Just a few days after her life-threatening encounter with the infamous Mafia Don, here she was getting ready to walk down the aisle.
A simple but elegant dress fitted her body like it was custom-made for her. A short, white netted lace veiled her meticulously painted face. Then, strings of white pearls adorned her creamy, fair skin.
This was not exactly how she had envisioned her wedding would turn out. But she didn't think she would ever marry in this lifetime either.
Nonetheless, she was not under the delusion that this was the wedding of her dreams.
Far from it. "But it will have to do." After all, this was just a sham of a marriage.
Even so. Despite her lack of preparation, she still looked like a blushing bride as her eyes examined her reflection in the mirror.
"Damn! Bestie, are you sure you're going to go through this?" Ashley, her maid of honor and only friend present at this ceremony, stood behind her as she helped her with the final touches.
"I'm sure." She answered with a strong conviction.
"But you looked incredible for someone who was about to plunge to her death." Her friend wrapped her fingers around her neck and made a choking sound.
Her friend was right. She was not just tying the knot, but she was walking willingly one step at a time to her grave. But as she had said before, she was not going down without a fight.
Again, "This is just a means to an end." She said, while also reminding herself. This was no fairy tale.
She was only doing this for revenge, not to chase some romantic notions of love and happy endings.
"I really hope you know what you're doing, Amelia," Ashley whispered in her ear, a name she had never heard for a long time.
But as she looked deeply into her eyes through the mirror, she suddenly saw her mother standing behind her. It instantly transported her back in time.
It was Oliver's celebratory party. The team just won the State Championship. Oliver was declared the MVP.
Oliver just asked her to be his date. For the last few days, she had done nothing but prepare for this day. She even went on a hunger strike just to lose some weight.
Although it didn't really make much difference, at least in her mind, she thought she looked like a million bucks.
"You look absolutely amazing, Amelia." Her mother said, after she helped her with her hair and makeup.
Like all parents, her mother looked more excited than she was. Her father was worse as he took pictures of her all over their house as they waited for her date to pick her up.
Could not blame them since she had never experienced going to the prom?
Of course, she was over the moon. Her date was the most popular guy on campus. The Quarterback King.
"Oh, I can't wait until I walk you down the aisle." His father unexpectedly said, looking at her dreamily.
"Stop that, Dad!" She was afraid that Oliver would suddenly walk in and hear her father. "Mom, he's going to embarrass me." Sometimes, her father had no filter.
"Edward..." Her mother reprimanded her father with just one look.
"Stella, what?" Her father looked at her mother incredulously, acting innocent. "I'm sure once Oliver sees her tonight, he will be asking me for my daughter's hand in marriage." Her father continued to tease her, hugging her tightly just like he always did.
"Dad, you're insufferable." She looked at her Dad, just the same way as she had looked at him when she was a child. "But I love you, Mr. Edward Clarke."
The very first man she ever loved and had always looked up to. The man who promised to always keep her safe. Her role model. Her hero.
"And you too, Mrs. Stella Clarke." She turned to her other shoulder as her mother kissed her on the other side of her cheek.
The greatest mother who had given her all the love in the world. The woman who would put her life on the line for her, no matter what.
For that brief moment, she began to dream of her perfect wedding. "I would love for you to walk me down the aisle, Dad." Hugging her father, wanting that wonderful moment to last forever.
But that happy moment didn't last for too long.
"I'm sure Oliver has a perfectly good explanation for..."
"Don't, Mom." She stopped her mother from giving Oliver an excuse to stand her up. "I know exactly why he didn't show up."
"Do you want me to beat him up?"
"No, Dad. I can do that by myself." She smiled at him, acting tough as usual. But she appreciated her father's effort to defend her honor. But she didn't need anyone else to fight her battles for her.
With a broken heart, she cried herself to sleep that night. The next morning, she stood up, ready to give him a piece of her mind.
As soon as she saw Oliver, all her resolves melted away. As soon as he apologized and made his excuses, just like all the other times, she forgave him.
Like a fool, she had believed all his bullshits.
Not anymore.
"Ms. Maddison, the wedding is about to start." A mild knock echoed through the door.
"Well, if you still want your running shoes..." Her friend picked up a pair of sneakers from the floor. "We can still make a dash to my getaway car." Ashley waved the shoes and her keys, enticing her to make a run for her life.
"No!" She calmly shook her head. "Come on, we don't want the groom to change his mind." She jokingly said, seeing that her friend was about to pass out from her frayed nerves.
But in fairness to Ashley, she saved lives, not took them away.
In her case, there was no escaping her fate. Only moving forward with her plans.
At least, this time, she knew what she was getting herself into.
"Dr. Bennett, this way." The wedding organizer ushered her friend to the front as the procession began.
As the music played, the doors opened, revealing the simple but elegant room where her wedding was to take place.
With her mind set, her heart as hard as stone, and with a nerve of steel, she was ready to step into his world.
Although the small, private church held a holy and divine spiritual ambiance, she knew exactly that she was walking directly to hell.
"You can do this, Amelia." She kept telling herself like a mantra as her feet marched down the aisle.
On the other end of the line stood her soon-to-be husband, waiting patiently for her.
If this had been a real wedding, she would tell herself that she must be the luckiest woman alive upon laying her eyes on her groom.
How could she forget a man like him?
Handsome, built to perfection, exuding a commanding presence that would make people stop and stare.
A man born to lead and stand in the spotlight. Irresistible. Unforgettable.
"Fuck! Focus! Get your head out of the gutter." Hastily, she shoved her unwanted thoughts aside. It was not the time to admire the man when he was the very reason why her world had fallen apart.
As far as she was concerned, this man and his father killed her family.
Soon, she was about to make them pay.
One step at a time.
"Oliver, you will wish that you never crossed paths with me after I'm done with you."