THE TWISTED FATE OF THE BILLIONAIRE

Anita stood at the altar, her eyes scanning the crowd, feeling their disappointment. But she stayed still, holding onto a glimmer of hope.

She had known Brad since they were kids, and his fashionably late tendencies were no surprise to her; she would have been more surprised if he was right on time, she thought, making excuses for him. .

Anita had been head over heels in love with him ever since they came of age, but sadly Brad felt differently. He made it abundantly clear that she was nothing more than his best friend. However, she clung onto the hope that one day he would reciprocate her feelings.

With the support of both parents, who were eager for them to be together, Anita believed she was destined to become Mrs. Pearson.

"Son, where the hell are you?" Max Pearson's voice echoed in frustration. "You better get here in this instance. You will not bring shame to this family."

Everyone was going nuts, trying to reach Brad, but all calls went straight to voicemail.

Hours passed, and Brad was still nowhere to be seen. Anita watched as her guests began to leave, but she remained calm and unshaken.

Brad wouldn't dare do this to her. She pictured the headlines: "Anita Dayne, heiress of the Dayne dynasty, stood up at her wedding." It would be the talk of the century.

As the guests departed en masse, leaving the cathedral desolate, Anita's mother mustered the courage to offer her apologies. However, Anita remained resolute, unwilling to accept the harsh reality.

"He obviously isn't coming, Anita. Let's go," her mother implored, attempting to reason with her.

"Shut up, Mum! You don't know Brad like I do. He won't hurt me like this. Just give him some time," Anita retorted defiantly, her voice brimming with determination.

"Let's go now!" her mother yelled, her voice filled with urgency, as she forcefully pulled Anita along. Unbeknownst to her, Anita inadvertently stepped on a trailing dress, causing her to stumble and crash to the ground.

In that heart-wrenching moment, reality crashed upon her like a tidal wave. Anita's tears flowed freely as she tore at the dress in anguish. It was then that a car careened recklessly towards the cathedral, screeching to a halt. The windows were tinted, obscuring the identity of those inside.

They suddenly stepped out of the car, and Anita stood up, frowning at her mother. "I told you he was going to come! Now look at me, everything is ruined. I can't let him see me like this," Anita scolded her mother.

But before she could say another word, someone else emerged from the car, locking lips with Brad. The person was adorned in a stunning white dress, captivating Anita's gaze.

Her eyes shimmered with delight, and her smile was radiant. She was a sight to behold, but Anita and her mother couldn't comprehend what was happening.

Max Pearson, finally approaching his son, questioned with curiosity in his voice, "What's the meaning of this nonsense? Is this some kind of joke?" Brad had indeed shown up at his wedding, but he wasn't alone. He was accompanied by someone who appeared to be his bride.

Brad had first encountered her when he almost ran into her with his car. She seemed to be fleeing for her life, but what amused him was that she was in her wedding dress.

"Dad, Mum, Dayne's, meet my wife Lorelai," he confidently declared.

Anita's jaw dropped in disbelief. What did he mean by that? She was his betrothed. Their parents had arranged their betrothal when they were just sixteen.

Having spent their entire lives together, when they were much younger, Brad had always playfully teased Anita that he would marry her someday. Their parents thought it was a brilliant idea, as their union would bring together the two most powerful families in the country.

"What do you mean by your wife? When did you get married? Why do you have to be so irresponsible?" Max Pearson expressed his disappointment.

"Anita is your wife, not this cheap whore," Yolanda added, her voice filled with anger.

Brad stared at them with a mixture of amusement and confusion, wondering why they were so taken aback. He had made it clear to everyone, including Anita, multiple times that he wasn't going through with the wedding.

He tried severally to break off their betrothal. Yet, they all laughed off his feelings. Now, the tables had turned, and it seemed they were the ones caught off guard.

He turned and faced his father, "Dad, what's your problem? All you ever wanted for me was to get married, so here I am, a married man. Does it really matter who I marry?" Harvey continued, his tone filled with a mix of frustration and defiance.

Max had his reasons, though. He believed that by insisting his son get married before inheriting the company, he could put an end to Brad's reckless and promiscuous lifestyle, where he would often engage with women from various countries.

However, Brad was entirely wrong in his thinking. He couldn't simply marry anyone. What would people say if he married someone without a prestigious background? Max and Yolanda were vile, snobbish parents, typical of the aristocratic class.

They looked down upon anyone who didn't fit within their tax bracket, deeming them worthless. Brad was well aware of this, and that's why Lorelai was the perfect match. Not only did he find her drop-dead gorgeous, but she was also his type, his parents could see that.

Without giving it a second thought, Frank Dayne stepped forward, determined to defend his daughter's honor. With a swift and powerful punch, he confronted Brad, expressing his disbelief.

"You must be incredibly foolish to think I would let you get away with this after impregnating her. Do you honestly believe you can come here and spout this bullshit to my face?"

"Pregnant? What the hell are you talking about?" Brad asked, his curiosity piqued. He glanced at Anita, his mind racing to comprehend the situation. Excusing himself from the others, he urgently motioned for Anita to join him, pulling her aside.

Unbeknownst to Brad, Anita carried a secret - she was pregnant. He was certain they had never been intimate before, but Anita had a different story to tell.

One month ago, during a wild night of heavy drinking, they had a one-night stand. Brad had no recollection of the event, but Anita wasted no time in jogging his memory.

"Why the hell did you keep this from me?" he demanded, his voice filled with a mix of shock and anger but she was hell bent on not saying a word to him.

Anita had confided in both of their parents about the pregnancy, as it was initially their idea to ensure Brad wouldn't back out of the marriage arrangement .

The news of the pregnancy sent the parents into a frenzy, hastily arranging wedding preparations. Anita, scared of what Brad's reaction might be, kept it hidden, fearing he would ask her to get rid of the child.

Brad, caught in a whirlwind of emotions, paced back and forth, contemplating how this unexpected news would alter his plans. Taking a moment to collect himself, he approached Anita, his eyes locked onto hers.

Gently grasping her hands, he spoke softly, "Anita, I'm truly sorry for any pain I may have caused you and the embarrassment you must be feeling. But I can't marry you. However, I promise to be a good father to this child, that's all I can offer." With those words, Brad turned and headed to face his wife, leaving Anita behind in a state of shock and uncertainty.

Anita's disbelief was evident as she refused to accept the reality before her. It all seemed too good to be true. Brad, who had always resisted the idea of marriage, couldn't possibly have willingly tied the knot. Doubt clouded her mind, and she couldn't help but question the authenticity of their union.

At that moment, Brad reached into his vest pocket, retrieving a piece of paper that held the undeniable proof of their marriage - a marriage certificate.

Anita's heart sank, tears welling up in her eyes as she fell to her knees, overcome with a mix of emotions. She pleaded with Brad, realizing the extent of her attempts to manipulate him. The thought of losing him after everything she had done was unbearable.

Brad, torn between his own feelings and the situation at hand, couldn't bear to witness Anita's misery. Although she had been his childhood friend, he felt compelled to make a difficult choice. He had loved her in his own way, but not in the way she had hoped for

Gathering her strength, Anita composed herself, wiping away her tears. With a look of disdain, she turned to face Lorelai, who had become an unexpected presence in their lives.

She summoned the courage to walk away, but not without whispering into Lorelai's ears, she hissed, "Brad will be mine, and there's nothing you can do to stop it!" With those words, she shot Lorelai a piercing glare and strode off.