90 Days with my Billionaire Ex

Wedding's Off

KATY

The room felt like it was closing in around me, suffocating me with every passing second. Dario’s smug grin anchored me in the middle of the storm, his presence a constant reminder that everything was falling apart. I could hear the murmurs of the congregation swelling around me, their disbelief was very visible. Eyes flickered between Dario, Tom, and me—judgment and confusion etched on every face. The tension was unbearable.

“Surprised to see me, Katy?” Dario’s voice was smooth, taunting, as he casually strode toward the altar with his hands in his pockets, as though he belonged there.

I couldn’t speak. My throat was tight, my breath shallow. My eyes sought Tom’s, but all I saw was a mixture of confusion and rising anger on his face. He opened his mouth, his voice a low growl.

“Katy,” he said, his words strained, “who is this man? And why is he disrupting our ceremony?”

I didn’t want to look at him. My gaze shifted, unwillingly landing on Sonia. She was sitting there with that infuriating smirk on her face, watching the chaos unfold with relish. Of course, it was Sonia. She thrived on this, on making my life as miserable as possible.

But Dario… Dario wasn’t supposed to be here. He wasn’t supposed to be out of prison. The sheer impossibility of him showing up was too much for me to comprehend, and my head spun with the overwhelming reality of it.

The priest cleared his throat, his voice soft but firm. “Sir, you have interrupted a sacred ceremony. If you have a valid objection, please state it now.”

Dario’s eyes locked on mine, and his smirk deepened, his gaze intense and unyielding. “Katy is already engaged to me. Has been for years. As a matter of fact, she still has my ring, and she never broke it off.”

He turned to Tom with an almost apologetic shrug. “Some... circumstances kept me away for a while, but I’m back now. I can’t let another man marry my fiancée.”

The words hit like a wave, and the room seemed to hold its breath. Every set of eyes turned toward me.

“Miss Bennett,” the priest said, his voice grave, “is there any truth to this claim? Have you been engaged to this man?”

My heart thudded painfully in my chest. I looked at my parents, Tom's family, my friends, Tom—all of their faces full of confusion, disbelief, and judgment. The weight of their gazes was suffocating, each one like a silent accusation. My past, a past I’d tried so hard to bury, had resurfaced in the worst possible way.

I didn’t know what to say, but the words came out anyway, barely above a whisper. “Yes,” I murmured. “I was engaged to him.”

The room erupted in chaos. Tom’s hand dropped from mine as he stepped back, his face contorted in betrayal. Without a word, he turned and stormed out of the cathedral.

My chest tightened painfully, and for a moment, everything seemed to tilt. I struggled to breathe, the world blurring around me, my mind struggling to process what was happening.

The priest, his face pale, adjusted his glasses and muttered, “I’m afraid this ceremony cannot proceed. The marriage is hereby canceled.”

With that, he walked off the altar, leaving the congregation to disperse slowly. Some people rushed out, eager to escape the scene, while others lingered in stunned silence. The weight of the moment pressed heavily on my chest, suffocating me with its finality.

*************

I barely heard my bridesmaids’ concerned voices as I pushed past them, desperate to escape. My feet moved on their own, carrying me away from the disaster that had been my wedding. But then, I stopped dead in my tracks. My father was pacing angrily in the lobby, his face flushed with fury.

“Katy,” James hissed, grabbing my arm. His voice was low, furious. “How dare you? You never told us Dario was out of prison. You agreed to marry Tom without ending this? You’ve disgraced this family!”

“Dad, I didn’t mean—”

“You didn’t think, Katy! That’s always your excuse!” he barked.

His words cut through me like daggers, and I had no defense. There was no excuse for what had happened with Dario, no explanation for the secrets I’d kept from the people I loved.

“James,” Lucy said, her voice calm but firm as she placed a hand on his arm. “Calm down. Can’t you see she’s upset?”

But James wasn’t calming down. His anger only intensified with each word he spoke.

Just then, Dario appeared, his arrogant swagger reigniting my father’s fury.

“You’ve done enough damage for one day!” James yelled, fists clenched at his sides.

Dario raised his hands in mock surrender. “Hey, I just spoke the truth. Katy was—is—my fiancée. I couldn’t let her walk down the aisle with someone else.”

His smooth voice made my skin crawl. It was all lies and manipulation. It didn’t matter that he acted concerned now; he had only come here to destroy everything I’d built.

Sonia’s voice sliced through the tension. “And you’re here because of me,” she said, stepping forward with a smug shrug. “You’re welcome, Katy. At least someone had the guts to stop you from making a mistake.”

My heart stung with her words. I snapped. “You b***h!” I screamed, lunging toward her, but my father held me back, his grip like iron.

“Why would you do this? What did I ever do to you? You are supposed to be my sister" I demanded, my voice cracking with pain.

Sonia just rolled her eyes, the smug expression never leaving her face. “You always get everything, Katy. I just thought it was time for a little reality check.”

I could feel the tears streaming down my face, hot and furious. I turned to Dario, my fury boiling over. “And you!” I shouted. “Don’t you dare come near me again. I’m breaking the engagement right now. It’s over!”

The words felt like a slap in the face, but I didn’t care. I was done. Done with the lies, the betrayal, the manipulation. I stormed out, desperate to find Tom, to fix whatever was left of what we had.

**********

I found Tom on the second-floor balcony, staring at the garden, but his jacket was crumpled on the floor, his tie hanging loose in his hands.

“Tom…” I whispered, my voice weak and trembling.

He froze, snatching up his jacket, but then turned to leave.

“Wait!” I cried, grabbing his arm. “Please, let me explain!”

Tom yanked his arm free, his eyes filled with hurt. “Explain? How do you explain lying to me, Katy? You kept something like this from me! You had an Italian ex-fiancé in prison, and you never said a word?”

I could barely breathe. “I didn’t tell you because I didn’t think it mattered anymore!” My voice cracked. “He was in my past, and I didn’t know he’d show up today!”

Tom shook his head, frustration radiating from him. “Secrets don’t just disappear, Katy. This was huge. And you didn’t trust me enough to tell me?”

His words hit me hard, but I forced myself to stay strong. He needed to understand, needed to see that I never wanted this to happen.

“I was scared, Tom! I thought I could leave all of it behind. I love you!” I pleaded, my voice raw and desperate.

For a moment, his expression softened, but it was fleeting. It hardened again, and my heart shattered. “Love isn’t enough, Katy. Not when there’s no trust.”

His words were final. There was no hope in them, no room for me to fix things.

“Please…” I whispered, my tears falling freely. “I never meant for this to happen.”

Tom sighed deeply, his voice thick with resignation. “I can’t do this anymore. It’s over.”

He turned and walked away, his footsteps echoing in the empty corridor. I stood frozen, my legs weak, the weight of his rejection crushing me.

*************

I barely made it to the bathroom before breaking down. I locked the door, finally letting out a scream that echoed off the tiles.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror—makeup streaked down my face, my eyes red, and my hair falling out of place. I barely recognized the woman staring back at me.

“Why?” I whispered, my voice hollow. “Why does everyone want to ruin my life?”

My gaze landed on a glass of whiskey sitting on the sink. Without thinking, I grabbed it and downed it in one go, letting the burn distract me from the pain.

But the burn was followed by dizziness, and the world seemed to spin.

“What…?” I murmured, gripping the counter as my vision blurred. My legs gave way, and I crumpled to the floor. The glass shattered beside me, the shards cutting into my skin, but I barely felt it as the world faded to black