Hailey's POV:

[Two weeks later]

I stared at myself in the full-length mirror. The girl staring back at me didn't look like the plain girl I had known all my life or like the girl I was just two weeks ago. She was different from my boring, plain self. She looked beautiful with her brown hair tied in a chignon. A few tendrils framing her heart-shaped face, and her lips were painted in a beautiful shade of pink, making them look naturally fuller. The skin of her face was healthy and glowing, making her look fresh and beautiful. Her cheeks were rosy, giving the appearance of natural blush.

She was dressed in a pure white chiffon and lace dress. The bodice was made up of lace, wrapping around her chest like a second skin, while the skirt was flowing down to her feet in a silky mess.

I looked at the girl in the mirror, and my eyes caught the shiny pendant dangling from the white gold chain clasped around her neck. Unintentionally, my hand moved up to my neck, and I gripped the pendant while still staring at the girl in the mirror who was no one else but me.

I was the one dressed in an elegant wedding gown. I was about to get married and start a new life with a stranger in just a few hours. The mere thought scared me, causing my grip to tighten on the pendant as if seeking some kind of support. The presence of something that was so special to me instantly relaxed the turmoil inside me.

This piece of jewelry was valuable to me because it belonged to my biological mother who gave birth to me sixteen years ago and wearing it today made me feel that she was here with me, hiding somewhere but watching me take the biggest step of my life.

My bedroom door opened, making me turn around to see my dad.

"Dad, how do I look?" I asked him.

He smiled at me lovingly, and said, "You look beautiful like your mother."

"You really loved her." I saw the emotions in his brown eyes.

"I still love her, and I love you. Don't ever think that you are an unwanted child because I am glad that I have you as my daughter," he said and placed a kiss on my temple.

My dad grimaced as a tear rolled down from my eye, leaving a wet trail on my face.

"Please, honey. Don't cry. It will make your eyes red and puffy. It wouldn't look good when we take your wedding pictures," dad said, picking up the tissue from the vanity table and drying my face.

I gave him a watery smile.

He smiled, and said, "Let's go. We need to leave for the chapel."

I nodded my head and held out my arm to him. He led me down to where others were waiting for me. After we were all settled in the car, the driver took us to our destination. When the car stopped, my dad and Emily helped me in getting out of the car without ruining my dress.

Emily arrived a week ago when she heard that she didn't need to marry anyone and no one was forcing her anymore. She decided to come back and see for herself if it was true.

When I stepped out of the car, my body started quivering, and to hide it, I clasped my dad's arm. He gave my hand a reassuring squeeze, and we made our way inside the church. With every step I took to enter the chapel, my heartbeat accelerated to the point where I felt my chest would burst open at any moment.

Despite all the nervousness, I continued walking down the aisle towards the nave of the chapel where the priest and a man in black tuxedo were standing. I couldn't see the man's face because he had his back to me.

When I reached the center, my dad cleared his throat, making the man turn to me.

With my abnormally beating heart, I took the risk and glanced at him, freezing the moment my eyes landed on his face. The first thing that came to my mind was that this good-looking, almost perfect man was Chase Edwards.

I stared at him, taking in all his features, from his straight nose to his perfectly-crafted, sharp jaw and the arrogance he had on his face. Then, my eyes went to the mass of shiny brown hair on his head. It looked messy like he had been running his fingers through it all day. Then my brown eyes connected with his sterling grey ones, which were filled with hidden anger and hate urging me to run away from him and this chapel with the intention of never coming back. I couldn't fathom why a good-looking man like him would ever agree to marry someone like me who was plain and naive.

My dad nudged me, telling me to stand beside the man, but my legs were wobbly, making it difficult for me to make my way to him. A man in a dark blue suit patted Chase's shoulder and murmured something in his ear, which in return made him clench his jaw. I was ready to lift my dress and make a run for it when Chase extended his hand towards me. I was caught off guard by his stunning looks again, and his act of giving me his hand for support. It made me think that maybe he would not abandon me like other people in my life did. My hopeful nature made me thought that maybe he would be different from other people and would always be there to support me whenever I needed him.

I extended my shaking hand and placed it in his hand, which was large and strong compared to my soft and small one. He grasped my hand tightly and pulled me towards him. His iron hold on my hand was hurting me. I forced myself not to hiss in pain. When I was beside him, he dropped my hand as if I had burned him. I was sure no one noticed his hostile behavior towards me, so I ignored it, feeling hurt I faced the priest.

The priest started saying something, but I wasn't hearing him. My eyes were cast down, staring at nothing in particular but thinking hard about the consequences of this arranged marriage that I would have to face. I couldn't change my mind now. If I refuse, my dad and granddad would be humiliated in front of these people and guests.

The priest's voice brought me out of my thoughts.

"Do you, Hailey Watson, take Chase Edwards to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do you part?" the priest asked.

His words sounded jumbled in my mind, but one thing was clear: He and everyone in the chapel were waiting for my answer.

I took a deep breath and mumbled softly. "I do."

The priest's head tilted towards Chase, who was standing beside me with a stiff posture and his face set like stone.

