A wide smile spread across Selena's lips. "Thank you so much for considering me, Reed. I will do my best to be a perfect wife and never let you down."
Everyone in the hall congratulated the couple while Jay Cross came to Elena, "From today, you have no place in my home. I do not wish to see you ever. I will forget that I have two daughters. Leave and go to that husband of yours and do not ever return."
"Father..."
"Guards, throw her out of here," Jay ordered.
Two guards came to her. They were about to hold her, but she raised her hand. "Do not bother."
Glancing around the entire hall and then observing her so-called family, a cold glint appeared in her eyes, "One day, I will make all of you regret this." She turned around and walked away.
Elena slipped out of the wedding hall, her dress heavy as she walked quickly toward the exit. Her chest felt tight, her eyes burning from holding back tears.
"Nat?" Mia, her best friend, spotted her immediately and hurried over. "Why are you leaving? What's going on?"
Elena shook her head, unable to hold back anymore. "Everything's ruined," she whispered, her voice breaking.
Mia wrapped an arm around her. "Okay… let's get you out of here first."
The two of them drove in silence to Mia's apartment. Elena sat in the passenger seat, clutching a folded piece of paper in her hands, staring at it as if it could somehow change.
When they arrived, Mia guided her inside and onto the sofa. "Do you want to tell me now?"
Elena handed her the paper instead.
Mia opened it, scanning the page. Her expression shifted from confusion to shock. "Nat… this says you're already married. Married to a man named Damien Voss?"
Elena let out a tired laugh, one that sounded nothing like her usual self. "Don't ask me to explain it. I didn't even know until today."
"You're telling me this is real?" Mia's voice dropped.
"My uncle checked it. It's official," Elena said quietly.
Mia shook her head, still staring at the paper. "I don't understand. Who is this man? And why would you have no memory of it?"
Elena leaned back against the sofa, staring at the ceiling. "That's the question, isn't it? I don't know him. I've never seen him. But somehow, I've been his wife for the past year and a half."
Elena's eyes welled up again as she whispered, "If only it were that simple. My uncle checked it himself. The certificate is real."
"Your uncle could be in cahoots with them," Elena said. "We should still get it checked out. There's no way you wouldn't know if you were married!"
After all, Mia knew her best friend. Elena was not a careless person. Since her mother's death, she had always kept her guard up against people. There was no way someone could fool her into a marriage which she was not aware of.
"You have a point," Elena sighed deeply. "I can only hope it's a fake, otherwise...you trust me right? I wouldn't get married without telling you."
"Of course I trust you!"
"I wish Reed had trusted me as well."
Mia turned angry at the mention of his name. "Don't talk about that asshole who didn't even try to understand you and couldn't wait to hook up with a tramp."
Elena had nothing to say to that. Reed's distrust had truly hurt her. "Forget about him. First, I need to find out who this Damien Voss is and when exactly we got married. If it's fake, I'll let him know he can be sued for fraud. If it's real..."
"What will you do if it's real?" Mia asked.
"I am going to strangle Damien Voss to death for doing this to me," Elena gritted her teeth.
Unfortunately, the mysterious Damien Voss was near impossible to find.
Despite searching for hours on the Internet, Elena and Mia could not find a single 'Aiden Voss' that matched the photo on the wedding certificate.
"Maybe he's poor and illiterate, that's why he's not online," Mia groused. "Your terrible stepmom would love for you to be saddled with someone like that so you can suffer."
"You have a point," Elena rubbed her temples. "Let's call it a day. I'll hire a private detective tomorrow. For now, I just want to relax. Want to watch some TV?"
"Are you sure?" Mia asked, worried for Elena's mental health. "Your failed wedding is going to be all over the news."
"What else can they say about me that my loving family hasn't mentioned already?" Elena asked, and she turned on the TV. "I want to see how shamelessly they're milking this!"
To their surprise, news about Elena's failed wedding wasn't what was reported.
"Who is this unlucky fella? The news about him is even bigger than the scandal you created," Mia commented playfully.
"I'm not sure. Let's see," Elena could only pray for that poor man.
The trending news showed a scene from the airport, with reporters trying to capture images of a man stepping out along with his subordinates. "A son of the Hale family, Adrian Hale, has finally returned to the country. It has been said he has returned to take over the Hale Empire and will take his father James Hale's place."
"Wait, what the..." Elena exclaimed suddenly. "Why does this man look like the one in my marriage certificate?" She looked at Mia, who was equally shocked.
Mia picked up the marriage certificate from the table and compared the picture with the man on the screen. "It's indeed the same man, Nat."
For a few moments, both looked at each other in disbelief, then their heads turned to the television once more, almost like robots.
Mia skimmed the certificate, then froze.
"Nat… this isn't just a marriage record," she whispered, pointing at the fine print.
Elena's eyes widened as she read the words: Union consummated, witnessed by— followed by a stranger's signature.
Her chest tightened, the paper slipping in her trembling hands.