Chapter 11: Wedding Day

Dana POV:

"I honestly still can't believe you're getting married today!" Sam squeals excitedly. Honestly, anyone who didn't know it was my wedding would think Sam was the bride because she looked ten times more excited than I did.

"You know it's really weird that you are this excited about this wedding, right? I mean, I'm not even half as excited as you are and it's really not normal," I reply, trying my very best to sound random so she doesn't notice how nervous I really am.

"Are you serious, sweetie? How can you not be as excited as I am? I mean, you my dear, are getting married to a freaking hot billionaire today and to make everything better, you're going to be a millionaire as soon as you wake up tomorrow! Why the fuck aren't you screaming right now?" she exclaims with so much excitement and it was quite obvious that the only reason she was this happy was because of how my life was about to turn around completely.

"I admit all of that sounds awesome and all, but I can't help but be nervous about all this. I just feel really weird right now," I admit to her, hoping she wouldn't brush me off and claim my thoughts were simply irrelevant.

"Okay, wait a second baby girl. What exactly is happening? Talk to me, do you regret your decision? You wanna back out of this? Just let me know cause it's definitely not too late to get out of here," she replies with a worried look on her face and I chuckle at her reaction, earning a confused frown from her.

"What the hell is so funny Dana? If you're not comfortable with this arrangement anymore, then let's get out of here immediately. It definitely won't be the end of the world, trust me on that," she assures and I'm more than thankful that she wasn't trying to convince me otherwise.

"I'm not backing out, Sam. I already made a promise to Blake, and I can't do that to him on such a day. The reason I feel this way is because, I don't know, maybe guilt. I feel like I'm exploiting Blake's unfortunate circumstance and I also feel like a fraud for having to lie to my family and other people by pretending to be in love someone that I don't even know all that well. It all just feels strange to me honestly," I explain to her, and she sighs before pulling a chair forward and taking a seat beside me.

"Listen Dana, I completely understand how you feel. And yes, I agree, it's pretty sad that things have to work out this way but how about you see it from this perspective. Blake could lose everything he has just because of his sexuality that isn't even a crime. He met you and confided in you and also asked for your help in other to keep what he has and also keep his relationship safe. So, don't think of your agreement with him as an exploitation, think of it more as a noble cause. You're saving a man from losing his life and his identity by sacrificing five years of yours.

"As for your siblings, I completely understand your guilt but at the end of the day, they are the main reason for your decision. You want a better life for them, and we both know just how tough the world is and that opportunities like this don't just come around every day. So, see this marriage as something you're doing to change your life and to save another person's life. How about that?" she advises. I had to admit she's making sense.

"I guess you're right Sam. At the end of the day, I'm only doing this for them, and I can't afford to disappoint Blake now. Thanks a lot for the encouragement. I definitely needed it," I say to her, and she smiles a little before pulling me in for a quick hug.

The door flies open suddenly and when I turn around to see who it was, it was none other than Anna Davies, Blake's beautiful mother who was all dressed and looking elegant in a blue body con dress that showed off her beautiful body. She definitely didn't look anything like a mother and could even pass off as Blake's sister instead.

"You look absolutely gorgeous, Adriana!" Anna exclaims with a genuinely excited smile on her face. I blush nervously while playing with the hem of my dress.

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Davies," I reply shyly, not exactly sure how to react to her compliment and she chuckles.

"Sweetie, you don't have to be like that with me. I already told you that as my son's wife, you're officially my daughter and I can't have you going around calling me Mrs. If you find it uncomfortable calling me mom, then go ahead and call me by my name. How about that?" she suggests and as much as I didn't find the idea very comfortable, I decided against going against her wish.

"I'll keep that in mind Anna," I reply, and she smiles.

"Listen dear, I know how overwhelming all of this is for you and believe me when I say, I'm deeply sorry the wedding had to happen so fast but I'd also like you to know that my husband and I are so grateful to you for loving our son," she says and pauses for a while as if trying to hold back her emotions and wherever this conversation would lead to would definitely not sit well with me.

"So the truth is, after giving birth to Blake I found out that I could no longer have children due to complications from his birth and as much as I tried not to dwell on it or think about it, it really did affect me mentally over the years and I know for a fact that I have been pretty tough on my son especially concerning him getting married but that is because Blake is all I have," she says. I pay very close attention to her because it seems as though she’s getting pretty emotional.

"At first, I thought that maybe, just maybe, he wasn't really interested in women and that actually scared us because I wanted to have grandchildren and I could not imagine my only son not being into women. I would have completely lost my mind if that were the case but thankfully, he introduced you to us and you have no idea how grateful I was that you existed in his life.

"I know me saying this may sound very silly and senseless to some people, but I really don't care. All I've ever wanted was for my son to be happy and to be even more successful than Derek. I believe that he has to have a healthy, happy family for that to happen, so thank you Dana for bringing me relief," she says, and my heart immediately drops to my stomach.

I couldn't exactly judge her for thoughts, but I still wish she didn't dismiss him being gay as if it was a bad thing. If having grandchildren was really what she wanted, then I doubt that would have been a problem for Blake since there are many ways he could have children with his partner without having to specifically be with a woman. Her thinking is quite shallow and outdated and I can't help but be disappointed.

