Chapter Two: The Wedding That Never Happened
804 Words
Aria's POV
The elevator doors slid open, but I couldn't remember pressing the button.
Everything around me felt distant. Muted. As though someone had turned the volume down on the world while my heart continued to shatter inside my chest.
I stumbled into the lobby, gripping the bouquet so tightly that white petals had begun to fall onto the polished floor. No one noticed. Guests hurried past me, laughing, greeting one another, admiring the decorations.
Some smiled at me as they walked by. "The bride looks beautiful."
"Congratulations!"
I managed a weak nod.
If they looked closely, they'd see mascara threatening to run down my cheeks. They'd see my hands trembling beneath the bouquet. They'd see the woman who had just watched her entire future collapse. But no one looked closely. They only saw the dress. Not the broken heart inside it.
"Aria!"
Lily caught up with me, slightly out of breath. She took one look at my face and stopped smiling.
"You saw them."
I nodded. For several seconds, neither of us spoke. Then she wrapped her arms around me.
"I'm so sorry."
The words were enough to break the fragile wall I'd been holding together. A sob escaped my throat before I could stop it. I buried my face against her shoulder.
"Five years," I whispered. "I gave him five years."
"I know."
"I kept asking myself what I'd done wrong. Why did he become so distant." I laughed bitterly through my tears. "It turns out he was just busy cheating on me."
Lily gently pulled back and held my shoulders. "Listen to me." "You are not marrying him."
I looked toward the grand staircase leading to the ballroom. Beyond those doors, hundreds of guests were waiting. Journalists. Business partners. Friends. Family. Everyone expected me to walk down the aisle.
"What am I supposed to do?" I asked quietly.
"Cancel it."
"It's not that simple."
"It is."
"No." I shook my head. "Do you know how many people are here? The media alone will have a field day."
"And if you marry him?"
That question silenced me. I'd lose far more than my pride. I'd lose myself. Before either of us could speak again, Ethan appeared at the far end of the lobby.
He smiled the moment he saw me. The same smile I'd fallen in love with. Now it made my stomach turn.
"There you are." He walked toward us, adjusting his cufflinks. "I've been looking everywhere."
His eyes searched mine. "Everything okay?"
I stared at him. At the man who had kissed another woman less than an hour ago. The man who had called me useful.
The man who had spent five years earning my trust just so he could steal everything my grandfather had left me. How was he able to look me in the eye without an ounce of guilt?
"You've been crying." His voice softened. "What happened?"
The concern sounded so real. For a terrifying second, I almost questioned myself. Was I overreacting? No. I had heard every word.
"I..." My throat tightened. "I don't think I can do this."
His expression changed almost instantly. "What do you mean?"
"I need some time."
"We don't have time." He lowered his voice. "Everyone's waiting."
"I'm sorry." "I said I need time."
His jaw clenched. Only for a second. Then the smile returned.
"Fine."
"We'll talk after the ceremony."
"There won't be a ceremony."
The words slipped out before fear could stop them. For the first time in five years… I saw something dangerous flash across Ethan's face. Not sadness. Not disappointment. Anger. It vanished so quickly anyone else would have missed it.
"You don't mean that."
"I do."
Without waiting for another response, I turned and walked away. Behind me, I heard guests whispering. Someone called my name. Someone else asked if everything was alright. I kept walking.
Each step carried me farther from the altar. Farther from the life I'd imagined. By the time I reached the hotel entrance, rain had begun to fall. Cold drops soaked my veil within seconds. I didn't care. I stepped onto the sidewalk and let the rain wash away the tears still clinging to my face.
My phone vibrated inside my bouquet. Unknown Number. For a moment, I considered ignoring it.
Instead, I answered.
"Hello?"
A deep, unfamiliar voice spoke. Calm. Measured.
"You made the right choice."
Every muscle in my body tensed. "Who is this?"
There was a brief silence. Then the stranger said something that sent a chill down my spine.
"You've just escaped one contract." "But if you want to keep your inheritance..." "You'll have to sign another one."
The line went dead. I lowered the phone slowly, my heartbeat echoing louder than the rain.
Who was he? And more importantly… How did he know about my inheritance?
- Writer
