Chapter 187: I Can’t Marry Her!

The first bride walked into the hall, her dress sweeping the beautiful red carpet floors. The young woman had a wide smile on her face. A wedding was thought to be a once in a lifetime activity, however a few rare people get to experience that twice, with the same person strengthening their bond. All the brides on this day were more than jubilant to get to experience their wedding day once again with the person they loved.

The train of brides strolled down the aisle, each one being met with their grooms who’d take them up to the altar. Lastly were both Celine and Hailey who walked in together, it was no surprise as everyone knew them as acquaintances.

Beside the altar, each groom could be seen waiting on his bride with broad smiles, Celine lowered her head when each groom stepped forward to help their brides up the altar. Hailey saw the empty space beside Simon and gave Celine a worried look.

“Don’t worry, maybe he is caught up by something, he will be here.” Hailey whispered comfortingly yet she hesitated to take her own groom’s hand as if hesitant to leave Celine alone.

Celine gave her a smile, “Don’t worry about me, you said it yourself right, he’ll be here.”

Hailey still continued to hesitate before she finally nodded and placed her hand in Simon’s who took her to step onto the altar along with the other couples, leaving Celine to stand alone.

“Where is her groom? Why is there a single bride here alone?”

“Could it be that the groom stood up his bride at the altar?”

“Weren’t they married couples before? Could they be having problems with their marriage?”

Murmurs began to fill the air inside the hall and the place had fallen still silent.

Celine lowered her head with a sigh. Karma really does exist after all, once upon a time she was a bride who abandoned her groom at the altar, today she’d become an abandoned bride herself. She knew Tristan wouldn’t show up.

***

Inside a luxurious suite at the island resort.

Tristan sat on a chair with a table full of files and papers in front of him. He seemed completely busy that he had to be shuffling one file after another.

Standing with an awkward expression at the side was Kaleb who seemed to have something to say but was hesitating. In the end he picked up courage and finally spoke up,

“President the island chief sent word for you this morning.” He reminded for almost the hundredth time now. And just like all the other times, Tristan only made a humming sound to show he’d heard.

Kaleb looked at Tristan in disbelief, then spoke up again, “He said there is to be a mass wedding…”

“Hmm.” Once again, Tristan hummed while still keeping his entire attention on his work.

Kaleb was in even more disbelief, he’d been hesitating to speak before but this time he couldn’t hold back anymore and blurted, “President miss Roberts is at the old dwellings right now, she is going to be at the wedding and…”

Kaleb hadn’t gotten to finish speaking when Tristan suddenly cut him off,

“Hand me the files from A.R groups and associates.” Tristan threw him something to keep him busy.

His boss’s nonchalant behavior at this moment astounded Kaleb so much, in the past had Tristan heard him mention Celine he would immediately let go of whatever he was doing and rush over to her, why was he acting so nonchalant now?

“The file concerning A.R groups is back at the office in Neville, and we have already sealed the deal with them, we do not have any pending work with them at the moment.” Kaleb informed firmly. It was obvious Tristan was only pretending to be focused on work, but in his heart, he was thinking about Celine right now, Kaleb could swear it.

Tristan paused mid writing something on a sheet of paper hearing Kaleb speak, he knew it was getting obvious that he wasn’t focused on work at the moment, but he pretended not to hear Kaleb’s obvious attempt at exposing him and resumed his work.

“President, miss Roberts is at the old dwellings right now only because of us, we’re the ones who pulled her into pretending as your wife to get the land acquisition, and right now she will be standing all alone at a mass wedding, like a bride abandoned by her groom, she’s a woman president, do you really want to cause her such a humiliation?” Kaleb didn’t filter his words this time and honestly spoke his mind.

Tristan visibly stiffened, his pen hovering over the paper, but he was unable to continue his actions of placing his signature on it.

“President, miss Roberts is a good woman, I really hope you don’t put her through such a humiliating scenario where everyone would look at her like an abandoned woman.” She doesn’t deserve that as payment for helping our company.”

“Then what would you have me do? Go there and get married to her?” Tristan snapped angrily as if losing his temper.

“Yes, marrying her is the right thing to do and stand by her, just like she stood by you pretending as your wife.” Kaleb answered back. Perhaps it was because of how he was feeling a sense of injustice on Celine’s behalf, after all, he himself had come up with the idea for them both to act as a couple, and Celine had agreed without protest to support Tristan, and now Tristan wanted to abandon her there?

“I can’t fucking marry her!” Tristan threw a file far off to the other side of the room and yelled.

Kaleb was momentarily frightened, but he finally spoke up again afterwards, “You are not helpless president, you only tell yourself that you are. How do you think everyone will think of her when you don’t show up at the wedding?” After saying his piece Kaleb sighed and finally added, “I’ll leave you think about it.”

Kaleb walked out of the room leaving Tristan who leaned back on the seat after Kaleb left. He gazed out the floor to ceiling windows from where he could see a vast horizon.

It was supposed to be a re-marriage, but for him and Celine who weren’t actually married in the first place, it would be their first marriage. If he were to go, he would be legally married to Celine after that.

Not long ago she had just confessed her feelings to him, and he knew he couldn’t be with her, he definitely couldn’t marry her.

She was the first woman who had melted his heart, the first woman who made him feel so many emotions he used to be indifferent about. She made him feel scared, anxious, eager, excited, hurt, and most importantly, loved.

She was special, extremely special, and for that reason he couldn’t keep her with him.

Kaleb was right, him not showing up could cause her great humiliation.

The first time he met her, she had absconded her own wedding taking a brave step to free herself from lies and deceit. Now, she might have to go through that humiliation because of him.

Tristan ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

He didn’t want her to go through all that pain, but…

He just couldn’t marry her.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep