Prologue
“You may now kiss the bride!”
Yes, I hear them say after I put my signature on the damn paper. But wait, why is my boyfriend looking so different tonight?
“Go on! Kiss the bride!” the people around us all cheered up.
Before I could get a better glimpse of the man standing in front of me, he moved his face in, and all I could ever taste was his hot lips moving in sync with mine. It felt so good that I could not hear anybody else’s voice.
Then he moved away and I stare at his marble-blue eyes. It made me frown from the fact that Jake doesn’t have blue eyes, he has brown ones!
This realization hit me and I pushed the man away. I look around and it occurred to me that we were in a chapel down who knows where!
“What’s wrong, Rossie?” asked one of my friends or so I think.
I shift my gaze back to the man I just kissed and he had a soft look on his face.
“I…” I couldn’t say the words. What am I doing here? I asked myself.
“Rossie, what’s up?” another one asked.
“I must be dreaming!” I shout and everyone looked at me weirdly.
How did we end up here with wine glasses in our hands? This is wrong! I could not look at them anymore and I suddenly turned my back on them, running out of the chapel. A bride running away after she married a stranger.
***
Six months later
The sound of her buzzing alarm clock woke Rossie up, groaning as she lifts her hand and searched for the alarm. The hardest part of it was always waking up in the evening to get to work. As a customer service agent, midnights become her afternoons and whenever she leaves, the house is always quiet enough to make her more attracted to her bed.
Being in the BPO industry and becoming a customer service wasn’t the profession she wanted to pursue but it doesn’t also mean that her job is a no-brainer like most people think. If she’s given the chance and if her responsibilities were subtracted from her life, she would’ve chosen to be a psychologist. But what can she do?
Rossie groans once more before getting out lazily from her bed. She almost looked like a zombie waking up from the dead with her messy ombre hair and her big shirt. If she could she’d probably go back to sleep.
Before heading to the bathroom, she checked her phone. There’s that text from her boyfriend telling her to take care and take a shower before going to work. He even already decided what she was going to wear for work earlier when they video-called. That’s how organized her boyfriend, Jake is.
After showering, Rossie wore the dress Jake picked for her. She put some light powder on her face, put some lipstick on, and fixed her hair. Then she put on her sandals that her boyfriend never liked and she’s ready for work.
Her workplace is a thirty-minute drive depending on your speed and traffic but since she has generous friends and workmates that have cars, she always gets a free ride as long as she’s on time. She was waiting just outside of their gate when an unfamiliar car stopped. Cautious enough, she stepped back, a frown on her forehead. Nobody told her someone had a new car.
The window rolled down, revealing a man wearing sunglasses in the night. It wasn’t just that, the corner of his mouth curved up slowly as he looks at her.
“Excuse me? Can I help you?” Rossie could not help herself.
Just at that moment, he removed his glasses but Rossie could not tell who he was. She doesn’t remember having met this strange man.
“Fancy to see you a little early today. Want a ride?” he asked so casually. That smirk on his face annoys Rossie. Where does he think he is? Down an alley full of prostitutes? Oh, he is gotta be out of his mind!
“No, thank you! My ride will be here in a couple of moments.” She flashes him a fake smile which made him chuckle charmingly.
“Alright then,” he puts on his glasses. “See ya around, my runaway wife.”
Instantly, the flashback from that night rushes into her head, her eyes widened and that’s when she remembers who he is! But before she could snap back to reality, his window was rolled up and he was gone.
The guilt from that one night came back to Rossie. That night still haunts her but she would never think that there will come this night when she’d see that man again! That was just a one-night mistake! She has already considered that a nightmare she promised she won’t remember.
“Rossie! Hurry, girl!”
Hearing her friend’s voice snapped her back, blinking a couple of times before her eyes finally focused. Ellisa is here and she gulps, taking steps towards the car, pulling the door open, and getting in. She was still dazed at what happened.
“You okay, Rose? You seem pale!” Ellisa asked her worriedly.
“I am fine. I just saw myself crumble,” she murmurs.
“What?” Ellisa suddenly cups her face. “What’s wrong?”
“I saw him.” It almost sounded like a whisper and Rossie sees her friend’s facial expression slowly change. “He was here just now.”
“How did you know it was him? Do you remember his face?”
“I remember his gaze and he called me his runaway wife.”
