Chapter 1 Shattered Heart

IRIS'S POV: When I was eight years old, my parents had bought me a new toy. In the carton there was a man in a suit and a woman in a white dress. I had organized various types of weddings for them and I had joined my mother in watching soap operas in order to gain new ideas for weddings. I was literally an event planner for the dolls. So it stimulated my desire to become the most beautiful bride and have the most gorgeous and creative wedding in the world. I had read of ladies who were dating men for over ten years and the man fails to propose, breaks up and dates another woman, and marries her in a span of months. I hated that so much and it scared me for what the future held for me. But it seemed like the heavens had whispered to me, I have nothing to worry about. After college, I was young and I told my parents, I wanted to live by myself and enjoy the world. So I took a trip to the first country that came to my mind, Simia, and took a five hour flight excited for what the future and country held for me. And taking that leap of faith was how I met the love of my life. Two months after arriving in Simia, I took a job as a waitress and on a fateful night, unbeknownst to me, I was serving my fiancé, Gabriel's table, as he was there with his friends from high school having a good time. I could never ever forget how his eyes burned through my delicate skin, and how he kept making sure our hands touched. He was and still is the most handsome man I had ever seen with dark blue eyes and the face and body of an actor, which I eventually found out he was. Gabriel was my world and I loved him with my whole heart. “I have nothing to be worried about, I am getting married to the love of my life.” I chanted to myself as I walked to the altar with the bouquet of flowers in my hands. I had been waiting for over an hour, forty-five minutes waiting for Gabriel to arrive and a few minutes ago, the event planner had told me to just walk down the aisle and he would be arriving soon. So I did. I had stared at myself in daze after the makeup artist and stylists were done making sure I looked good. My gown was a sleeveless hand gown with a deep V-neck cut which was as white as snow with beautiful embodiment, my natural long blonde hair was curled up and my veil was attached to my hair. I felt like a queen and most importantly, I felt like I was finally getting my perfect wedding which I had dreamt about, with the man who was made for me. I was so happy, I was about to cry in joy. But as I walked down the altar, unlike in soap opera, the groom wasn't standing by the right hand side waiting patiently for me with a huge smile on his face, and in addition to what had me stressed out was neither were the best men, except only one of them, Marcus, who looked as dumbfounded as I was but masked it up with a smile. His parents and sisters didn't like me too much, and I wondered why. Maybe it was because we had gotten engaged in a span of only a year after knowing each other, or what could it be? Gabriel never provided an answer whatsoever. So it was no wonder they didn't seem to care too much as I walked down the altar with no groom and alone…without my parents present. Nothing was going to ruin my day. I chanted, forcing a smile. “Your groom will be here soon, child.” The minister said in an enthusiastic tone and looking behind, I saw the press standing both inside and outside taking pictures and some were outside as well. Which I had totally expected, I was not only getting married to the most popular and handsome actor but the son of one of the most successful industries in the entire country, Thymes Industries. “Can you call him? He must have slept off after the bachelor's night last night.” I whispered to Marcus, whose eyes were glued to his phone with a smile on his face and soon after I noticed the paparazzi running outside making me scrunch up my face confused. But seeing as the most popular media company in the entire country, which was called Deva, is still remaining, obviously streaming live. It was getting so embarrassing, just picturing how the entire nation must be laughing at me especially after seeing a lady had pointed at me and laughed with another woman next to her and his mother chuckled as well. I pressed my nails on my thumb as it was a habit I had. I secretly thought to myself, Gabriel, my love, where are you? But turns out he wasn't too far away. Marcus scoffed and laughed, “So he is really going through with this?” “What's that?” I questioned, taking off my veil in order to see properly and it shattered my heart taking it off myself. “You need to see this!” He handed me his phone in excitement and I glanced at the rest of the congregation who began laughing, looks of shock appeared on some others face and a look of pleasure appeared on Gabriel's mother as she looked at her tablet and soon proceeded to leave with her family. What the hell is going on? My heart was racing fast and loudly as I took the phone and saw Gabriel on the news in a black tuxedo and the headline was, Actor Gabriel Thymes, addresses the media concerning his wedding scheduled for today. “Are you saying Mr Gabriel, you're not getting married to your bride today?” A media personality questioned as he headed to the car and I couldn't help but notice he was just outside of this church. Was he rescheduling the wedding? “Why would I ever get married to that poor church rat who has nothing going on for herself? Just like my family and friends have pointed out, I was so blinded by love to see that she was a simple gold digger who is after my family's fortune. I am Gabriel Thymes and I deserve nothing but the best, don't you all think?” He flashed a signature smirk to the camera and a sad look followed afterwards and the look of disgust as he spoke about me, didn't go unmissed. A single tear rolled down my cheek as I was nothing but baffled and hurt by his words wondering where they were coming from. Me? A gold digger?