The Suburban Café.
Elizabeth Jones was fidgeting in a booth, eyes locked on her boyfriend, Anthony Thomas.
"Anthony," she grabbed his sleeve, her voice shaky, "What are we gonna do?"
Anthony sat across from her, lips pressed tight, nervously fiddling with his coffee cup.
"Elizabeth, chill. Let me think," he muttered.
"How can I chill? Tomorrow I'm supposed to marry your uncle. But you're my boyfriend," Elizabeth said, her brows furrowing as she bit her lip. "Anthony, I've made up my mind. I won't let my stepmom and her crew push me around. I'm not marrying Michael Thomas. Anthony," she grabbed his hand, "let's just run away together!"
Anthony yanked his hand back like it was on fire, stammering, "E-Elizabeth, w-we gotta think this through. No one knows you're my girl. If the Thomas Family finds out I took you, I'm toast."
Seeing her face drop, he quickly added, "How about this? You act clueless and go through with the wedding. Then wait for my call. Okay? Don't stress, Elizabeth. I'll get you out. Even if things go south, Michael's not gonna last long anyway, he's in a coma. Once he's gone, I'll come for you! Trust me. I won't abandon you!"
Elizabeth's face softened into a smile, which Anthony seemed nervous to take in.
She was so gorgeous, it almost made him rethink his plan.
The Next Day, at the Thomas Family Wedding Venue
In front of the dressing mirror, Elizabeth was all dolled up.
She boasted a tall, slender build with an elegant poise.
The wedding dress was custom-made and fit her like a glove. The white fabric hugged her curves, the hem brushing her ankles.
She was slender but had all the right curves.
Her skin was flawless, and her makeup made her glow like a blooming red rose.
The mirror reflected her stunning face.
But her beautiful almond-shaped eyes were filled with anxiety.
With twenty minutes left until the ceremony, she kept swiping her phone, anxiously waiting for a reply.
She and Anthony had a plan for him to whisk her away. But his call hadn't come.
She couldn't wait any longer.
This wedding had only a bride.
The groom was missing.
Six months ago, a car accident left Michael bedridden and in a coma.
Doctors said he had less than a year to live.
His mom, Mary Smith, was devastated.
Thinking it was a real tragedy for Michael to go through such a mess at a young age, Mary decided to set up a marriage for him while he was still breathing.
Even though the Thomas Family was top-tier in Aurora Bay, no one wanted to marry their daughter off to a guy on his deathbed.
Plus, Elizabeth already had a boyfriend.
She got up from the chair, clutching her phone, and found an excuse to leave the room.
There were too many people in the dressing room, so she couldn't make a call.
But she had to hit up Anthony ASAP.
She needed to know how Anthony planned to help her bail on the wedding.
If it weren't for her stepmom Jennifer Johnson and stepsister Patricia Jones's dirty tricks, she wouldn't be in this mess.
Lifting the heavy wedding dress with both hands, she lumbered down the hallway in high heels, looking for a quiet spot to call Anthony.
As she passed a lounge, she stopped.
She heard her sister Patricia's laughter.
The lounge door was left ajar so that Elizabeth peeked through the crack.
"Anthony, my dumb sister is probably still waiting for you to save her! Why don't you go and check on her in case she changes her mind and cancel the wedding?" Patricia was clinging to Anthony, who was in a suit, in the room.
Anthony held Patricia, his right hand sliding up her thigh.
Their bodies were pressed tight together.
Anthony were kissing Patricia's neck frantically as he mumbled, "Elizabeth is such a fool. There's no way she's gonna cancel the wedding or tries to run away. It's all settled. The Thomas Family's bodyguards will drag her back to finish the wedding if necessary."
Elizabeth stood outside the door, her blood turning to ice.
That voice had once whispered so many sweet nothings in her ear!
It belonged to Anthony!
In her moment of helplessness, Anthony was here, getting cozy with Patricia behind her back!
Elizabeth was stunned, her body swaying as she steadied herself against the wall.
Patricia's shrill voice reached her ears, "Anthony, how do you think Elizabeth would react if she find out you spent countless nights with me?"
Elizabeth's mind was spinning, her vision going dark. Luckily, she held onto the wall to keep from falling.
Her fingers clenched around the fabric of her wedding gown, her body trembling with suppressed rage. She shut her eyes, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill.
Her father, Robert Jones, was having a financial snag on business and facing bankruptcy.
In his distress, he had fallen seriously ill.