"Anna, I know this may not exactly concern either of us, but I just want to make it clear that gay men and women can still have children. I mean, the world has evolved and there are several options for that to happen. Anyway, I hope Blake and I can make your dreams become a reality," I reply, lying through my teeth. She seemed to find what I said funny as she chuckled a little but made no mention of anything.

"I'll be taking your word for it, my dear," she says, and I mentally rolled my eyes.

"I'll leave you now to prepare for your wedding. Please do endeavor to round things up in five minutes dear," she says facing Samantha directly before giving my hand one last squeeze and walking out of the dressing room.

"Well, that was some silly as fuck emotional blackmail," Samantha hissed as soon as Anna walked out.

I let out a tired sigh, looking back at Samantha who looked just as disappointed as I felt. Who knew rich people were so shallow minded with their thoughts?

"I can only hope all of this doesn't end up in a hot mess," I say to her, and she sighs a little before walking towards me and pulling me in for a reassuring hug.

"It'll all be fine baby girl. Don't worry too much," she assures, and I lean into her body, hoping that her words don't turn out false.

***

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the lovely union of two wonderful people who are about to be joined together in holy matrimony," the priest says in an excited tone whilst holding out both his hands.

Blake cleared his throat nervously as he adjusted the bow around his neck. He stared back at Dana with a small smile playing on his lips and he could also tell by the look on her face that she was pretty nervous but couldn't blame her since he was just as nervous as she was.

As much as he tried to avoid looking into the crowd, his eyes end up betraying him and he rakes his eyes through the crowd and eventually spots Jason sitting only a few rows away from the front row. Their eyes meet for a brief moment and Blake's heart broke when Jason curtly bows his head with a small but reassuring smile tugging on his lips before eventually looking away. He wished more than anything that he didn't have to go through with this, especially not with him watching.

He's snapped out of his reverie when the priest asks him to recite his vows.

"I, Blake Davies, take you Adriana Gonzalez to be my lawfully wedded wife, my best friend, my companion and the love of my life from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family and friends, I vow to be a faithful partner to you, to love and to cherish you in sickness and a good health, in the good times and in the bad, to love and support you unconditionally and to respect you for as long as we both shall live,"

Dana's eyes got teary as soon as she heard Blake recite his vows. It dawned on her that she shouldn't be the one hearing these words from him but instead, it should be the man he loved. Her heart also ached for the fact that she was not only lying to her family and his, but she was also about to make a false vow in front of God which is something she never thought she'd do. She also never imagined that her first ever wedding would end up being a lie and it hurt to think that she would have to live with this lie for the next five years of her life.

"I, Adriana Gonzalez, take you Blake Davies to be my lawfully wedded husband. To love and to cherish you, to be with you through the good and the bad times, to support and encourage you in everything you do and to respect and honor you for as long as we both shall live," Dana says, reciting her own vows whilst trying her best to mask her nervousness and avoid stuttering and messing up her words.

The priest goes ahead to ask the congregation if there was any objection to the wedding and both Dana and Blake's eyes move to the crowd. Dana immediately noticed the bored look on her siblings faces and she chuckled on the inside as she wasn't exactly surprised. As for Blake, his eyes quickly move back to where Jason was seated earlier and to his surprise, Jason was nowhere to be seen. He already left.

After receiving no response from the crowd, the priest continued, "I now pronounce man and wife. You may now kiss the bride,"

At that moment, Dana froze. It had completely skipped her mind that they would have to kiss and kiss passionately to some extent but how was she supposed to passionately kiss someone she wasn't even in love with?

To her utmost surprise, Blake pulls her closer to him and in a swift movement, his lips where on hers. The kiss was a short, delicate kiss and anyone would definitely be fooled by how passionate he seemed. Blake didn't feel the least bit uncomfortable or awkward after kissing Dana. He had actually thought it would be weird but thankfully it wasn't at all what he expected.

The hymns came to life for a few minutes before the priest said the closing prayer to wrap up the ceremony.

There were flower petals everywhere as Blake and Dana exited the church gradually with Anna and Derek happily escorting them and Jencarlos, Ximena and Carmen alongside Samantha walking closely behind. Pictures were taken to capture the happy moments and both Blake and Dana made sure to keep a smile on their faces.

As soon as the crowd seemed a little less excited, Blake pulls Dana with him, and they both get into their waiting car very quickly.

Sighing, "Well, that was tiring," Blake pants tiredly, as he relaxes his back into the seat to catch his breath.

"Tell me about it," Dana hisses, also panting heavily whilst relaxing into the comfortable seat with her eyes shut tightly.

"At least you didn't have to deal with wearing such an uncomfortable dress," she adds, wishing so badly that she could rip the dress off her body.

"How are you? You good?" he asks, turning to face her.

"Other than being tired and sleepy, yes, I am good. You?" she replies.

"I'm okay, I guess. Just in need of a good sleep because I am so fucking tired," he replies, and she nods slowly before they both drift into a momentary silence.

"Carson, please drive us home," Blake says after a while, referring to his long-time driver.

Dana's nervousness kicked in once again as soon as she heard the word 'home' fly out of Blake's mouth. It actually dawned on her at that moment that her life was no longer the same and that from now on till the next five years of her life, she would have to live as Adriana Gonzalez Davies, wife of the infamous billionaire heir and business tycoon, Blake Davies. Well, isn't that just great thought! She thought to herself before shutting her eyes and drifting off to sleep.