Fiona

It was supposed to be the happiest day of my life so why did I feel anything but happy?

I was marrying Liam Davis, the man I'd been with for the past two years, but as I sat there in front of the wide mirror, staring at my reflection, I realized that this wasn"t what I wanted. The thought of marrying Liam gave me more anxiety than joy. It made me feel scared about what my future held.

I didn't love Liam. I never had and I didn't think I ever would. I just couldn't bring myself to love him, at least not the way he loved me. I caught my mom's gaze in the mirror and saw the warning in her eyes. She knew what I was thinking.

She knew very well that I didn't love Liam but to her, there were things far more important than love. Money being the greatest example.

Marrying Liam meant security for both of us. We would no longer have to work as hard as we always had. It was the stability I had always craved for. I was inches away from it but the closer I got the more I realized I didn't want it at the cost of my happiness. And I would never be happy married to a man I didn't love.

The door swung open, and my friends, Gina and Hailey walked in.

"You look breathtaking!" Hailey announced when she saw me, and Gina nodded in agreement. They smiled brightly as they admired my dress.

Everyone but me seemed so excited about my wedding. They were ecstatic while I just wanted to run away. I'd been thinking of running away since the moment I woke up. And with each second that passed, the thought of running away seemed more and more appealing.

"It's time," my mother said as she approached me. She wrapped her arms around me in what would seem to others like an embrace but what I knew was a cage. She'd been holding me in this same cage for as long as I could remember.

It was time to break free. At that moment, I didn't know how I was going to do it, but I knew I needed to get away. I excused myself to use the bathroom, and soon I was climbing out the window.

It was a rash decision but it felt like the right one. For me and for Liam. This way he wouldn't end up with a wife who didn't truly love him.

I landed on the ground with a thud. Thankfully my dress was big enough to break my fall. My heart beat frantically as I looked around. I couldn't believe I was actually doing this. I felt a mix of excitement and trepidation but most of all, I felt free.

People on the street turned to look at the runaway bride. The rapid beating of my heart blocked out the sounds of the street. I couldn"t hear the blaring horns or the people who tried to speak to me. All I heard was the sound of my heart and the sound of my flat shoes thudding on the pavement. I ran faster than I"d ever run in my life. People stared at me as I ran. It felt terrifying to have so many eyes on me but also exhilarating. I stared at the window one more time and then I ran faster than I'd ever run in my whole life. And with every step I took, I could feel the weight on my heart becoming lighter and lighter.

I ran home and crashed onto the couch in my wedding gown. I knew this was the first place my mom would look for me, but I had nowhere else to go. As I sat there, I couldn't help wondering what it would be like when everyone realized I was gone. I felt awful for Liam. It broke my heart to know that I left him standing there, waiting for a bride that would never come. I hoped one day he would understand that I did it for both of us. Neither of us would be happy in a marriage without love.

I knew my mother would be livid when she found out and, in a way, I couldn't blame her. Liam was supposed to a ticket out for both of us and I had taken that away from her.

A part of me felt guilty, but an even greater part felt free. I didn't just run from a marriage to a man I didn't love. I also ran away from the life my mother had chosen for me. I had freed myself from the tight grip she'd had on me all my life.

I sighed as I stood up from the couch. I hiked my dress up and walked to the kitchen in search of something to eat. I hadn"t eaten this morning and running five blocks made my hunger worse. I poked my head into the fridge and just then I heard the front door open.

"I know you're in here, Fiona." I heard my mom's voice coming from the living room and for a moment, I was tempted to crawl into the fridge. Guess I wasn't as free as I thought I was.

I stepped out of the kitchen with my head held high or at least as high as I could hold it with the insanely large tiara on my head. I wondered why I hadn"t taken it off yet.

I faced my mother with a straight face, doing my best to hide the whirlwind of emotions I was feeling. From the guilt that I had hurt my mother and Liam to the joy that I was free of them, and to the regret that I had made the biggest mistake of my life.

