The Rejected BrideEN

I could hear the music playing and the applause echoing throughout the grand hall as my father gripped my arm tightly, without an ounce of delicacy, while we walked down the aisle to the wedding march. Upon reaching the altar, my father handed me over to my future husband, Alexander Líbano.

"Alexander, I ask you to take care of my daughter. She is my greatest treasure in this world," I heard my father say hypocritically, knowing full well he only said it for show. Since I was born, he had never shown me the slightest bit of affection. He had always hated me because he blamed me for my mother’s death during childbirth.

I took Alexander’s hand, and moments later, I heard the long-awaited words from the officiant.

Looking at the bustling crowd in the auditorium, I felt a mix of anticipation and unease. I longed for the fresh start that my marriage to Alexander would bring.

But the cold look on my father’s face and the hypocritical smile of my stepmother gave me a vague sense of dread.

Is this the happiness I want? I asked myself in silence, but I didn’t dare to dwell on the answer.

"Aslin Ventura, do you take Mr. Alexander Líbano to be your husband?"

"I do," I said joyfully, unaware that those words would seal my fate. What I believed would be the beginning of a wonderful fairy tale turned out to be the opposite—a terrible hell in which I would slowly burn.

I felt a pang of joy the moment the officiant said, "I now pronounce you husband and wife," but my heart sank instantly when I saw the coldness in Alexander’s face.

I tried to smile, but Alexander merely nodded faintly, and that sense of detachment sent a shiver down my spine.

Maybe I didn’t matter to him. He was just doing this for the sake of the marriage.

An hour later, I was officially Mrs. Líbano. I had been trained rigorously since the age of nine to be worthy of Alexander and become his wife, and now it had finally happened. From my seat, I watched the guests dancing and chatting among themselves. I searched for Alexander in the hall but couldn’t find him anywhere.

So I decided to look for him. But before I could take a step, I felt my father yank my arm roughly.

“Listen carefully, Aslin. I hope you don’t disappoint me. Be an excellent wife to Alexander, don’t make him angry, and please him in everything he asks. Honor the Ventura name—that’s what we raised you for,” he said grimly.

“Oh, Ricardo, leave our dear Aslin alone. She knows perfectly well how to play the role of a good wife—I taught her myself,” said my stepmother Sonia, as she caressed my face with her sharp nails. To others, it might have looked like a simple gesture of affection, but in reality, I could feel her claws scratching my skin.

Sonia had once been my mother’s best friend, and after her death, my father fell in love with her and married her. Together, they had a daughter named Arlette, who was the apple of their eye and my constant torment. They spoiled her endlessly, and whenever my father wasn’t around, the mother-daughter duo would humiliate me and make me do the household chores—even though there were plenty of servants to handle the cleaning. I was truly grateful that from now on, I wouldn’t have to see them again.

I watched my father and Sonia disappear into the crowd and took the opportunity to slip away and look for Alexander. I was excited because I was finally the wife of the man I loved so much. I searched the entire mansion but couldn’t find him. Feeling exhausted, I decided to head up to the second floor, to the bedroom that would now be mine and Alexander’s.

I climbed the stairs, feeling the sharp pain in my feet as the heels dug in like needles. I approached the door at the end of the hallway and placed my hand on the knob. But before I could turn it, I heard loud moans coming from inside, and my body froze instantly, fearing the worst. Tears stung my eyes.

I gathered my courage and opened the door slowly. What I saw shattered my heart completely. Alexander was completely naked in our bed with a woman, thrusting into her with his massive member. The woman writhed and moaned from the pleasure Alexander was giving her.

"I love you so much. You’re the woman of my dreams—never forget that, Arlette," Alexander said.

When I heard the woman’s name, thick tears began to pour from my eyes uncontrollably. It felt as if someone had taken a knife and stabbed me directly in the heart. An unbearable pain shook me to the core, and I ran out of the mansion, sobbing.

I ran into the forest, feeling the branches scrape my soft skin and tear my wedding dress. I stopped at a rock and sat down, letting out a loud scream to try and ease the pain. I couldn’t believe that the man I loved so deeply was in bed, having sex with my own sister. And I kept asking myself one thing:

Since when had they been together?

How long had they been betraying me?

And I, the fool, believed he loved me.

I don’t know how long I cried in the forest, but it was getting dark. With no other choice, I got up from the rock and started walking. I could hear loud thunder, and soon the rain began to pour, soaking me completely. My wedding dress was now covered in mud, heavy with rainwater. I hadn’t even noticed when I lost my shoes. There was nothing left of the beautiful bride I had once been.

In the distance, I saw the mansion. I was afraid to return, but somehow, I had to face this. When I arrived, none of the guests were there. I saw the guards running back and forth until Arlette spotted me.

“Dad, look—there she is! That ungrateful brat,” she said mockingly, but quickly changed her expression to one of innocence as my father came into view. I wasn’t surprised—this was her favorite trick: playing the innocent one when it suited her.

My father came into view and quickly approached me. Without warning, he slapped me hard, making me fall to the ground. I felt the blood trickle from my lips.

“You’re a disgrace, Aslin! Look at you—you’re a mess! You’ve embarrassed me in front of all our esteemed guests,” he said as he grabbed me by the hair. My scalp burned from the pain.

“Dad, my sister couldn’t wait and already ran off to sleep with who knows who in the forest. Just look at the state she’s in,” Arlette added, making things even worse for me.

“I wish you had never been born. After everything I’ve done for you, this is how you repay me?” my father said, yanking my hair harder and slapping me again.

“Dad, please—it’s not true! I ran off because I found Alexander having sex with Arlette,” I said, getting up from the ground with tears streaming down my face. But he didn’t seem to hear me—he just ignored me.

“Dad, are you listening to me?” I tried to get his attention.

“Dad!!”

“Did you know? Did you know Arlette and Alexander were lovers, and you still let me marry him?” I confronted him, grabbing his jacket in a fit of rage.

“Let go of me, bitch! You have no right to question Alexander. Just focus on being a good wife to him—that’s all that matters,” he said cruelly.

At that moment, I had reached my limit with all the abuse and humiliation. I couldn’t take it anymore.

“I don’t care anymore, Father. I don’t care about being the perfect wife. I want a divorce,” I told him.

But my father lashed out, grabbing my arm tightly.

“If you divorce him, I’ll kill you, Aslin! We’re bankrupt—we depend on this marriage to save the company. I only need you to stay married to Alexander for two years. After that, you can do whatever the hell you want. If it weren’t for the old Lady Líbano’s affection for your mother, you’d never be married to Alexander. I’d give anything to have Arlette in your place—you’re a complete failure,” he said without any shame, releasing me roughly.

“Why all the noise?”

I lifted my gaze when I heard

that commanding voice—the voice that could only belong to him...

Alexander Líbano.