Chapter 1 Getting Married

Queenie Dong sat before her large dressing table, lost in thought. The woman looking back at her in the mirror had bright, beautiful eyes, an exquisitely shaped nose, and irresistibly kissable lips. She was stunningly beautiful, and her breathless anticipation for what awaited her later that evening added a pretty blush to her lovely cheeks. She pursed her cherry-red lips together to even out the lipstick.

She leaned back in her chair to consider her reflection in the mirror. The woman she saw was beautiful, confident, and dignified. She smiled.

It was her wedding day. She would soon be married to Ivan Han, though she barely knew him. It was an arranged marriage, but she was neither worried nor afraid. Her father had been the one to arrange it, and she knew he always had her best interests at heart.

As a member of the distinguished and wealthy Dong family, she understood the necessity of arranged marriages. She accepted her fate gracefully, without complaint.

"Miss Dong...no... I'll have to address you as Mrs. Han from now on." Yael, the maid, stuck her tongue out cheekily before smiling warmly at Queenie Dong. Queenie Dong smiled at the shy adoration on Yael's face. Yael had been her maid ever since she was just a little girl, and now that she was getting married, Yael seemed ready to burst with vicarious joy and excitement.

"Mrs. Han, I can't believe it. You're finally getting married! You look absolutely stunning today." Yael gazed reverently at Queenie Dong's reflection in the mirror. Her eyes shone with open admiration as she took in her elegant beauty and impeccable grace. Without realizing what she was doing, she put a hand on Queenie Dong's shoulder, as though afraid she would dissolve into a dream.

Queenie Dong reached for Yael's hand and gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. She said softly, "Bring me my diamond jewelry set."

Yael snapped out of her reverie. She walked over to the safe, opened it, and carefully removed the case containing the set of extravagant diamond jewelry from it.

She undid the latch on the case, and the lid opened to reveal a diamond jewelry set that glittered brilliantly in the light. It was dazzling to look at, and Yael could hardly wait to see Queenie Dong wear them.

She returned to Queenie Dong and stood reverently before her with the open case in her hands. "Here is your jewelry, Mrs. Han."

Queenie picked up an earring with her slender fingers and carefully put it on. The earring shone and twinkled like a star. Queenie Dong gingerly lifted the remaining earring from the case and fixed it onto her other ear. The exquisite diamond earrings shone with a dazzling brilliance as they caught the light and reflected it in a thousand directions. They made Queenie Dong look like her namesake: a regal Queen.

She admired her reflection in the mirror, her eyes bright with breathless delight. She lifted the diamond necklace and carefully placed it around her slender neck. Yael deftly stepped behind her to fasten the clasp for her.

The necklace completed the outfit. As soon as it was in place, Queenie Dong glittered brilliantly from head to toe. Yael gasped. Queenie was so beautiful, she was certain every head would turn to look at her wherever she went tonight.

"Mrs. Han, you're absolutely gorgeous!" Unable to contain her excitement, Yael clapped her hands and let out a few excited squeals.

Queenie Dong smiled affectionately at her. Yael was the first to see her in her full wedding outfit tonight, and her sincere expressions of awe and delight warmed her heart. She rose from her chair. The skirt of her extravagant wedding dress swayed and swept the floor. The Han family had hired a world-famous Italian stylist to design the wedding dress. The intricate dress, with 368 exquisite crystals embroidered on it, had required more than 400 labor-intensive steps to complete.

Queenie Dong moved to the full-length mirror and checked her appearance. She gave a little twirl, and her heart leapt in delight at the way she sparkled from head to toe. She smiled. Everything was perfect.

In the banquet hall, the guests mingled among themselves as they waited for the wedding to begin. There were representatives from every media outlet in attendance, eager to provide their readers and viewers with comprehensive coverage of the wedding. The Han family and the Dong family were the two most distinguished families in the city, and everyone knew that this would be the wedding of the century.

It was going to be a night to remember, and the guests were already in high spirits. The hall had been lavishly decorated, and the atmosphere was so romantic and dream-like the guests felt as though they had been transported into a fairy tale.

