Page 23 of Grumpy Bossy Billionaire Enemy

“Yeah,” I confirmed.

“Is this about Henry?”

I shook my head to say, “No.”

“You know you can tell me anything, right?” Camille said after long seconds of silence.

“I'm just scared,” I started, "about the future. I'm worried I'll always sacrifice myself for this family for the rest of my life."

Camille took my hand. “I saw the way you looked at Henry in Troy's study; you both have grown past being two people who their families had forced together.”

I chuckled, beaming uncontrollably.

“Whatever you do now, do it for Henry and for the love you have for your family.” Camille continued, “Let everyone else's coming to this wedding fade away and concentrate on Henry alone. Trust me, I'd kill to have a family as supportive as yours."

Camille’s words loosened my burden. Her words always loosened me up.

“Okay,” I grinned at my best friend.

“Okay, what?” she asked.

“Let’s get this wedding over with.”

When Camille successfully brought me out of my room, Mother let out a long sigh. She took me by the arm, introducing me to other guests before they went back to their hotels. The rehearsal dinner was tonight. The makeup artist walked around with me, asking me to choose the look I preferred for the wedding.

“Ask my mother.” I dismissed her and said, “This is all her idea.”

The artist was back by my side ready to glam my face up for dinner. Mother had picked a makeup look for me, and the florist showed me a picture of a simple gardenia bouquet mixed with white baby’s breath, and a few sprigs of greenery.

"It's lovely," I told the florist. "I'll have that for the wedding."

The event planner looked at me with shock, demanding to know why I was still roaming around the house. The dinner rehearsal was held in Mrs. Robinson's mansion. I sat beside Henry, beaming with joy as Henry intertwined his fingers into mine. His strong grip affirmed our hands together. The tables in the mansion's ballroom were set with fine off-white linen. Cold, air-conditioned waves of air swayed the flames of the candles set all around. Every seat was occupied by guests of Henry's and my family along with a few colleagues from work and other staff from the Robinson's organization.

The hall was occupied with the chatter and laughter of old friends, business partners, and colleagues who saw each other in this special romantic space. While everyone was chatting away, the wedding planner got our attention by clanking a spoon on her wine cup. She welcomed everyone in a quite audacious carriage. Her eloquence was intriguing, and I was not surprised why my parents hired her.

She gave the floor to my father, who offered a short, boring father's bride speech before he made a toast, celebrating Henry and me. We moved on to eating dinner, crashing into the gourmet cuisine the hired caterer had made. Before dessert time, Mrs. Robinson cleared her throat, getting our attention again. At the end of her appreciation speech, she raised a toast to the upcoming union.

Now that the wedding rehearsal dinner was almost over, I realized that this was the road to my marriage with Henry. I'd just taken another step and looked forward to saying I do more than ever.

“Are you ready for tomorrow?” Henry asked before I retired to my room.

“I’ve never been more ready!”

****

The sun's rays shone from the window on the morning of my wedding to Henry. I was oblivious to the garden's appearance, but I'd be walking down the aisle in the garden this morning. My makeup artist was a hardworking lady who knocked on my door five minutes after waking up. She strapped me in her foldable chair, wrapping her apron around my neck as she beat my face into perfection.

I slid into my satin wedding gown. The sweeping skirt was graced with sparkling flower-shaped gold embroidery. According to my mother, my shoes were a limited edition from a billion-dollar brand. While I didn't care about the aesthetics of the wedding, I succumbed to every luxury prepared for it. I had trusted my mother to pick the best out from the many beautiful gowns the designers suggested, and now that I saw myself in the full-length mirror, I knew she picked had the best for me.

I hadn’t seen Henry today because we upheld the superstition around seeing the bride before the wedding. But he texted several times, informing me he couldn't wait to see me. Camille handed me the white bloom gardenia bouquet before the planner called her to join the rest of the bridesmaids.

The next knock on my door was from my father, smartly dressed in his navy blue suit. He looked at me with jaw-dropping awe. “You are so beautiful.”

“Thank you, Dad.”

He held his arms to me as the event planner motioned to us to come to the garden. I stepped out with my father by my side. The ever-green wedding bells song played from the grand piano on the left side of the garden. The audience rose when they turned to see the bride. I nervously held onto Father’s arm as I took each step closer to the altar.

Henry's dark gray suit gave him away from the rest of the groomsmen standing by the altar. I recognized two other men from his train: Troy, Henry's brother, and the family's lawyer. Henry's head turned to me as I walked down the aisle. He had a smile curved over his lips. On the other side of the altar were Camille and the other bridesmaids, whose names I confused with each other. Camille helped me climb the stage. I stood across from Henry, holding my breath as the priest started to speak.

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