The night before the wedding, Sidney couldn't sleep at all. Her emotions were a mix of excitement over finally being able to leave the Calderon family, and anxiety about whether her marriage to a stranger would work out. She spent the entire night lost in thought, her pale skin now marked by two dark circles. Early the next morning, she made herself a cup of coffee, then got into the private car her father had prepared for her. She went alone to the hotel, checked into the room indicated by the front desk, where the makeup artist was already waiting. Sidney, with a bare face, let her apply primer.
The makeup artist chatted with her to help ease the nervousness of the bride, while carefully applying makeup to her face.
The hotel room was bathed in soft, natural light, with the expansive glass windows only draped with a sheer, delicate curtain. Sunlight poured in, filling the room with warmth. Sidney faced the light, taking a slow, steady breath, feeling the moment settle around her. The day had finally come.
The makeup artist kept commenting on her fair skin and how difficult it was to conceal her dark circles, applying layers of makeup to her under eyes. Sidney felt exhausted from sitting there, and exchanged a few words with the makeup artist intermittently.
After what seemed like forever, the foundation was done, fake eyelashes were applied, and her hair was styled. Sidney opened her eyes and looked at herself in the mirror, feeling like she had become someone else. In any case, she didn't recognize the person staring back at her.
With the makeup artist's help, Sidney struggled to put on the white wedding gown. This was the first time she saw herself in it, and she had to admit that her sister Sanaa's taste was good. The strapless lace top and the simple, modest mermaid skirt fit her well, with no major issues. However, the makeup artist took a look and said it was a bit tight on the chest, asking her to turn around so she could adjust it slightly.
At that moment, the door to the room was suddenly opened, and Jayson walked in, looking exhausted, his whole body reeking of alcohol, the smell lingering even from ten steps away. He looked as if he hadn't slept all night and had just come from some wild party.
He ignored Sidney and the makeup artist, grabbed his custom-made suit, and went into the bathroom to freshen up. Twenty minutes later, he walked out looking completely refreshed, wearing the pure white suit with silver lining and a pure black satin bow tie. The suit accentuated his already tall and impressive figure, making him appear even more imposing. The designer's assistant immediately stepped forward to guide Jayson to sit down, then dried his hair, combing it back and applying some gel to fix it in place, revealing his full forehead and a pair of sharp eyebrows.
Jayson looked at himself in the mirror, standing very straight. He slightly turned his head toward Sidney, still expressionless, scanning her from top to bottom. He glanced at her but said nothing, then stood up and walked out of the room.
Sidney felt like she had just shared a makeup artist with a stranger in a salon.
"Mr. Nixon didn't seem to come home all night. He was just recovering from a hangover!" the designer's assistant gossipingly said.
Seeing that Sidney didn't respond, the assistant pressed her lips together and reminded herself to keep quiet.
Soon after, Sanaa entered the room, looked at her sister's makeup, nodded in satisfaction, and then took credit, "It was a good decision to have someone who's already married handle the wedding, right? Look at how great the makeup artist I found for you is! Tsk tsk!" Sanaa said, talking to herself, but Sidney didn't respond.
After Sanaa left, the makeup artist curiously asked, "Was that your real sister?"
Sidney didn't feel like explaining to a stranger and just nodded casually.
"Your sister, huh? Not only does she take commissions from us, I heard she even specified the florist and got a kickback from them. Aren't you from a wealthy family? How come your sister..."
After the gossip, Sidney felt even worse.
"Don't worry, we won't let that affect our service! Miss Calderon, you're so beautiful. Can I take a few pictures of you after your makeup is done to include in our portfolio?"
Sidney had no choice but to agree.
The auspicious time had arrived. Sidney stepped out of her room and once again saw Jayson and his father in the small room at the venue. Sidney politely bowed and greeted Finnegan. Jayson gave her a cold glance, extended his right arm, and signaled for her to link her arm with his. Sidney followed his steps to the front of the backdrop at the venue entrance, an area reserved for the media. Celebrities participating in the event would stop for interviews in front of the backdrop. Jayson and Sidney stood together there while Jayson answered questions from the reporters. Sidney's only job was to flash a perfect smile.
When a reporter asked if there was any possibility of future collaboration between the families, Jayson smiled and said there were no plans yet, and that he and Sidney were truly in love.
At this point, Sidney felt that from now on, she would no longer be living a masked life alone, but with someone else.
