Chapter 43

"You look beautiful, sweetie," Her mother, Selene, said to her in the mirror with a hand on her shoulder. "Absolutely beautiful."

Jane forced out a smile, her attention focused on the red-colored nail polish that adorned her fingers. The wedding was in an hour. In an hour, she was going to walk down the aisle and marry a man she didn't know and her family would be happy about it, with wide smiles on their faces.

Her throat tightened and she forced her breathing to steady.

"Thanks, mom."

She did look beautiful. Her gown was an elegant satin pleated long sleeve with a deep plunging neckline that ran to the fitted waistline. Her cleavage was seductive yet modest. It was the most elegant thing she'd ever worn. It was a shame that she wished so badly that she was anywhere but here.

Her stupid husband-to-be hadn't even bothered to reach out to her. She didn't blame him. If the fact that he'd run away was anything to go by, he was probably being forced into this too. Her mother had mentioned that he was twenty-eight. Wasn't that the male age of liberation?

Twenty-eight. The same age as Sebastian. She thought about him as her stylist curled her hair with a curler. What was he doing right now? It had been a little more than two weeks since she'd last seen him. Did he miss her? Did he still hate her?

She wouldn't be surprised. She hated herself. She hated that everything had happened the way it did and she wished she'd just stayed in LA and saved everyone the stress.

"You're the most gorgeous bride if there was ever one, Jane." Grace murmured into her ear, locking eyes with her in the mirror.

She gave her a genuine smile, the first one she'd given in days. Her sister was a rock. The only person who understood even a little of what she was going through and tried to compensate with her, Grace had been there every step of the way.

"I love you, Grace, so much." She said, her eyes watering.

Grace smiled, kissing her cheek. "Dad's gonna be here soon. It's almost time. You sure you want to do this?"

She nodded, a bit too firmly. It wasn't like she had a choice. "Yeah, I am."

Grace acquiesced, kissing her one more time on the cheek before leaving. They would meet at the church. She was her bridesmaid after all.

Her stylist began to pin her hair up. A few stray lonely curls fell down her face. Adorned by the white pearls of the pins, she admitted she did look beautiful. Her make-up wasn't heavy as she'd requested for just a light touch. The make-up artist had given her a smoky eye and added on some false lashes which drew attention to them. Her lips were a dark shade of red. She looked like sin.

Nevertheless, all the powder on her face did not lift her spirits.

"Hey, Sweetie."

Her father's voice drew her attention. He was sat on a lone stool next to her, smiling.

He did look happy if she said so herself. As angry as she was at him, it didn't stop her from returning his smile.

"You are a wonder."

"Thank you." If only she felt that way.

"Jane, I love you. You know that?"

She nodded, knowing that it was true. He might put on the blinders sometimes but he was a good man. "I know, dad. I love you too."

"I know I don't say it much but I do. I'm sorry you felt so hurt that you even thought of running away. I understand how hard this must be for you but it is for the greater good."

The company, as usual. Everything else seemed small in comparison. Even her happiness. It was the only thing that mattered.

"I know, dad." She said, too tired to argue with him. It was just easier to let it be.

The stylist finished a moment later and smiled when she stepped back to examine her creation. The joy on her face almost rivaled that of her mother's. One would think they were the brides with all the excitement they'd been throwing around.

"This man," She looked to her father. "Have you met him?"

"No." He shook his head, averting his eyes. "But something tells me he's a good man."

"A hunch, huh?" He was selling her off on a hunch. Lovely.

How nice.

"Jane—"

"Alright," she cut in, getting to her feet. "Let's get this over with."

***

Since she hadn't wanted to be involved, her mother, together with her mother-in-law, had chosen the beach as the location for the wedding. It was evening time and Jane's breath hitched at the beauty of it. It featured acrylic wedding decor and a rose with wildflower arch that looked out into the ocean. There were candles lined up the aisle, at the edges of each row. The setting sun glowed over the ocean, creating an umbrella of romance and tranquility.

Jane loved it. She carried her bouquet in her hands; a bouquet of greens and natural-toned florals. The entire atmosphere gave off a nature-themed vibe, and she absolutely loved it.

The entire place was filled with people she didn't know. That was alright; she didn't know the groom either and she was the bride. Nothing weird about that.

In front of them, Grace was walking the aisle with a man she hadn't met before. They looked cozy enough, like as though they had known each other for some time. If only she could be that relaxed.

Her blood pressure was hitting the roof. It was a surprise she didn't fall and die. There were cameras at every angle so she kept her gaze straight. The paparazzi could be annoying. She'd expected them to be present. It was just like her parents to advertise their daughter.

The groom was nowhere to be found. The priest was standing all alone. She tried to remember how wedding worked again. Wasn't he supposed to be standing there waiting for her or had he abandoned her again?

Shit.

She adjusted her veil just as Grace and the best man reached the priest. She couldn't help but notice there was a different energy around her like something had shifted.

She hoped to God that idiot hadn't stood her up because she was going to find him, cut off his genitals and feed it to him.

"Ready?" Her father asked as he looped her hand through his, holding it with his other hand.

She nodded, feeling her heart and inside her chest. "As ready as I'll ever be."