4. A Cheater Behind Them

AMBER. I'm standing in front of the altar, wearing a long white dress so beautifully designed that it should make me feel like a princess. But I didn't feel anything good. Every strand of lace wrapped around my body feels like a noose, holding me in an agreement I never really wanted. Next to me, Vincent stands in a perfect black suit. He looks so calm, so powerful, as always. But I know who he is. I knew what he'd done to get to this point-destroying my family, manipulating me, and finally forcing me to stand here. The priest stood in front of us, reading scriptures about love and sacrifice. The words were supposed to be beautiful, but to me they sounded like bitter irony. How could true love be born out of threats, manipulation, and fear? I glanced at Vincent out of the corner of my eye. His face remained flat, but I knew he was watching my every move. He knows I want to escape. But he also knows I can't. Not after all he had done to make sure I had no other choice. When it came time to say the wedding vows, my trembling hand was taken by his strong one. I wanted to pull away, wanted to refuse, but the look in his eyes locked my movements. "Amber," he said in a low voice, but loud enough to echo throughout the church. "I promise to love you, protect you, and make you a part of my life, forever." My tongue felt tongue-tied. Did she really believe those words? Or was this just part of his big charade? The pastor looked at me, waiting for my turn. I felt all the eyes in the church on me-his family, who looked at me with a mixture of contempt and curiosity, and my own family, sitting in the back row, looking small and broken. "I..." my voice trembled, almost inaudible. "I promise..." My breath caught. The words felt like a knife piercing my heart. Vincent's piercing gaze pierced me, giving a clear warning. Don't stop. Don't try to resist. "I promise to love and be faithful..." The words came out of my mouth like poison. I wanted to vomit, I wanted to scream, I wanted to run away. But I stood there, like a puppet playing its part. When the gold ring was wrapped around my finger, I felt as if the prison bars had been locked tight. There was no way out. The pastor spoke his final words, "What God has joined together, man cannot separate." God, can you separate this? I whispered to myself, but there was no answer. When Vincent leaned down to kiss me, I closed my eyes, holding my breath. His lips touched mine gently, but I felt nothing but cold. As we turned to face the guests, applause filled the church. Vincent grasped my hand tightly, showing everyone that I was now his. But in my heart, I swear, this is not over. This marriage may have bound me, but I will find a way out. Even if it means I have to destroy everything. *** I walked quickly towards the groom's dressing room, looking for Vincent. He disappeared after the ceremony was over, leaving me standing alone in the center of the reception crowd. Everyone was smiling and congratulating me, as if this was the perfect day, but I knew better than to believe in that falsehood. I knocked once, twice, but there was no answer. Curiosity and annoyance drove me to open the door slightly, just to make sure she was inside. And that's where I saw her. Vincent, still in his wedding suit, stood in the center of the room with a woman wearing a striking red dress. Her hands were wrapped around his neck, their lips meeting in a kiss so intimate it made my stomach turn. I was speechless. The world seemed to stop spinning. The music from the reception hall sounded distant, like an echo from another world. "What is it?" I asked, my voice broken, but loud enough to startle them both. Vincent instantly turned around, his piercing gaze fixed on me. The woman stepped back with a panicked look on her face, but Vincent remained calm-too calm, which made me even angrier. "Amber," he said, walking over as if I was the guilty one for being there. "It's not what you think." I laughed a short, bitter laugh. "It's not what I think? You kissed another woman on our wedding day, Vincent! What am I supposed to think?" He looked at me with a cold expression that was so typical of him, then let out a long sigh. "Look, this is no time to make a scene." "A fuss?" I almost shouted. "You betray me on our wedding day, and you say it's not the time?" His gaze turned sharp, and he leaned further in, his voice low but threatening. "Listen carefully, Rena. What you saw earlier is not important. It has nothing to do with you." I took a step back, feeling the wall behind me. "Nothing to do? I'm your wife now, Vincent! Or at least, that's what you make everyone believe." He grinned faintly, his eyes flashing with something dark. "Yes, you are indeed my wife. And as such, you will keep your mouth shut about what you see." "If not?" I challenged, though my hands were shaking. He leaned in, his voice turning cold as ice. "Otherwise, I assure you that your family will pay a very heavy price. Your father, your mother, everyone you love. You know I have the power to do so." I fell silent, my heart pounding. Anger and fear fought each other inside me, but I knew he wasn't messing around. He would really do it if I resisted. "So, you want me to shut up?" I asked, my voice almost a whisper. He nodded slowly, his cold smile returning. "Good. Forget what you saw. Focus on your duties as my wife. Nothing more, nothing less." I stared at him for a long time, trying to find some reason to believe him, but I found only emptiness. "You're a monster, Vincent." He didn't answer, just turned back to the woman and signaled her to leave. I stood there, alone, with my heart already broken before it had a chance to begin. But I knew one thing for sure-I may be silent now, but I would not forever bow to Vincent's threats. This was just the beginning. *** I sat on the passenger seat, hugging my own body as if it could keep the embers in my chest from exploding. My gaze was glued out the window, staring at the passing street lights, but my mind was stuck in the locker room earlier-at Vincent, that woman, and their kiss that was still burning in my memory. The car glides smoothly down the road, but the atmosphere inside is full of tension. Vincent is behind the wheel, as silent as ever, as if what just happened wasn't a big betrayal. He glances at me out of the corner of his eye, but I don't pay any attention. "Are you going to talk or keep making that face for the rest of the trip?" he asked finally, his voice flat as stone. I turned my head quickly, looking at him sharply. "Are you seriously asking me that?" He sighed, his hands gripping the steering wheel tighter. "I already explained. It means nothing," He answer with a flat face. I gave a short laugh, full of sarcasm. "It means nothing? You kissed another woman on our wedding day, Vincent. That's not something you can say is 'meaningless'." He remained calm, but his jaw hardened. "I told you, it's none of my business. I don't need to explain every little thing to you." "Little things?" I almost shouted. "So, what do you think I am? A puppet you can carry around for a show? A wife only on paper?" He didn't answer, his eyes remaining focused on the road ahead. "Answer me, Vincent!" I urged, my tone rising. "If I'm not important, why did you bother to marry me?" He stopped the car suddenly on the side of the road, making my body jerk forward. The tension between us peaked as he turned his body to face me. "Listen, Amber," he said quietly but menacingly. "You know why you're here. You know why I married you. And you know that your protests won't change anything." I froze, chest heaving with overwhelming emotion. "You're an asshole, Vincent," I said in a trembling voice. "And I hate myself for believing that you could change." He didn't reply. A cold stare was all he gave me, before he leaned forward and started the car again. The rest of the trip was filled with deadly silence. I no longer wanted to talk, and she seemed to have enough of this silence. One thing is for sure-I won't forget what happened tonight. And I won't let her get away with it.