the marriage. Could she fake a sudden illness, one serious enough to halt the wedding? Or perhaps she could find a way to escape, disappearing before anyone could reach her. These ideas churned in
e stiff neck support making even
e approached her. He wanted to comfort her, to make her understand that he had no choice, but the pain in her eyes made it difficult to find the right words
uests and the priest, made their way through the hospital corridors. Their presence caused a ripple of curiosity am
Her colleague at the receptionist desk leaned forward, trying to get a better look.
inevitable. "How can I possibly get married in a hospital, like this?" she blurted out, her voice shaking with anger and disbelief. She turned to her father
e mayor," he began hesitantly, "maybe I can convince him to at
door swung open with a lou
e flashed across her face. For a brief moment, she imagined someone had come to rescue her, to put
onfusion. "Did you say somethin
lapse. "No, nothing, Dad," she replied, forcing a smile. The brightness in her exp
ly drawing everyone's attention. "Good morning, Mr. Mayor," Mr
of her. Bandages covered her arms, and the bruises on her face were faint but visible. Her neck was immobilized by a brace, a
hind him whispered among themselves, their hushed tones filled with shock and concern. The ma
and her mind raced once more. If there was ever a moment to act, to stop this madness, it was now. But he
to calm the racing thoughts in her mind. For the first time in what felt like forever, she allowed herself to feel the comfort of a brief pa
re turning away and walking with the grace of someone who believed he had already won. His words hit Sarah l
arely audible. The neck brace made it difficult for her to speak cl
h, his smile twisted with a sense of triumph. "There's a first time for everything," he said with a malic
tightened as the gravity of the situation hit her once again. She wasn't just a bystander in this twisted game-she was the pawn. As the tears began to well up in
snapped his fingers, signaling the start of the ceremony, as if he were directing an event instead of orchestrating a young
h could hear the reluctance in his tone. He stepped forward and began
e her stomach turn. His presence felt suffocating, like a weight pressing down o
th and sickness, for better or worse?" The priest's words were
o eager, too rehearsed. His eyes sparkled with a sense of fina
ghtly. "Do you, Miss Sarah, accept Andrew to be your hu
r chest, the silence stretching between them. Her mind raced, but all she could focus on was the undeniable truth of her situation. This wasn't a choice. This wasn't love. Th
a sinking feeling, that she wasn't sure if she could sa
but the words seemed t
s that had threatened to fall earlier were now flowing freely down her face. She turned slowly, meeting her father's gaze with a p
meant to reassure her. He motioned for her to settle, his eyes giving a silent command for patience. It was a
storm brewing inside her. His happiness seemed so misplaced, so disconnected from the pain she was feeling.
ck to the priest, her body trembling with emotion. The priest,
ited with bated breath, their eyes fixed on her, but all Sarah could do was stare back at them in disbel
er voice trembling as the words slipped out, barely a
n the room-her father, the mayor, the guests-stared at her
s filled with shock, each person looking at Sar
thout hesitation. "Sarah, what's the problem?" he asked, his voice strained, but still hol
ars that streamed down her face. She could feel the weight of her father's expect
with anger. "Look, young woman," he snapped, his voice sharp and commanding,
made a shocking revelation. "I'm pregnant with my boyfriend," she blurt
ashing over everyone present. The air in the room grew thick wi
through the guests, their
red, his face paling before he collapsed in a faint, unable to process the situation further. The room grew chaoti
his voice loud with disbelief. His body stiffened as the realization hit him, and he turned to face Mr. Simon, his face a mask
o... no, Mr. Andrew. It isn't what you think," he stammered, his voice low but shar
st heard. Pregnant? With her boyfriend? This wasn't part of the plan. This wasn't what he had agreed to. He glared at Mr. Simon
Andrew and Sarah. "This isn't what it seems. There's... there's been some kind of mistake," he
d his back. His tone was dismissive, as if he were merely an observer rather than a participant in this chaotic scene. "We'll find out soo
as if the world had paused, waiting for someone to make a move, for someone to take control of the
as he carefully examined the pregnancy test results. The air wa
Andrew, too, stood impatiently beside him, his body tense and his hands clenched at his sides. Th
er, his words cold and final, as he turned and walked
nd them. A test? A pregnancy test? The reality of her secret being exposed hit her like a punch to t
couldn't lie her way out of it either. Her heart pounded in her chest as the nurses and doctors prepared
a little flustered as he reviewed the paperwork and ran through the test once more. After a few long moments, he looke
ice tinged with frustration. His eyes were cold, a sharp edge to his tone. He wanted the confirmation he had been wa
his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed. It was as if they were both waiting for the right moment
cked it up, his eyes scanning the lines of text printed on it. As his gaze traveled down the page, his expression shif
oom seemed to close in on him as he read the test results, his grip tightening around the pape
. But that wasn't what shocked him the most. It was the fact that it wasn't just any pregnancy; it was a result
this discovery. The rage that had been simmering beneath t
mach twisting in anger. This was not part
uestion, his tone rising with frustration. His hands shook as he held t
er of concern in his eyes told a different story. "It means the girl is pregnant, Andrew,"
the shock of the test result. He was silent, his jaw clenched tig
uation. "It doesn't matter how it happened or why it happened. What matters is that we move
onfusion swirled together in a storm of emotions. "But she lied," he said quietl
eal with that later. Right now, we focus on securing the future, both for our families." He
intense scrutiny. "No, no reason at all," he muttered, his voice waverin
. Now let's proceed." His voice had lost none of its authority, but ther
that was building inside him. He couldn't believe this was happening. This
as pregnant, and nothing w