7. The Fake Bride, Fake Vows

Marriage is an ultimatum for the two people who love each other. That was my idea about marriage. I had never thought about marriage or becoming a wife of someone. It's because I was too young to imagine a married life of my own.

As soon as I came out of the car, lights of cameras started flashing on my face, teasing my eyes. My bare arms trembled every time someone clicked my picture. A group of reporters encircled me and Samara's father. Some young girls came forward and helped me straightening my dress. They spread my long dress behind me on the ground.

"Congratulations, Sam. You finally made it." One of the girls whispered in my ear, making my blood run cold.

The other one giggled, "Your dress is beautiful." My heart leaped into my throat as I observed my surrounding.

Sun was almost setting. The sky was showing orangish-red hues so the brightness of the lanterns and other fancy lights was increasing slowly. Many posh cars were parked around the area – the kind of cars I had only seen on Google images. Reporters around me were congratulating me and wishing me a good married life. There were other people as well who were not reporters, but might be Samara's acquaintances. They were smiling and waving their hands at me.

Since my face was hidden, I didn't have to worry about my facial expressions or concealing my frightened state. No one could see my pale, white face. One of the girls who helped me with my dress once again appeared before me and offered me the bouquet of white tulips. With shaky hands, I accepted it.

Samara's father, who was standing beside me, touched my arm, "Let's go." He by himself linked my arm with his and slightly pulled me to walk forward. I let him used his strength because I could not walk on my own. My legs were numb.

The moment I stepped into the Church, the crowd stood up from their chairs at once and applauded aloud for me. I started getting sweaty as fear spiked my insides, giving me a strong heartache that made it difficult for me to breath. And the veil on my face further suffocated me.

The happy faces of the people saddened me a little because I was deceiving them. I was a fake bride. Everything was so whimsical, so dreamy, so beautiful around me, but the bride behind the veil was fake. She was fooling everyone. She was ruining the whole wedding.

I moved my eyes around and observed the Church decorations. The wedding venue was adorned in a way to make it resemble to a kind of royal wedding. The bright, fancy lights, crystal, sparkling chandeliers, fresh roses, baby blue curtains were bewitching the whole place. I was mesmerized. If I wouldn't be surrounded by the anxiety, I would've said awe. But right now, all of these were crumpling my heart apart.

I felt a pull on the bouquet I was holding that brought me out of my thoughts. A strange woman smiled at me and took away the flowers. I realized that I'd already crossed the altar and now facing the huge crowd. Samara's father also left my side.

Moving around, I looked up at the man who was standing few steps away from me, smiling at me. My brows shot up and my stomach clenched the moment I recognized him who was maybe Samara's groom. That face stole my remaining strength.

I had seen him before. The blueberry eyes, the same perfume scent, the same face I still remembered very clearly. He was the same man who spilled his drink on my blouse. What kind of prank my fate was pulling with me?

Overcame with fright and shock at the same time, my legs trembled. I lost my balance. My butt was about to smack with the floor when that man quickly stepped forward to me, grabbed my arm and pulled me up. I stood straight again. Worry flared on his face.

"Are you okay?" I could still recall the same soft voice of him. That means he was Ashar Hobsons – the younger son of Hobsons.

His eyes narrowed as he tried to look at my face. I quickly composed myself and stepped back, letting go of his grip on my arm. The frown on his face was replaced by the confusion as he saw my reaction. I could no more be good at pretending. Samara should be back immediately now because my tolerance level was reached to its peak.

I had never thought that I would meet with that man again like this – as his fake bride. Life can be so funny sometimes. He was looking more handsome, more polished then that day at the club. He was in three piece suit; white smooth, cotton shirt, black coffee skinny pants and burgundy slim fit blazer. His face's fresh skin was gleaming under the bright lights. The masculine jawline looked sharper and firm. The color of his lips was rosy pink. His dark hair looked glossy.

I turned straight to avoid his penetrating gaze, facing the crowd. I felt his presence beside me that made my heart lurched in my chest. He was extra ordinarily tall for my 5'5 ft. height. Since Samara was taller than me she advised me to wear heels to save myself from people's suspicions.

"Sorry. I couldn't take your calls. I was busy with some work at office." He leaned down and whispered in my ear, giving me chills.

Office? Who works at office on his own wedding day?

"But, why have you put that veil? I can't see your face." He continued, "Is this one of your ways to punish me for ignoring your calls? I can't see whether you're angry or not."

I remembered Samara saying that she was trying to tell Ashar about her emergency, but, he didn't answer her calls. If he would have just listened to what Samara wanted to say, then I wouldn't have to be here. He himself devastated his own special day and made myself a victim too.

That's what happens when you ignore your soon-to-be wife's calls on your wedding day. She could run away from her own wedding and put some other girl at her place. I restrained myself from saying that to him.

A happy smile was lingering on his mouth. He looked happy and relaxed, completely oblivious about what was happening to him. This man didn't even know my name and I can bet he didn't even remember our first encounter. So for him, I was a complete stranger.

The officiant started reciting the verses of the Bible loudly, silencing the whole crowd. Ashar also moved back. I sighed in relief. The officiant's voice echoed around the whole place. All the guests settled down on their seats and were now silently watching the ceremony.

