Claudia and Anthony had known each other for twelve years. After three years of dating, their wedding date was set. The news of their intended marriage shook the entire city. Emotions were high as many women grew extremely jealous of her. At first, Claudia couldn't be bothered about the hate. But when Anthony abandoned her on the altar after receiving a call, she was devastated. "Serves her right!" All of her enemies took pleasure in her misfortune. The news spread like wildfire. In a strange turn of events, Claudia posted an update on social media. It was a picture of her with a marriage certificate which she captioned, "Call me Mrs. Dreskin from now on." While the public was still trying to process the shock, Bennett-who hadn't posted on social media in years-made a post with the caption that read, "Now a married man." The public went agog. Many people labeled Claudia as the luckiest woman of the century as she had struck gold by marrying Bennett. Even a baby knew that Anthony was an ant compared to his rival. Claudia had the last laugh that day. She relished her enemies' shocked comments while remaining humble. People still thought that their marriage was odd. They believed that it was just a marriage of convenience. One day, a journalist was bold enough to ask for Bennett's comment on his marriage to which he answered with the softest smile, "Marrying Claudia is the best thing that ever happened to me."
On this day, the Nixon and Marshall families had planned to unite in matrimony. The ambiance was brimming with excitement. The spacious banquet hall were decked out in rich, dreamy decor.
The wedding officiant called for the groom to step onto the stage. "Presenting to you our handsome groom, Mr. Anthony Nixon!"
Barely had the officiant's words resonated through the hall when the attendees erupted in deafening cheers.
Yet, after a few moments of waiting following the introduction, there was no sign of the groom on stage.
Guests started to murmur amongst themselves. Maintaining a cool demeanor, the officiant brushed it off as a minor hiccup. However, as the moments of silence stretched, even he realized something was off. His silence added to the sudden quiet in the hall.
Suddenly, a resounding smack echoed from backstage. Those close to the stage could see the scene unfold.
Anthony, the groom, had just been struck by his own mother. He ripped the boutonniere from his tuxedo jacket and stormed off.
Meanwhile, the bride-to-be, Claudia Marshall was backstage with her father, Jace Marshall, waiting for their cue to enter the spotlight.
"Feeling nervous, Cece?"
Jace gently patted her arm. Claudia offered her father an embarrassed look.
Just as she was about to respond, the commanding voice of Rachel Nixon, Anthony's mother, caught her attention. "Anthony, get back here right now!"
Claudia couldn't help but turn at the sound of Rachel's voice.
The moment she turned, she saw Anthony dashing past her.
His gaze flickered when he spotted her. "Cece, I apologize. There's been an emergency with Delilah. We must postpone our wedding!"
He didn't pause in his stride as he spoke.
His words extinguished all of Claudia's exhilaration and delight, leaving her feeling deflated and disheartened, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her.
Only moments ago, her father had asked her if she was anxious. Indeed, she was, but not for the reasons one might expect. She wasn't worrying over marrying Anthony but over whether the wedding would proceed without a hitch, as that woman-Delilah Lopez-had assured her in last night's message!
Jace's expression soured. He had extended invites to his loved ones, acquaintances, and business contacts. The wedding was just about to commence, and Anthony had bolted at this crucial moment!
As Claudia watched him fade into the distance, she was paralyzed with shock.
No!
She couldn't let Anthony depart without a fight!
Regaining her composure, Claudia hoisted up her wedding gown and dashed after him. "Anthony!"
She was in high heels that didn't quite fit and every step she took was painful.
Yet Claudia didn't halt. She gritted her teeth, determined to catch up with Anthony.
The wedding banquet was on the second floor. As Anthony neared the stairwell, he heard Claudia's cries and paused briefly.
After a moment's hesitation, he continued to stride briskly out of the hotel.
By the time Claudia made it outside, Anthony was already crossing the road.
Without missing a beat, Claudia gave chase.
As Anthony was about to board his car, the screech of tires reverberated through the air, followed by a terrifying scream from his mother. "Claudia!"
Claudia, adorned in her pristine white wedding dress, was struck by a black vehicle, searing pain shooting up from her shin and engulfing her body.
Claudia was thrown to the ground, her white dress instantly stained with blood. Her arms bore multiple contusions. The bride, once the picture of beauty and grace, was now a vision of chaos and suffering.