A sudden hush fell over the crowd as a few taps sounded over the speakers. It was finally time for the wedding to begin. The music started, the lights dimmed, and the emcee of the wedding bounded onto the stage to announce the entrance of the young couple. A spotlight circled dramatically around the hall before stopping at the foot of the stairs to reveal Queenie Dong in all her glory.

There were a few audible gasps from the guests as they marveled at the stunning sight of Queenie Dong in her sparkling wedding dress. She smiled and nodded graciously at her guests. As per wedding custom, she would wait here for her father to escort her towards the wedding banquet, where Ivan Han, her husband-to-be, waited. The exchange of the wedding vows and rings would be the climax of the wedding.

She could feel butterflies in her stomach. She couldn't help it; her engagement had been so unusual most people would think she was lying if she told them the truth. She was about to marry a man she had met only once.

The marriage had been decided upon when she was just a little girl. She had grown up with the understanding that she would marry into the Han family one day.

Her parents had teased her about the marriage for as long as she could remember. She could still recall the way they used to joke about it over dinner. "Queenie, don't forget to visit us after marrying into the Han family. We're still your parents, you know." And yet, despite the constant teasing and reminders, she had never interacted with the man who would be her husband.

The engagement party had been the only opportunity for them to meet before the wedding, but Ivan Han had arrived at the last possible moment and only stayed for as long as he was required to.

He had excused himself as soon as he could with an expression of a man who found the party to be insufferable.

Unable to approach him, Queenie Dong had been forced to look at her future husband from afar. She had been able to make out his single-fold eyelids, his shapely nose, and an almost imperceptible bad-boy smirk on his lips.

His beautiful eyes were full of profound intelligence, and Queenie Dong thought she could see an undercurrent of affection and warmth lurking in their depths. She had a feeling that his gaze would be electrifying on her, if he ever looked her way.

But that had been all she could see of him during the party. She had watched him with interest and curiosity, but he clearly hadn't felt the same way about her. The expression on his face at the party could only be described as the look of a prisoner in an execution chamber, instead of a man celebrating his engagement. It had been obvious from the thinly-disguised look of suffering and impatience on his face that his mind had wandered elsewhere during the party. His eyes had roved about the room impatiently, but for some odd reason his restless gaze never found its way to Queenie Dong.

She had taken his apparent lack of interest in her in stride. She was confident she would be able to win the heart of any man she wanted. Not even the world's most jaded womanizer would be able to resist her charms.

After the party, Queenie Dong was sure she had her future husband figured out. In her mind, the handsome man was the stoic type who preferred his own company. A man of few words. She was so sure of this she had immediately forgiven him for not talking to her during the engagement.

There was a sudden drum roll from the speakers, and Queenie Dong snapped out of her recollections. She remembered to smile graciously as she sparkled in the spotlight. His father walked up to her and gave her his arm. Together, they made their way towards Ivan Han, who stood alone in another spotlight at the other end of the red carpet.

Dressed smartly in a tailor-made suit, Ivan Han watched them with an expression of complete disinterest. There was no sign of pleasure or joy in his face.

From afar, Ivan Han appeared to be looking at Queenie Dong as she made her way towards him. But his mind had wandered, and he looked at her without actually seeing her.

In his eyes, she was nothing more than another prop on an elaborate stage.

Queenie Dong lifted her head to steal a bashful look at the man she was about to marry. There he was: the handsome Ivan, standing in the spotlight with his shoulders thrown back and his chin held high. She almost forgot to breathe; at that very moment, she decided that he would be her God, and she would worship him forever. She blushed; she couldn't help it. Like all the other girls, she had dreamed of a fairy-tale wedding, and now her dream had finally come true.

The spotlight followed her as she moved majestically across the hall, surrounded by twinkling camera flashlights. This was an important event, and the guests were all eager to photograph and record it for posterity.

Her father smiled at her with pride and joy. The Han family was just as wealthy and distinguished as the Dong family, and he was confident he had found the best match for Queenie Dong.

He patted the delicate hand on his arm, and she smiled back at him bashfully.

Her crystal shoes sparkled with every step as she gracefully closed the distance between herself and her husband-to-be.