Wandering my gaze around, I tried to locate Samara with a hope that she would've been back by now. But she was not there. My heart started pounding rapidly against my chest wall because I didn't know how I should delay the wedding.

My mind was giving me warnings that Samara would be late tonight. She promised me she would be back in an hour. But an hour had passed already and she was still not here. What more she wanted that I should now take vows on her name?

I could get married to Ashar in next few minutes. The officiant proclaimed aloud, "Since it is your intention to enter into the covenant of Holy Matrimony, join your right hands and declare your consent before God and his Church."

Ashar and I both faced each other. He stepped forward and took my hand in his. My eyes moistened due to the strong fear and panic. "I, Ashar Hobsons take you, to be my wife. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life."

My whole body winced. He probably would've felt it because he was holding my hand. He just declared me his wife. I guess this was the last day of my life. Maybe my fear, maybe he himself would kill me with his own hands.

Officiant turned towards me, "It's your turn, child. Say your pledge."

Ashar was still holding my hand, tracing his thumb against my skin in slow motion. I tried to loosen my grip on his hand in order to give him the hint that I wanted him to leave it, but he didn't understand instead further squeezed my hand. I felt uneasy.

I saw all eyes were staring at me, waiting for me to announce him my husband. My mind stopped functioning, unable to give me any idea to stop whatever nonsense was happening to me right now. I didn't want to marry him. Samara betrayed me. She was not here for my rescue. I wanted to dig a hole in the ground and hide myself there.

"Is there a problem, Samara?" Officant questioned.

I'm not Samara. This is the problem, you blind people. I shouted in my head.

I shook my head at him and stated my wedding vow robotically, "I take you, to be my husband. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life."

My mouth went dry. I was lying in the Church. I didn't love this man, still I was promising to be with him for the rest of my life. Samara should come back now or else I and she both would regret for the rest of our lives.

The officiant turned towards Ashar again and asked, "Ashar Hobsons, will you have Samara Elizabeth as your lawfully wedded wife, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Will you love her, comfort her, honor, and keep her, in sickness and in health; for richer and for poorer, forsaking all others and keep yourself only to her, so long as you both shall live?"

Ashar looked at me and smiled, "I do."

My head began spinning. I was on the verge of passing out. Ashar finally left my hand. Sighing in relief, I rubbed my hand with other, wiping off the feeling of his touch from it.

Officiant looked at me, "Samara Elizabeth, will you have this man as your lawfully wedded husband, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Will you love him, comfort him, honor, and keep him, in sickness and in health; for richer and for poorer, forsaking all others, and keep yourself only to him, so long as you both shall live?

I'm not Samara, for God's sake, I'm not Samara. Please somebody stop this wedding. It would devastate everything. My silent cries could not be heard by anyone. I felt helpless.

I could not remove my veil in front of two thousand people. I could not reveal my true identity. I was lying in the Church. I was making false promises. How could I just declare him my husband and promise to live with him for the rest of my life when he didn't even know my name?

I felt like it was a punishment for my some unforgivable sin I had committed in my life time. Everything was going against my will. The entire Church was completely silent. Everyone was looking at me eagerly, waiting for my response.  Some thumbs up were raised from the crowd.

Realizing that I had no other option besides lying, I heard myself saying, "I do."

The guests stood up from their chairs and applauded aloud. Some blew whistles. I became petrified. "Now exchange rings." The officiant ordered.

Ashar's mother, Katherine came out of the crowd, brought forward the rings and extended bride's ring to Ashar. He once again took my icy cold hand in his, pulling it a little to him. He looked at me with a frown, probably got confused about my icy temperature. My whole body was having cold sweats.

He gave me a confused smile and slipped the sparkling ring in my finger. A tear rolled down my cheek when I glanced at the ring that was shining in my finger. All of these things totally destroyed my fantasies about weddings. Katherine offered me the groom's ring.

Ashar let go of my hand. Since I had no more strength in my arms, I weakly tried to grab the ring, but my trembling fingers couldn't get a hold of it. The ring fell from my hand. It rolled over and stopped by Ashar's shoe. He bent down and picked it up.

He stepped forward and offered me the ring again, "I'd never thought you would be nervous on our wedding day."

Katherine laughed, "It's normal."

This time I took the ring immediately and put it in Ashar's finger just to end this hurtful and fearful moment quickly. I lost control on my panic state so I started crying behind the veil. My eye makeup was definitely flowing with my tears, but I didn't care about it anymore. I was holding myself for quite some time.

"Because they have exchanged their vows before God and these witnesses, have pledged their commitment to each other, and have declared the same by joining hands and by exchanging rings, I now pronounce that they are husband and wife... You may now kiss the bride." Officiant gave his declaration.

I froze at my spot, completely petrified. Everyone would see my face now. My fraud would be disclosed.

Ashar came forward with a smile on his face and looked at me for few seconds before reaching for my veil. Just when he was about to touch the fabric against my face, the moment came, the moment I was waiting for. The entire Church fell into complete darkness that I could not even see Ashar's face or anyone around me. All the lights went off.

I could hear guest's complaining cries, but couldn't see them. Someone pulled my hand roughly and whispered in my ear, "Leave. Hide somewhere."