Chapter 2

Lisa and the others laughed heartily.

My heart felt like it was being wrung tightly, over and over again.

I had known for a while that Rowan, Miles, and Nathan had planned to humiliate me.

A few days earlier, Rowan had called me.

“Don’t you want to get married, Tessa? To be a bride? The venue is set just as you chose it. See you there.”

My heart had skipped a beat then.

He knew me too well—he knew how much I longed for marriage.

After my mother passed away, I lived with my grandmother. Now, she is gravely ill. Her only wish is to see me married, to witness my happiness before she leaves this world.

I had booked the wedding venue long ago, begging Rowan countless times to marry me—even if it was just a farce of a ceremony to put my grandmother’s mind at ease.

That one phone call had thrown me into turmoil.

I had wanted to talk to Miles about it in his study. But instead, I accidentally overheard them enthusiastically discussing how to orchestrate this idea of a cruel joke on my wedding day.

…

Rowan burst into laughter. “I just called Tessa and told her to prepare for the wedding. Guess what? She actually believed I was going to marry her!

“Tell me—how stupid can that woman be?”

“She has no idea. That’s what makes it entertaining. The best part will be her raw, unfiltered embarrassment. Lisa will love it,” Miles chimed in.

I covered my mouth in shock.

Even Miles had taken Lisa’s side.

Nathan jumped in eagerly. “What if we swap the confetti for a water balloon? Imagine her drenched like a pathetic, wet little stray.

“Just don’t let Lisa find out beforehand,” he added. “It won’t be as fun if she knows what’s coming.”

They seemed completely satisfied with their scheme, their expressions brimming with anticipation.

I stood frozen at the doorway, unable to move.

The wedding I had longed for—had meticulously planned—was nothing more than a wicked prank to amuse Lisa.

The three people who had once run across the entire city just to buy me my favorite sweets no longer existed.

When had they changed?

In my memories, Miles, Rowan, and Nathan had always loved me the most.

But ever since Lisa entered our lives, everything had shifted.

Her depression was so severe that merely seeing me would send her spiraling.

Every time she had an episode, she would beg Miles and the others to stay with her.

At first, they dismissed it, scoffing that her depression was nothing more than an act.

But little by little, their attention shifted—from me to Lisa.

First, it was Rowan, the man I had loved for seven years.

Then Miles and Nathan, who had been by my side since we were children.

Now, just for the sake of Lisa’s smile, they had turned my wedding into a spectacle.

Making her happy had become their highest priority even if it meant humiliating me.

They handled her with delicate care, yet they had no hesitation in their mistreatment of me.

A dull, numbing ache settled in my heart.

Today, I was indeed getting married.

Just not to Rowan.

I smoothed my damp hair, trying to make myself look presentable. Then, raising the microphone, I addressed the guests.

“That was just a minor mishap. Please bear with us for a moment.”

With that, I gathered up my heavy, water-soaked wedding gown and turned to them.

“I’ll go change into a different dress now. Otherwise, I won’t have time once my husband arrives.”

Fortunately, I had anticipated something going wrong and had chosen not to wear my actual wedding gown.

Rowan stared at me as if I were a lunatic.

“Have you lost your mind because I said I’m not marrying you?

“I already told you—this entire wedding was a lie. There is no groom!”