Chapter 18—The Runaway Bride

Ivette took another step toward the door and the world outside it and her heart pounded in her chest like a drum. Her fingers shook as she clutched the bouquet, the white lilies feeling almost as suffocating as the ring on her finger. She hated lilies. She hated white. She hated her wedding dress. This should be every woman’s happiest day, but all she felt was a sense of impending doom.

Thoughts of what her life with Aaron might be like assaulted her thoughts, but she could hardly think past the church, the altar and the wedding rings. She couldn’t picture a future with him now, even if she had practically been dreaming of it for years. It no longer had anything to do with the merger. She didn’t want to get married to him.

He was probably already waiting at the altar. She could almost imagine Aaron’s confident smile and pose while he waited. Her father would take her hand outside the door and lead her down the aisle as the sound of the organ music greeted them. Just as she had once dreamt it to be.

The nearer they reached the door, the more she trembled, and when her mother twisted the doorknob, Ivette baulked from the door. “No,” she whispered.

Amelia paused, as did Kerry. Riley and Annet exchanged worried looks as she repeated, “No.”

"Ivy, my child," Amelia said softly, but Ivette didn't miss the strain in her voice. "We must go now. It is normal to have jitters before the wedding. We all went through something similar. It is nothing to be scared of."

Kerry, however, tilted her head, observing Ivette under thick lashes. Her lips thinned and her eyes blue eyes darkened when she read the desperation in Ivette's eyes.

Ivette had seen that expression before on a more masculine face. It was the same expression Aaron had before he had hit her. Stormy. Intense. Foul.

Kerry faced Ivette squaring, holding her gaze with a cold one. "Do you not wish to get married to my son?"

Ivette didn't reply. She didn't have it in her to lie anymore. She didn't have it in her to even take a step out the door. She would puke all over her porch if she did.

Ann laughed, trying to diffuse the situation."Of course, she does. It has been her dream for years. Perhaps, it is the rush," Ann said, gripping Ivette's hand tightly. "Allow her a minute or two to gather her thoughts. Alone."

Riley leaned forward, squinting at Kerry's face. "My, Mrs Maxwell, your make looks to be smudged! Let me fix that for you."

That did a good job of distracting Kerry because her gaze shot to Riley and her hands rose to her face like she could find the smudge by touching it. "Where?" she asked.

"A little to your left," Riley said, touching her cheek and actually smudging it.

Riley to the rescue. She began leading Kerry away but not before the woman glared in warning, "Be back in five. I suggest you fix your smile while you're at it. I will not have the world think we have forced you into marrying Aaron."

"What is wrong with you?" Amelia chided when Kerry was out of hearing range. "We've had this discussion. This is important. We cannot afford to let this go," her mother said harshly, pinning her with a hard look that always set Ivette on edge. "There is no going back on this Ivette. Get your act together. If it does bother you too much, consider it a business deal then."

Because that was all it was. A deal, and her mother very well knew her daughter's thought processes. Marriage was a big deal, but a business deal was a piece of cake.

Annet stepped in. "I'll talk to her," she reassured Amelia.

Amelia nodded, trusting Ann to get through to Ivette, because it was a feat only Ann could accomplish.

Ann grabbed Ivette's hand and led her away, down the hallway that held Ivette's office. Why the office, she thought to herself as Ann pushed the door open and abandoned her by the doorway.

"I know what you're going to say, Ann. You're going to say I should take control of my life and—what are you looking for, Ann?" Ivette mused when she noticed Ann walking from window to window, peering down from it.

"The ladder," Ann said, voice strained.

Ivette frowned, eyeing Ann and the urgency with which she moved. "It's by the last window where Leo left it when he had to adjust the lights. Why do you need a ladder?"

Annet swirled and the intensity in her dark eyes caused Ivette to flinch. "I don't need the ladder. You do."

"I'm pretty sure the last thing I need right now is a fucking ladder, Annet."

Ann gave her a cursory glance and her dark eyes drooped to Ivette's feet. "And take off your shoes too."

Ivette's eyes slanted. "Why and why the hell am I taking off my shoes now?"

She tilted her head, acknowledging Ivette's question without stopping. She slid the windows aside and reached outside it, no doubt to fiddle with the ladder below. Her voice was muffled and breathy as she said, "How the fuck else are you supposed to get out of here?"

Ivette froze. "What?"

Ann turned suddenly, tanned skin flushed and her chest rose and fell swiftly. "Do you want to get married?"

Ivette blinked. "No, but—"

"No buts, Ivy. You can't live like this forever, tied to a man who sees you as nothing more than a business opportunity. You can't keep living for your parents. Live for yourself, Ivy."

Ivette's eyes stung and she lifted her gown, walking over to where her best friend stood. "I can't run away from my responsi—"

"Enough of that too," Ann said and her gaze flitted to the door and Ivette's pulse jumped at the sound coming from the other side of it. "They'll be here any minute now. It's either you get the fuck out of here, or you marry Aaron. It's your choice, but you need to make a decision right now."

"What if Aaron—"

"Fuck Aaron. Fuck King Corp. Do you, Ivy. Go! I'll cover for you.

She couldn't believe Annet, the ever-sensible one was pushing her to do this. She couldn't believe Annet could do this for her. No one else could have seen her suffocation and need for an escape like Ann did.

She was scared. She was so scared, but she knew she'd die before she hooked herself to Aaron and the merged company that would no doubt keep her in the marriage for as long as Aaron wanted it.

She didn't want to live her mother's life. She didn't want to be tied in a loveless marriage. She'd stopped loving Aaron for a while and she suspected it dated way back before she'd met Cian. Before the merger came up. She hadn't just wanted to accept it. She'd refused to accept that it was the reason why she'd felt like dying the moment he proposed to her.

She needed out. She wanted to be Ivette. Just Ivette, and maybe it made her a coward, but for once, she didn't care.

Tears swam Ivette's vision and she kicked off her 5-inched heels, barefoot slamming into the cool ground. Already, she could feel lighter and better. She threw off the veil that trailed miserably behind her.

Her heart was sprinting now, nearly busting from her chest. Her thoughts whirled in numerous directions, not that she was able to get a straight thought in. This was crazy. Insane. So much so she found herself smiling. Fucking hell. She was running from her wedding. She didn't have a plan, but she couldn't stay here. She couldn't marry Aaron.

She pulled Annet in for a hug that lasted several seconds as she cried on her best friend's shoulder. "You're a crazy bitch, Ann. I love you."

"Yeah. You too. Take care, Ivy."

Ann pulled back and smiled softly. "Should've done this long ago."

Ivette laughed, but her smile faltered when the sound of heels clicking against tiles came from the other side of the door, along with muffled sounds. She recognized her mother's voice.

She paled, meeting Ann's gaze and the woman jerked her head out the window.

Ivette lifted her hip and sat on the window, peering down from the height. Pretty high. She swallowed and sucked in a deep breath. Alright. She could climb the damn thing, even if she'd had no business climbing a ladder before.

Not a ladder this high, at least.

She twisted and placed her foot on the first step carefully, testing the strength of it. When it didn't shake, she lowered herself again unto the next step. Again and again, she repeated it, until she had to let go of the window ledge. She peered up at Ann, who nodded and whispered, "See you later, Ivy."

Ivette took a step further down, letting go of it, and Ann closed the window, and with it, she shut that dreadful chapter of Ivette's life.