Revenge of the Ruined Heiress

2

My phone buzzed on the bedside table, pulling me momentarily from my sleep. I was surprised to see Roy’s name on the screen. My curiosity got the better of me, and I opened the message.

My blood ran cold as I stared at the invitation, blinking in disbelief. It was a wedding announcement, Roy was getting married in two days. And the bride? The woman he’d once introduced to me as his cousin. I could hardly comprehend it, the date staring back at me as though it were mocking me. He’d abandoned me, denied our child, and now, without a word, he was moving on.

In a daze, I dialed his number, hoping to hear some kind of explanation. But it went straight to voicemail. I checked the message again, only to find it had been deleted, and my heart sank further as I realized he had blocked me.

Two days passed in a blur, but here I was, standing in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection. I’d chosen a white dress with a wide-brimmed hat, makeup accentuating the shadows under my eyes, making me look sharper, maybe even dangerous. Today was going to be the day I did something stupid. If Roy thought he could ruin my life and then just stroll off to marry someone else, he had another thing coming.

I grabbed my keys, slid into my car, and drove, the route still clear in my mind. My photographic memory was a curse and a blessing. It helped me remember every last detail of the venue where Roy had invited everyone to celebrate his new “love.” A beach wedding was all I’d ever wanted, begged him for it, actually. He’d told me I’d have to sleep with him to “earn it.” And now, here he was, flaunting his fairytale wedding for everyone to see, giving her everything he’d promised me.

I took a shaky breath, eyes narrowed, making my way toward the door when a security guard stepped in my path.

“You can’t go in, ma’am,” he said, arms folded.

Of course not. How would I have an invitation to my own fiancé’s wedding to someone else?

“She’s with me,” a calm, familiar voice came from behind me. I turned and found myself face-to-face with Ethan, dressed in a sleek black tux, his gaze steady and more intense than I remembered. I composed myself, waiting until he stepped forward.

The security guard nodded, and the doors opened. I walked beside Ethan, taking in the grand hall, shimmering with glass lights and lavish arrangements of flowers and pearls. It was everything I’d dreamed of and more, but none of it was for me.

“Thank you for letting me in,” I whispered, glancing sideways at him, ready to slip away and watch the whole thing unravel.

“Wanna crash it?” he asked, a hint of a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth.

Embarrassed, I nodded slightly, looking down. Just enough to show I wasn’t backing out.

He tilted his head toward me. “I won’t stop you,” he said, and with a simple nod, he walked forward, leaving me by myself at the back of the room.

I stood in the back, arms crossed, watching the bride float down the aisle in that ridiculous strapless dress. Roy looked like he’d won the lottery, grinning from ear to ear as she approached, his hand stretching out to meet hers. She took it, her own smile beaming, and I couldn’t help it, I let out a sharp, disgusted hiss.

They faced the priest as he began the ceremony.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…”

I clenched my fists, watching Roy glance at her with that warm gaze he used to save for me. I couldn’t stand it anymore. Before I could second-guess myself, the words were spilling out.

“Stop the wedding!” My voice rang out, and the room went silent, heads whipping back to where I stood. Roy’s smile faded, his expression hardening as he recognized me.

“What are you doing here?” he snapped, barely containing his irritation.

“What am I doing here?” I repeated. “You didn’t think I’d miss my own fiancé’s wedding, did you?”

The bride’s face turned pale, her eyes wide as she looked between us, he tightened his grip on her hand. “Ignore her. She’s just…delusional.”

I laughed, “Delusional? You’re the one who proposed to me, Roy. Told me you loved me, that we’d get married on the beach. But I guess all of that was just a lie, wasn’t it?”

He glared at me. “You’re ruining this for me.”

I took a step forward, my gaze locked on him. “Oh, no, Roy. You ruined everything. You lied to me, humiliated me, and left me with nothing. And now, you think you can just walk away and start over? Not without hearing the truth.”

Roy pulled his hand from the bride’s, his face flushed with anger. “You don’t belong here. Leave. Now.”

“Oh, I think I do,” I shot back, meeting his glare. “You think you can just throw me away like garbage and marry someone else without consequence? You think I’d let you get away with that?”