Olivia Sparks

Henry Lin saw Maxen's retreating back. A look of triumph painted his face. 

The Suis ruined him once and he would never let that happen again, even at the expense of his daughter's happiness.

To his left, he could see Olivia through the glass wall. He sneered, proud of how useful a daughter was, expanding his empire through a marriage alliance with the Yangs.

Now all he had to do was ensure that Olivia signs the marriage certificate that the Yang Family sent over to his office that morning. 

Inside the room, Olivia motionlessly sat on the couch. It wasn't long ago when Maxen called her. She wanted to answer the call. She really did. And it took every ounce of her being to ignore his call. She wanted to tell him the truth, but she had to stick to her plan.

The rustle of the door against the carpeted floor snapped Olivia out of her trance. She glanced to where a loathsome man stood. She tilted her head, a rueful smile painted her face. She said, "Look who's here. The Father of the bride." 

Clearing his throat, he took out the doc.u.ments and laid it on the table. "You can sign these now. No need to wait until after the ceremony. I don't want your loverboy ruining this special occasion."

"Ha!" Olivia folded her arms over her c.h.e.s.t and leaned on the couch. She gave Henry Lin a once over and sneered, "The only person in this room who has a lover is you. How many did you fathered, Mr. Lin? No wonder you loved expanding your empire. You have many mouths to feed, after all."

"Nonsense! There's only one woman that I love, and that is your mother. Now, sign these papers without me forcing you," he warned, tapping the doc.u.ments with his finger.

Searching her bag for her stamp, Olivia let out a suppressed laugh. "Stop lying to yourself, Mr. Lin. Because the only person you love is yourself. Oh, and money." She dangled the stamp in the air like a carrot and Henry Lin followed it with his eyes. Skimming the doc.u.ments, she nodded her head, flipping one doc.u.ment after the other.

"Stop buying time, Olivia. I don't have the patience of a saint," Henry gritted.

Uncapping the round, red stamp, Olivia heaved a sigh. "You brought this wedding to yourself, Mr. Lin." And without blinking an eye, she sealed the marriage certificate of a Lin and a Yang.

The dense and heavy air that fogged the room dispersed when the sweet voice of Emily chimed across the hallway. Henry Lin immediately tucked the doc.u.ments inside the envelope and left without saying a word.

Frozen in her spot, Emily waited until Henry Lin was far from the glass-walled room and dramatically shivered. That uncle sure was creepy. Growing up, they were all scared of him, well, except for Maxen, who's not scared of anything.

Forcing a smile, Emily complimented, "You look gorgeous, Livi darling!" She waltzed forward and hugged the bride, checking Olivia from head to toe, doing her best to fulfill her role as maid-of-horror. 

No. That's not true. Who cares if she snapped at the wedding coordinator for using the wrong color of the carpet? Or scaring the caterer until the team cried, all because of a lone fingerprint on one goblet? She's just doing her job. She's a sweet and dandy maid-of-honor. 

Feeling guilty, she talked to herself repeatedly that she's not betraying Maxen by playing out her fantasy. But she's helping out a friend who asked her to be the maid-of-honor slash wedding planner of the day.

Fiddling with Olivia's veil, Emily battled the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. She slumped on the empty seat beside Olivia and dabbed the corners of her eyes with a hanky. 

Exhaling, she lamented, "It's such a waste that sometimes there's no such thing as love in our kind. Only interests."

Olivia smiled, rubbing a comforting hand on Emily's arm, and the two gal pals shared mirthless smiles as their eyes exchanged meaningful glances for words that they couldn't dare to speak.

"I told you! I told you to elope with Maxen and you didn't listen." Auntie Martha rolled her eyes, twisting the cap of her hip flask.

"Auntie!" Olivia and Emily sang in chorus, their hands stretched to keep Auntie Martha from drinking but all the younger ladies got in reply was a smirk from a defiant auntie who made exaggerated gulping sounds as she emptied the flask.

"Aaaah, what a nice day to get drunk." Auntie Martha flicked Olivia's veil, displeased at how ugly it was. "Your veil is hideous. Your dress is tasteless. Your DNA donor is rotten to the core."

"Auntie, the veil is okay. She has to cover her face, anyway. It won't look nice if the camera catches her sulking face while walking down the aisle." Emily smiled at Olivia, swatting Auntie Martha's prying hands away from the innocent veil.

The orc.h.e.s.tra awakened the sleeping walls of the cathedral, playing The Four Seasons by Vivaldi. The three ladies in the waiting room huffed in sync. The music should excite them, but it didn't. 

"Excuse me, ladies. But the entourage has to be on standby," a lady dressed in white held the door open for Auntie Martha and Emily who hesitantly left Olivia in the glass cage that she was in.

"Are you ready?" the lady ruefully smiled at Olivia who maintained a stoic face.

But instead of answering the lady's question, Olivia replied with a question of her own. "Are you?"

...

Slow and steady steps. Everyone marveled at how the bride looked ethereal even in her simple satin wedding gown. She took her grand time, walking from the cathedral's doors to the altar where her groom stood, waiting for her.

As she came nearer, Tristan straightened his back, offering his arm to his bride. He could feel her tremble as they found their seats in the middle of the altar, and so he patted her cold, sweaty hand that was grasping his forearm as if telling her that everything would be alright.

After what felt like a lifetime and a half, Tristan beamed, facing his bride. "You signed up for this, Ms. Lin." His smile grew wider upon seeing her balled fists.

Smiling to the bride and groom, the priest moved his gaze to the rest of the guests and brought his palms together, concluding the hour-long matrimony. 

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."