Chapter 4: The Wedding Night Surprise

Ava’s POV

The house was too quiet. I could hear the hum of the air conditioner and the soft ticking of a clock. My heels tapped softly on the tiled floor as I followed Lucas down the hallway. He didn’t say a word, didn’t glance back. His wheelchair moved smoothly, his hands steady on the wheels like he’d been doing this his whole life.

I stayed a few steps behind, my fingers fidgeting with the sleeves of my dress. What now? I wondered. What do two strangers do after a wedding like this? It wasn’t like I’d seen in the movies. No romantic glances, no shared smiles, no whispered promises. Just awkward silence and a big, heavy feeling in my chest.

Lucas finally stopped in front of a door, pushed it open, and wheeled himself inside.

“This is it,” he said plainly.

I stepped in after him, my eyes instantly landing on the massive king-sized bed at the center of the room. My stomach I'mtwisted. One bed? Seriously? I glanced at Lucas, but he was already headed toward the couch by the window.

“You can have the bed,” he said, tossing a blanket over the arm of the couch. “I’ll sleep here.”

I blinked, surprised. “That’s not necessary.”

“It’s not up for debate,” he said, his tone firm but not unkind. “I’ve slept on worse.”

Suit yourself, I thought, kicking off my shoes. My feet ached from standing all day. I sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed my toes. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him pull out his phone and start scrolling, completely unbothered.

Silence. Heavy, uncomfortable silence.

“So,” I started, stretching my legs. “This is what being married feels like?”

“Pretty much,” Lucas replied, still scrolling on his phone.

“Feels more like being stuck in an elevator with a stranger.”

His lips twitched like he was trying not to smile. “Better than being stuck with someone who talks too much.”

I snorted before I could stop myself. “Fair point.”

He glanced at me for a second, eyebrows raised, then went back to his phone. We sat like that for a while, letting the quiet settle. It wasn’t as uncomfortable as I thought it would be. It was just… still.

Then came the knock. No, not a knock — banging. Loud, aggressive banging on the front door.

Lucas stopped scrolling, his eyes narrowing.

“Expecting someone?” I asked.

“Nope,” he replied, already wheeling himself toward the hallway.

I followed, heart thudding in my chest. My brain ran through possibilities — maybe a delivery? A neighbor? But at this hour?

“Stay back,” Lucas muttered as we reached the door. I stepped aside as he unlocked it and pulled it open.

Standing there, with all the attitude in the world, was a woman I knew instantly was trouble. She had long blonde hair styled like she was going to a red-carpet event, and her eyes locked on Lucas like a predator spotting prey. Her dress was short — too short — and her heels were sharp enough to stab someone.

She didn’t look at me. I didn’t exist in her world.

“Lucas,” she said, her voice sharp and cold. “So this is how it is, huh?”

Lucas rubbed the bridge of his nose, like a headache had just arrived. “Tessa, what are you doing here?”

My eyes darted between them, and it clicked. Oh. Ex-girlfriend.

“What am I doing here?” she repeated with a laugh that had zero humor. Her eyes finally shifted to me, scanning me from head to toe like I was a dirty stain on a white dress. “She’s what you replaced me with?”

My jaw clenched, but I kept my face calm. Not today, lady. Not today.

“Replaced?” Lucas shot back, his voice rising.

Tessa whipped her head toward him. “Don’t play victim, Lucas. I broke up with you because I needed space, and two weeks later, you’re MARRIED?” Her voice echoed through the house like a police siren. “That’s low, even for you.”

I tilted my head, folding my arms. “Didn’t you call him at midnight, break his heart, and then vanish for weeks?”

Her eyes snapped to me, her face full of shock and disgust. “Who do you think you are?”

“His wife,” I said, letting the word roll off my tongue slowly. I took one step forward, squaring my shoulders. “And you’re a guest who wasn’t invited.”

Her eyes flared with anger, and she turned to Lucas like he was supposed to defend her. “You’re just gonna let her talk to me like that?”

Lucas leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. “She’s not wrong.”

Tessa’s mouth opened, then closed, like she didn’t know what to say. I almost laughed. Caught you off guard, huh?

“You think you can just move on from me, Lucas?” she hissed. “You’re nothing without me. NOTHING.”

Lucas’s face hardened, and for the first time, I saw the man people called “cold.” His eyes narrowed, his jaw tightened, and his voice came out sharp as broken glass. “I was nothing to you when I was lying in a hospital bed.”

Tessa blinked like she’d been slapped.

“Yeah,” Lucas continued, his voice low but powerful. “I remember. I was in that hospital for weeks. Not one visit. Not one call. But now I’m married, and suddenly you care?” He leaned forward, his eyes locked on hers. “Go home, Tessa.”

Her face twisted with rage. “Don’t act like you’re better than me, Lucas.”

“I don’t have to,” he said coolly. “I already am.”

I bit back a grin. That was good.

But Tessa wasn’t done. She spun to face me, finger pointed like she was about to deliver the insult of the century.

“You’re just a stand-in,” she spat, her eyes blazing. “He’ll get bored of you. He always does.”

I smiled sweetly, stepping right into her space. “You seem real worried about that for someone who ‘needed space.’”

Her face went red — bright, blazing red. She opened her mouth, probably to shout, but I raised a hand.

“Door’s that way,” I said, tilting my head toward the exit. “Don’t make me help you find it.”

Silence. For the first time, she had nothing to say. Her face twisted with fury, but she spun on her heel and stormed out. Her heels clicked loudly against the floor, each step sharp with anger.

When the door slammed shut behind her, the house went quiet. I stood there, hands on my hips, letting out a long breath.

Lucas was staring at me. His arms were folded, one brow raised. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Yeah, I did,” I said, turning to face him. “She needed to know she wasn’t walking in here like she owns the place.”

He was quiet for a second, then he smirked. “Remind me not to get on your bad side.”

“Too late,” I muttered, but I was smiling.

Lucas shook his head, laughing under his breath as he wheeled himself toward the kitchen. “You’re a piece of work, Carrington.”

“Thanks,” I said, sitting on the couch. I watched him open a cabinet, grab a bottle of water, and roll back toward me.

“Here,” he said, tossing it to me. I caught it easily, twisting off the cap.

We sat there, sipping in silence. It wasn’t uncomfortable anymore. It was… calm. Steady.

“Hey, Ava,” Lucas said, glancing at me from his chair.

“Yeah?”

He tilted his head toward the door. “You think she’s still outside?”

I snorted. “If she is, she’s probably talking to herself about all the things she should have said.”

Lucas laughed so hard he nearly spilled his water.

I leaned back, grinning. For the first time, it didn’t feel like I was trapped in a marriage. It felt like I’d found someone who knew how to fight as hard as I did.

Maybe this won’t be so bad after all.