Just Before He Said I DO

In the courtyard of St. James Palace's Chapel Royal, countless people from all walks of life were scattered around. At every turn of your head, you get to see more people dressed in stunning dresses, each more beautiful than the last.

More luxurious cars pulled up to the red carpet, delivering more stunning guests.

"I can't believe they are finally getting married!" A pretty lady dressed in a pale pink dress said to her partner, also dressed similarly.

"Yes! And in Chapel Royal! Hmm..." The other one replied jealously.

"What do you expect? Her family is old money!" Another group of three, consisting of sequin-decked old Ladies, sauntered by with haughty looks.

"Their marriage is a perfect match made in heaven! Haha." A handsome young man laughed boisterously with his friends under an alcove.

They all nodded, laughing along, their pristine suits looking dazzling on their toned bodies. "I can't agree with you less, Julian. Your cousin's marriage to Miss Vivienne will be the wedding of the century..."

"Sir....!!!" A voice called, interrupting them. They turned to see a group of people holding blinking cameras and different sizes of microphones running towards them.

Their faces turned ugly as they groaned. "Shit, it's the paparazzi!"

The paparazzi caught up with them with massive smiles, but before they could talk, the wedding bells jingled.

But the paparazzi were relentless, clicking their cameras and waving the microphones in their faces while asking them a barrage of questions.

"Mr. Julian, how do you feel about your cousin's marriage?"

"How else am I supposed to feel?!" Julian scoffed inwardly.

"How many months do you think this wedding would hold up for?"

"There are rumors that Montgomery'Co is having issues with a new rival that is threatening to dwarf the company and put it in the shade. How true is that, sir?"

"Sir..."

Julian scoffed but was careful not to do anything to tarnish his image. In this world of Fame and luxury, image was everything.

"I am sorry to say this, but I have a wedding to attend. But I will answer all your questions later." Julian chuckled and hurried away from the paparazzi with his friends.

A luxurious car parked on the red carpet as the people hurried inside the church. The valet ran to get the door, which opened to reveal a breathtaking young man with golden eyes and hair, who stood still for some moments contemplating the scene.

A younger lady appeared by his side with a very bright smile. She had on a pale pink dress that wrapped around her upper body and flared out in layers below her slim waist, giving her a slight foreign vibe. She had a slight resemblance to the man beside her.

"Aren't we going inside, brother?" She asked in a carefree voice tinged with a lilting foreign accent.

The man only nodded forlornly and walked with his sister into the church hall.

***

Edgar Montgomery gave his bride-to-be a small smile as the priest proceeded with the speech.

"Dearly beloved...." Everything faded away as Vivienne Renard stared lovingly at her soon-to-be husband. His handsome face was something even the top models were jealous of. He has gray eyes, a beautiful nose, a perfect jawline, sexy thin lips, and a killer body to die for.

He didn't notice her staring because his gaze kept shifting around like he was looking for something. His attitude made Vivienne worried as she knew what they had gone through to make him agree to this.

"If there is anyone against this union. Speak now or forever remain silent!"

Vivienne stylishly looked around worriedly, hoping some deranged psycho or asshole won't ruin her wedding.

The foreign young man looked around the hall for a while before shaking his head slightly, his golden eyes downcast. His sister noticed this and grabbed his hand, giving him soft pats.

Although numerous people would have loved to raise their hands, the people only shifted and murmured angrily in their seats.

"Do you have anything to present?" The priest asked an absent-minded Edgar who didn't reply.

Vivienne grimaced and grabbed his hands softly, glaring at him with a smile.

"Oh!..." Edgar gave an apologetic smile and cleared his throat. "No, I don't father."

The priest nodded. "Then, let us commence. Do you, Vivienne..."

Everything faded away again for Edgar as his downcast eyes sadly scoured one end of the halls to another as though he were in search of something.

He said some prayers in his mind hoping for some miracle to happen, so he wouldn't have to go through with this.

He couldn't bear the hurt and pain it would cause if everything eventually fell into place.

