a lavish ceremony befitting the Westbrooks' status, despite my protests. I had always wanted a smal

oral arrangements embellished every floor. The guest list ballooned to over 300 among New York's elite higher c

helmed and out of place I already felt. It was even This entire production screamed of we

red right into a private preparation room- completely differe

t hair had been pinned into an elegant updo, , makeup caked heavily onto my unhappy looking face, all in effort at l

ead over marrying a total stranger. A guy who had agreed to our arrangement

with all the horror stories of rich men being egocentric, controlling, or even worse. For all

he door broke me

she was putting on, making it very difficult to see her face clearly.S

ed and should be around my a

? Why did she n

hought, when the door

a stern voi

's cavernous main hall. Hundreds of eyes followed my each stride d

my husband-to-be mad

cably tailored tuxedo's pristine cut, Jack Westbrook looked

diately commanded respect or more accurately, fear and obedienc

tion. It was heavily lined with the chiseled features of a man older than

a man focused totally on

l disinterest. Not even a flicker of appreciation for how I look on our wedding day.despite being

th his intense, domineering gaze made my

conventional vows. I tried paying attention, I truly did. But I

dered despairingly. Or is this marriage already

erforming mere routine motions. As the ostentatiously big diamond was placed o

anity from my new husband showed my worst dread. I did not know

take on a bride under such disturbin

felt more alone than I ever had before. Sealing my life to this total strang

inst my back, I plastered on a smile through the first dance and cake-cutting

spair . This guy will never love me, he doesn't

me without saying a word, in the private roo

thinking he would finally offer some heartfelt

th so only me can hear. "You're ruining all of t

from me. Fighting back tears, I realized with sickening certainty tha