Bound By paper Hearts

"Cheers......."

A bunch of friends raised their glasses, toasting with enthusiasm and sipping their drinks, swaying to the rhythm of the music.

Alice deliberately hosted an intimate bachelor party at her place, handpicking a close-knit circle of friends outside the limelight, reflecting her deeply private nature. She's hush-hush about ditching her single life tomorrow and sealing the deal; only a select few are clued in on her covert wedding registration.

In the vast apartment hall, Alice marveled at the disco transformation – a DJ spinning beats, a cozy bar, and a crystal disco ball radiating a spectrum of blue laser lights.

"Alright, ladies, let's pour it up!" she exclaimed, ushering in rounds of drinks, one after another.

"Here's to..."

"To a night we won't forget..."

"Cheers..."

Shouting and downing shots relentlessly, they stumbled into a tipsy stupor, Monica the only one keeping her senses intact.

Since she stepped into the party, Monica has been in a sour mood, displaying jealousy and hostility by belittling Alice and intentionally picking on a guest.

In response to a friend's dance invitation, she forcefully pushed them away, creating a scene that momentarily paused the entire party, with everyone's attention fixated on Alice.

They anticipated the host's intervention, glancing at Alice, only to find her already incapacitated from intoxication. Monica wore a sinister smirk, seizing the chance to slip away from the party, casting a disdainful look over the unfolding scene.

Ignoring everything but their own amusement and drinks, the drunken girls dismissed the moment with a collective shrug.

A minute later, Alice opened her eyes, surveyed the intoxicated girls swaying clumsily to the music, and rose to her feet.

"Alice, do you really want to go through with this?" Skylar asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

Alice gave a confirming nod and discreetly slipped out of the apartment, entrusting Skylar with the party – a calculated choice for holding it in her own space.

'Pretending to be passed out, I induced an air of nonchalance among everyone, capitalizing on the opportunity. There are some lingering doubts I need answers to,' Alice pondered, settling into the back seat of the car, directing the chauffeur, "Drive me to the Beverly Crest mansion."

'For the past few days, doubts about Mason's fidelity have lingered in my mind. I want certainty before confronting him, hence choosing tonight. Mason believes I'm partying in my apartment, unaware of my return to our bridal house. I'm confident he'll lower his guard,' Alice ruminated, her head resting against the back post of the seat.

A sense of fatigue washed over her as she grappled with the notion of relinquishing her Hollywood throne for Mason. Three years into their relationship, how could he cheat on her? How could he overlook the sacrifices she'd made for him and his company? Beyond the curiosity about the other woman's identity, she questioned the motivations behind his betrayal.

Stepping out of the car, Alice's heart thumped in her chest. She swallowed anxiously, clenched her fist, and mentally prepared for the challenging moments ahead.

'Regardless of how my doubt unfolds, I won't break down.'

"Ahh, ouch Mason, easy baby..."

The moans and growls from the master bedroom door were unmistakable to Alice, who immediately identified the familiar voice behind the sounds.

'I had a feeling, Monica; it had to be you. Only a bitch like you would stoop to stealing another woman's man. Pretending to be passed out drunk was the perfect move to catch you in the act,' Alice thought, fueled by disdain.

In haste, she turned on the recorder on her phone, slipped it upside down beneath the door, and clandestinely captured their audacious conversation to secure evidence.

"Monica, let me enjoy tonight; once I tie the knot with Alice tomorrow, I'll be committed to her."

"Then, Mason, call off the wedding and be mine for all eternity," Monica exclaimed, revealing her underlying avarice.

Mason remained silent, lost in contemplation, as if weighing the options of a more favorable arrangement.

Seizing the moment, Rashmi attempted to sway him, stating, "Don't concern yourself with her; Alice Cooper is a well-known celebrity; she'll find another partner. However, Mason Rex, the baby growing in my womb needs his father."

'How could that be?' Alice's eyes welled up with tears. She harbored suspicions of infidelity, but she never fathomed in her wildest dreams that her soon-to-be husband would soon become the father of another woman's child.

To be more brazen, he's shamelessly engaged in intimate activities with that woman in the bridal house she personally crafted and adorned for their impending life together.

"Shut up, Monica; don't be clingy; get dressed; I will send you home." Mason admonished her, pushing Monica away, and got to his feet.

Beyond the door, Alice hastened to conceal herself behind the door of the nearby room.

One minute later, she caught sight of the two shameless figures descending the stairs, embracing each other, and her eyes flared with a resentful heart.

The next day, Alice stood outside the civil affairs bureau, awaiting Mason's decision - whether he would commit to her and join the marriage registration or withdraw for the sake of Monica and their child.

Seated on a weathered wooden bench outside the government building, Alice immersed herself in a game of 'Temple Run' on her mobile, finding solace in navigating challenging paths and overcoming obstacles, mirroring the journey of her own life. Running solo for what felt like an eternity, she continued to set new records daily.

She cared about nothing else; consumed by a fiery rage at the betrayal.

As the wait prolonged, Alice stood her ground until Mason's call interrupted the stillness. She picked up, speaking in a disinterested tone, unwilling to entertain his choice and having no inclination to hear his feeble excuses.

"Sorry, babes, I can't make it. It's a big event for our company, and our main designer is missing."

"Who?"

"Of course, it's Monica. I have to locate her; let's reschedule the marriage registration for another day."

'Spot on, who else could it possibly be? I was looking for a more convincing reason to postpone the wedding than a feeble excuse,' Alice thought, her resentment evident.

"Hmm, noted..." Alice ended the call; she had no desire to prolong the conversation. She already gleaned the answer to her unspoken question.

'He called off the wedding like it was no big deal, but I won't allow this insult to go unchecked. I'll make certain that the consequences of messing with Alice Cooper are known to those two deceivers.'

Alice walked away, plotting her course to impart a lesson to Mason and Monica, but her attention veered towards an odd conversation.

"Boss, your bride-to-be, Miss Laura, is running a tad behind schedule; she'll be here in half an hour."

"Do you expect me to squander 30 precious minutes, equivalent to 1800 seconds, waiting for a woman who can't bother to be on time for her own wedding?"

"Then?" The man in the black suit asked his boss, comfortably positioned in a black Rolls-Royce, out of Alice's sight.

"Ronny, you've got a 5-minute window; fetch me any girl at random; let's finish this marriage business today."

"What a twist of fate! I waited for my groom, who didn't bother showing up, and now his bride is en route, but he's not interested in waiting," Alice remarked ironically.

A thought crossed her mind. "Whoever he may be, his aura is regal, and a queen like me deserves someone with that kind of presence."

Alice resolved to propose to this mysterious man, completely in the dark about him, not even having seen his looks or knowing his age. This marks her initial move towards revenge.

"Boss, are you sure?" Ronny asked, his throat tightening as he gulped nervously.

"Do you have a death wish, Ronny?"

"I am sorry, boss...."

Alice walked to Ronny and called him. "Excuse me......."

"Are you in the market for a bride? How about considering me?" Alice didn't beat around the bush and asked directly.

Ronny spun around, utterly flabbergasted. He scrutinized Alice from head to toe, but before he could respond, his boss emerged from the car, leaving Alice wide-eyed in astonishment.

"Mr. Andrew Kingston..."