'Why can't he just concentrate?' Vivienne thought worriedly as she put on a huge smile to mask the worried thoughts running through her head.

She squeezed his hands slightly and got his attention. "Focus!" She hissed through her teeth, sporting a smile.

Edgar gave a light nod and smiled tightly as she answered the priest's question.

"Yes, I do!"

He sighed and craned his neck subtly towards the entrance. 'If only a miracle could just happen.'

"Dude, can you please concentrate? Your bride is looking worried!" Carlos, his best man whispered to him.

Edgar turned to Vivienne and sighed again as she stared at him intently with worries in her silvery blue eyes.

The priest turned to Edgar. "Do you, Edgar Montgomery, take...."

He became more restless at the intending question and nervously ran his hand through his brown hair and looked towards the doors and windows of the opulent hall as though looking for a way to escape.

"...to love and cherish, in health...until death?"

He didn't reply immediately as he stared intently at Vivienne's face, wondering how he was going to spend the rest of his life with her.

Vivienne chuckled nervously, getting worried at each passing second as she nervously squeezed his hands.

This caused a stir in the crowd. 'What is going on?' this was the unasked question on everyone's lips.

"What is Edgar doing?" Julian wondered quietly in the crowd.

The parents of the bride and groom turned to each other worriedly.

"Mr. Edgar..." The priest whispered.

He smiled sadly and looked around one last time before answering the one question that was going to alter his life forever, and then he saw her.

She was standing by the door, with tears falling down her eyes. Time paused at that moment for him as his eyes widened with shock.

Edgar turned slowly towards her direction, the pleasant surprise evident on his face as he ignored Vivienne's desperate call.

"Edgar..." She hissed at him and pulled on his motionless hand.

She wondered about what had caught his attention and traced his gaze toward the door along with the rest of the congregation that were wondering about what had caught the groom's attention.

A young lady stood at the door sobbing. She looked unkempt with her hair matted and her clothes torn and ragged on her battered body, making her look like she had just been through a lot of indescribable suffering.

He subconsciously moved towards her slowly, abandoning his bride at the altar.

"No! Edgar stop!" Vivienne called angrily. 'This can't be! What is she doing here?' she thought angrily as she ran towards a motionless Edgar and tried to shake him out of his reverie.

He shook her off and hurried towards the crying-tattered girl standing at the entrance.

"Stop!" The girl cried, stopping him in his tracks. "Don't come near me. You promised me. I went missing and you didn't bother to look for me! Instead, you are getting married to her..."

Murmur rose in waves. The people went silent as the shabby girl wept hysterically.

"What in God's name..." Vivienne cried in disbelief and anger.

"No! You have gotten it all wrong." Edgar said with his hands stretched in front of him. "I did, but I couldn't find you. I thought you had left me! Rosa, please..." he pleaded genuinely as he slowly moved towards her.

"No, liar! Stay back! I was wrong about you. I thought you were different from the others...go back to your bride!" She yelled angrily, the tears pouring in torrents out of her eyes.

"Go back to her..." She cried in a heartbroken voice and ran away.

"No! Rosa wait!" Edgar yelled and tried to leap after her, but Vivienne suddenly leeched onto him.

"Edgar! You can't fucking go after her...argh!" She cried as he pushed her to the ground and ran after the shabby girl.

"It's our wedding!" Vivienne screeched as she kicked off her silver heels and ran after him, stumbling on her dress train.

"Go after her and make sure to bring her back safely." Andrew, Vivienne's father, said to his bodyguard behind him and turned to look for Landon in the crowd with his wife tagging worriedly.

The wedding fell into disarray as the paparazzi ran after the distraught bride, going live on their various TVs, and the guests grouped up to discuss the exciting turn of events.

The foreign young lady smiled and nudged her brother playfully. "What a twist, isn't it? This is perfect."

The young man only frowned worriedly in the direction Vivienne had run.

"Come on brother, let's go, those nosy paparazzi are here." The lady said and led her brother out.

