Chapter 3
As Lucas wrapped up his speech, I dropped my head and chuckled, shaking my own head in self–deprecation.
Benjamin had once called me out in front of everyone, accusing me of being two–faced and gold–digging. Seemingly, even though Lucas lied, he didn’t want to make up something that could at least save my face today.
When Jessica heard the name, she was momentarily taken aback before diving into her phone. She had already dialed the number before Lucas could even blink.
“Benjamin, it’s your wedding day. Where are you? We’re all gathered at Elysian Garden,” she announced.
Jessica got caught up in the excitement and started rounding up the guests to head to the auditorium. Meanwhile, my hands and feet went ice–cold, and my heart felt like it was about to skip a
beat.
The phone rang endlessly before I finally, numbly, picked up. “Natalie?” The voice on the other end was like a devil’s whisper, making me instinctively want to chuck the phone aside.
“Don’t you dare hang up on me,” Benjamin said.
I responded in a hushed, defeated tone, “Can you please just ignore it?”
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The person on the other end chuckled mockingly, “I thought by declining to be Lucas‘ best man, I’d avoid seeing you. But I heard that I became your groom. How could you forget to invite me to your big day?”
I fingered the stains on my wedding dress and replied with difficulty, “Please, just let it go.”
There was a long, uneasy silence on the other end. After what felt like an eternity, his cold laughter cut through like a chilling wind.
After a lengthy stay in the restroom, I stood up, my legs stiff, using my hands for support. I felt my frozen body slowly start to thaw. As I opened the door, a shadow loomed before me–it was
my groom.
Lucas had a thunderous look on his face, staring me down. “Who were you talking to just now?”
I brushed past him without acknowledging his question.
Suddenly, his hand grasped mine, accidentally pressing down on my injury, sending a sharp pain shooting through my wound.
“Answer me!” he roared, his voice echoing.
I looked up, defiant. “My groom is Mr. Russell. Remember what you said yourself? Don’t tell me you’ve developed a case of ‘short–term memory loss‘ in such a blink of an eye.”
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His face sulked. In our eye contact, his gaze slowly shifted away. “Natalic, that was just something I said in the heat of the moment,” he muttered.
There was a hint of compromise in his smooth voice.
“Will Benjamin really come here?” I inquired, my voice tinged with depression.
The bitterness that had settled in my chest continued to rise, choking me. I locked eyes with him, tears pooling in my sockets. My voice, raw and strained, escaped my lips. “Lucas, you were just dying to hear how Mr. Russell put me through the wringer, weren’t you?
“You told Jessica about Mr. Russell being my new groom–to–be because you knew he would never show up! After all, I betrayed him for you. He’s made it clear that I’m a lowlife, someone he despises with every fiber of his being!
“You didn’t want to hurt Jessica, so you chose to hurt me! All I wanted was for this wedding to end without a groom, but you wouldn’t budge. You’d prefer to see me being laughed at in front of everyone!
“Well? Are you content now?” I spat out, my frustration boiling
over.
Upon hearing this, Lucas‘ face lit up like a Christmas tree. Ignoring my hysterical rant, he enveloped me in a hug, gently dabbing at my reddened eyelids with his hand, displaying a level of tenderness that was almost unnerving. “Did Benjamin say
Chapter 3
something harsh to you? Only I can put up with your wild antics.”
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He then attempted to stroke my forehead, but I subtly turned my head to dodge his touch.
“It’s all on me. I’ll make it up to you in the future. Natalie, be a good girl. After today, I’ll come home to you. This whole mess will be over soon. Trust me, alright?” Lucas persisted.
I blinked rapidly, swallowing back my tears, recalling the pathetic way I had begged him before. I summoned all my composure and said, “Lucas, there’s no future for us. We are done.”
He furrowed his brow, his eyes flashing with dissatisfaction and disdain as if I were the one being unreasonable. “Come on, Natalie. What can you do after we break up? Have you forgotten the days when you vowed to have two kids with me and be the perfect wife and mother? If we break up, your life will be in a
mess.”
His words left me momentarily speechless. For him, I had left the Russell Group at a crucial juncture, sacrificing everything, all because he said the Blunt family only needed a competent homemaker as their wife. And this was his rationale for manipulating me.
Before Lucas could take his leave, I clutched his sleeve tightly and stressed, “Lucas, I’m being serious.”
Lucas‘ face darkened, his patience worn thin. He methodically
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pried my fingers off one by one. “Natalie, you’re too naughty. Jessica needs another year to regain her memory. After today, I won’t see you for a year. Otherwise, she can’t handle the shock. In a year’s time, I’ll reassess whether you make a suitable wife. Don’t let me down.”
Over at the auditorium, Jessica, with her encouraging words, rallied everyone together. Catching sight of me approaching, her eyes gleamed with malice. “Ms. Hanks, you finally decided to show up! Where’s your groom? Why hasn’t he arrived yet? Oh no! Did he dump you?”
The murmurs among the guests intensified after they heard her words.
“Isn’t Ms. Hanks‘ groom Mr. Blunt? Isn’t the one on stage supposed to be the groom?” said a guest.
Another guest chimed in, “Could her groom be one of Sir Blunt’s illegitimate siblings?”
“The groom’s been late for so long. Did he really call off the wedding?” said someone else.
Jessica clung to Lucas‘ arm, gazing at me with a triumphant
smile.
I was on the verge of announcing the cancellation of the wedding when, suddenly, a strong arm wrapped around my shoulders. An exclamation erupted from the crowd.
I married my fiancé’s best man
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Chapter 4