“Wife? But we were just making some fun at that cha--”
“Oh, I don’t want to hear about that night!” Rossie cuts Ellisa off. “We should just get going or the manager will kill us." But the thought was still in her mind. Why would he suddenly be here?
“Right!” Ellisa let it go but before she faces the front she narrowed her eyes at Rossie and sighs heavily. “Don’t worry! It was just a fun night! No one will know!”
But they both know that Rossie messed up when she decided to go party that night. She gets goosebumps remembering the things she did that night, and that man… he showed up making it all worse.
Dealing with a lot of irritating customers tires Rossie but the thought of going home soon keeps her going. That’s an everyday thing. And when it was time, she was quick to change her aux to offline and sign out, groaning loudly.
“This sure was a long night.” Ellisa breathes out. “Want to grab a meal first before heading home?”
“No, I have things to be done at home. It’s my sister’s birthday today. You’re all invited if you feel like going.”
“I have a shift later so I don’t think that’ll work for me but I’ll stop by, maybe.” Rossie gave Ellisa a hmm look with that answer. “Greet Prim for me and tell her the gift will have to wait a little longer like my bills.”
Rossie can’t help but laugh. Well, bills that don’t wait are part of being an adult. Responsibilities just can’t be shaken off now. You have to do something or living will grow into debt.
When Rossie finally arrived home, everyone was busy decorating the house. She greeted her sister and relayed her best friend’s message, making her sister laugh. After that, she went to greet her mom and dad.
“A mail arrive today. We didn’t have time to ask where it came from. I’m very busy,” her mother tells her setting up the balloons in places.
“No worries. It should have an address.” She smiles. “I’ll change and sleep a bit. Be back to help.”
Before heading inside her room, Rossie took the letter from the top of the cabinet. Once her door was shut behind her she throws herself in bed, groaning loudly. She opened the mail in a hurry and read the bold letters. Simultaneously, she started hyperventilating and all the memories from that night came like a montage. No! It can’t be! She’s married for real?
Instead of sleeping, Rossie used her time googling up the name of the man she married. There was nothing online; no information about the name on the paper! How is she supposed to find him now to file a divorce? There were so many questions in her head. How did it even become real? How was she going to divorce this guy? Is that why he appeared so suddenly last night and called her wife? Did his letter come faster than hers? She massages her temples from all of her unanswered questions. For a day, she let it go and decided to keep it cool for her sister’s birthday. Smiling and entertaining relatives and guests were a must to her but her mind couldn’t help but take her back to her marriage certificate whenever she sees rings. When finally the party was over, she calls her best friend Ellisa. The girl was eating her lunch at work, giving her that weird look that says, “look at you in bed all comfy” which made Rossi roll her eyes. “What are you calling about? Shouldn’t you be sleeping
“Yo! It’s Ellisa. I ran out of data so I burrowed Cassey’s but I can’t wait to tell you!” exclaimed Ellisa on the other line, making Rossie sigh in relief. That lasted for a moment and she realized what her best friend had said. “Tell me what?” she almost shouts. “I have some kind of lead but like it’s not official. You know Lucas, right? He said he knew the guy but he had a call-- irritating one so he had to cut me.” She rolls her eyes and that’s when Rossie realized that Ellisa was in the cubicle. Ellisa noticed her reaction. “Yes, bitch. I am sacrificing half of my break just to fucking tell you this stuff.” “Thank you! You’re a freakin’ lifesaver! If you ever want to swap a day, I’ll swap the days off!” “Oh stop! We have no information yet! Celebrate when you find your husband!” “He’s not my husband!” Rossie snorted, giving that disgusted look. “Shoot! I have to get back or TL will kill me! See ya later, missus!” “What the--” Rossie could not continue when the call just sud
“Of course, you can call me your hubby,” Jared grins giving her a glimpse and back on the road. He could imagine how surprised she could’ve looked.“Didn’t you hear what I said?” “Too loud, baby.”He hears her release a sharp breath. It somehow amused Jared how this repulsive wife of his behaves. From the moment they encounter at the bar, he should’ve known.“Baby? Listen I’m not supposed to be married! I have a boyfriend!”“Then you should’ve stayed at home,” he calmly said.Rossie smacks her lips in frustration, giving him the infamous rolled eyes while shaking her head lightly. They sure don’t quite get along.“What in the ‘it was an accident' don’t you understand?” she fires.“Why haven’t you filed one? You could’ve gone today.”“You’re making this difficult,” she mutters. “How long did you know we were married?”“Two weeks ago,” he replies.A sarcastic laugh echoed in the car, following his wife’s glare. He didn’t have to look at her, he could already feel the tension that someo