The Renard's Mansion.

"I am still in shock over this!" Mrs. Hannah Montgomery cried dramatically as she sat in a gold-gilded chair with her legs crossed. "I mean, how could he do this?"

"Calm down, honey," Mr. Landon Montgomery said as he stood beside his wife's chair giving her loving pats.

"I can't believe he did this to me!" Vivienne sat on the bare ground crying, she was surrounded by used wipers with her hair and makeup all over the place.

"Calm down, honey." Mrs. Juliet Renard sighed, rubbing her daughter's head.

They had all returned to the Renard's mansion after retrieving Vivienne.

"What did I ever do wrong?! Why did that bitch have to show up and ruin all my hard work...? I can't believe this is happening!" Vivienne wept louder, grabbed a vase from the side, and flung it against a wall, her sobs increasing hysterically.

Juliet's eyes flashed angrily at the attitude her daughter was portraying.

"Will you stop this disgusting act and get over yourself?"She asked disdainfully and waved a perfectly manicured hand for a maid to come clean up the mess. "...you won't let that filthy beggar turn you into this, will you?"

"But mother don't you see? It hurts..." Vivienne wanted to weep louder when the voice of a TV host interrupted her.

"For today's breaking news. The society wedding of famous Billionaire, Edgar Montgomery, CEO of Montgomery'Co, and top supermodel, Vivienne Renard, was interrupted by the revealing of a huge scandal. A shabbily dressed unknown lady appeared and claimed that she had been jilted by Edgar Montgomery... making the people wonder how it happened, with different speculations going around. One of which is suggesting that the top supermodel, Vivienne Renard, had allegedly separated the poor girl from billionaire Edgar Montgomery so she..."

Andrew grabbed the remote control and switched the TV off as Vivienne jumped into another round of hysterical cries.

"That bitch has ruined my reputation and my wedding... I will so kill her for doing this to me!"

"Hush now child," Hannah called from the other side of the expansive room. "Your mother is right. You can't let a mere beggar get the worst of you."

"I have been trying to get through to Edgar's phone but he isn't answering!" Landon said angrily punching the buttons on his phone.

"Doesn't he know the repercussions of his actions?" Andrew demanded angrily. "It could ruin our reputation and Montgomery'Co's finance is in danger because of it..."

"That can't be all you care about, father. He has broken my heart..." Vivienne said, now sobbing quietly.

Landon tried Edgar's phone again and got his voicemail instead.

"Edgar, you have acted unreasonable and foolish. I'd like you back now to clear up and straighten out this mess. Your actions can put the company's reputation in grave danger. Return home now, that's an order!" He spoke angrily into the receiver and flung the phone against a wall in frustration.

"Easy now, dear." Hannah stood up and gently led her husband to her seat, while Juliet pulled at her hair in frustration.

"If you don't want your reputation and heart in complete shambles, I suggest you get yourself up there, cleaned and ready to face the press!" She snapped in a cold voice.

Vivienne obeyed and ran up the stairs to her room, her long wedding dress almost tripping her.

After her departure, someone barged into the room angrily.

"Antoniette!" Juliet said tiredly and sank into a sofa behind her. "Go see to your sister, she is acting miserable."

Antoinette's beautiful face scrunched up as she clicked her tongue irritatedly. "No, I would prefer very much, putting a bullet through that asshole, Edgar, and his bitchy mistress's head!"

"Do as you were told Antoniette!" Andrew snapped at her.

She scoffed and rolled her eyes as she stormed upstairs.

***

"Rosa... Rosa wait!" Edgar called, looking disheveled. Rosalind stopped running and stood still, her back to him.

"I am truly sorry, Rosalind... I didn't mean for this to..."

Rosalind turned. Her innocent face covered in tears and her eyes held hurt. "You...you didn't mean for what? For your marriage? I was only gone for half a month, and you already decided to take a wife? You didn't even bother to look for me...if I was well or..."

Edgar looked apologetic as he moved slowly towards her, his hands raised. "Hear me out, okay! Please...we can't talk here like this!"

