Chapter 3 The Wedding

The wedding day arrived far too quickly. Excitement filled the air. It was a highly anticipated union between two immensely wealthy families, and the significance of the event drew relentless attention. Members of the press swarmed the venue, and every guest belonged to the highest tiers of society.

Of them all, Nicole was the most unsettled. She had not seen Walter since the day he had made his refusal clear, since the moment she had sworn she would put an end to the engagement. Since then, her father had kept her under strict watch, forbidding her from leaving the house for fear she might do something reckless. She had not even been allowed to see Amanda.

In every sense, she had become her father's prisoner.

Her heart felt as though it might burst from her chest, her hands trembling uncontrollably. In just a few minutes, she would be standing before Walter, dressed in white, facing the man whose thoughts she dreaded most.

Surely by now, Walter believed more than ever that she had orchestrated the entire marriage. At this very moment, he was probably convinced of the worst, certain that she had deceived him. Perhaps he even hated her.

Nicole let out a shaky sigh, despair tightening her throat as she wondered how she could ever make him understand the truth.

She stepped toward the mirror and studied her reflection. The corseted gown cinched tightly at her waist, its sweetheart neckline accentuating her figure.

From her waist flowed a wide skirt adorned with intricate embroidery and shimmering stones. Her hair was arranged in a delicate updo, a tiara securing the white veil in place.

She had to admit it. She looked beautiful. If only Walter loved her... Nicole's eyes burned as she fought back tears. This day was supposed to be the happiest of her life.

When the moment came, Nicole walked down the church aisle beside her father, her gaze lowered, her hands clasped around the bouquet as the wedding march echoed through the hall.

At last, she lifted her eyes. Walter was watching her. He looked as striking as ever in his tailored suit, yet there was no warmth in his expression. Unlike the dreams she had once clung to, where the groom gazed at her with tenderness, Walter's eyes held only a deep frown and unmistakable disdain.

The ceremony passed in a blur. A brief, emotionless kiss before the assembled guests sealed their union, followed by thunderous applause. Nicole remained visibly shaken, though most dismissed it as nerves. Walter made no effort to mask his scowl, not even for a moment.

The couple barely exchanged a word, constantly surrounded by well-wishers, acquaintances, and strangers offering congratulations and praise. Only when the crowd finally parted and the floor was cleared for their first dance did they find themselves alone.

"Congratulations. You finally got what you wanted," Walter murmured as they danced alone in the center of the hall, moving in time with the waltz.

"What?" Nicole lifted her face toward him, stunned, her heart lurching painfully.

"You played the obedient daughter," Walter continued, his jaw tightening. "You manipulated everyone and forced me into this marriage."

"No, you don't understand, Walter. I asked my father to call off the marriage, but..." Nicole's voice trembled as she spoke, her eyes darting around the room until they met her father's stern, watchful gaze from across the hall. A chill swept through her.

Nicole could never, under any circumstances, speak ill of her father or reveal what truly happened at home. That was another unbreakable rule in their family. Even now, with marriage as her only escape from that prison, her father's grip on Olivia remained ironclad.

If Nicole dared to speak up, she knew her father would make sure her mother paid the price.

"Do you honestly expect me to believe the precious daughter of the Matthews-her parents' pride-was forced into marrying the man she wanted?" Walter scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Really, Nicole. Do I look like an idiot?"

The precious daughter of the Matthews? Yes, that was the story her father had spun for everyone. The reality was far different.

"Walter, wait..." Nicole tried to protest, her breath catching as if the words themselves were stuck in her throat. Walter stopped abruptly in the middle of the waltz, his expression closed.

"I'll tell you one thing, Nicole-something you already know. I don't love you, and I never will, so don't expect anything from me as your husband," Walter muttered, his eyes cold and unyielding. Then he turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Nicole stranded in the center of the dance floor beneath the curious, astonished eyes of everyone in the room.

...

Two years later...

"Congratulations, Nicole!" Brenda cheered, raising her wine glass and clinking it against Nicole's.

"Thank you," Nicole replied softly, managing a small smile as she took a sip.

"Oh, come on, Nicole-cheer up! You're graduating! You finished your studies, you did it, and with honors, no less!" Brenda beamed at her, pride shining in her eyes.

"Yes, I know, and I really am happy..." Nicole let out a heavy sigh, her gaze lingering on the bar counter where her phone rested. "But..."

"But you can't stop thinking about him, can you?" Brenda finished for her, rolling her eyes in clear exasperation. Nicole pressed her lips together, sadness flickering across her face. "How long, Nicole? That man doesn't deserve a single one of your thoughts..."

"Brenda..." Nicole murmured. "He's my husband..."

"Your husband?" Brenda arched an eyebrow. "Only on paper... You'll forgive me for saying so, but I've told you before-not to think of him that way... How long have you two been married now? Two years?" Nicole nodded. "And in all that time, what has this so-called husband of yours done? He's ignored you, belittled you, and treated you with nothing but coldness and cruelty."

"No, it's just... You know it's complicated," Nicole protested, her voice barely above a whisper as she sighed again.

"Complicated?" Brenda shook her head. "He's called you manipulative, accused you of being opportunistic and selfish. And when he isn't mistreating you, he's simply leaving you alone. What would you even call a husband like that?" Her irritation was clear, but Nicole only let out another weary sigh.

"I knew I shouldn't have told you any of this. You don't understand..." Nicole turned away, frowning as she stared into her wine glass.

"What do you mean I don't understand?" Brenda shot back. "Would you rather have kept hiding it, bottling all of that up inside you?"

"No, but..."

"Nicole, tell me one thing..." Brenda said gently. "After everything you've endured in that marriage-the rejection from your so-called husband-what did you expect today? You left for six months to complete your studies, and all that time, he never called you, never reached out..."

"Well... I... I thought..." Nicole dropped her gaze, a lump forming in her throat. "I thought maybe if I stayed away for a while, he'd start to miss me, even just a little." Nicole's eyes drifted back to her phone. "Yesterday, I sent him a message to tell him about my graduation. Foolishly, I hoped he'd show up for the ceremony, or at least call to congratulate me, but..."

"As always, he didn't even send you a single message," Brenda finished, frustration clear in her voice. Nicole closed her eyes, cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

"Oh, Nicole," Brenda murmured, squeezing her friend's hand. "How long are you going to keep loving that man? Walter Gibson doesn't deserve your love-not even a little. It's time to move on. Celebrate your graduation, focus on your career, on building a life for yourself. Become your own woman-powerful and independent. And when you do, you'll finally have what you want most: the chance to help your mother."

Nicole nodded, her smile faint and bittersweet. Brenda was right-she'd made it. She had finished her specialization and was poised to earn a major position in the family business.

Still, she knew her father's ambitions too well. As long as Olivia remained under his control, he'd keep manipulating Nicole's life.

But Nicole was done letting him win. She would work, she would fight-she was determined to buy her mother's freedom, to rescue her from that man once and for all.

As Nicole turned these thoughts over in her mind, the phone on the counter suddenly rang, sending her heart racing.

Nicole glanced at Brenda, wondering who could possibly be calling at such a late hour. Together, they stared at the phone as the screen lit up, Walter's name appearing in bold letters-her husband.