Chapter 2 Married to a stranger

Chloe's pov

I finally decided to help my parents by taking my sister's place after being blackmailed by my mother with a secret from my past. They quickly changed me into the wedding dress, and everyone had been waiting for the bride to arrive.

Murmurs could be heard from the crowd when they didn't see the bride. Everyone turned back when they heard the clicking of my high heels. I saw Caden, my groom to be, I found out his name from my mother.

I look at him as he sigh in relief as he saw me walking toward him. He thought something bad had happened because it was clearly written on his face.

As I reached his side, Andrew, his best friend, whispered into his ear, "Are you happy now?" Caden replied, "Yes!" His eyes locked onto mine, and I felt a pang of guilt, knowing that I was deceiving him.

I forced a smile, trying to play the part of the happy bride. Caden's eyes never left mine, and I could feel his gaze burning into my skin. I felt like an imposter, standing there in my sister's wedding dress, pretending to be the woman Caden was supposed to marry.

The ceremony began, and I went through the motions, trying to remember the vows that my sister, Clara, had written. Caden seemed oblivious to the fact that I wasn't his real bride. He spoke his vows with conviction, looking at me with love and adoration in his eyes.

I felt guilty, I never wanted to do this, deceiving people is the last thing I wish to do, I didn't know what the future held, or how I was going to get out of this situation. All I knew was that I had to keep up the charade, at least for now, maybe later I will tell him the truth and ask for divorce.

As the pastor asked us to exchange rings, I took the ring I was supposed to put on Caden's hand. My hand was shaking, but he placed his hand in mine with an assuring smile. If only he knew that I wasn't his bride, I'm sure he wouldn't be doing this.

I took the ring and put it on his finger. He then took the second ring and stretched out his hand to take mine. But I stood there, thinking whether to give him my finger or not. I finally stretched out my hand to him, and he took my finger, trying to put the ring on it.

However, he stopped and stared at my finger, as if he had seen something. I felt a cold chill run through my body. Had he found out that I wasn't his bride? What would be my fate? Should I just tell him that I'm not his bride now?

I closed my eyes nervously, expecting the worst, like a slap on my face. But instead, I felt the ring being slipped onto my finger. I breathed out in relief, glad that I hadn't been caught.

I opened my eyes to find Caden smiling at me, his eyes sparkling with happiness. I forced a smile back, trying to play along. The pastor pronounced us husband and wife, and Caden leaned in to kiss me.

As our lips touched, I felt a jolt of electricity run through my body. It was unexpected, and I didn't know how to process it. I pulled back, trying to compose myself.

The ceremony ended, and we were surrounded by our guests, all congratulating us on our marriage. I felt like a fake, like I was living a lie.

"Let's go greet my parents," Caden said. "They've been asking for you since they got back. It's been a while since you've seen them. You must be missing them." He smiled, expecting me to be excited.

I forced a smile, unsure of what to say. I had no idea what his parents looked like, and I hoped I wouldn't get caught. "Lead the way!" I said, trying to sound enthusiastic.

Caden stretched out his hand, and I took it, trying to play along. As we walked, I followed his steps carefully, not wanting to make any mistakes. We approached his family, and Caden kneeled down in front of a woman and man who I assumed were his parents. They did bear a slight resemblance to him.

I kneeled down beside him, and the man placed his hand on my shoulder with a warm smile. "Welcome to the Knight family, dear," he said.

"Thank you, sir," I replied, trying to sound sincere.

As I stood up, I caught my "mother-in-law's" eye, and I was taken aback by the anger and hatred in her gaze. I quickly looked away, unsure of how to react.

We received their prayers and well-wishes, and then we moved on to greet my own family. My parents prayed for us, and we headed outside to the car, surrounded by our family and wedding guests.

As we walked to the car, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. I had just married a man I didn't know, and I was now a part of his family. I glanced over at Caden, who was smiling and waving at our guests. He seemed so happy, so carefree. I wondered if he would ever find out that I wasn't his real bride.

We reached the car, and Caden opened the door for me. I got in, trying to compose myself. Caden got in beside me, and we drove off, leaving our guests behind.

As we drove, Caden turned to me and smiled. "I'm so happy we're finally married," he said, taking my hand in his.

I forced a smile, trying to play along. "Me too," I said, trying to sound sincere.

I couldn't help but wonder what the future held. Would I be able to keep up this act, or would I eventually get caught? And what would happen when Caden found out that I wasn't his real bride?