After the interview, Sidney entered the small room for the final touch-up with the makeup artist. Esteban came to knock on the door, urging Sidney to go out. She linked her arm with her father's and walked up the red carpet, the spotlight shining on her. Tonight, she was the center of attention. Suddenly, she felt the light was making her sweat, and it was cold sweat. Her father slowly handed her hand to Jayson, tears in his eyes as he repeatedly nodded at them, reminding Jayson to take good care of his little daughter.
Jayson's lips curled into a beautiful arc as he smiled, squinting his eyes as he gazed at Sidney. He held her hand, completing the ceremony and exchanging rings. Sidney knew that his smile was not genuine; it was just a performance for the guests. Her hand trembled uncontrollably, and Jayson forcefully slipped the ring onto her ring finger. When he was about to kiss her, Sidney lifted her face, her expression one of sorrow. Jayson smiled faintly and whispered to her, "Don't look so miserable. If you're going to fake it, fake it all the way."
Sidney took a deep breath, then, with a quiet determination, she leaned in, pressing her crimson lips gently against Finnegan's as he drew closer.
The wedding ceremony concluded, and the two of them got into the Bentley stretch limousine, leaving under the watchful eyes of the media, with the flashbulbs still popping behind them.
They didn't immediately go on a honeymoon as per Western customs, but instead returned to Jayson's house.
The butler had been waiting at the door to open the car door for them. Sidney lifted the hem of her fishtail dress and followed Jayson into the house. It was her first time here, and she stood awkwardly in the living room, waiting.
Jayson didn't pay her any attention, heading into the kitchen to get water from the fridge. The butler then respectfully approached to guide Sidney on a tour of the rooms.
"Madam, the room is upstairs. I'll show you the way," the butler said. Sidney followed him up the stairs and saw that the entire second floor had only two doors. "This is the master bedroom. Next door is the gentleman's study."
The butler opened the door, revealing a room that was at least ten or more square meters. There was a large double bed and an extremely minimalist vanity. On top of the vanity were various bottles and jars, all filled with lotions and perfumes.
The butler pushed open the wall opposite the bed, revealing a massive closet that took up an entire wall. On the left side, one large section contained about twenty white and black shirts. The other section was filled with men's suit jackets and casual coats, all neatly arranged by color. It was the first time Sidney had seen a man store his clothes like this. She thought it was spectacular and couldn't help but feel curious, her eyes wide with interest.
"On the right side is your section, Madam." Sidney saw that the luggage she had sent earlier was neatly hung up. Her clothes were pitifully few, barely filling a fraction of the space, not even enough to arrange by color.
"Madam, you can bathe and change here. I'll wait for you downstairs. May I ask what time you would like to have dinner?"
Sidney's eyes were still fixed on the closet. After a moment of thought, she said, "I'll come down once I'm changed. Just bring me a burger or some fries, anything's fine."
The butler bowed and exited the room. Sidney carefully opened one of the drawers in the closet, and as soon as she pulled it open, her eyes grew even wider. Inside the drawer, laid out on velvet padding, were many dazzling cufflinks of various colors—diamonds, sapphires, and even some stones she couldn't recognize. There were nearly twenty sets in total, of various sizes. Curious, Sidney opened the next drawer, which was filled with various styles of sunglasses. She closed the drawer, thinking to herself that Jayson was even more extravagant than a woman—his accessories outnumbered hers!
After grabbing her casual clothes and underwear, Sidney entered the bathroom, which had a separate dry and wet area. She closed the glass door of the shower and spent some time figuring out how to turn on the showerhead. The bath products were neatly arranged on a rack, clearly divided into two sections: one for her, and the other for him. Since Sidney had said she wasn't particular, she didn't pay much attention to what the butler had prepared for her, just knowing that the shampoo and shower gel had a faint rose scent.
After removing her makeup, taking a shower, and changing into her clothes, Sidney quickly blow-dried her hair halfway and tied it into a ponytail before heading downstairs.
Jayson was already sitting at the dining table, eating some dumplings. When he saw Sidney come downstairs, he gave her a once-over before sneering. Sidney didn't think there was anything wrong with wearing a cotton top and sleep pants in the evening. She ignored him, pulled out a chair, and sat down to eat her food.
Jayson seemed to disdain sitting at the same table with her and immediately stood up to head upstairs.
Sidney was eating the little breakfast sandwiches from the basket, surprised at how delicious they were—much better than any frozen breakfast she'd had! She was about to compliment the housekeeper, but when she saw her face, stiff and emotionless like a robot, she hesitated and decided not to say anything.