Rosalind didn't reply but broke into fresh sobs. God knows how much she had wished for him to come rescue her.

"Rosalind, please... I want to fix this."

...

They were seated in a plush booth at a low-key restaurant that used to be their favorite, the place was tucked away from the rest of London, making them free from prying eyes.

Edgar stared at the poor girl looking down at her fingers nervously, she was gorgeous with her long brown straight hair falling around her cute round face, wide trusting green eyes, a button nose, and pink plumb lips. He couldn't help himself as he reached for her hands across the table.

"Tell me, Rosa, everything that happened. Why are you like this? Who did this to you?"

"I... I... Oh, God!!" She broke down into tears again. "I can't... It was horrid." she cried.

Edgar became more worried and went to her side of the booth and wrapped his arms around her.

"You didn't bother to look for me. I never expected this from you. I thought you loved me. Were they all lies? All the promises?" She said angrily, weeping softly.

"No, please, Rosalind calm down let's talk this out..."

"I... don't...want to talk to you anymore..." She stuttered.

Edgar cradled her head on his chest and gave her soothing pats on her back.

"What happened Rosa?" He asked her after a while when she had calmed down.

"I went missing and you didn't bother to look for me... but you went ahead with your marriage with her. You didn't care if I was alive or lying dead somewhere in a ditch!" She said sadly, tears welling up in her redrimmed green eyes.

"It isn't like that, Rosalind. I did look for you. The first two weeks were hell. I spent them looking for you all over the city even in two other countries. But there was no sign of you." He paused as his voice became bitter.

"I became devastated. I thought you had left me. So, my parents and Vivienne's parents went on with the marriage plans that were left pending when I met you. They saw your disappearance as a miracle to them. I stayed adamant about it as always and turned it down, but a lot was at stake for us and the company too." He took in a short, sharp breath.

"You know the relationship between my parent and hers and how my marriage to her will affect our company positively... After much thinking, and without you in the picture to keep me holding on, I had no choice but to go with their wishes. Although I never stopped looking for you." He said and clutched her hand tight to his heart. "But I don't love her anymore. She doesn't make my heart race like you do, and you know it."

Rosalind sighed sorrowfully and shook her head.

"I don't believe you, Edgar!"

"I really do... I couldn't live without you. These past few weeks have been hell without you... I really do love you, Rosalind," He spoke with such emotions that she felt touched.

She touched his face fondly, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"I... I believe you, Edgar. And I love you too."

Edgar's heart fluttered with joy as he gently pulled her into a hug. He pulled away and asked the one question that had been at the back of his mind since she went missing.

"But, where were you, my love? You just suddenly disappeared. What happened?"

"I was abducted by some unknown men when I was returning home from work one night, and was taken to a place I didn't know." She said with tears running down her face.

"How?"Edgar exclaimed, shock evident on his face. "But no one called for ransom or something... what happened? Why were you abducted? Were they traffickers?"

"I don't know." She whispered, shaking her head. "I was just locked up in a dirty cell, fed once in a while, and wasn't even allowed the luxury of taking a bath. I never knew what they wanted from me. They never asked for anything."

"One day, I overheard the leader of the men talking to a lady over the phone, and she ordered them to keep me locked up there a bit longer. I just wonder who the lady might be. I have never hurt anybody, Edgar. look at me... a lowly poor coffee attendee who can barely feed herself! There is no one I am having issues with and the only person I feel might want to harm me is Vivienne Renard, but I don't see her as such a person who can harm me. Vivienne is a very kind person, and she's been nice to me even though she knows you've chosen me over her. I am j...." She narrated and broke down into tears again, sobbing uncontrollably.

Edgar became lost in thought momentarily at the possibility of Vivienne abducting Rosalind.

'Could it be possible that Vivienne abducted her?' He wondered and turned to Rosalind again.

"How did you get out?" he asked gently, trying to piece things together.