The priest repeated the same lines to him. "Do you, Chase Edwards, take Hailey Watson to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do you part?"

"I do," he said.

His husky voice made me shiver.

"Please exchange the rings," the priest said, making me freeze.

I turned to see Emily with a small velvet box in her hand. A thick platinum band was snuggled inside of it. I picked it up with trembling hands and waited for him to extend his hand. When he extended his hand, I hastily pushed the ring onto his finger.

Chase had a similar band in his palm, but it had a tiny diamond in the center. I extended my shaking hand, allowing him to trap my finger in a strong grasp and slid the ring on harshly.

My hand dropped to my side, and Emily had a satisfied grin on her face. I didn't know why she was suddenly so happy. Maybe it was because she was finally free or because she witnessed his insensitive actions and my pain made her happy.

The priest's announcement pulled me out of my thoughts. "By the power vested to me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride," the priest said.

The simple word-- kiss --made my legs wobble. I never thought about that part of the ceremony where I would have to be kissed by my husband. My heart was drumming in my ears because of my nerves. I had never been kissed before. Let alone stayed in the presence of a boy or a man for longer than a minute, other than my dad and granddad. The mere nearness of a stranger made me want to scream "bloody murder" and make a run for it.

I was proud of myself for remaining composed for so long in this chapel full of strangers, but the idea of a kiss turned my world upside down. I wanted to experience something beautiful. A kiss likes the ones in the stories, but I was scared of my reaction, and I might embarrass myself in front of everyone. If he kissed me and I did something wrong, he might dislike me more. In the past half an hour, I had already concluded that Chase Edwards didn't like me at all, or maybe he was just angry because he was bounded by marriage at a young age. But whatever reasons he had, it was clear that he was not happy.

I took the risk of glancing around the chapel and saw everyone staring at us, waiting for us to do something worth cheering at after enduring the boring ceremony. I moved my eyes to look at Chase's face, which looked torn between pushing me down and doing what everyone expected of us.

Suddenly he took a step forward, leaving a centimeter's space between us and leaned his head down. I had been anticipating this moment since the first time I read how beautiful it felt to be kissed by your husband, but I was cursing myself for being so inexperienced and nervous at the same time.

I searched my mind for all the information I had learned from the romantic novels I got the chance to read a few months ago while hiding from the prying eyes of my librarian who forbade me from touching any book that wasn't an encyclopedia.

I waited to feel his lips on mine with my heart pounding at a hundred miles per hour. But I never felt them because he had curled them in his mouth so he would avoid touching my lips. There was no kiss, just the presence of his mouth near mine. It looked like he was kissing me. His breath fanned over my cheek, and his jaw touched the side of my chin, but I just kept staring into his eyes as he did the same.

I would definitely hyperventilate from the closeness of his strong, hard body if I wasn't too shocked and hurt by his actions. Everyone applauded, clearly missing what just happened between us. He moved away from me, breaking the eye contact while sending me a glare as if telling me to keep my mouth shut.

I felt an ache in my heart, making me want to cry. But I had to keep standing straight and pose like the happy, newlywed bride I was supposed to be. I had long accepted that I was not made for love so I thought his rejection wouldn't hurt me this much, but it did. I felt like he had reopened the old wound in my heart.

Afterward, we left the chapel, and I had to share the ride back home with Chase. He was busy typing something on his cell phone, ignoring me and my presence for the entire fifteen-minute ride.

My granddad was feeling generous, and he had arranged a very nice reception in the backyard of our house. The celebration lasted for two long hours. The guests we invited were immediate family and friends Just a few of dad's friends, and my uncle and aunts who were as happy as Emily to finally get rid of the freak.

After spending the long hours watching other people dance and enjoy the celebration more than me, I was fed up and ready to bolt to my room upstairs. At that moment, my mom came to remind me that I needed to get changed out of my dress because I would be leaving in an hour for New York.

I was aware of the arrangement for me to leave earlier than the rest because I needed to meet Chase's granddad to receive his blessings and show him that we respected his wish and fulfilled it. Mom came and helped me to my room because it wasn't easy for me to walk up the stairs in heels while handling my gown. When I reached my room, I thanked my mom, and she left me alone.

I hurriedly stripped off my wedding dress and got changed into simple jeans, a loose black off-the-shoulder top that looked comfortable for traveling. Almost everything that I owned was loose except for my undergarments.

When I went downstairs after getting dressed, I noticed my bags were already in the trunk of the cab while Chase was standing there. He had also changed into simple jeans and a white shirt and was looking impatient.

I hugged my dad and granddad. They both placed a soft kiss on my head, making me want to cry, but I held back my tears. I loved my dad and granddad, leaving them felt more difficult than I thought. Despite all the harsh words my mom had thrown at me last week, I hugged her and kissed her cheek. Emily made no effort to hug me nor did I. Her eyes were full of hate as if she was cursing me as I slid into the cab beside Chase.

That day, I left my old self at my house with the hope in my heart that I might make this new family love me. And I made a wish, that hopefully; Chase Edwards would be the first one to fall in love with me.