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On the day that was meant to be the happiest day of her life. It became an unrealistic dream when she found out her best friend was the bride her fiancee was getting married to. To control the embarrassment and to avoid being disgraced, Ivy picked a man from the congregation and got married to him. Unknown to her, she picked the country's wealthiest bachelor. Dillon was shocked when the broken Ivy singled her out of the congregation. Not knowing how to reject the broken woman, he agreed to get married to her. Ivy was shocked when she found out the man she got married to was the country's billionaire and decided to run away but will it be successful? Dillon's mother already picked a bride for him, what will she do when she gets to know her son is entangled with a poor woman?
Ivy Hughes
"Praise my soul, the king of heaven," The cathedral choir sang as I prepared to walk down the aisle. I furrowed my brows uncomfortably because that wasn't the hymn I chose for the bride's procession. I paid little attention to it and assumed there must have been a mix up.
I will be getting married to my best friend today. I stepped out of a red range rover with my wedding dress stung on my body like I was born with it. The dress was designed by a popular designer and it costs a fortune. Many thanks to my soon-to-be husband, Ryan, I was able to look elegant on my wedding day.
The man I will be tying the knot to is one of the A-list actors in New York. I am also an actress but hardly recognized by anyone. I will be deceiving myself if I classify myself as a D-list actor. My grade is lower than that.
"Where is Evelyn?" I asked my sister, Kayla.
Evelyn is my best friend and my bridesmaid. She left the hotel we lodged last night because of an emergency and hasn't arrived since then.
"Dunno! I tried her number, but there was no pick," Kayla answered, checking her simple makeover in the car's mirror.
"We can't wait anymore. Let's go on without her. I am sure she had her reasons,"
Kayla nodded and smiled at me. We have learned to cherish each other since we lost our parents a few years back.
She clasped her hand with mine and we footed toward the church's entrance, putting on the cutest smiles ever.
Our faces were struck with shock as soon as we took a step into the church. The congregation in the church was more than my expectations. However, that was not the case.
Another wedding was going on in the church and Ryan, my soon-to-be husband was the groom and there was a bride beside him. Which definitely wasn't me because I haven't even walked down the aisle.
"I hereby present Ryan Austin and Evelyn Desmond as the newest couple in the world,"
The priest announced and I felt my world crashing. I was oblivious to the shouts and joyful screams that were going on. The last statement the priest made echoed in my ears.
Did Ryan get married to Evelyn?
Was that the reason she left the hotel last night claiming there was an emergency....?
"Arrgh!" I shrieked.
The shrill garnered everybody's attention and they all turned their heads, fixing their eyes on me.
Their stares were piercing into my skin. I felt like there were needles all over my body. I prayed earnestly to God to let the ground eat me up. My legs were transfixed. Thinking of the next thing to do was a problem because my head was aching badly.
The betrayals' lips were curled up victoriously. There was neither guilt nor remorse on their faces. It only meant one thing. It has been planned out, but I trusted them so much as not to suspect them.
I pushed the brimming tears back and looked at the congregation faces one after the other until my eyes landed on a man. His amber eyes were shining like a star and his cold expression did nothing to my body but gave me an idea.
I walked into the church, surprising everyone. Kayla tried to stop me by holding my hand, but I jerked her hands away. She thought I was losing my mind or maybe I was.
I stopped in front of the man with amber eyes, and in front of everyone, I asked him to marry me.
"Will you please, take me as your bride?" I asked, garnering another whisper from the congregation.
My mind was trying to chide me to stop, but my head wasn't comprehending that. All I wanted to do was to save myself from the disgrace and shame they had both planted. The man stood up from his seat and looked into my eyes. I felt shivers in my spine as he pierced his beautiful eyes into mine.
I was praying to God and hoping he wouldn't say NO.
"Okay... Let's have a wedding," He agreed and I forced a smile from my lips.
He took my hands and walked me down the aisle.
Ryan and Evelyn gave me their last glances and walked out of the church, majestically.
"Ivy, you are not in your right senses. You don't even know the man you are getting married to,"
Kayla spoke while shaking my shoulders, but I have made up my mind.
"Start the vow, priest," I instructed, looking at nowhere in particular.
"The groom should say after me,"
The priest began and we were asked to exchange vows. There was no ring and it was time to exchange the rings. I removed my veil and tore a little part of it. The man collected the torn part from me and split it into halves. He tied one to my finger and I tied the other to his. All these actions took place with a bright smile on his face. He looked like a man who has been in love with the woman in front of him.
"People of God, I present to you, the newest couple in town," The priest announced.
The church was as silent as a graveyard, a clap could not be heard and that was none of my business. The only thing I wanted to do after the wedding was to go home.
I gave the man a last smile and footed out of the church hurriedly, Kayla opened the car's door, I hopped into the car and she followed suit. The driver drove off.
The tears I have been forcing back moved freely out of my eyes. Ryan and I started from scratch. We'd been dating since our college days before he chose acting as his career and everybody knew us as a couple. Even if I was expecting to be betrayed, it wasn't from him. I wasn't expecting to be betrayed by them.
The car stopped in front of the mini flat I stayed with Kayla, but I was still sobbing. She circled her arm around my shoulders and patted me softly. These gestures were supposed to make me stop crying but they increased my tears instead.
