When Jennie gets invited to the wedding of the gorgeous, rich ,sexy and outrightly perfect high school frenemy, Latesha Bogart, she has to do everything to prove that her life isn't in fact as miserable as it already is. This includes a whole list of lies and a hired fiancé, will she be able to pull it off? Or will the thin string holding her facade together, rip right in the middle of everything?
Sorting through the mail, my fingers closed around the thick, glossy envelope that screamed wedding invitation. I passed it to my roommate,
Darla who was sipping her coffee while grumbling about men who tie up the bar, then leave lousy tips when she refuses to hand over her phone number.
"Shocking news," I told her. "Another wedding invitation." She was scheduled to be a bridesmaid in eight weddings over the summer and had been invited to another five. It was costing her a fortune. Thus, the grumpy attitude as she detailed the night from bartending hell. She'd been moonlighting to pay for all the wedding costs. Affordable bridesmaids' dresses are the thing of fairy tales, apparently. But she'd created a wedding advice blog detailing her adventures, so she was making the best of it. "Did you get invited to this many weddings when you lived in Boston?"
She sighed. "Nope. But Springfield's my hometown, so I know lots of people here. Guess they were all waiting for me to move back before they got married." Darla held out her hand and took the envelope from me. She
looked at the front of it and laughed, tossing it back to me. "Sorry, Jennie, this one's for you."
I jumped back and let it drop to the floor with a thwack. Darla didn't mind standing up in weddings because she had no plans to get married. At least that's what she told me privately. It was another story on her blog.
I, on the other hand, should've been married by now, or at least had a close call, and hated going to weddings -reminding me that at age twenty nine, I'd never had the pleasure. I didn't even have anyone I could bring as a date. All this, and I had twenty thousand dollars in a savings account my mother had left me before she died, specifically set aside to throw the
wedding of my dreams. A wedding she'd never see. So yeah, I had a few good reasons to hate weddings.
Reluctantly, I picked up the envelope, and slid out the card. A trail of fine glitter and dried rose petals spilled out. I read the invitation and groaned. "No, no, no. Not Latesha Bogart. Anyone but Latesha Bogart." I was waiting for a dove to fly out of the envelope next, the way she did things.
Darla poured herself another cup of coffee and doused it with creamer.
"What's wrong with Latesha Bogart?"
I slumped onto the stool and propped my chin in my hand. "She was my number one frenemy in high school before the word was coined.
Anything I could do, she could do better."
"Latesha Bogart. Sounds familiar." She held out her hand and I passed her the invitation. Reading over the details, she nodded. "Didn't recognize the name at first. I'm in this wedding. She's marrying my cousin."
"Your cousin the brain surgeon?" My voice squeaked.
"Pediatric brain surgeon," she clarified. "Yes. Despite the gaggle of models and lawyers and beauty pageant queens following him, Latesha Bogart won the game."
I whimpered. "Why? Why her?"
"You haven't seen her in a while I take it."
I shook my head.
"She's gorgeous, her father's loaded, and she apparently does things in bed that are illegal in some states." Darla shrugged. "My cousin's a talker when he's drunk."
"She's also a natural blonde with a supermodel figure and the prettiest teeth I've ever seen." I stomped my foot. "Why isn't life fair?"
Darla shrugged. "So don't go."
"She'll think my life is so miserable I'm ashamed to show up."
Darla tucked her hair behind her ears, showing off the new blue streak she'd added after moving back home. Some people get tattoos to mark life milestones, Darla changes her hair. "But isn't it true? You were just telling me your dating life is so slow that you only shave your legs once a week."
I cringed, thinking about my prickly legs. "I can't let her know that!
Besides, there should be some perks to being single, right? Not having to shave every day is one of them." I went right for my stash of emergency chocolate in the cupboard by the fridge, then settled for a cookie when I
realized the chocolate was long gone. I looked for the shopping list stuck on the fridge so I could add chocolate. But chocolate was already on the list. I grabbed the last cookie and then jotted cookies on the list.
What ties connect her past to her wedding night of a forced marriage with this stranger?
After being kicked out of her home, Harlee learned she wasn't the biological daughter of her family. Rumors had it that her impoverished biological family favored sons and planned to profit from her return. Unexpectedly, her real father was a zillionaire, catapulting her into immense wealth and making her the most cherished member of the family. While they anticipated her disgrace, Harlee secretly held design patents worth billions. Celebrated for her brilliance, she was invited to mentor in a national astronomy group, drew interest from wealthy suitors, and caught the eye of a mysterious figure, ascending to legendary status.
Madisyn was stunned to discover that she was not her parents' biological child. Due to the real daughter's scheming, she was kicked out and became a laughingstock. Thought to be born to peasants, Madisyn was shocked to find that her real father was the richest man in the city, and her brothers were renowned figures in their respective fields. They showered her with love, only to learn that Madisyn had a thriving business of her own. "Stop pestering me!" said her ex-boyfriend. "My heart only belongs to Jenna." "How dare you think that my woman has feelings for you?" claimed a mysterious bigwig.
Ava Adler was a nerdy omega. People bullied her because they thought she was ugly and unattractive. But Ava secretly loved the bad boy, Ian Dawson. He was the future Alpha of the Mystic Shadow Pack. However, he never gave a damn about rules and laws, as he only liked to play around with girls. Ava was unaware of Ian's arrogance until her fate intertwined with his. He neglected her and hurt her deeply. What would happen when Ava turned out to be a beautiful girl who could win over any boy, and Ian looked back and regretted his decisions? What if she had a secret identity that she had yet to discover? What if the tables turned and lan begged her not to leave him?
"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?"
When they met again, Jason cast aside his paranoia and pride, warmly embracing Chelsey. "Please, come back to me?" For three years, she had been his secretary by day and his companion by night. Chelsey had always complied with his requests, like an obedient pet. However, when Jason declared his plans to marry another, she chose to stop loving him and to let go. But life took unexpected turns. His unyielding pursuit, her pregnancy, and her mother's greed gradually pushed her to the brink. Eventually, she endured tremendous suffering. Five years later, when she returned, she was no longer the woman she once was. Yet he had spiraled into five years of chaos.
6 years ago, Lydia suffered a brutal betrayal orchestrated by her own husband and step-sister, who drugged her and framed her. In a twist of fate, she ended up having a one-night stand with a stranger. Don't even remember what he looked like. Later, in the throes of death, she discovered the truth about her mother's death all those years ago. In the blink of an eye, she lost everything. 6 years later, Lydia returned with her genius son, vowing to exact revenge on all her enemies! Little did she know, she encountered an incredibly familiar man at the airport! *** The man was briskly pushing open the door to the restroom, heading to the urinal. Even with such a mundane action, he did it with unparalleled elegance and grace. Lydia, following him in a daze, saw his fierce lower body and suddenly snapped back to reality. She let out a high-pitched scream, instinctively covering her eyes with her hands, her cheeks flushed, and stood there stiffly, unsure of what to do. Lambert furrowed his brows slightly but remained calm as he continued to relieve himself. The sound of water hitting the urinal made Lydia's face even redder. She angrily shouted, "You pervert!" Little did Lydia know that Lambert, seeing her in this state, had a flicker of recognition in his eyes. Memories from many years ago flashed through his mind, and his heart couldn't help but stir. It was her!