________
CASSIE
My hand is trembling as I sit again in front of the mirror, at the dresser. As usual, Paul is next to me. But now, I'm not in my house nor Ella's studio.
Right now, I'm in the fucking dressing room of the hotel where my wedding will be taking place.
Yes, today, this morning, I will be married to Lucas Klein. I can't believe how time has flown so fast.
Today, I'm a bride.
I'm wearing a long white wedding gown that has a deep V cut at the back. A beautiful lace pattern fully covers my arms and the sides of the dress, stopping at my waist, while the rest of the gown is just clean white down to the ground.
My hair is styled in a braided bridal updo.
"You look stunning. Gorgeous. Breathtaking," Paul can't stop complimenting me since he finished putting on my make-up, which he made natural and elegant. "Wait until Luke sees you. I wouldn't blame him if he’s too speechless to utter the vow."
But Paul's words don't make me feel any better. In fact, it makes me feel even more nervous. Will I really exchange vows with that man today?
I know that our marriage is a contract between us, but it doesn't mean that I haven't forgotten how sacred the word is.
Marriage. It's supposed to happen between two lovers who are willing to promise each other their lives. Not us. Not like this. Clearly, I think of it as a joke, and I'm going to take a vow ofsomething that I don't mean. In front of the priest. In front of the world.
Thankfully, our wedding will not be aired live, but parts of it will definitely be aired in a few days on national television.
This is crazy. I don't even have any family to go through this with me now.
Someone knocks on the door, which is then opened, revealing Peter.
"Cassie, it's about time. Are you ready?" He approaches me but then frowns when he sees my condition.
I keep fidgeting. Peter and Paul look at each other, sharing a worried look.
"Did you see Morgan?" I ask, my voice shaking.
Why the hell am I even asking about her? Most likely, she won’t come. Not when I used this marriage to kick her out of her job.
Peter shakes his head sadly, signaling that the answer is negative. I know it, but still, that fact makes tears form in my eyes.
Yes, I wanted to kick her out of my career so that she could stop exploiting me. But I didn't mean to kick her out of my life. In fact, I did that because I wanted her back in my life.
Suddenly, her words echo back in my ears, "I didn't love your father when I married him."
My breath catches in my throat, and I swallow the lump in it. Will I only repeat what she has done?
I'm no different from her. I'm just the same. I'm about to marry a man that I don't love. This is the start of something very wrong.
I choke, "I can't do this." I look at Paul and Peter in horror, and the expression on their faces after they hear my words is even worse.
They look bloody frightened.
"Cassie, darlin'." Paul's voice is pleading.
He steps closer to me, but I abruptly get up from the dresser bench and pace around, panicky.
"No," I stutter. "I can't do this. I won't do this."
God, what am I doing? All the guests must have arrived by now, and I'll be the nation's biggest joke if I cancel this wedding, which is supposed to be the biggest event this year.
