All Chapters of Not Your Second Choice: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The brilliant lights in the hall dimmed, leaving a concentrated glow upon the stage. The bride and groom stood bathed in radiance—she in her flowing white gown, he in his impeccably tailored suit. They were the perfect picture of beauty and elegance.The background music shifted, rising into a crescendo, infusing the air with a palpable sense of excitement. The wedding ceremony had reached its peak.Deidre clasped her left hand over her right, her palms damp with sweat beneath the delicate white gloves. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, each beat echoing like a drum in her ears. She was so nervous it felt as though her heart might leap into her throat.Her gaze settled on the man before her, a mix of elation and unease swirling within her. Micah Landon—one of Salve City's most eligible bachelors, heir to one of its most powerful families—was about to marry her. It felt surreal, like a fairy tale come to life. A Cinderella marrying her prince, with all the incredulity that e

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 fa

After a long string of coaxing and placating, Kiera finally managed to calm Vincent's seething anger to a simmer. She tugged at his arm, steering him towards their room to change out of the formal attire they'd worn for the wedding.As they reached the stairs, Kiera glanced back and saw Deidre sitting quietly on the living room sofa. Her gaze was fixed on the front door, unblinking, her expression unreadable but for the faint furrow in her brows. Kiera hesitated, then called out, "Deidre, go change into something else, won't you?"Deidre didn't move. It was as if her ears had turned deaf to the sound of her stepmother's voice."That girl's just like her mother—a cursed woman through and through!" Vincent spat as he ascended the stairs. "What bad luck it's been to have a daughter like that!"Deidre's eyes flickered for a moment, a ripple disturbing their stillness. Her hands clenched tightly, nails digging into her palms.It wasn't long before Valerie and Johnny returned. The atm

"I'd rather never get married in this lifetime than marry Micah. Never!"Deidre stopped laughing, her face freezing over, her voice sharp: "I think you've misunderstood something. When I said 'fine,' I meant I'll leave this house, and you can all go ahead and live your happy little lives."Since middle school, Deidre had been a boarding student, and the bond between her and her father, Vincent, had always been tenuous. The estrangement between them was as thin as the paper separating two worlds. In a blended family, when there are children from previous marriages, someone always ends up hurt. Vincent's fatherly love had been doled out almost entirely to his other children, Valerie and Johnny, leaving only the scraps for her. It was like charity, barely a gesture.Now, standing on the edge of her limits, she had had enough. Absolutely enough."Fine! Fine then!" Vincent, enraged, his face contorted, pointed toward the door and bellowed, "I'll cut ties with you today! Get out! Get o

Her forehead had a faint beauty mark, a delicate peak, and long, distant mountain-shaped eyebrows. Her slender, bright eyes shimmered with a quiet glow, and her petite nose and full lips, while not strikingly beautiful, had an understated, classical charm, like a lady in an ancient classical painting.It was especially those eyes—gracefully lifted at the corners—where the soft glimmer of light seemed to dance with a warmth that stirred the heart.Her temperament was elegant and serene, perfectly harmonizing with her features. She resembled a polished jade, so captivating that it made one forget the world around them.Looking at her face, Micah felt something deep inside him stir, something his heart had been holding still for seven years. His smile deepened, and a quiet meaning flickered in his eyes.Seven years later, he never expected to encounter Deidre in a setting like this.Compared to the twenty-year-old version of her, Deidre now exuded a quiet maturity. Those eyes, though