"Why did you leave like that? How could you climb out the window and leave? Do you have any idea what you've done? Do you understand the position you put Liam in? The position you put me in?"

I couldn't find the words to speak so I didn't say a word.

"No, of course, you don't," she said as she shook her head. "And even if you did, you don't care, right? You're so incredibly selfish it's a wonder that a man like Liam was even interested in marrying you."

Her words cut deep. I had to tilt my head further back to hide the tears that were threatening to pour. I sniffed at intervals as I spoke.

It hurt me to hear my mom speak to me this way. She'd never been particularly loving but she'd never been this harsh either.

"I'm only trying to do what's best for myself, Mom. And I'm doing what's best for Liam as well. Neither of us will be happy if we get married and… I want to be happy."

"You will be happy with Liam," she insisted, the desperation in her voice was obvious.

"No, I won"t."

My mom wasn"t one to give up. We argued back and forth. She seemed determined to tell me what would make me happy. We'd stopped speaking and she simply stared at me. Then she shook her head slowly and walked away.

I crashed onto the couch again but this time the tub of ice cream I found in the freezer was in my lap. I didn't care that the chocolate ice cream was staining my white wedding dress. I just wanted something to drown my sorrows with. And what was better than ice cream?

It had been a week since I left Liam at the alter and every moment since then has been excruciating. My mother was no longer speaking to me which was quite the feat, since as we lived in the same house. My friends constantly called to check up on me, and while I appreciated their kindness, it only made me feel worse about myself. I couldn't even go to the supermarket without receiving odd looks from people. The perks of living in a small town.

Everyone in Masonview knew the sordid details of my failed wedding. They knew I had climbed out the window and left poor Liam standing at the altar waiting for me. I was branded the town bitch and everywhere I went people pointed and stared. It was torture.

And when it was time to go home, to the place that ought to bring me peace and to the person who should understand me the most, it was still torture. Because my home was far from peaceful and my mother was far from understanding.

Even though she wasn't speaking to me she still made off-handed comments whenever we were in the room together.

With time, I started to avoid her just as much as she avoided me. I couldn't deal with the way she treated me.

Things were pretty bad at work as well. Everyone there also knew what happened, and even though they tried, they just couldn't help but see me differently. It had become hell to be anywhere in Masonview so when the opportunity to leave town presented itself I grabbed it with both hands, both legs, and a couple of my teeth.

"We have an incredible job offer," my boss, Cooper said. He scanned the room and his gaze landed on me. The look of pity in his eyes was evident. Having him look at me like that was becoming a routine of ours.

Cooper started this marketing agency just a few years ago and its growth had been incredible. We'd been lucky to have worked with several incredible companies.

On rare occasions, this job might require one of us to work closely with the company as a representative. Contracts like that helped Cooper to basically lend his employees to companies for a period of time. Allowing that company to benefit from having a marketing executive on a temporary basis. It was a business structure that didn't always make sense to people, but Cooper knew how to navigate it.

"There's an upcoming tech company in need of a marketing exec and after seeing the work we did with Nelux, they want to hire us." The room erupted in joyful chatter and Cooper had to clap his hands to make everyone quiet down. "The job is out of town, and we'll need someone to travel to represent us."

The statement ‘out of town' was enough to make me sit up straight. I couldn't pass up an opportunity to leave this place. I needed to put distance between myself and everything that reminded me of my wedding. I was certain I would have a mental breakdown pretty soon if I stayed here in Masonview.

"I'll do it!" I announced as I stood up. "Please let me do it."

Cooper could probably see the desperation in my eyes. He had to know exactly why I needed this job. Everyone did, which is probably why no one spoke up.

I stood still with one hand in the air, not wanting to miss this chance.

"Alright, Fiona will represent us, then," Cooper announced.

