The Billionaire Wife He Betrayed

Chapter 5 Awakening

Serenity jolted awake to the acrid bite of hospital disinfectant, her vision clearing just in time to see Elena shaking like a live wire, her phone clutched in a white-knuckled death grip.

"That son of a b***h," Elena hissed, her voice trembling with raw fury. "He nearly got you killed, and then he stole your wedding dress for that gold-digging snake to wear down the aisle."

Serenity's gaze dropped to the video playing on the screen. Jade dripped in the VW gown, the one that had taken three years to hand-stitch, her smile saccharine sweet and triumphant. The caption beneath read, "Blinded by storms, now charging toward dawn."

The comments section was a complete dumpster fire.

A: [Divorced too, but I wish I had Jade's guts. Manifesting this energy for myself.]

B: [That is VW's unicorn piece. Three years per design. Jade is serving absolute lewk.]

C: [Who is Jade's mystery man? Drop the details immediately. He is always off camera. Will the wedding finally unmask him?]

Serenity scrolled silently through the comments, every gushing statement stabbing deeper and twisting in her chest. How easily people spun fairy tales from polished lies and staged photographs.

Her fingers hovered over the screen for a moment, then typed out a response.

Serenity: [Wait till the fog clears completely. Then we will see who is really shining underneath.]

Within seconds, the replies flooded in with venomous speed.

A: [LOL cope harder, you loser.]

B: [Stay mad, you jealous hag.]

Elena snatched the phone away from her.

"Why would you poke that hornets' nest right now? Have you completely lost your mind?"

She grabbed the gift box from the nightstand and slammed it down so hard that the cardboard split open at the seams.

"Bowen's peace offering arrived. It is a new bridesmaid dress for you. Let us call it abstract art at this point."

Serenity shook her head slowly.

"If I destroy it, how will I witness their love story unfold in person?"

Her voice dropped to a dangerous whisper.

"How will I make sure the entire world sees his true colors eventually?"

Elena stomped her foot hard enough to rattle the IV stand beside the bed.

"You will c***k your skull against that wall before you ever admit defeat."

"Not just knocking against the wall," Serenity corrected, ice forming in her tone. "I am bringing the wrecking ball with me this time."

Elena froze mid-motion, then exhaled heavily through her nose.

"You have been pigheaded since the day you gave up pacifiers. Fine, do what you want. But swear to me that you will watch your back constantly."

Serenity gave a single, firm nod of agreement.

Three days later, she arrived at the wedding venue with that hairpin glinting in her updo like a hidden blade waiting to strike.

Before the ceremony began, Bowen loomed over her with an expression of fake concern plastered on his face.

"Serenity, I looked thoroughly into what happened that day at the shop."

He spoke slowly.

"It was actually the staff members who sprayed gardenia perfume on the clothes and did not check properly afterward. Accusing Jade without investigating first was completely unreasonable on your part."

Serenity remained completely silent, coldly observing his pathetic act unfold before her.

His tone shifted from reproachful to something lighter abruptly.

"But since you agreed to be the bridesmaid after everything, I guess you have finally come to your senses."

Serenity's expression stayed icy and unreadable.

"You promised to divorce her immediately after getting the marriage certificate. When exactly do you plan to follow through with that promise?"

Bowen stiffened visibly, his eyes flickering with discomfort.

"I have been tied up with work lately, but I will handle it very soon. I have my principles, you know. I have not forgotten everything you have done for me over the years."

He quickly changed the subject before she could respond.

"How is the injury on your back healing now?"

Just then, Jade strutted over to them with exaggerated movements.

"Ugh, this zipper is completely broken," she whined loudly. "What kind of trashy wedding dress is this supposed to be? I can barely breathe in it."

She deliberately leaned forward, exposing her snowy cleavage for everyone to see.

She shot a venomous look at Serenity.

"At least I have real curves on my body, unlike some flat-chested nobody standing around here."

Bowen coughed awkwardly and turned away as he adjusted her zipper. But Serenity caught the way his gaze darted to Jade's collarbone repeatedly. It was that familiar, predatory glint she knew all too well from their years together.

Pretending not to notice anything at all, Serenity strode out of the room without speaking another word.

The ceremony proceeded without any visible hitches or problems.

Yet Serenity's presence became the unspoken center of attention among the guests. Whispers seeped through the crowd like rising water.

One guest murmured, "Who would have thought the famously low-profile Brooks heiress would show up as a simple bridesmaid today?"

Another responded quietly, "That is real class for you to witness. Even in a plain bridesmaid dress, she carries herself like actual royalty."

A third added with disdain, "Meanwhile, look at the bride herself. She is total new money trash. That gown might as well be a neon sign flashing for attention."

The words burned in Jade's ears like acid, her face darkening as jealousy flared violently in her eyes.

When the wedding march swelled through the venue, Bowen stood at the end of the aisle. His eyes glistened with manufactured tears as Serenity walked toward her position. His voice trembled dramatically as he spoke.

"Meeting you used up all the good karma I had accumulated across multiple lifetimes."

He paused for effect.

"But to stand here today with you, I made a deal with God. I would give up every blessing in my next life, just to make this life with you completely perfect and whole."

The guests burst into thunderous applause at his words.

Serenity stood frozen in the stage's shadows, her entire body trembling uncontrollably beneath the surface.

These were the exact same vows Bowen had sworn to her at their own wedding years ago.

She gnawed on her lower lip until coppery blood filled her mouth completely.

Bowen took Jade's hand gently and continued his romantic speech without missing a beat.

"On December eighteenth, it was snowing heavily on Maple Street that day. I hauled my heavy equipment through the snow for four straight hours, and you watched me from the café's second floor window the entire time without stopping."

He gestured dramatically.

"That is why I had this twelve-point-one-eight-carat ring custom made just for you. Our love story is truly one of a kind."

His voice faded into meaningless static as her ears began roaring with white noise. The world tilted violently beneath her feet, floor and ceiling swapping places repeatedly.

Leaning against the cold wall for support, she clutched her chest as if an invisible fist squeezed her heart until it threatened to burst completely.

How could he do this to her?

How dare he reduce the purest love of her youth to some cheap, recycled lines for another woman?

She squeezed her eyes shut tightly. When they reopened, her eyes had gone completely dead and empty inside.

She did not even notice when the wedding finally ended around her.

She moved through the hotel corridors like a wandering ghost, numb and unseeing in every direction. She desperately wanted to rip off this revolting bridesmaid dress and escape from this place forever.

The hallway stretched endlessly under sickly yellow lights that flickered like dying candles above her head.

Suddenly, a group of groomsmen blocked her path forward and forced her back against the cold wall behind her.