Tricia Anderson, the first daughter of Silver Anderson, a millionaire business tycoon was jilted on her wedding day by her lover of five years. He wedded her stepsister in her supposed wedding. Tricia could not take the shame so she ran out of the hall to a nearby pub with the intention to drink to a stupor. She had just taken a few glasses when a handsome young man approached her. What happened when the handsome stranger asked her for a contract marriage? What happened when she discovered that the man was not who he claimed to be?
Chapter 1 Intuitions
It was a beautiful sunny morning; the sun rays were beaming through the slightly opened curtains, sending warmth to Tricia Anderson, the first daughter of Mr. Silver Anderson, a millionaire business tycoon who was anxiously staring at the clock as if she could fasten it.
From the bags under her eyes, one could tell that she barely slept the previous night. How could she sleep when she was anxious about the event taking place the next day?
She looked in the mirror and gasped at the image before her. She looked like a character from a horror movie. She smiled when she remembered that she had the best makeup artist and she would be able to conceal her horrid look. She silently made her way to the bathroom.
" Oh my goodness! Tricia, what happened to you? Why are you looking like a zombie?" Diana, her best friend yelled immediately she came out of the bathroom.
Tricia jumped out in fright when Diana yelled. She placed her hand on her chest to steady her heart which was beating sporadically.
" What the hell Diana! Do you want to give me a heart attack on my wedding day? " Tricia yelled angrily when her heartbeat had returned to normal. Did she really look like a zombie? She suddenly asked herself silently while giving Diana a hard glare.
" Hey! Easy girl! Don't give me that stare. I knocked on the door for so long but I didn't get any response from you. So, I let myself in only to come face to face with that zombie face of yours. What did you expect me to do? I have to air out my thoughts, " Diana replied with a chuckle.
" Was that why you have to yell like that? Do you know that I nearly died from a heart attack a while ago? " Tricia asked still fuming in anger.
" Oh please stop being dramatic! What do you expect me to do when my best friend came out of the bathroom on her wedding day looking like a zombie? " Diana said and scoffed. Tricia just rolled her eyes. She knew that her friend would always have something to say to counter whatever she would say.
" But on a serious note, why are there bags under your eyes? Didn't you sleep well? How will you be going to your wedding looking like like a zombie? " Diana asked in one breath.
" Calm down, Diana. Did I hire the best makeup artist for nothing? I believe that she will conceal these ugly bags under my eyes, " Tricia said with a smile. She silently prayed that the makeup artist would be able to conceal the bags under her eyes.
" But that doesn't mean you have to stay up all night. Now tell me, what is the matter? Why didn't you sleep last night? " Diana asked curiously.
" It's nothing... " Tricia started to say but Diana cut her off.
" Don't you dare lie to me! Now tell me the truth, what is bothering you? " Diana demanded. Tricia sighed in defeat. Sometimes she wondered how she became friends with Diana. She sometimes scolded her like she was her mother.
" I don't really know. One moment, I was thinking about how wonderful it would have been for my father to witness this day, and the next moment, I have this feeling that something terrible will happen before the end of the wedding, " Tricia said with tears.
Diana sighed sadly and moved closer to Tricia. She hugged her and patted her back gently while Tricia sobbed on her shoulder. She knew that it was really hard for Tricia. Her mother had abandoned her and ran off with her lover when she was two. Her father being the busy type, got married to Eunice, who only showed her love when her father was around and in public.
Her father, Silver Anderson had kicked the bucket three months ago after a brief illness. He had cajoled her to promise him to continue with the wedding irrespective of what happened to him, and she had reluctantly promised him, thinking that he would survive. But unfortunately, he died a few minutes after she made that promise to him.
Life after the death of her father hadn't been easy for her, not when Eunice, her stepmother, and her stepsister, Rita were involved. She had managed to be strong for the past few months despite the fact that she was still grieving the death of her father and tolerating her stepmother and stepsister.
To the public, she was loved by her stepmother and stepsister, but only she and her friend, Diana, knew the truth. That day being her wedding, Tricia wished that her father was alive to walk her down the aisle. All the tears she had bottled since the death of her father were let down on Diana's shoulder.
" It's okay, Tricia. Your father won't be happy to see you in tears on your wedding day and please have a positive mindset that everything is going to go well, " Diana told Tricia after allowing her to cry for what seemed like forever.
" You are right! I'm stronger than this, " Tricia said with a weak smile and wiped off her tears.
" Now, that's more like the Tricia I know. Okay, let me get you ready for the wedding. I don't know what is keeping the makeup artist. I bet you don't want to be late for your wedding, " Diana said with a smile and quickly pulled Tricia to the dressing chair.
" I can't allow you to do my makeup today! I need an expert for the job, not an apprentice, " Tricia said with a smirk. She knew that she had hit a nerve.
" Hey! Don't call me that! Have forgotten that I have been the one doing all your makeup when you have special occasions to attend, " Diana said and scoffed.
" I know that you are good but I need the best for today. I need to look my best for my wedding, " Trica said and reached out to her cell phone. She called her makeup artist, but she was told that the number was not reachable.
After so many failed attempts to reach her makeup artist, Tricia reluctantly allowed Diana to do her makeup. By the time Diana was done with her, she could not believe that she was the person reflecting in the mirror.
" Oh my goodness! We are thirty minutes behind time, " Diana exclaimed as soon as her eyes found the clock. That snapped Tricia out of whatever thought she was lost in.
" Oh my goodness! How come we are this late? How come no one called me or asked me to hasten up? Why didn't ... " Tricia was asking unending questions until Diana interrupted her.
" Stop asking questions and get into your gown. The drive to the church is about thirty minutes, " Diana yelled impatiently. Tricia nodded like an obedient child and quickly put on her wedding gown. Diana assisted her with her shoes. In no time Tricia was ready.
With the speed of lightning, Tricia dashed out of her room. Diana followed her almost immediately. She suddenly paused and frowned at how empty the house looked.
"Did they leave me and go for my wedding? "Tricia thought aloud. On a normal day, she would have laughed till her fill. But the situation was different. It was her wedding, a once-in-a-lifetime event. She couldn't believe that she was going to be late for her wedding.
" Don't just stand there! Let's get going, " Diana told Tricia who seemed lost in her thoughts. Tricia nodded and briskly walked out of the room.