I almost threw my fist in the air when he said that. Instead, I sighed and sank back into my seat. The tight sensation I had felt in my chest all week was finally gone and I could breathe again. I felt lighter like the burden that had weighed me down was also gone.

One by one, my colleagues congratulated me before stepping out of the meeting room.

Cooper handed me the document with all the details about the new project. I took it from him with a trembling hand and the biggest smile. Cooper and I had worked together for over a year now and I'd learned a lot from him. He taught me everything I knew.

"Good luck," he said softly, smiling, and left the room. It was going to be difficult to break the news to my mother.

"I'm leaving town," I say quietly when I arrive home.

At first, she pretended not to hear me but when the implication of my words sunk in, she reacted as fiercely as I expected.

"How can you leave me for a whole year? Isn"t it enough that you embarrassed me at the wedding? Now you want to abandon me as well?"

My mother continued her rant while I packed my bags and did my best to ignore her. Pilar Bennett had always been a dramatic woman. The two days I spent at home before traveling were torture. But it felt bittersweet. This would be the last time I would hear my mother complain like this for a whole year. That fact brought me relief but it also made me a bit sentimental. Aggravating as she could be, I was going to miss her.

On the third day, I said goodbye to my mother and left for the new life that awaited me. I hugged her tightly, inhaling her scent so I wouldn't forget it. This time when she complained, all I could do was smile. I was going to miss that too.

But a new life was waiting for me. It was going to be a fresh start with new people who didn't know about my failed wedding. It was what I'd been hoping for and it would be mine soon.

When I arrived, there was a car waiting to take me to my new apartment. A woman who introduced herself as my new boss's secretary stood beside it. She was insanely beautiful, with long dark hair and a perfect smile that immediately made me feel welcome.

"Hi! You're Fiona, right?"

"Yes, I am."

"I'm Nelly. It's nice to meet you," she said. She truly had the widest smile I'd ever seen.. "So, I know you're probably exhausted from the trip. But I think it would be a great idea if you met the boss today. You won"t be starting work today, of course. Just meet him and say hello to a few of the people at the office. I think it will help you fit in. But if you're too tired then I completely understand."

I had lost Nelly halfway through her speech. She seemed delightful and I didn't want to burden her by asking her to repeat all that, so I simply nodded in agreement.

"Great! We're going to the office, Ben," Nelly said to the driver, and he nodded.

He made a sharp turn onto another road. I relaxed in my seat. Nelly and Ben knew nothing about my past. With them, I was free to be Fiona and not the evil runaway bride. When the car pulled into the office parking lot, I felt excited to meet even more people who knew nothing about me. This place was a clean slate.

Nelly led me into the building. She smiled brightly as she introduced me to everyone. Then she led me to the huge doors at the end of the hallway. She knocked and when a mumbled response came from inside, she pushed the door open.

"Sorry to bother you, sir. I just wanted to introduce you to the new marketing executive."

A man with broad shoulders sat in front of a mahogany desk. His head was bowed so I couldn't see his face. All I saw was a head of jet-black hair. He wore a dark blue suit that hugged his muscular arms perfectly. I couldn't help but admire the way the suit fit him.

Suddenly, he lifted his head, and the joy that had stayed with me since I got this job washed away. I blinked several times as I stared at the man in front of me. I hoped I was seeing things but no matter how many times I closed my eyes and opened them, the sight before me didn't change.

I was looking at Nicholas Greyson. Why was I looking at Nicholas Greyson? Why was he here?? This was the man who dumped me several years ago without ever telling me why. But here he was standing before me, and Nelly had just referred to him as ‘sir'. How was it possible that I had run from one past only to be confronted by another?

I met Nicholas in college. That was the first time I had ever left my mother's nest and Nicholas was the person who showed me how to live. He taught me that I could make my own decisions and I didn't have to depend on my mother. All that did was make me dependent on him. He was everything to me. Then one day he ended our relationship and never spoke to me again. I never wanted to see him again but clearly, life had other plans.