Chapter 2
James carried me up to the stage, his steps steady and confident, like he was walking the red carpet.
As he held me in his arms, my mind went completely blank.
I was doomed.
What the hell did I agree to?
The guests below were in an uproar, buzzing with excitement.
"Who is she?"
"She's gorgeous, but why does she look so familiar?"
"Oh, I know. That's Kylie Bennett from marketing. I heard she and Mr. Carter are total enemies. They fight literally every single day."
"Enemies? Are you kidding me? This is wild."
"Has the Carter family gone crazy? They're picking someone at random to be the bride now?"
My face was burning up as I listened to all those whispers about me.
But James didn't pay any attention to the gossip. He carried me straight to the center of the stage and finally set me down.
Once I was steady on my feet, I immediately put some distance between us.
But then, out of nowhere, he grabbed my hand and slipped that massive diamond ring onto my ring finger.
The ring was a bit loose, but with his hand holding mine, it stayed put at the base of my finger.
The emcee stood there awkwardly for a moment before finally snapping out of it. In a dry voice, he said, "Uh... Now, let's have the bride and groom exchange rings. Oh, wait, looks like that's already done..."
There was a smattering of applause from the audience.
James' mother, Tanya, stood in the front row and watched us, her expression a tangled mix of emotions.
Next to her, a few ladies dripping in gold and jewels whispered behind their hands.
"Which family is this girl from?"
"I heard she's an ordinary employee. Her family isn't anything special."
"How could the Carter family allow someone like her..."
Tanya suddenly spoke up, her voice calm, "Please continue."
The emcee wiped the sweat from his brow and pressed on. "Now, may the bride and groom exchange their vows."
James turned to face me, his gaze locking onto mine.
I met his eyes, refusing to look away.
The man I'd been battling for eight years, my sworn enemy, was standing right in front of me, his eyes swirling with emotions so complicated that I couldn't begin to figure them out.
James reached out for me.
I hesitated for a moment but finally let him take my hand.
His hand was so warm that it almost felt feverish.
The emcee started reading the vows, and we repeated them automatically, barely thinking about the words.
When it got to the part about "no matter rich or poor, healthy or sick, we'd be together for life", James suddenly squeezed my hand.
I looked up at him.
He leaned in and whispered only for me to hear, "Don't regret this."
I was stunned.
Before I could process what was happening, James bent down and claimed my lips in a kiss.
The crowd erupted in applause.
I went stiff as a board.
That was my very first kiss.
And the one who took it was James, that bastard.
He pulled away quickly, but the heat of his lips still tingled on mine.
My face was on fire as I shot him a glare.
But he grinned, a triumphant glint flashing in his eyes.
Once the ceremony was over, the guests started heading to their seats.
Tanya walked up to the stage, her eyes full of complicated emotions as she looked at me.
"You're Kylie, right?" she asked.
I nodded. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Carter."
She took a deep breath. "Sorry you had to go through all this today."
I shook my head. "Not at all. James promised me ten times the wedding gifts."
Tanya was taken aback.
The ladies next to her looked more displeased, their faces twisting with disapproval.
"How can this girl be so low-class?"
"She only cares about money."
"How did the Carter family get stuck with a daughter-in-law like her?"
I tuned them out and looked at James. "By the way, make sure those three dishes get packed up for me."
James nodded. "Sure, I'll have them sent to the car."
He was dead serious, like this was business as usual.
Tanya looked at me, then at James, sighed deeply, and finally turned to walk off the stage.
The meal officially began.
James and I sat at the main table, surrounded by the Carter family elders.
A woman in her fifties, holding a wine glass, walked over.
"James, this is..." she said, glancing at me.
James replied coolly, "Aunt, let me introduce you. This is my wife, Kylie."
The woman gave me a once-over, her eyes full of judgment.
"I heard you and James work together, huh?" she asked.
I nodded.
"What business is your family in?" she asked.
"Just an ordinary working-class family," I replied.
Her smile grew more insincere. "Well, that's... not exactly the right fit, is it?"
Just as I was about to say something, James grabbed my hand.
"Aunt, Kylie is the one I want. Being from the same social class doesn't matter," he said firmly.
The woman's face went rigid, and she shuffled away, clearly uncomfortable.
I turned to look at James.
He met my gaze, his eyes holding a depth I couldn't quite read.
Halfway through the meal, I got up and headed to the restroom.
Just as I stepped into the hallway, I heard a group of women talking ahead.
"How does the stand-in bride have the guts to sit at the main table?"
"Yeah, and she's out here laying out terms? How shameless."
"Seriously, Mr. Carter could've picked anyone. Anyone would be better than her."
I stopped in my tracks.
They were some people from work, the ones I'd always had beef with.
Just as I was about to turn away, I overheard one of them say, "Do you think the runaway bride will come back? I heard she comes from a really influential family and is drop-dead gorgeous. How could Kylie ever measure up to that?"
Another woman snickered. "Honestly, I hope she does. Wait till Kylie gets shoved aside. She'll be the laughingstock."
I took a deep breath and turned to walk over.
"Get shoved aside?" I said, my voice cool.
The women turned around to see me and startled, their faces flushing with embarrassment.
I walked right up to them, my smile icy.
"What makes you think I should?" I shot back.
"You... you're the backup bride, right?" one of them muttered.
I locked eyes with her. "Sure, I was the backup. But now? I'm the real Mrs. Carter."
I raised my hand, letting the ten-carat diamond ring catch the light, practically blinding everyone in the room.
"Ring's on, vows said, and every guest saw it," I said, cool as ice.
I stepped right up to them, closing the gap.
"Do you really think the Carter family would hold another wedding to please a runaway bride?" I shot back.
My confidence left the women speechless. They couldn't muster a reply.
With a cold smirk, I strode past them and headed for the restroom.
Once the door was closed, I leaned against the wall and let out a slow breath.
Honestly, I didn't buy the crap I said.
But in front of everyone else, I couldn't afford to let them see me falter.
When I got back to the banquet hall, James was chatting with a few business partners.
As soon as he saw me, he reached out and pulled me right up next to him.
"This is my wife, Kylie," James said to those people.
He acted like we were a happily married couple.
The guys grinned and congratulated us, but their eyes were sizing me up, full of curiosity.
I stood tall and flashed them a confident smile, not letting anyone see a hint of weakness.
At long last, the party was finally over.
James took my hand and led me out of the hotel.
Waiting at the entrance was a sleek black Rolls-Royce.
The driver opened the back door, and I spotted three fancy insulated boxes sitting on the seat.
James said, "The dishes you wanted are all packed up."
I was stunned.
He really remembered that.
Once we were in the car, it slowly pulled away from the hotel.
I stared out at the city lights and suddenly asked, "Where are we going now?"
James turned to look at me.
The streetlights outlined his face, making his features look more chiseled.
"Home," he said.
He paused for a moment and added, "My house."
My heart skipped a beat.
The car turned onto a tree-lined street and finally pulled up in front of a three-story villa.
James got out, walked around, and opened the door for me.
I hesitated, not moving.
He reached out his hand. "Come on, get out."
I looked at his hand, and before I could stop myself, I blurted out, "James, why did you pick me?"