"What's with the long face, darling?" Nathan, Tatiana's fiancé, whispered as he placed a stunning silver necklace around her neck that matched her wedding gown.
"Nervous?" he asked, and she nodded. "Yeah, me too. I can't believe you'll be my wife in the next hour. It means the world to me, my love."
Tatiana's father, Mr. Wallington, a powerful business tycoon, saw his daughters as mere tools for building his empire. Every word he spoke was final, and even her mother had no say against his wishes.
Despite being bound to Nathan, the CEO of Stardust Entertainment Company, by her overbearing father for the past five years, Tatiana had grown to love Nathan. He was sweet and charming.
After Nathan left, Tatiana's smile faded. It was her wedding day, but she felt conflicted. Lately, Nathan's suspicious behavior had left her puzzled.
Her phone buzzed; it was a message from Jolene, her assistant.
~You were right, Tatiana,~ the message read.
Tatiana had asked Jolene to keep an eye on Nathan due to her unease. She knew it was a crazy request, but she needed to be sure before marrying him.
She clicked on the video attached to the message, and her heart sank. It showed Nathan kissing another woman, with the camera angle only revealing his face. The woman seemed somewhat familiar.
Tatiana stormed out of the room and spotted Nathan's assistant, Flynn, and asked,
"Where's Nathan?"
"Over there," Flynn gestured to the other side of the hall, but his expression turned concerned upon seeing Tatiana's distressed look.
"Ma'am," he called after her, but Tatiana was already walking away.
As Tatiana made her way through the hallway, her head spun, and her chest tightened at the sound of moaning. She recognized the voices and couldn't believe it was happening on her wedding day.
"Ma'am, you need to come. The guests are waiting," Flynn called again, his worried gaze following her.
She reached the door and forcefully pushed it open. Her world shattered as she witnessed Nathan slamming himself into one of his artists, Paisley.
Not only was Paisley Nathan's artist, but she was also Tatiana's rival.
Tatiana stood frozen as the two ignored her completely. Her face paled, and her lips parted in disbelief. She had suspected something was going on between them, but she never imagined it would be this extreme.
Nathan groaned at his release, and Paisley laughed sarcastically.
"It felt amazing," Nathan whispered.
Tatiana felt a chill down her spine as the reality of Nathan's words hit her. Tears streamed down her face like a waterfall, and bile rose in her throat, making it hard for her to breathe.
After they dressed, Nathan approached Tatiana, showing no remorse.
"What is this?" Tatiana's voice trembled. "I've given you everything, even sacrificed my dreams to please you. How could you do this to me?!"
Nathan sighed. "Don't take it to heart, darling. I'm marrying you, not her. Forget what you just saw," he said shamelessly.
Tatiana's hand flew to Nathan's face, delivering a swift slap. She was shocked by her own actions, but she couldn't contain her anger.
She realized that this man had never treated her well, always treating her like trash and then begging for her forgiveness. And naive as she was, she would always come back to him.
She saw the shocked look on Paisley's face, and Nathan's face reddened with anger. Regret washed over her the moment her eyes met Nathan's again.
Tatiana winced as he forcefully grabbed her neck, slamming her back against the wall, his jaw clenched.
"How dare a bitch like you lay your filthy hand on me? Have you forgotten who I am? I'm your fucking husband, and you should listen to me. Forget what you just saw and go to the hall where our guests are waiting for us to get married."
Even in pain, Tatiana's face remained cold. Normally, she would have begged him to stop hurting her, but not this time. She had had enough of his senseless actions.