The Substitute Heiress

It's My Wedding

Chapter 7: It's My Wedding.

Cassandra

As the wedding date approached, Warrick became increasingly possessive. Although I tried to understand the reason for his behavior, I couldn't. His public displays of affection intensified, and while I tried to maintain my composure, I couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. I clung to the hope that once the wedding was over, things would calm down and we would find a way to live in peace because all this was increasing my stress level. My father's health was now very good, but it was mine that was currently at risk. Every time I thought about the future, I couldn't help but feel a knot in my stomach. The facade we had built was beginning to c***k, and I didn't know how much longer it could hold before collapsing.

One night, after a long planning session with our mothers, Warrick and I found ourselves in the kitchen, making a cup of tea. The silence between us was palpable.

"Warrick, we need to talk," I finally said, breaking the silence.

"Again? About what?"

"About us. About what's happening."

Warrick put his cup on the table and looked at me with a mix of tiredness and irritation. "What do you mean, Cass? As far as I know, there's no 'us.' You made that very clear yesterday."

Yesterday... Yesterday... It had been a very stressful day. I lost a good deal with a famous singer from abroad. They trusted me to make the outfits she would wear at a charity gala, but because I had to play the role of "fiancée" and attend with my "fiancé," I missed important meetings with that woman, and her displeasure was understandable. It was logical for her to feel that way, but both my mother and Warrick warned me that I couldn't miss the event for work, and now my reputation was plummeting, which I didn't like at all.

That's why when last night came and I saw how she spoke on social media about the bad experience I had provided, I exploded with anger, frustration, and sadness, and all this fell on Warrick. He had more than enough money and didn't need to work and build a reputation to attract clients; I did. And he was ruining everything for me. Warrick wasn't losing anything with this agreement; instead, I was losing too much, and given the situation my parents were living, I wouldn't have an inheritance, and my life depended solely on me and my work. I felt useless seeing how my reputation was falling and my work was being despised.

And Warrick? Fine... Without suffering. Nothing affected him.

"All this... the wedding, the pressure, the appearances. It's starting to affect me more than anyone. I can't go on like this."

"We have to keep going, Cass. There's no turning back. You can't say that now that the wedding is approaching; you can't back out. Think about your father and..."

"It's all I've done all this time!" I exclaimed in frustration. "But who thinks about me? I'm about to fall into a deep hole of stress and anxiety, and no one cares about me!"

My eyes filled with tears, and Warrick's lips formed a thin line without saying a word. I let out a frustrated sigh.

Warrick sighed and came closer, taking my hands in his. "Cass, I know it's hard. I don't fully understand it; I'm not feeling what you're feeling, but I'm trying to understand. But we have to stay strong. All this is temporary. Once it's all over, we can find a way to make it work."

"And if we can't? What if this facade ends up destroying me and sending me to a psychiatric hospital?"

"Don't be so dramatic, Cass. It's not that bad. I'll talk to some people and get them to go to your boutique. We'll recover your reputation, and I won't keep putting our engagement above your work. If it's important to you, then it's important to me."

His words should have comforted me, but instead, they only increased my uncertainty. What if, in the end, my reputation sank? What if my business went bankrupt? What if...?

Warrick kissed me gently on the forehead, surprising me and clearing my mind of those bad thoughts. Then, taking me even more by surprise, he kissed me on the lips—a gesture that would have moved me before due to the stressful situation I was living, but that now seemed empty. I couldn't help but pull away.

"I need time to think," I murmured.

Warrick nodded, although his gaze showed a mix of confusion and concern. "Okay, Cass. Take all the time you need. But remember, we're in this together."

I nodded, but I couldn't help feeling that the fear of failure wouldn't go away and that all this was overwhelming me more than I had ever imagined. Finding a solution was becoming harder with each passing moment.

***

The wedding preparations continued, and each day felt like a battle against time and expectations. Warrick and I kept acting like the perfect couple in public, but in private, the tension was palpable. Small frictions turned into big conflicts, and each argument seemed to drive us further apart.

One afternoon, while we were reviewing the song list for the reception, Warrick made a comment that triggered another fight.

"I think we should change this song," he said, pointing to one of my favorites.

"Why? I like that song."

"It's not suitable for the atmosphere we want to create."

"Warrick, we can't keep changing everything. We're already about to collapse with so many changes."

At least I was. Everything in the boutique was still a bit off despite Warrick's efforts to bring his acquaintances.

"Cass, I'm just trying to make sure everything is perfect."

"Perfect for whom? For us or for others?"

Warrick looked at me sternly. "You know what this means... It's just..."

"Part of the show... I know, Warrick. But you haven't understood how much this whole situation is bothering me. I have so much going on right now that I've decided to take that day as something beautiful, and I don't want to please others. I want to enjoy my wedding even though it's just a facade, and I don't care if the guests don't like the music; I do, and since it will be the only wedding where I'll be the protagonist, then I want it to be special."

His eyebrows raised completely. Yes, I suppose that was the last thing he expected to come out of my mouth, but after everything that's happened these days, it's better to let things flow, release the stress, and enjoy a wedding that I'm not paying for and a day that should be very special for any woman, and I have to enjoy it just the same.

"In that case, it will be as you say."

"And when can we stop lying? When can we be ourselves?"

Warrick didn't respond immediately. He looked at me with a mix of sadness and determination. "When all this is over, Cass. Then we can be free."

I didn't know what else to say. I felt trapped between the need to keep up appearances and the desire to break free and be myself. The wedding date was approaching quickly, and with it, the moment when we would have to face the truth about our relationship and what we really wanted.

Days passed, and the tension kept building. Warrick became increasingly possessive, and it became harder for me to endure his control. I started to wonder if we could ever find the peace and happiness we so desperately wanted, or if we were destined to live in a perpetual farce.

One night, while reviewing the final details of the wedding, Warrick approached and took me by the waist, looking at me intently.

"Cass, we'll make it work. I promise."

"I hope you're right, Warrick. Because I don't know how much longer I can take this."

Warrick tried to kiss me, but I quickly pulled away. I knew the road ahead would be difficult, but at that moment, I could only hold on to the hope that one day we would find a way to overcome our differences and find the peace we both needed.