Rise Of The System Trillionaire

I Do, I Do

Arnold glanced around the office of a justice of the peace and smiled widely. The day had finally come for him to marry Vera, his girlfriend, since they were teenagers. He had worked so hard to finally see the day come and he was ecstatic.

He noticed that some of her relatives were present at the wedding, and his smile gently faded because none of his had come. He was an orphan and had no relatives that could attend his wedding. However, his co-workers had come, and that made him feel a little better. The court room was packed with people who had come to witness their wedding.

“And do you, Arnold Stone, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, as long as you both shall live?” The officiant asked, staring at the couple.

"Yes, I do." He replied firmly. He glanced at Vera and noticed that she wasn't as excited as he expected. In fact, she looked very unhappy.

“And do you, Vera Wang, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, as long as you both shall live?” The officiant asked.

Vera remained unmoving in her position, unwilling to say a word. She stared down at the ground, gently tapping her feet. The officiant repeated the vow as he believed she did not hear it the first time. Still, she said nothing and continued to look down at the ground.

"You can continue with the vows and wedding," Arnold whispered to the officiant, then turned to Vera. "What is wrong? Why are you not saying anything?"

Little murmurs broke out in the courtroom as everyone monitored the event. Arnold could see the look of displeasure on Vera's relatives' faces as they whispered among themselves. Why was she not saying anything? Why was she suddenly acting so weird?

Vera ignored his questions and stared down at her wedding dress. She looked sad as she touched the poorly designed dress. She had borrowed it from her aunt because Arnold couldn't afford a decent wedding dress. As she touched the dress repeatedly, she wondered why she had to borrow a dress for her wedding. It was very embarrassing that she wore a worn-out wedding dress on her wedding day.

Most of her friends that got married wore designer dresses and looked elegant. She envied their lavish lifestyle and wished she could be like them. But Arnold was just a trader who could not get her the things she desired.

"Can you tell me what's wrong with you? Did I do something?" Arnold asked desperately again. "Tell me if there's something wrong with the wedding so I can change that."

"Nothing is wrong with the wedding, and I am fine." She said, rolling her eyes. "I am just waiting for something very important." As she said that, she flashed him a mischievous grin which made Arnold very uneasy. What was she waiting for? What did she mean by that?

He watched as she toyed with the ring on her finger, slowly turning it around. He was suddenly overwhelmed with a bad feeling about the wedding.

He could perceive that something was wrong within him. Vera had never put up such a weird behavior and it bothered him. But he tried to shake away the feeling. It was his wedding day, and he needed to be positive and happy.

"Now, both of you need to sign the documents that would legally declare you as husband and wife. Your witnesses will also need to sign some documents." The officiant said, snapping Arnold out of his thoughts. He plastered a fake smile on his face immediately and nodded.

"My witness is—"

Arnold paused when he noticed that the murmurs and whispers in the room were suddenly increasing. He noticed Vera glancing behind and muttering some incorrigible words.

"What are you saying? Who are you talking to?" He asked, feeling very uneasy.

"It's none of your business. Carry on with your wedding." His wedding? What was she talking about? At that moment, he knew something was up.

Just as he opened his mouth to ask her, the door swung open, revealing about seven men carrying guns and briefcases. Arnold's eyes widened as he stared at them walking into the courtroom.

An uproar arose in the room as many people were terrified of the men. Arnold was frightened as well because he didn't know who they were and where they came from. Were they here to sabotage his wedding or kill him?

He moved closer to Vera, trying to protect her but he noticed she wasn't frightened. Surprisingly, her expression had brightened and she looked happier.

"Please, what's going on here? Who are you, and what do you want?" He asked the men, his eyes dancing between them. Immediately he asked the question, one of the men stepped forward, and his jaw dropped.

"Lucas? Is that you?" He asked, completely shocked to see his best friend. Lucas had told him that he wouldn't make the wedding because he had some business deals to take care of. So it was a shock to see him in the courtroom accompanied by some dangerous-looking men. "What are you doing here? I thought you said you couldn't make it. Who are these men with you?"

Arnold could hear the attendants whispering among themselves. He knew that whatever happened at the wedding would be the talk of the town for the next few days.

Lucas chuckled bitterly and shook his head. "You still don't get it, do you? I'm here to take my girlfriend. I am not here for whatever this is." He said, glancing at the poorly organized wedding.

Arnold gawked at him in confusion. "Your girlfriend? What do you mean? I don't understand if this is a joke, but —" He froze when he noticed Vera frantically trying to remove the ring. "What—what—are you doing?" He stammered.

Vera took off the ring and threw it at him. Silence settled in the hall as everyone watched the exchange curiously. Some of the attendants even took out their phones and began to record everything. Stepping down from the altar, Vera stood beside Lucas, who wrapped his hand around her waist. "I can't believe I almost got married to him." She said, eyeing Arnold with disgust. "What took you so long to come and get me?"

"Vera, wha—what is happening?" Arnold asked, his voice breaking and his body shaking. "Lucas—somebody, please explain what is happening?"

"Vera, wha—what is happening?" Lucas mimicked him, and Vera exploded with laughter. "Tell him, honey, tell him what he wants to know. I guess he is desperate to know the truth."

Vera took a step forward and turned to the wedding witnesses. "I am so sorry that you all are here to watch me marry this loser. Fortunately, that is never going to happen. I will not marry a pauper like him. Just look at him." She said, turning to Arnold. "Isn't he embarrassing to look at? How can someone be so poor and filthy? You couldn't even afford a wedding dress for me. And then you expect me to marry you and live in that box you call a house. That is such a path—"

"Vera, are you saying you never loved—"

"Let her finish!" Lucas ordered, and Arnold swallowed. He couldn't believe what was happening at his wedding. His bride-to-be was not only ditching him but with his best friend. Worse, she was humiliating him more in front of everyone in attendance.

"Just look around you. You don't even have any relatives present for this wedding. I can't believe I stayed with you for this long." Vera continued, shaking her head. "What exactly do your plan to offer me after the wedding? You have no money, your house is disgusting, and your business is collapsing. You're such a shameless man."

Arnold felt like he had been stabbed right through his chest. He had been taking care of Vera right from high school, and he couldn't believe she would say that to him. They had planned their wedding after her graduation and he worked hard to save money for the events. But she was just using him the entire time, and he was so stupid to believe she loved him. How could she do that to him?

His gaze fell on the ring on the floor, and his heart shattered. He looked up at Lucas, who was standing and smiling mischievously. "How could you do this to me? You're my best friend, and I trusted you. What did I ever do to deserve this from both of you?"

"Silence!" Lucas barked, moving closer to him. Everyone in the hall fixed their eyes on Lucas as he walked toward Arnold. "You do not ever speak to me that way, Arnold." He said, staring at him gravely. "Never!”