Chapter 2 Chapter 2

Ivy's POV

I didn’t know why I said yes. My mind was a whirlwind, spinning and dizzying with confusion. Why did I agree to marry this man? Was it because I just wanted to escape from everything? From the cruel words of my stepmother, from the betrayal of Oscar? Or was I just so desperate to get away from all the pain that I didn’t care who offered me a way out?

I looked at him, this stranger, standing in front of me. His smile was so calm, so sure. He was pulling me toward the altar, his hand warm around mine. My heart pounded in my chest, but my feet felt heavy, as though they were sinking into the floor with each step I took. What was I doing? What was I even thinking?

The pastor, who had been standing there, looked at us both, waiting for us to speak. The church was silent, except for the soft rustling of guests whispering to one another. My eyes flicked around, trying to find something familiar in the sea of faces. But all I saw was Oscar and Lily, standing there, watching with curious expressions. Oscar looked confused, maybe even a little guilty, but Lily? She looked smug like she’d won some victory. I could feel my hands shaking, but I held onto the man’s hand tighter. I wasn’t going to back out now.

“Do you want this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?” the priest asked.

I couldn’t think straight, my mind was too clouded with so many emotions. All I could hear was my stepmother’s voice, yelling at me from the back, calling me names, calling me stupid. I could feel her eyes on me, burning into my back. It made my chest tight. I wanted to scream at her, to tell her that I was an adult now, that I didn’t need her to control my life anymore. But I couldn’t. Not here. Not now.

“Yes,” I said before I could stop myself. It was as if my mouth was moving on its own, not caring what the consequences were.

“Yes,” the man repeated, smiling at me, his grip on my hand tightening in what felt like reassurance.

I was barely aware of the pastor continuing with the vows, asking us if we promised to love and cherish each other. I could hardly hear anything over the roar of my thoughts. My heart was pounding, my chest tightening with every word. But all I could do was nod as the man slipped a diamond ring onto my finger. A diamond. A real one. I didn’t even know what to think. How could he have that? Why would he have it ready? Did it matter?

The ring felt heavy on my finger, too heavy. It was cold against my skin, but I couldn’t pull my hand away. It was like the ring was a symbol of everything that had just happened. Everything is wrong.

“Now, you’re officially married,” the man said with a grin, his eyes gleaming. His smile was so sure like he had everything planned. I didn’t know what to feel. Was I happy? Relieved? Terrified? All I could think was that I had just made a huge mistake.

Before I could react, my stepmother rushed forward, her face red with fury. She was shouting, yelling at me, calling me every name in the book. She looked at me like I had betrayed her like I had ruined everything. I could feel my heart racing. I wanted to turn away from her, but I couldn’t. I had to face this. I had to prove to her that I wasn’t a little girl anymore.

“How could you do this?” she shouted at me. “What’s wrong with you? You’re going to marry a man you don’t even know?”

The man, my husband now, stepped forward. He was calm, too calm for what was happening. He grabbed my stepmother by the arm and pulled her back, holding her at arm's length. His face was unreadable, but his voice was cold when he spoke.

“Enough,” he said, his tone sharp. “You don’t get to speak to her like that. She’s my wife now.”

The words stung, but they also felt like a shield. I was his wife. It was crazy. It didn’t make sense. But it was real.

I looked at my stepmother one last time, her face twisted in anger and then turned away. My husband—no, the stranger—grabbed my hand again and led me toward the door. We walked out, the guests still in shock, whispering behind us. I could hear my stepmother’s shouts fading behind us, but I didn’t care. She didn’t control me anymore.

We stepped into a sleek black car, and the driver closed the door behind us. The car started moving, and I felt the weight of everything crashing down on me. I wasn’t sure what I was feeling anymore. The car was quiet, but my mind was racing, questions swirling in every direction.

“Where are we going?” I finally asked, my voice trembling slightly.

“To the courthouse,” he replied simply, his voice calm.

I nodded, even though I didn’t understand. He handed me a piece of paper, an agreement of some sort.

“Sign this,” he said, his tone businesslike.

I didn’t look at it. I didn’t care. I was too far gone in this madness. I grabbed the pen, signed my name without a second thought, and handed it back to him. I was desperate to leave. Desperate to get away from everything.

The courthouse was cold and sterile, the air thick with formality. We signed more papers. I didn’t even look at them. It didn’t matter. It was all happening so fast, too fast for me to process.

And then, as we were walking out, I saw them.

Oscar and Lily.

They were standing together, their hands intertwined. They looked happy. Happy in a way that made my stomach twist with jealousy and hurt. I wanted to scream, to push them away. I wanted to make them feel the way I felt. But my head started spinning. The room around me blurred, and I couldn’t breathe.

I stumbled forward, my legs shaking beneath me. The next thing I knew, everything went black.