Married to a Stranger

Chapter Five: The Engagement

Dipping my feet in the warm water I sighed, relaxing back into the leather chair. The lady placed two cucumber slices on my eyes as she finished applying some serum on my face. Two other women were busy massaging my hands - one each - and applying a dull nude nail paint on. Well, at least some good came out of getting married.

I'd been in this beauty parlor for the past three hours and let me just say I was having so much fun. It had been so long since I'd given some time to myself. The scrapes on my heel had somewhat healed but it still hurt a little when I stood for long. This whole thing however, served as a distraction from the real problem: the engagement.

Yes ladies and gentlemen, today was my big day - if an engagement could be called that? Saying that this would be a big event would be an understatement, it was going to be a HUGE event. All the top businessmen of the country were going to be there, along with Adrian's whole family and last but not the least MY whole family. So what made this whole issue a hundred times worse? My family. You might think I'm exaggerating but they are a bunch of narcissistic, extremely straight-forward to the point of annoyance and arrogant human beings. Imagine ten of such people watching you, observing you, judging you for the night. Not so pretty, now is it?

So this, was my way of dealing with it.

Too soon, my pampering was over and I got up wearing my robe. I walked over to the massage room where I was supposed to get a full body massage but was stopped by another woman, who by her uniform looked like she worked there.

"Isabella Hastings?" She confirmed, her round eyes so innocent.

"Yep?" I smiled at her, did I win a free organic mask?

"Someone came at the reception and dropped this for you," she handed me a white piece of paper. "They said you weren't picking up your phone." She said.

"Oh," I said. "Thank you." Weird, why would someone leave me a note...what was so important? The white piece of paper was neatly folded, my curiosity grew.

I unfolded the paper only to find one line, scribbled neatly in a joined handwriting. Reading it, my eyes grew wide.

He's cheating on you. Cancel the engagement or I will tell everyone everything.

Cheating on me? Adrian? Why would he? He agreed to marry me on his own, I didn't force him, no one did. What was this mystery blackmailer talking about?

Wait, no. Whoever this was wants me to cancel the engagement which means that they want me to not get married. Now who would want me to put off my engagement? Oh no he didn't.

James Hastings had just crossed the line, it was him. It had to be.

What game are you playing Uncle?

***

"There you go." Melissa said doing the last of my hair. Melissa was my hairdresser for the night. Juliet, her partner, did my makeup. I wasn't allowed to look at myself until they were done with me so I was glad she was done.

"Yay, do I get to see myself now?" I squealed.

"Let's put on the dress on you first, shall we?" Juliet asked, I nodded. My dress for tonight was a dark maroon gown. It was a strapless one that clung to my non-existent curves and blended into beautiful net flowers at the bottom.

I took my silk rob off and Melissa and Juliet helped me put on the gown without ruining my hair and makeup. After Juliet zipped me up, I was free to look at the tall mirror that was at the end of the room.

Please be gorgeous, please be gorgeous. Looking over at the mirror, I almost didn't recognize the girl who looked back at me. She was anxious and nervous.