The Wife He Lost

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The Wedding Crasher

As I stepped out into the hallway, my father walked beside me. His presence felt like a closing circle. Like something that had been broken was finally repaired.

I reached the entrance to the chapel, where Anthony stood waiting, dressed simply, looking at me like I was the only thing that mattered.

His eyes softened when he saw my father beside me.

“You’re beautiful,” Anthony said quietly.

I smiled. “You caused chaos before noon.”

He chuckled. “Worth it.”

The doors opened.

I took a step forward.

And then the air shifted.

A voice cut through the quiet chapel like a knife.

“Daphne.”

Every head turned.

My blood went cold, not with fear, but with disgust.

James stood in the doorway, disheveled, eyes wild, suit wrinkled like he hadn’t slept in days. His hair was a mess. His face looked hollow, desperate. He scanned the room like a drowning man searching for air.

“Daphne,” he said again, stepping forward. “Please. Don’t do this.”

The chapel went silent.

Anthony moved instantly, stepping in front of me.

James’s gaze landed on Anthony and hatred flared.

“You,” James spat. “You’re alive.”

Anthony’s expression didn’t change. “Unfortunately for Valerie, yes.”

James ignored him, stepping forward again. “Daphne, listen to me. I’ve been looking everywhere. I didn’t know where you went. I didn’t know if you were safe.”

I stared at him, feeling nothing but clarity.

“You didn’t know if I was safe,” I repeated calmly. “After you hit me.”

James flinched. “I didn’t mean to.”

“You did,” I said simply. “Your hand meant it. Your words meant it. The way you looked at me meant it.”

James’s eyes flicked to my dress. “You’re marrying him. This is insane. You’re doing this to punish me.”

I let out a small laugh. “Punish you. James, you punished me for years.”

He shook his head quickly. “Valerie is just a friend. I swear to you, she’s just a friend. She needed support. She was alone.”

“Alone,” I echoed. “With your child.”

James’s throat bobbed. “It wasn’t like that.”

“Then tell me,” I said, voice calm and steady. “Who is the father of Valerie’s baby.”

James hesitated.

The hesitation was the loudest confession I had ever heard.

Anthony’s mouth curved into a cold smile.

James’s eyes darted between us. “I… I wanted an heir.”

The words hung in the air, ugly and bare.

“I wanted to have a child,” he continued desperately, voice rising. “You couldn’t. We tried, Daphne. We tried so many times. I didn’t want to leave you. I didn’t want to lose you.”

He took a step closer. “So I thought… I thought we could adopt. The baby would be mine by blood, and yours through adoption. We could raise it together. Valerie agreed, it was supposed to be— it was supposed to solve everything.”

I stared at him, stunned by his audacity.

Then I laughed.

Not softly. Not politely.

I laughed right in his face.

“You thought you could cheat on me,” I said, voice sharp now, “and then hand me the baby like a consolation prize.”

James’s eyes filled with panic. “Daphne, please—”

“No,” I cut in. “You broke your vows. You broke your promises. You broke me, and when I didn’t shatter the way you wanted, you hit me.”

James’s voice cracked. “I never wanted a divorce. I never wanted to lose you.”

“You lost me the moment you touched her,” I said coldly. “And you lost me completely the moment you touched me.”

James’s gaze flicked to Anthony again. “He’s using you.”

I smiled slowly. “No, James. I’m the one who used to do the using. Remember who built your company.”

James blinked. “What are you talking about.”

I stepped forward, my voice calm again, deadly calm.

“I’m pregnant,” I said.

The words landed like a bomb.

James went still. “What.”

“I’m pregnant,” I repeated. “With Anthony’s baby.”

His mouth parted in disbelief. “That’s not possible. You— you said—”

“I didn’t need IVF,” I said, tilting my head. “It took one try.”

James’s face twisted, pain and rage battling in his eyes.

I leaned closer, voice lowering. “You should probably get a DNA test for Valerie’s baby, James. Because if I got pregnant that easily, I have to wonder why your perfect heir took so much effort.”

James’s breathing turned sharp. “You’re lying.”

Anthony spoke calmly. “She’s not.”

James looked like he might collapse.

Then my father stepped forward, his voice cutting through the silence like steel.

“Get out,” he said.

James turned, confused. “Who the hell are you.”

My father’s gaze was cold. “Her father.”

James blinked, then scoffed. “No. Daphne’s father cut her off. She has no one.”

I smiled softly. “You never bothered to ask, did you.”

James stared at me, realization dawning slowly. “What… what are you saying.”

My father’s voice remained even. “Daphne Smith is my daughter.”

James’s face went pale.

“Smith,” he whispered, like the name meant something terrible.

It did.

He knew it.

He swallowed hard. “You’re… you’re that family.”

I watched him unravel with the same calm he never gave me.

“Yes,” I said quietly. “I left billions behind for you.”

James stumbled backward, shaking his head. “No. No, you didn’t. You wouldn’t—”

“I did,” I said. “Because I loved you.”

His eyes filled with something like horror. “All this time…”

“All this time,” I echoed, “you thought I was lucky you chose me.”

James’s shoulders sagged. “Daphne, please. We can fix this. I’ll cut Valerie off. I’ll—”

“I’m marrying Anthony,” I said, voice final. “And you are not invited to watch me be happy.”

Anthony held out his hand. I took it without hesitation.

James’s face twisted. “You can’t do this.”

“I already did,” I said.

My father stepped closer, his voice low. “Leave now, or you’ll be removed.”

James looked around the chapel, seeing the way everyone watched him with judgment. For the first time, he looked small.

He took one last desperate step toward me. “I loved you.”

I met his eyes steadily. “No, James. You loved what I gave you.”

Then I turned away.

The doors closed behind him.

And for the first time, he finally understood what it felt like to be left without a word.