Chapter 3 The First Time She Felt Valued

Sophia spoke sarcastically, "If Isabella could hook up with the Williams family and get John to agree to a wedding, she must have some real skills. It wouldn't be too hard for her to find someone new willing to foot the bill for a wedding overnight. For a girl, if she's willing to lower her standards and abandon her dignity, there's always a line of guys ready to swarm around her."

Sophia's suggestive words drew the attention of the guests, especially a group of men. They leered at Isabella with ill intent, their hungry eyes revealing a desire to strip her bare.

Ignoring their leering gazes, Isabella went straight to the makeup room with the stylist.

But Isabella's departure didn't stop the chatter. The ladies, always eager for gossip, gathered around Sofia and Bianca. Sofia, of course, didn't miss a beat. She dove right in, trashing Isabella without holding back. When Isabella finally came out of the styling room, she had everyone's eyes on her. The women admired her wedding dress and the diamonds on her head, while the men couldn't take their eyes off her curvy figure.

Bianca stared at her intently, wishing she could strip Isabella of her clothes and put them on herself.

"Mom, her tiara is so shiny. I want it. Look, her wedding dress is from my favorite designer's classic collection, which the magazine said isn't for sale. I want it! Mom," Bianca excitedly grabbed Sophia's arm and shouted.

Seeing Isabella steal the spotlight today, Sophia felt particularly uncomfortable.

Sophia mocked, "What's there to envy? She got dumped by the Williams family. She might have found someone older than your dad. Just wait till the groom makes his appearance and everyone sees he's older than your father. Our family's honor and dignity will be ruined by her."

Sophia's words spread, and people started gossiping that Isabella was being kept by an old man older than her father, Aiden Taylor.

Isabella suddenly remembered that the wedding venue and reception were organized by the Williams family. But now, Micheal was her groom. She'd totally overlooked that.

Bianca stepped forward, pretending to be concerned, and said to Isabella, "Isabella, you should apologize properly to John. He might forgive you, given your good looks. How could you give yourself to an old man just for some money?"

The makeup artist noticed Isabella's tension and said, "Ms. Taylor, don't worry. We were hired by Mr. Johnson," hinting they had nothing to do with the John Bianca mentioned.

Isabella's phone rang; it was an unknown number. It was Michael.

"How'd you get my number?" Isabella asked, realizing she hadn't given it to him.

Michael ignored her question and said, "Have the stylists arrived? I've taken care of everything for the wedding. Just wait for me to pick you up."

Michael's calm tone was super reassuring.

"Thank you!" Isabella said, feeling grateful.

Worried that Michael might regret his impulsive decision to marry her but feeling awkward about backing out, Isabella gently reminded him, "If you regret it, there's still time to cancel the wedding."

"I never regret my decisions, and I'm not acting!" Michael replied before abruptly hanging up.

Isabella wondered, 'Is Michael angry? Whatever, let's get married first; maybe we won't have any more interactions after the wedding.'

There was a commotion outside, and someone shouted that the wedding cars had arrived.

Sophia dragged Bianca out first, eager to see Isabella embarrassed.

The wedding car fleet consisted of luxury cars, with a stretched Rolls-Royce leading the way.

Seeing this, Sofia felt even more confident in her judgment. How could a young man have the means to organize such a luxurious fleet of cars in such a short time? Even if his family had the resources, why would they allow him to marry a woman like Isabella?

When Michael stepped out of the Rolls-Royce, Sofia's eyes lit up, while Bianca was almost in tears with envy.

"Wow! He's so handsome! He's exactly my dream guy," she said, grabbing Sophia's arm. "Mom, didn't you say it was an old man? How is he this good-looking?"

Sophia, in pain from Bianca's grip, pushed her away and defended herself, "He's just a hired actor. How could a young, handsome, and wealthy man marry someone with no money and no family background?"

Sophia's previous misjudgment made no one believe her this time. The crowd was buzzing with discussions about Michael's youth, wealth, and good looks, speculating about his identity. They were eager to get close to him and strike up a connection.

Michael walked over to Isabella and swept her up into his arms, eliciting a gasp from the crowd.

Isabella had never been the center of attention like this before.

Even though she knew it was all fake, she couldn't help but relish the spotlight.

Aiden gazed greedily at the rows of luxury cars, touching each one. He'd never seen so many different types, let alone sat in one. Eager to experience it, he picked one and climbed in, pretending it was his own. He even told the young man in the driver's seat to drive carefully, acting as if he were the owner and the other guy was his chauffeur.

Sophia and Bianca were also taken aback by these cars. Bianca even tried to sneak into the lead Rolls-Royce as a bridesmaid but got stopped by the bodyguards.

Isabella looked at them coldly, feeling a sense of satisfaction. She knew that Sofia and Bianca couldn't stand to see her happy, but she was determined to thrive and make them miserable inside.

As Isabella and Michael's wedding carriage slowly made its way down the bustling main avenue, she noticed that all other vehicles had pulled over and stopped. They honked in salute as the carriage passed, and the sides of the road were lined with onlookers. It was all too impressive.

"Why is it so grand?" she wondered, feeling a bit uneasy. She thought Michael had made the whole thing too extravagant.

"What's wrong? You don't like it?" Michael asked.

Isabella blushed, a smile creeping onto her face. She shook her head and said, "No, I like it. It's just..." She thought such a grand wedding would cost a fortune, but she didn't know how to bring it up without spoiling the mood.

Sensing her thoughts, Michael gently tapped her nose and reassured her, "Don't worry. It didn't cost much. These are all friends here to help."

Isabella wondered, 'Who is he? How does he have so many friends with luxury cars?'

The wedding was held at the swanky Royal Crest Resort, decked out with orange roses, making it feel like they were surrounded by warm, intense sunlight.

At noon sharp, the wedding MC signaled that the ceremony could begin, but Michael said to wait, as an important person hadn't arrived yet.

Isabella thought it was one of his relatives and kept quiet.

Aiden, however, grumbled, "Who do they think they are? So full of themselves. The wedding's about to start, and they're making everyone wait. Like they're the only ones that matter. It's so annoying."

The usher signaled that the person had arrived.

Ignoring Aiden's complaints, Michael took Isabella's hand and walked to the door.

Isabella smiled gracefully beside Michael, trying to hide her nervousness so as not to embarrass him in front of the important person.

As they walked to the door hand in hand, the usher slowly opened it. In the bright noon sunlight, Ella wore a burgundy floral dress, her snow-white hair neatly combed, sitting in a wheelchair, her wrinkles like a blooming flower.

"Grandma!" Isabella excitedly hugged Ella. For her, Ella's presence made the wedding complete.

Ella gently patted Isabella's back, comforting her, "Isabella, I know everything. You've suffered a lot. Fortunately, the hard times are over. Michael is a good man. He'll make you happy."

Isabella nodded heavily on Ella's shoulder.

Isabella stood up and pushed Ella's wheelchair towards the wedding venue. She looked at Michael and quietly asked, "Did you tell Grandma?"

Michael placed his hand on the wheelchair, pushing it together with Isabella, and said in a voice only they could hear, "Isabella, we are one. You can trust me with everything."

Isabella didn't respond, thinking to herself, 'You don't trust me and tell me your things. Why should I?'

Despite her thoughts, she couldn't hide the happiness and sweetness on her face.

The wedding was mostly attended by the bride's relatives, with only a few tables for the groom's side. The wedding ceremony was simple yet dignified.

When the MC announced that the groom should kiss the bride, Isabella instinctively tried to avoid it. However, Michael firmly and assertively kissed her.