People always say you can tell when someone is truly happy.
Looking at the pictures from my wedding day, anyone would say I was the happiest woman in the world.
And truly, "I was".
I guess being the wife of a popular and beloved man was a great thing,it comes with respect and a luxurious life.
Which I loved so much.
But I wasn't aware of what I'm getting myself into.
I was smiling ear to ear,my parents, siblings and friends were happy for me and congratulating me.
My life already felt like it belonged to someone else.even before my wedding day.
Everything had been planned so quickly.
The venue.
The guest list.
The dress.
The Food.
Expensive drinks
Alexander's team handled most of it. People called me constantly about flowers, decorations, and invitations, but somehow the real decisions were always made before I even gave my opinion.
And when I tried to complain about how I don't have a say in my own wedding,he would just say "I don't want you to stress yourself darling".
That is where I should have known something was off about the life I was getting into.
The newspapers called it "the wedding of the year."
Alexander Sterling, the country's most admired rising political figure, marrying a quiet university graduate no one had heard of before.
To the public, it looked like a love story.
It was,for sometime before I got deep into his life
A beloved man chose a simple woman because he saw something special in her.
Our wedding was held in a beautiful cathedral in the city.
Cameras lined the entrance, reporters crowded outside, and people stood along the streets just to watch us arrive.
I had never seen so many people gathered for one event.not just random people, people with influence, politicians, celebrities, business men and women, billionaires.
When I stepped out of the car, the flashes from cameras lit up everywhere.
For a moment, it felt like I had stepped into someone else's life.Even though I was loving it then.
Inside the church, the music played softly as my father walked me down the aisle.
His dark suit fit perfectly, and when his eyes met mine, he smiled in a way that made the entire room fade for a moment.
It felt like everyone was watching us.
Because they were.
When I finally reached him, he took my hand gently.
"You look perfect," he whispered.
The ceremony passed after a while
Words were spoken.
Vows were exchanged.
And before I truly realized what was happening, the priest smiled warmly.
"You may kiss the bride."
The room filled with applause.
Cameras flashed everywhere.
And just like that, I became Liana Sterling..
After the ceremony, the celebration moved to a grand hall decorated with flowers and golden lights.
Important people filled the room.
Politicians.
Business leaders.
Famous faces I had only ever seen on television.
Everyone wanted to shake Alexander's hand.
Everyone wanted to congratulate us.
"You're a lucky woman," one of the guests told me with a warm smile.
"Alexander is a remarkable man."
I smiled politely,and nodded in agreement.
"I'm a lucky woman", I said with a smile
I had already heard that sentence at least ten times that day.
A good man.
A great leader.
A man destined for greatness.
That was how everyone described him.
And they weren't wrong.
Alexander knew how to command a room.
Wherever he went, people listened.
His voice was calm and steady, his words always chosen carefully.
When he spoke to people, he made them feel important.
It was one of the many reasons everyone admired him.
Later that night, after the celebration ended, we finally returned to the house that was now supposed to be my home.
It was a large mansion on the quiet side of the city, surrounded by tall gates and security guards.
When the car stopped at the entrance, I looked out the window for a moment.
"It's beautiful," I said softly.
Alexander followed my gaze.
"It's safe,and you will like it here" he replied.
"I will" we both smiled.
He came down from the car and walked to my side.
He opened the door for me,he stretched out his hand towards me and I held it firmly as I got down from the car.
We walked in, everything had been put in place by his team.
From the door to our room upstairs was decorated with small pieces of glass that had lit candles in them arranged in orderly fashion, in the middle were red flowers on the shining white marble floor.
He turned and faced me.
"I got an important call after the wedding to sign a business deal".
"I'm really sorry but can you spare me for just an hour"?
"I will be back shortly".
"I have been chasing this deal for over a month now,and he also said the deal is my wedding gift".
"Please,"he begged.
"But …it's our wedding night,"I said.
"It's fine, just don't take too long".
"I won't".he kissed me and rushed out.
I walked into our room with a smile of satisfaction on my face,the bed was big and well decorated with flowers.
I had freshened up,bathed and put on a nice cologne.When I heard his car drive into the compound.
"I'm so sorry," he said.
He turned and walked slowly,he faced me and touched my cheeks.
"Today is the happiest day of my life",he said.
"Me too",I replied with a smile.He leaned forward and kissed my neck softly, slowly, like he was taking his time.
His arms were around me as he pulled me closer.
My heart was beating faster now.
When he lifted his head, his eyes searched my face for a moment before his lips finally found mine.
The kiss was gentle at first.
Slow.
Careful.
Like we were both trying to understand this new life we had just stepped into.
I held onto him as the kiss deepened, feeling both nervous and excited at the same time.
For a moment, everything felt perfect.
The wedding.
The lights.
The promises we had made earlier that day.
Alexander rested his forehead lightly against mine.
"You're mine now," he whispered quietly.
At the time, the words felt romantic.
Like a promise.
Like a man proud to call someone his wife.
I smiled softly, believing every moment of it.
Because that night, standing in the arms of the man everyone ad
mired, I truly believed I had married the love of my life.
What I didn't know then was that sometimes the words that sound the most romantic…
can also become the chains that hold you captive.