“Are you serious?” Ellisa asked so loudly that Rossie had to cover her best friend's mouth. They were at the pantry having lunch. And when her best friend slapped her arm she let go. “Bitch you rode with him?”“I had to! You know I could be damn dead if my parents saw me!”“No, you could’ve said that he is another friend!”“As if they’d let it go that fast!”Yeah, she remembers the last time when one of their guy co-workers gave her a ride. It took them months to get over it. The questions were ridiculous! It was like she was being interrogated for murdering 50 people.“Hell, I’d go through that again!” she exclaims at Ellisa.“But bitch, tell me what he looks like? I don’t remember!” There was excitement in Ellisa’s voice that made Rossie twitch up her upper lip in disappointment.“He looks normal to me. He’s cocky and a jerk.”Ellisa looks up, thinking about what her friend has spoken out of her mouth. She puts a hand over her chin. “If he’s cocky and a jerk… that means he is hella
I want to stay married. Jared's words echoed in Rossie's head. It took her three long minutes to react, opening her mouth and blinking in disbelief again. Did she hear it right? Or is her mind having thoughts of its own?"C-Come again?" she asked."I want to stay married," he repeated.So, she didn't mishear it. It was just hard for her brain to process the thought that Jared was making this more complicated for her. She breathes in and out. "Now why would you want to stay married?" She tries to be calm. "You know I have a boyfriend, right? I can't stay married to you!""I know but he doesn't need to know," he casually said.Why is it so easy for him? she asked in her head, feeling her blood boiling in her veins. This guy clearly didn't think this through."I am not that kind of girl!" She completely broke composure. "I am going to divorce you no matter what happens! I'm sure we'll see each other in court!" Rossie was about to open the car door but it was locked. She shifted her hea
Aunt Natalie's office which is inside her house is creepy enough to make you want to stay out. It's a huge house, with a big-not-looked-for lawn filled with decaying leaves. It's just a big mystery to Rossie why the cemented pathway was the only one clear from the leaves. Not a single one on the pavement. With Ellisa by her side, Rossie feels a little secure, grabbing tight onto her best friend's arm. This wasn't cool at all. If she had known, she would have just looked for her own lawyer. The place seems really haunted."Now, listen," Ellisa faced her so suddenly, looking all too serious, "if she asks you something, you must tell her the truth. She hates it when she finds you lying.""What the hell would I lie for? She'll probably know before I could even say the lie."Ellisa stopped for a moment to think it through and then agrees with her. "Also, my aunt is actually a fan of marriage. She won't like this but she'll help you out.""Maybe we should just--"The creaking of the wooden
Rossie has been awake the whole morning. She couldn't shake the fact that Jake was coming home in a few hours. She was even invited by his parents to their place for his homecoming. That's how special Jake is to them.The family Vermond is well known to define elegance. They were very strict with the whole family of lawyers, generation to generation, and now, Jake. He is well a disappointment to his clan for being with somebody who works in customer service. In the past, Jake's parents wanted Rossie to pursue college and enroll in a law school but she didn't want to feel indebted. Also, being a lawyer wasn't her passion. She is still figuring out what she really wants to do at the age of 25. Most people would figure out what they want or that they're already set on a path but her? She's just a wandering ghost, lost in the present and struggling to know her own.A knocking on her door kept her out of her thoughts. She looks at the door and it opened before she could even say it was, r
Two days since Jake left the city again. After that shocking proposal he did, Rossie was a bit agitated with Primrose not telling her entirely. Of course, it wasn't her sister's fault and probably her sister just didn't want to ruin the surprise. What can she do? It was already there. She already said yes.What's worst is that the preparation for the wedding will be in three months' time. She has been given three months and most divorces she read about online take eleven months or so. It would at least take six months. She is doomed!"I really should've confessed to Jake," Rossie frustratingly groaned. She was back to work and on her lunch break like always, she is with Ellisa."Yeah, that jerk didn't invite me to the engagement. I'm not sure if I should support you in this." Right, Ellisa was still mad that she wasn't even invited. That she is my best friend yet she was never there to capture that moment. It was another reason for her to hate Jake even more"If I knew I would've inv