"When the scary men went out, leaving me alone with just one man, I pretended to be sick. The man brought some pills and a glass of water for me to take. Luckily for me, I managed to knock the man out with the glass and escaped."

"I am glad you made it out alive. But can you describe the place so that I can get the police on the case?"

Rosalind suddenly looked scared as she shook her head negatively, tears scattering from her wide eyes. "They might come for me again if I do. I just want to forget about all I went through!" She broke down into tears again, her hands trembling in his large palms.

Edward sighed and gathered her into his arms. "I am so happy that you're back. I promise to always protect you, my love." He said, his thoughts drifting back to Vivienne.

"I am still in shock over today's episode..." Hannah said to her husband, who lay on their king-sized bed going through his phone.

He only grunted and didn't reply.

"I wonder where he is now!" She said and threw her hands up dramatically. "He just ran off with a strange girl..."

A knock sounded on the door, cutting her off and garnering her husband's attention, who immediately rose to get the door.

Carlos stood at ease. "Edgar is here," He said in his usual monotonous voice.

"Let me through!" Hannah exclaimed and shot out of the bed shoving Landon aside and almost colliding with Carlos who coolly stepped aside to let her through.

Landon sighed as he followed her down the hall with Carlos behind him.

Hannah was already yelling the mansion down.

"How dare you, Edgar? You made our family lose its face! What were you thinking?" She questioned, glaring at him and Rosalind who was cowering behind him in fear.

"Mother!" Edgar exclaimed, trying to calm her. "Calm down, Mother."

"Don't you dare ask me to calm down, young man! You..."

"Hannah, that's enough!" Landon said firmly. Hannah glared at him and went to sit on a lounge, sulking angrily.

He ignored her and turned to his errant son.

"Edgar, you have disappointed me thoroughly. You knew how important this wedding was, yet you went ahead and ruined it."

"But father, I don't love Vivienne, Rosalind is the girl I want to marry," Edgar explained calmly, hugging Rosalind possessively.

"Love isn't the matter here, Edgar!" Landon exclaimed in disbelief. "But the company's reputation and finance is at stake. The family's reputation is also at stake. There are a lot of losses here we have to consider."

"You have to get married to Vivienne Renard. The alliance has to be made!" Hannah butted in from the side. "You didn't have to abandon your bride at the altar." She scoffed.

"I can't!" Edgar groaned in frustration. "Doing that would only hurt Rosalind, and I can't bear to do that, mum."

The couple were silent for some time, gaping in disbelief at what had come over their son until Carlos interrupted coldly.

"Sacrifices have to be made, Edgar."

"Stay out of this..." Edgar snapped at him.

"But he is right. Sacrifices have to be made for the good of the family..." Hannah jumped up waving her hand dramatically. "Montgomery'co needs this alliance... We can't afford to lose this..."

"My happiness is at stake here!" Edgar yelled in frustration. "I love her. And I can't marry anyone else but her!"

Rosalind cowered in fear as they kept yelling, ignoring her completely.

"Son, you hardly know this girl, but you and Vivienne have been childhood best friends. You practically grew up together and you're both in love with each other. How can you let an unhealthy obsession over some...thing ruin your relationship with Vivienne?" Hannah said, looking at Rosalind with utter disgust.

"I never fucking loved her, Mom! Rosalind is the one I love and she is the one I am going to marry or no one else!" He shouted back and stormed out through the door, dragging a shaking Rosalind behind him, ignoring his parents' frantic calls.

.....

Edgar moodily strapped the seat belt on Rosalind. He sighed, clenching the steering wheels till his knuckles turned white. Rosalind bit her lips and nervously fiddled with her fingers.

For a while, no words were exchanged between them, making the air heavy until Rosalind couldn't bear to see him angry anymore.

"You didn't have to fight with them because of me. They are your parents." Rosalind started in an unsteady voice. "They are your parents...and maybe they are right," She sighed deeply, her face contouring into a sad frown.

He turned to her, his anger slowly dissipating.

