moment, it was just him, and nothing else mattered. Dawn was his, and she would always be his.
"You belong to me now Dawn Araceli Argent" he touched her lips, tickling the tender skin with his forefinger "Only me" his warm mouth collided with hers, the intensity of their kiss swimming like wildfire through and around them.
Dawn ran her fingers gently through his soft curls, giggled shyly as he nipped on my bottom lip and a sense of a wicked stratification crawled up her skin as the hungry eyes of jealous women witnessed her claim on her husband.
"I love you" David muttered, pulling away to stare right into her sparkling eyes.
It was beautiful... She was beautiful.
"More than the universe" she smiled, and in that moment did they realized that their world as they knew it changed forever.
For better...or worse.
Worlds collide when Nia Edwards; a struggling black woman — comes across Jacob Harvey; a widower and full-time father of two who returns from his journey of self-preservation and no doubt falters into her life without due warning. This causes a stir in the balance of both contrasting worlds and for the first time in a long while, Nia feels a glint of true happiness. However what she fails to realize is that nothing comes without a price, and sometimes, we aren't willing to pay the cost.
"Mr. Evans, please maintain some dignity. Don't forget I'm your brother's wife!" Having caught her husband and best friend together in the bed, Elena wanted nothing more than to exact revenge on the people she once called family. She refused to be a pitiful divorcee and vowed to make everyone who had once looked down on her beg for forgiveness. And to start with her newfound freedom, Elena indulges in a one-night stand with a stranger. However, what was meant to be a fleeting escape turns into a nightmare when she learns that the stranger is none other than her husband's older brother! Would Elena be free from the shackles of her marriage? Or would the mysterious stranger make her life a living hell since he seemed to have a personal vendetta against his family? [The story is 18+ and involves mature content.]
"There will be no falling in love, we will only act as a loving couple when we are in public, we will share a room to make it believable, but no intimacy, touching is off-limits. We'll only have sex once a month, and that's solely to produce an heir. You won't interfere in my business, and I won't interfere in yours. You will be my wife in every sense and you will not be involved with any other man," he said, arrogance seeping from every word. I watch his mouth move, I'm not ready to fall in love with any man, especially not one as arrogant and egoistic as him. I can handle acting as a loving couple, and as for intimacy once a month. I can agree to that just to satisfy my sexual cravings with no strings attached. "Where can I sign?" I asked since I had nothing to lose. *** Nadine's wedding dreams turned to nightmares when she caught her sister and fiancé cheating! With a secret recording, she's ready for revenge. But then mysterious billionaire Logan West offers a deal: A Contract Marriage to take down her ex's empire. But what Nadine doesn't know is her life is getting complicated as she takes her chance to get revenge or risks everything for a chance at love?"
Linsey was stood up by her groom to run off with another woman. Furious, she grabbed a random stranger and declared, "Let's get married!" She had acted on impulse, realizing too late that her new husband was the notorious rascal, Collin. The public laughed at her, and even her runaway ex offered to reconcile. But Linsey scoffed at him. "My husband and I are very much in love!" Everyone thought she was delusional. Then Collin was revealed to be the richest man in the world. In front of everyone, he got down on one knee and held up a stunning diamond ring. "I look forward to our forever, honey."
"I stood at the edge of my heart and watched him choose her. In the end, I was not the one he needed. I was simply the one he settled for." - Noelle ~~~~~~~ I thought I was the one he loved. But a few days before our wedding, I saw him in a way I never had before. His eyes softened as he spoke to her. His first love, and the very woman who had left him in pieces. Heartbreak was something I knew too well. And as I watched the love he still held for her in his eyes, I realized what I had to do. I couldn't marry a man who wasn't truly mine. With no means to cancel the wedding and lacking the courage to confront him, I made a desperate choice to leave. I painfully gave his first love my treasured engagement ring thinking it was for the best and the only way to free myself. But when he saw that ring on her finger, the fragile world I had tried to escape began to shatter. His obsession to find me and bring me back ignited a dangerous game of cat and mouse.
Rosalynn's marriage to Brian wasn't what she envisioned it to be. Her husband, Brian, barely came home. He avoided her like a plague. Worse still, he was always in the news for dating numerous celebrities. Rosalynn persevered until she couldn't take it anymore. She upped and left after filing for a divorce. Everything changed days later. Brian took interest in a designer that worked for his company anonymously. From her profile, he could tell that she was brilliant and dazzling. He pulled the stops to find out her true identity. Little did he know that he was going to receive the greatest shocker of his life. Brian bit his finger with regret when he recalled his past actions and the woman he foolishly let go.
She thought she was the love of his life, and he became the love of her life that fateful day she had seen him at the pack's party. Selene Grace was only a replica of Alpha Leo's real mate, and when he spotted her, Leo immediately claimed her as his Luna in order to suppress the rumors of him being mateless. Being unable to conceive turns Selene's marriage into a nightmare, and as if that wasn't enough, Alpha Leo finally reunites with his long time lover and mate, rejecting a pregnant Selene as a result. 5 years later, Selene, a now successful doctor, receives an invitation to the moon shadow pack in order to rid the pack of a deadly disease which has struck it. Will Selene return back to the pack which had caused her so much pain, and what would she do when she realizes that she is mated to the Alpha who had betrayed her in the past?