It All Fell Down

Prologue

𝓐𝓻𝓪𝓫𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓪

"You look as beautiful as always Ms. Wilson."

"Truly as radiant as they say!"

The flattery from high class men and women never got old, and
As the only child with the Wilson name attached to me, I've been told many things. Mostly, how lucky I am that my father returned for me, despite me being born from his affair with the mother I never met.

I forced a dainty smile at the compliments my last name received and bit down the bile poisoning my tongue. I was an expert at hiding my emotions to all.

Ms Wilson.
My name is Arabella.

Events like these were all the rage in high society, even though it was the modern age of smartphones and fast cars, the charity committee often hosted grand ball like parties such as this, to show fake concern for whatever cause they decided to support. It looks like this months sorry case was for an endangered species of butterfly.

Really? A butterfly?
It was just an excuse as usual, for the high class socialites to get together and gossip or catch up with business affairs, or for the men to take their wives out to show them off.

It was also an ample opportunity for the bachelor's and bachelorettes to find a lover for the night. Relationships in high society usually lasted in only one night stands or random hookups. Nobody believed in dates anymore, or hanging out somewhere alone out of the public eye. unless it was for an hour or two of pleasure.

It's no wonder that Arranged marriages were all the rage recently. A mutual beneficial agreement between companies tied together by the flimsy prospect of marriage. I'm not a fool, I Don't believe in marriage at all. After all, if marriage was truly the most powerful tool in keeping two people who love eachother together, why do affairs happen? Scandals left and right between high society couples litter gossip blogs and every magazine article I've seen. All of them just months before we're the perfect couple "in love."

Love is simply something I Don't believe in. It's a weakness, one someone can exploit for their own dark benefits. I do indulge in my desires from time to time, but never for love. And that was before...

"Congratulations on your engagement Ms Wilson! Mr Sedane is truly a catch." One of the charity committee members, who's name i didn't care to remember congratulated me.

"Wasn't he on the cover of millionaire magazine?" One of the other ladies asks, receiving a nod from the charity member.
Henry Sedane.
I have no feelings towards him and he has none towards me. We met when I had turned twenty six and he turned thirty four, last year around this time.
Was I devastated to find out I would be married to someone I didn't even know? No. It saved me the hassle of fake dating and pretending to love someone I didn't.

"Where is Mr Sedane anyway? Shouldn't he be here with his lovely fiance?" A short and stout man, who was already greying and who's hairline has receded so far back on his shiny head an airplane could have landed on it. He asked his question, almost as if accusing Henry of something.

I recognized him as one of the "new money" business men trying desperately to claw their way to the top. Most ignorant new money's either challenged or blackmailed people to get to the top, like he was doing to me.
Having a high Reputation like mine, had it's downsides.

The insinuation that Henry has abandoned me, hung heavy in the air. It's been in many tabloids ever since our engagement a few months back. Henry and I are hardly seen together in public, and we haven't moved in together yet. It seems as if we're avoiding eachother , but In reality, we are both to busy with our lives to make public appearances.