We entered the small living room and Kayla helped me settle on one of the single couches.
She turned the lights on and helped me remove my shoes and veil. She flung them and took a seat in front of me. Of course, I knew it was time to listen to her endless nagging sadly, I wasn't in the mood for that.
"Ivy, why did you do.....,"
She started but I cut her off.
"Spare me that, Kayla. I am not in the mood for that,"
I stood up and strolled into my bedroom weakly. I just want to shut the noises in my head.
Corinne devoted three years of her life to her boyfriend, only for it to all go to waste. He saw her as nothing more than a country bumpkin and left her at the altar to be with his true love. After getting jilted, Corinne reclaimed her identity as the granddaughter of the town’s richest man, inherited a billion-dollar fortune, and ultimately rose to the top. But her success attracted the envy of others, and people constantly tried to bring her down. As she dealt with these troublemakers one by one, Mr. Hopkins, notorious for his ruthlessness, stood by and cheered her on. “Way to go, honey!”
Darya spent three years loving Micah, worshipping the ground he walked on. Until his neglect and his family's abuse finally woke her up to the ugly truth-he doesn't love her. Never did, never will. To her, he is a hero, her knight in shining armour. To him, she is an opportunist, a gold digger who schemed her way into his life. Darya accepts the harsh reality, gathers the shattered pieces of her dignity, divorces him, takes back her real name, reclaims her title as the country's youngest billionaire heiress. Their paths cross again at a party. Micah watches his ex-wife sing like an angel, tear up the dance floor, then thwart a lecher with a roundhouse kick. He realises, belatedly, that she's exactly the kind of woman he'd want to marry, if only he had taken the trouble to get to know her. Micah acts promptly to win her back, but discovers she's now surrounded by eligible bachelors: high-powered CEO, genius biochemist, award-winning singer, reformed playboy. Worse, she makes it pretty clear that she's done with him. Micah gears up for an uphill battle. He must prove to her he's still worthy of her love before she falls for someone else. And time is running out.
There was only one man in Raegan's heart, and it was Mitchel. In the second year of her marriage to him, she got pregnant. Raegan's joy knew no bounds. But before she could break the news to her husband, he served her divorce papers because he wanted to marry his first love. After an accident, Raegan lay in the pool of her own blood and called out to Mitchel for help. Unfortunately, he left with his first love in his arms. Raegan escaped death by the whiskers. Afterward, she decided to get her life back on track. Her name was everywhere years later. Mitchel became very uncomfortable. For some reason, he began to miss her. His heart ached when he saw her all smiles with another man. He crashed her wedding and fell to his knees while she was at the altar. With bloodshot eyes, he queried, "I thought you said your love for me is unbreakable? How come you are getting married to someone else? Come back to me!"
"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.]
Elodie took a deep breath and knocked, the sound echoing in the quiet corridor. A moment of silence passed, broken only by the pounding of her heart. Finally, the door snicked open, revealing a surprised Dashiell. 'Can't you see the Do Not Disturb sign? We don't want-' His initial frown quickly morphed into confusion at the sight of his wife. 'What are you doing here?' he demanded. 'Your girlfriend invited me,' Elodie replied, her voice laced with icy calm. She tried to peer past him, but his broad frame blocked the view. A saccharine voice chimed in from within the room. 'Elodie? Oh dear, we didn't mean for you to find out this way. It's just that-' Elodie cut her short. 'Oh please, Selene. Spare me the fake apologies. You wouldn't have sent me all those texts if you didn't want me to know.' Dashiell shifted uncomfortably, his face a mask of annoyance. 'What texts?' Elodie stepped past him, taking in the luxurious suite with a sardonic smile. The king-sized bed, the scattered rose petals, the lingering scent of sex – it all painted a vivid picture of their betrayal. She looked up at Dashiell, her gaze unwavering. 'I want a divorce.' ****** Dashiell lived a life of luxury, surrounded by the best things money could buy. But when a car accident left him vulnerable, he met Elodie, a seemingly ordinary woman who nursed him back to health. Mistaking her for just another employee, Dashiell entered into a loveless marriage with her solely for convenience. However, fate had a different script in store. Elodie, the 'ordinary nurse,' held a secret more precious than any diamond: she was the sole heiress to Northstar, a vast and powerful enterprise. Unaware of her true identity, Dashiell cast her aside when his ex-girlfriend returned, leaving Elodie humiliated. But Elodie was not one to be easily broken. She shed the facade of the meek nurse, reclaiming her rightful inheritance and stepping into the role of Northstar's CEO. Now, the woman Dashiell discarded was the one holding the reins of power. As Elodie thrives in her new role, Dashiell is consumed by regret. He finally sees Elodie for the extraordinary woman she truly is, realising the depth of his mistake. But will his remorse be enough to win back the heart he so carelessly discarded?
On the day of their wedding anniversary, Joshua's mistress drugged Alicia, and she ended up in a stranger's bed. In one night, Alicia lost her innocence, while Joshua's mistress carried his child in her womb. Heartbroken and humiliated, Alicia demanded a divorce, but Joshua saw it as yet another tantrum. When they finally parted ways, she went on to become a renowned artist, sought out and admired by everyone. Consumed by regret, Joshua darkened her doorstep in hopes of reconciliation, only to find her in the arms of a powerful tycoon. "Say hello to your sister-in-law."