"I can never compare to Vivienne...after all, I am just a poor girl without a background or anything to offer...even though it hurts, perhaps you would be better off with Vivi..." She sobbed, choking on her words.

"Hey! Hey, look at me." Edgar said almost in a whisper and cupped her face. She sniffed and looked at him through her long lashes. "You are perfect for me and I love you just the way you are. Don't you dare suggest that ever again. Vivienne is nothing compared to you, okay?"

She smiled through her tears and nodded. "I love you too, Edgar."

Edgar smiled and took her hand. "I apologize for my anger earlier. You must have been scared..."

"No, it's fine. I'd have been mad too if someone tried to force something I don't love on me," She said playfully.

He smiled and turned to the steering, his gray eyes glinting with joy as he started the car.

"I want to show you my new home. It's also on this estate, a minute's walk away from my parents'. And it's beautiful with a wide lawn, a huge pool..."

Edgar ranted on, while Rosalind turned to the other side, revealing a little triumphant smile.

***

"Trending today! Billionaire Edgar Montgomery, famous CEO of Montgomery'Co, abandoned his bride; top supermodel, Vivienne Renard, at the altar due to the appearance of an unknown lady..."

A man, who looked to be in his late-twenties, switched off the TV and ran his hand through his long wavy hair, sighing loudly.

"What is she doing?"

He stood up and moved towards the coffee maker on the kitchen counter and poured himself a cup.

His muscular body flexed provocatively as he lifted the cup to his lips.

"Yo, bro! Yo, bro!" The door was banged shut as a young foreign guy in his mid-twenties barged into the room with a pretty white girl trailing behind him moodily, her emo-loner dress suiting her moody character.

He had a slight resemblance to the man in the kitchen.

"Bro! You've gotta see this!" He yelled, waving his phone around as he practically ran across the contemporary set sitting room towards the young man in the kitchen.

The white girl rolled her eyes and slumped onto a sofa.

The young man silently raised one of his brows as he nonchalantly peeped at the phone, shoved into his face.

"She's makin' wave, bro!" The younger guy exclaimed in broken English as he showed him a news report on his phone. The headline practically screamed: "Top supermodel, Vivienne Renard abandoned at the altar by the stunned groom, Billionaire Edgar Montgomery at the appearance of an unknown lady!"

The man only sighed and shook his head, shoving the younger guy aside as he went to the sitting room and took a sit near the moody girl.

"This is impor'ant, what are you shakin' your head for?"

He ignored him and turned to the quiet girl beside him.

"What's up, babe?" He asked, his deep baritone voice reverberating through the little room.

"Come on Bee. A penny for your thoughts?" The older man nudged Bee calmly as he combed his fingers through her mop of curly hair that was dyed pink and blue.

"Leave me alone..." she drawled in her high-pitched voice.

"Come on, leave Bee alone, Anthony. Let's talk about this!" The younger guy whined, stomping his feet like a little kid.

The older guy called Anthony ignored him and continued pestering Bee.

"Bee...?!"

"Argh! Aw'rite, Anthony?" She groaned and turned to face him. "Ain't you tired of constant hiding out? We already agreed to help her, isn't it time the fucking rich bitch fulfilled her part of the deal?"

Anthony burst into laughter, to the annoyance of Bee and the irritation of the other guy.

"Bee, just be a little more pati..." He was trying to comfort her when the ringing of his phone on the coffee table beside them made him pause.

He checked the caller ID and gave a little smile. "Guess, who?"

He frowned and accepted the call. "How is it going over there?.. Oh... we are needed now...? Well, you sure took your time..."

His part of the conversation piqued the other two's curiosity as they waited impatiently for him to end the call.

"...I get it! You didn't have to elaborate." Anthony snapped in a dangerously low voice and disconnected the call.

"Well?" Blaine and Bee chorused impatiently.

"We are in!" He muttered, clenching his teeth and restlessly running his hand through his long wavy hair.

"Yes!" The other two hurrahed and did a high five.

"We move at five." Anthony snapped and went into the inner room, ignoring their playful salute.