Isabella's POV
Stepping inside the church and walking slowly towards the altar without a best lady but my arms entangled with my Grandma's, the groom of the day is patiently standing on the wedding arbor for the bride.
I am holding flowers with a transparent veil covering my face. My head is lowered in shame and guilt.
Shame that this isn't my dream. The shame of doing this and not being courageous enough to back out at the last minute to tell Grandma what this is all about, and wait for the man for me.
The man who would be waiting at the altar for me with anticipation of me becoming his bride. A man who would love me for the depth of his heart and would never do anything to make me sad or cry.
Guilt for letting Grandma do this. Guilt for not telling her the truth. Guilt for lying to her all through till this day.
Juliet never came. She didn't show up for the preparations. She didn't call to apologize for what she did, leaving me with no one to stand in for me as my maid of honor
I am less concerned about it. I was bothered about it but not anymore.
This won't stop the wedding. I might be the first bride without a maid of honor but I know I won't be the last to be betrayed at the last hour by my best friend, leaving me with no troops of bridesmaids and not a single maid of honor.
I told Grandma that Juliet was out of town, for an interview. I lied that she got a new job outside New York and she would be gone for a week.
I have no alternative. Juliet is my only friend. I just hope her absence will be for good, not because I wish her ill-fate or death but just because it will work to my advantage.
I don't want her to show up and ruin everything for me. I don't want our paths to cross anymore. I don't want her to meet with Grandma either because I know she might tell her the truth.
The truth should come from me to Grandma. If it doesn't, it will break her. But I am not ready yet to tell her. I will tell her when the wedding is done.
The solo piano comes to a stop the moment I get to the wedding arbor where my Groom is waiting, looking dashing in his three-piece tuxedo with shiny suede shoes and a pair of sunshades hanging at the edge of his suit pockets.
His hair is a stylish and classic pompadour haircut while I have kinky hair with decorative braids and curls.
His face is unsmiling
Gabriel, his best friend is right behind him, grinning from ear to ear like an idiot. If I was amongst the audience and I don't know Jayden and Gabriel, I would have assumed Gabriel is the groom not Jayden with the way he is grinning.
My A-lines wedding dress has fitted bodices through the waist and cascades out towards the ground, resembling the outline of an uppercase "A." It is slightly more flowy than a ball gown. The transparent veil is attached to my hair with a silver ribbon holding it firmly and in place.
I am lost in my thoughts to even hear the priest talk to the few audiences invited. I don't know how Jayden did it but I am glad. I never knew he would stick to my suggestion of a small gathering.
We have over a hundred people seated here to witness the tying of the knot and Grandma is my only family member. The others are Jayden's close business associates, parents, families, and friends.
He instructed a driver to come to the house to bring us to the church and I was glad when I came out of the Jeep to find out that there were no reporters or paparazzi.
My nervousness reduced a bit with that.
"Dearly beloved", the priest begins and I blink to realize that this is surreal. It is indeed happening and within minutes, I will become Jayden's contracted bride for a year.
The priest continues. "We are gathered here today to join Jayden Alex Russell and Isabella Gracia Rodriguez in Holy matrimony before God and man. Marriage is a wonderful thing. It is a sacred vow to spend your life with one person for all eternity and to stick with each other through the thick and thin", he turns and takes the ring from the ring bearer.
He stretches the first ring to Jayden who is standing by the right. "You may now exchange the vows."
Jayden clears his throat, making me wish for him to at least smile to make it more real that we are indeed happy to be getting married.
He had sent me the vows via email last night for me to memorize so I won't stutter or make any mistakes and I have done that.
This is one thing I am good at. Memorization.
I didn't even memorize the vows last night until this morning. I guess he must have done the same.
"In the name of God, I, Jayden Alex Russell, take you, Isabella Gracia Rodriguez, as my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, til death do us part." He slips the diamond ring into my middle finger, making tears spring to my eyes.
This isn't real, I keep saying to myself.
This isn't real. This isn't a real wedding. It is just a facade. It will soon be over in a year.
The priest stretches the ring towards me too. I take it and reach out for Jayden's finger which sends tiny bits of an electric jolt through me.
A slump gets stuck in my throat and I can't find my voice.
"Isabella", he whispers with fear in his tone.
A fearful tear rolls down my eyes as I force myself to speak.
"In the name of God, I, Isabella Gracia Rodriguez, take you, Jayden Alex Russell, as my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, til death do us part." I slip the ring into his index finger and excited murmurs arise among the crowd.
"Before we pronounce these two love birds as man and wife, is there anyone present here today, objecting to this union?" The priest questions, scanning the entire audience with his small eyes blinking rapidly at the back of the glasses sitting comfortably on the bridges of his nose.
My heart begins to thump wildly in fear now. This is it. Someone will appear. Someone will lift a hand and put a stop to this.
I don't know if I am excited or sad. Sad that it will bring an end to this charade. Or sad that it will put a stop to the contract which will bring me more money.
"Is there anyone?" He asks again, tempting me to turn back. "Speak now or forever hold your peace."
Silence falls. The sound of a needle drop can even be heard at the moment. Jayden isn't looking apprehensive at all. He is calm and confident looking.
"With the power vested in me", the priest begins. "I pronounce you man and wife, you may now kiss the bride."
There is a standing ovation at this moment even before Jayden can lift my veil and move closer to me, his cologne whizzing past my nostril.
The moment he leans forward and his lips touch mine, the crowd goes wild with excitement.
Jayden pulls away almost immediately and something in me tells me that I might not come out of this marriage unscathed.