Chapter 3

Deidre recognized the wedding ring—it was the same unfamiliar one that had appeared earlier at the ceremony.

Micah's voice broke through the heavy air, low and dripping with disdain. "You're not worthy of this ring."

Her heart shuddered at his words, and pain flared across her jaw as he harshly released her.

Without so much as a glance back, he stepped into the car, slamming the door shut with finality. His expression remained cold as he instructed the driver, "Drive."

Desperate, Deidre chased after the car, her bare feet burning against the scorching pavement. The southern Salve City was in the grip of a relentless summer heat, but she barely noticed. The pain in her feet seemed distant, insignificant compared to the ache in her chest.

She ran with abandon, her cumbersome wedding gown tangling around her legs, until she tripped and fell hard onto the unforgiving ground. Her knees and elbows scraped against the rough asphalt, bleeding slightly. She looked utterly disheveled, a far cry from the radiant bride she had been moments ago.

The driver, catching sight of her pitiful state in the rearview mirror, hesitated. His foot eased off the gas, and he ventured cautiously, "Young Master Micah, Miss Deidre is—"

"Did you not understand what I said earlier?" Micah's tone was sharp, cutting.

"Yes, sir!" The driver stiffened, not daring to say another word. He pressed harder on the accelerator, and the car sped away.

For a fleeting moment, Deidre thought she saw the car slow down. A glimmer of hope ignited in her eyes. But it was gone as quickly as it came.

The car roared forward, disappearing into the distance, leaving her behind.

She sat where she had fallen, her meticulously applied bridal makeup now smeared and ruined. The oppressive summer sun bore down on her, but she didn't care. Perhaps if her body suffered enough, her heart might hurt a little less.

The sound of approaching heels broke through her haze. A shadow loomed over her, and Deidre slowly looked up to see Casey Landon standing before her, her elegant face frosty with disdain.

Casey crouched down, bringing their gazes level. Her lips curled into a cold smile as she produced her phone, unlocking it and flipping through her photo album. She held it out for Deidre to see.

"Take a good look. This is my brother's first love."

Deidre's face drained of color the moment her eyes landed on the photo. The girl in the picture was young, no older than eighteen or nineteen. Her delicate features radiated joy, her hand raised in a playful gesture that highlighted the ring on her slender finger—a ring identical to the one Micah had just dismissed as unworthy of Deidre.

Her breath caught. The resemblance was uncanny. The girl's eyes, especially, bore a startling similarity to her own.

"This photo," Casey said coolly, "is why my brother took an interest in you."

Deidre's mind reeled. 'You're not worthy of this ring.' Micah's words came rushing back, sharper than ever.

"So, I'm… her—" Deidre began, her voice trembling.

"Her replacement," Casey finished mercilessly. Her tone was detached, but each syllable landed like a dagger to Deidre's heart.

"No… that can't be," Deidre murmured, her voice barely audible. Yet her body betrayed her denial, trembling uncontrollably. Though the summer heat was oppressive, she felt as if she had been plunged into an icy abyss.

She was a joke. Right from the start, she had been nothing more than a substitute.

Casey watched Deidre descent into despair with evident satisfaction, though her anger hadn't quite abated. She raised her hand and struck Deidre across the face.

The slap echoed sharply.

Deidre's head snapped to the side, her cheek instantly stinging with heat. A vivid red mark bloomed across her pale skin, the outline of fingers clear and unrelenting.

"Today, you humiliated my brother in front of everyone," Casey said coldly. "You turned this wedding into the laughingstock of the entire Salve City's elite. You should be thankful my parents left in disgust early on. If they were still here, you wouldn't have gotten off with just a slap."

Deidre bit her lip, the metallic taste of blood filling her mouth. Slowly, she turned her face back to Casey, her eyes red-rimmed but resolute. Tears welled up but refused to fall.

"I didn't do anything to betray him," she said through clenched teeth.

"Spare me the pitiful act," Casey sneered. "Who do you think you're fooling?"

Her disgust was unmistakable, simmering just beneath the surface. She straightened, slipping her phone back into her pocket. With a final disdainful glance, she added, "You're just a shameless woman clinging to lies and excuses. Disgusting."

Without another word, Casey turned on her heel and walked away.