Chapter 2

• Meanwhile, Helen stared at herself in the mirror, refusing the help of any makeup artist. She did her own makeup, applied some foundation, and packed a small suitcase.
• "Helen, are you ready yet?" His mother came into his room, interrupting his thoughts. Helen got nervous and put the small suitcase at her feet, smiled at her mother, and stood up.
• "yes, I'm going straight to the limo, Mom. See you at the ceremony.
• Helen's mother nodded and left the room. Helen tucked the small bag under the big skirt of her dress and headed to the parking lot, where her friend Jeremy was already waiting for her.
• "Daughter, I'm going with you," Eva, her mother, insisted on accompanying her to the church.
• "Mom, no. I want to go alone, enjoy these last moments of singleness. Nothing's going to happen to me," Helen smiled mischievously as she got into the luxury car. Jonah, his best friend, drove clandestinely to keep his father from knowing. Being the son of one of the mansion's day laborers, he had known Helen since she was a child, and although they had always been close, there was only a friendship between them that allowed her to conceal her plans.
• "Daughter, please, it's not a good time for you to go alone. Let me accompany you. Eva insisted.
• "I told you no, Mom. The limousine will take me. I'll do about two laps before I get there. Don't worry about me; I'll be punctual at church. Helen gave her mother a kiss and a hug, a gesture so strong that she hoped she would remember it for a long time. Despite adoring his family, he felt that they were now turning their backs on him.
• "It's all right. Resigned, Eva hugged her daughter back and gave her blessing. Helen climbed into the car and gave her friend, the only person informed of her plans.
• Meanwhile, in the church, all was joy. The guests arrived one by one, and the path to the altar was decorated with the most precious flowers, fulfilling the dream of Helen, who had always been fascinated by nature.
• In front of the place, a BMW parked, and an imposing Fernando Donovan got out of it. He was dressed in an exclusive suit, made by the best tailor in the country. His teeth glistened as he smiled, attracting the attention of everyone around him, eager to photograph him.
• He greeted everyone present with a barely perceptible wave of his hand, looking more like he was participating in a fashion show than heading to his own wedding. All the women present melted in his presence, and near the altar were both his friends and his enemies. Envy and rivalry were palpable in the air, as many longed to take his place as CEO of Donovan & Associates.
• After greeting everyone, he stopped in front of the church's atrium and checked the time on his sleek Cartier watch. It was fifteen minutes before the woman he was to marry crossed the threshold of the church. His heart was pounding, his hands were sweating; He felt out of place. Although he didn't know her in person, he had developed an insane obsession with her just to see her photos. Helen's presence was thwarting his love for Virginia.
• Again, he raised his hand to check the time, marking three o'clock, the agreed time to begin the wedding ceremony. Murmurs filled the church as anticipation grew, expecting the bride to make her entrance at any moment.
• But minutes passed and the long-awaited bride didn't show up. In the chair closest to the atrium, the bride's parents, Christopher Donovan, Fernando's grandfather, was visibly upset and glared furiously at Ricardo.
• "Where's your daughter, Reynolds?" Look at the time, it should be here by now.
• "Please, Christopher, it's your wedding day, brides usually make themselves wait. My daughter is very dreamy about these situations; It's sure to come.
• "I don't care if your daughter is excited, I just want her here now." We have a contract!
• "Don't worry, my friend, she'll be here soon," Helen's father replied somewhat nervously, looking at his wife, who was also visibly nervous.
• "Eva, where's Helen?" Why did you let her come alone? Ricardo reproached his wife.
• "She must be coming, Ricardo. You know our daughter; Her wedding day was the most dreamed day for our sweet little girl. There must be traffic, or something happened to the limousine.
• "She's not a child anymore, Eva. She is twenty-five years old and an adult who should be held accountable.
• The minutes kept ticking by and Helen didn't show up. Anguish grew among those present, and murmurs intensified. Fernando felt shame take over his body; his friends looked on in anguish and his enemies, his two biggest rivals for the CEO job, relished his discomfort from the rear.
• With no other options, after 20 minutes of waiting, Fernando approached his future father-in-law.
• "Ricardo, where's Helen?" Why hasn't it arrived?
• "Son, I really don't know. We've already called her on her phone, but it rings off. Let's give it a little more time. This is not easy at all. She doesn't know you; we don't know if she really wants to marry you.
• "I'm supposed she'd agree, too. This is a marriage of convenience, but if you don't live up to the contract, and instead subject me to this humiliation, I swear I'll make you pay me back.
• Ferdinand returned to the atrium, while Eva looked anxiously at Ricardo at the threats of her future son-in-law. After such a long wait, the church was filled with tension and speculation.
• In the city, a limousine circled around. A confused Helen was undecided whether or not to make it to church. Her makeup smeared from the heat, and her feet suffered from the heels.
• "Helen, it's going to be four o'clock in the afternoon. If your father finds out what we're doing, they're going to throw my family out on the street." Jonah tried to persuade her.
• "They have no idea you're driving the limousine. Start.
• "Shall we go to church?" Jonah asked, confused.
• "Are you crazy?" Take me to Villa Esperanza. I'm not getting married.
• Jonah turned to her and looked at her in surprise.
• "What?! Your parents are going to disinherit you. If you do this to them, your father will have a heart attack, Helen.
• "Let's see, Jonah, which side are you on?" Tell me. I promised that the day I got married I would marry the man I would love and be the love of my life. Marriage is not a decision that is made simply out of self-interest. Besides, that interest is not mine. If my father wants to get a position in the chancellery, let him do it on merit, not selling me as if I were a cow. Start, please.
• "Helen, don't ask me that, please. I must take you to church.
• Helen looked at her friend in disappointment, grabbed her purse and, ready to get out of the limousine, shouted:
• "I thought you were my friend!" But you're only loyal to my father and his money.
• Helen got out of the limous, banging loudly on the door.
• "Wait, Helen, please wait," Jonah shouted, but to no avail.
• Helen took a taxi and dressed as a bride, asked the driver to take her out of town. At the time, she was on the run from her wedding. The driver barely looked at her in the rearview mirror, but she didn't say a word. I just wanted to escape this unexpected event.
• The limousine arrived at the church. When this happened, all the guests sighed. An hour and fifteen minutes had passed since the appointed time. Helen's father breathed a sigh of relief and elbowed his wife.
• "You see, Eva, she's a Reynolds. He wouldn't do something like that to us.
• "Of course, Ricardo, she's your daughter," Eva bowed her head in disappointment. Deep in her heart, she didn't want Helen to marry for convenience, but she was a woman submissive to her husband's designs, and to contradict him was fatal.
• Fernando adjusted his jacket and looked around. It was as if the soul had returned to its body. The position of CEO of the family company and power were closer to his hands.
• But his surprise was bitter when he saw that it was Jonah who got out of the limousine.
• "What is Jonah doing here?" Ricardo asked Eva confused.
• "I don't know," she stood up. Where's my daughter, Jonah? She asked in anguish.
• He shook his head, spittled, and lowered his arms in disappointment.
• "She's not coming. Helen fled.