Using her remaining strength to prop herself up on her hands, Claudia struggled to sit upright. Biting her lip, she fixed her gaze on Anthony who stood by his car.
Her lips remained sealed, but her tear-filled eyes silently implored him.
Would he stay?
Would he choose her over Delilah this time?
Three years ago, the Moore family opposed Charles Moore's choice to marry his beloved woman and selected Scarlett Riley as his bride. Charles didn't love her. In fact, he hated her. Not long after they got married, Scarlett received an offer from her dream university and jumped on it. Three years later, Charles's beloved woman fell terribly ill. In order to fulfill her last wish, he called Scarlett back and presented her with a divorce agreement. Scarlett was deeply hurt by Charles's abrupt decision, but she chose to let him go and agreed to sign the divorce papers. However, Charles seemed to delay the process deliberately, leaving Scarlett confused and frustrated. Now, Scarlett was trapped between the consequences of Charles's indecision. Would she be able to break free from him? Would Charles eventually come to his senses and face his true feelings?
It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience, but Carrie made the mistake of falling in love with Kristopher. When the time came that she needed him the most, her husband was in the company of another woman. Enough was enough. Carrie chose to divorce Kristopher and move on with her life. Only when she left did Kristopher realize how important she was to him. In the face of his ex-wife’s countless admirers, Kristopher offered her 20 million dollars and proposed a new deal. “Let’s get married again.”
“You need a bride, I need a groom. Why don’t we get married?” Both abandoned at the altar, Elyse decided to tie the knot with the disabled stranger from the venue next door. Pitying his state, she vowed to spoil him once they were married. Little did she know that he was actually a powerful tycoon. Jayden thought Elyse only married him for his money, and planned to divorce her when she was no longer of use to him. But after becoming her husband, he was faced with a new dilemma. “She keeps asking for a divorce, but I don’t want that! What should I do?”
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!”
Rena got into an entanglement with a big shot when she was drunk one night. She needed Waylen's help while he was drawn to her youthful beauty. As such, what was supposed to be a one-night stand progressed into something serious. All was well until Rena discovered that Waylen's heart belonged to another woman. When his first love returned, he stopped coming home, leaving Rena all alone for many nights. She put up with it until she received a check and farewell note one day. Contrary to how Waylen expected her to react, Rena had a smile on her face as she bid him farewell. "It was fun while it lasted, Waylen. May our paths never cross. Have a nice life." But as fate would have it, their paths crossed again. This time, Rena had another man by her side. Waylen's eyes burned with jealousy. He spat, "How the hell did you move on? I thought you loved only me!" "Keyword, loved!" Rena flipped her hair back and retorted, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, Waylen. Besides, you were the one who asked for a breakup. Now, if you want to date me, you have to wait in line." The next day, Rena received a credit alert of billions and a diamond ring. Waylen appeared again, got down on one knee, and uttered, "May I cut in line, Rena? I still want you."
"You're a creepy bastard." His eyes smolder me and his answering grin is nothing short of beautiful. Deadly. "Yet you hunger for me. Tell me, this appetite of yours, does it always tend toward 'creepy bastards'?" **** Widower and ex-boss to the Mafia, Zefiro Della Rocca, has an unhealthy fixation on the woman nextdoor. It began as a coincidence, growing into mere curiosity, and soon, it was an itch he couldn't ignore, like a quick fix of crack for an addict. He didn't know her name, but he knew every inch of her skin, how it flushed when she climaxed, her favourite novel and that every night she contemplated suicide. He didn't want to care, despising his rapt fascination of the woman. She was in love with her abusive husband. She was married, bound by a contract to the Bratva's hitman. She was off-limits. But when Zefiro wanted something, it was with an intensity that bordered on madness. He obsessed, possessed, owned. There'd be bloodshed if he touched her, but the sight of blood always did fascinate him. * When Susanna flees from her husband, she stumbles right into the arms of her devilishly handsome neighbour with a brooding glare. He couldn't stand her, but she needed him, if she was ever going to escape her husband who now wanted her dead. Better the devil you know than the angel you don't. She should have recalled that before hopping into Zefiro's car and letting him whisk her away to Italy. Maybe then, she wouldn't have started an affair with him. He was the only man who touched her right, and the crazy man took no small pains in ensuring he would be the last.