His Bride, Not By Choice

CHAPTE1

Make Her Look Stupid

Anne's POV

"Get on your knees, apologise to me and then I'll let you go," my best friend, Rebecca said to me, and as her words sank in, I felt a chill run down my spine.

My body shivered, not just from the cold, but from the shock of what she was asking me to do.

"I’m really sorry, Becca," I pleaded, feeling utterly humiliated.

I was trying so hard to find a way to escape this awful situation without being embarrassed even more by what she was making me do, apologising on my knees in public over little to nothing.

Rebecca and I had been best friends for three whole years, and I was completely taken aback.

I never imagined in my wildest dreams that she would treat me this way. It was like my heart was breaking, and I felt hot tears starting to fall from my eyes, splashing onto my cheeks, as laughter filled the air around me, full of mockery and unkindness.

I looked at Rebecca, searching her face for any hint of kindness, but there was none.

Her eyes were cold, showing no sign of mercy as I found myself bending down slowly, feeling utterly defeated as my knees touched the ground.

“I’m sorry for soiling your dress.”

It felt as if all the strength had been drained from my body, and I was left feeling small and insignificant.

I could hear Rebecca call me "so stupid" as those words echoed in my ears, and it made my heart ache even more. Just then, my boyfriend, Rex Wallence, happened to walk by.

For a brief moment, I felt a tiny glimmer of hope in my heart that maybe he would come to rescue me or at least say something to support me.

I wanted nothing more than to escape this crushing embarrassment and feel normal again.

When I first stepped into university, I was shy and unsure of myself, not really wanting to talk to anyone.

But then Rebecca came along and asked me to be her best friend. Honestly, part of me wanted to say no because I wasn’t sure about her strong personality, but she was determined and wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer, so I became her friend.

"Rex, your girlfriend is really stupid," I heard Rex’s best friend, Nick, say, followed by another wave of laughter that felt like knives stabbing into my chest.

I had hoped Rex would come to my side, to say something reassuring or to stand up for me, but instead, he just walked away, looking annoyed.

I felt like the world was closing in on me, surrounded by laughter that pierced through my heart.

Rebecca’s laughter rang out even louder as she taunted me, saying, "The nerd in class just got dumped!" Then, in a truly cruel move, she smacked me hard on my back.

I couldn't take it anymore. Overwhelmed with anger, my breath was unsteady and in that moment my old personality came back.

I stood up with a smirk on my face before attempting to smack Rebecca hard on the face when someone caught my hand.

"Stop, you fool!"

I could recognize the person was no one but Rex who had just ignored me!

"Apologise now," He said, gritting his teeth angrily as he stared at me with disdain.

Never! I was never going to apologise so I dashed out.

I just wanted to disappear into thin air and escape this terrible place where I felt so alone and humiliated.

It was a moment I would never forget, one filled with feelings of betrayal, sadness, and the desperate wish to make it all go away.

Clenching my fist tightly, I felt a rush of anger bubbling inside me as I began to wash my knees and my face, each movement slow and deliberate.

The events that had unfolded just moments before replayed vividly in my mind, making my heart beat faster.

Once I finished washing my knees and my face, a sudden realisation hit me: my clothes were soaking wet! This made me hiss in annoyance, frustration washing over me like a wave.

Just as I was about to step out of the bathroom, feeling awkward and slightly embarrassed, my gaze fell upon a small gift bag sitting quietly in the corner.

A tag dangled from it, boldly stating, "WEAR THIS." I blinked a few times, trying to make sense of what I was seeing, with water running down my face that made my eyelashes look extra adorable.

Curiosity took over, and I approached the bag, my heart thumping in my chest. As I opened it, my eyes grew wide with surprise at what lay inside.

It was a stunning dress! Not just any dress, but the latest creation that had just been released by a top clothing company. I could hardly believe my eyes!

All the wealthy women and high class ladies had been fighting tooth and nail to get this dress first, and yet here I stood, holding something that was so coveted and desired by so many. My mind beats faster with questions.

"Who could have given this to me?" I thought to myself, feeling puzzled. I put on my cute glasses, trying to think things through.

I knew for certain that Rex, my friend, didn’t have enough money to buy something like this, and I didn’t have any rich friends who would do such a generous thing for me.

With a mix of confusion and excitement bubbling inside me, I slipped into the beautiful floral dress.

As I stood in front of the mirror, I gasped; my mouth dropped open in shock at the reflection staring back at me.

The dress fit perfectly, hugging my body in all the right places.

I couldn’t believe how beautiful I looked, especially since I had always tried so hard to hide my figure.

The nerves began to flutter in my stomach as I turned to leave the restroom, hoping to avoid any awkward encounters. Fortunately, when I stepped into the hallway, I was relieved to find it empty.

At that time, all the different departments had classes, which meant I was really lucky not to bump into anyone.

As I approached my department, I caught a glimpse through the window and noticed that everyone was already seated, waiting for class to start.

Taking a deep breath, I mustered all the courage I could find and slowly walked inside.

As soon as I entered, every pair of eyes in the room turned to me, and shock washed over their faces.

Whispers and murmurs broke out, growing louder as I moved forward. I could hear bits of their conversation:

"Isn’t that the Flora gown that even the President's daughter is dying for?"

"Wow, she looks so attractive in that dress!"

"Is that really Anne Wilson?"

With a strange mix of pride and nervousness pulling at my heart, I made my way to my seat.

I felt a little bit like a shining star at that moment, unaware of the pleased expression on someone else's face watching me from the corner of the room.