The Wrong Wife: Beauty

The Wrong Wife: Beauty Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Annabelle McHendricks stood behind two wooden brown doors, her cheeks flushed red and her heart beating a million miles a minute. To anyone looking at her from afar, it would appear that she was calm, collected and completely at ease with what she was about to do, but in reality, she was a nervous wreck. At times like these, Annabelle thoroughly wished for her mother to tell her that everything was alright and that what she was doing was nothing out of the ordinary.

But it was.

No one that she knew of, would ever do what she was about to do.

But what choice did she have?

"Are you ready, dear?" A warm, soothing voice called from her right, and Annabelle turned to face who was addressing her.

Annabelle nodded at her mother's father, her grandfather, and masked her nerves into a bundle of complete joy that appeared in a smile.

Her grandfather smiled and took her arm in his as the two wooden doors opened and Annabelle was hit with the people seated in the congregation. "You're doing the right thing honey. I'm glad you're making this sacrifice for your family."

Rachel had apparently given her grandfather the insight on their completely crazy plan that she had agreed to.

Annabelle only nodded, knowing that if she spoke, her plan would be ruined and she would be stuck living with her guilt now, instead of later.

So she stayed silent.

All the while, the music was playing and Annabelle told herself over and over, that she was doing the right thing.

But was she?

Would he hate her forever when he realized that he wasn't marrying who he thought he would be marrying?

As the congregation stood, Annabelle's thoughts of self doubt and the idea of backing out was halted. She knew that no matter what happened from this moment on, she was stuck living with the choice that she was making.

Annabelle glanced at Colton Abbey, her soon to be husband, and she almost faltered. He was smiling at her, his eyes lit up with admiration and love. He was dressed in a black and white suit, and his blond hair was gelled and combed back to perfection, as always. He was built, not overly built, but enough to make Annabelle fall for him that much more.

"Rachel," he whispered once Annabelle and her grandfather reached the altar. "You're so beautiful, just as you always are."

Annabelle felt tears well on the rims of her eyes, because she knew wholeheartedly that she wasn't beautiful and he only thought she was Rachel because that was the plan.

Annabelle and Rachel were only a year apart and they resembled each other only in height, but not in appearance. Because of this, their plan to fool him into marrying her instead of Rachel, would work with no faults.

Until he removed her veil.

Then she knew she would have no choice but to explain why she'd lied to him and why her name was on the marriage certificate that Rachel and Colton had addressed last night.

Could she really do this?

She wasn't Rachel and here she was pretending she was! How could she pretend to be the beautiful and admiring Rachel, when she was the ugly and ignored Annabelle?