From Ashes to Vows

On my wedding day, the person Jeremy Elliott held dearest slit their wrists.

I clutched his sleeve. "Please don't go."

He pried my fingers off with force. "Stop it, Eliza needs me now."

I watched his retreating figure, my eyes stinging with a bitter smile.

If he had no heart for me, I was done. "Jeremy, this time I'm the one letting you go."

1

The day we buried my grandpa, the sky hung heavy with clouds, and many people came.

My friend tugged my sleeve. "Jeremy's here."

I curled my lip in a mocking smirk. A whole month had passed since he fled our wedding, and I half-thought he was dead out there.

His low voice broke the silence. "I'm sorry, I'm late."

I turned slowly, and under everyone's gaze, I raised my hand and slapped him hard across the face.

Jeremy's head jerked to the side, his expression darkening. "Claire, enough."

I fixed him with an icy stare, my voice cold. "Kneel."

The prince of the Elliott family, born to privilege, would never kneel. He walked straight to my grandpa's grave and laid down the flowers in his hand. "Gordon, I'll keep my promise to you. Rest in peace."

I let out a cold laugh. "So you still remember the promise you made to Gordon."

The Elliott and Morgan families were old allies, and Jeremy and I grew up as childhood friends.

I loved him to my core, a fact everyone in our circle knew.

I loved him so much I followed him abroad for college, joined his company as his secretary, and finally got him to admit I was his girlfriend.

But his little sidepiece, Eliza, was never a secret in our circle either.

Three months ago, Gordon fell gravely ill.

Jeremy visited him, and by his bedside, they struck a deal. If we married, the valuable land in the south would be my dowry.

That land was worth a fortune with immense development potential, and Jeremy agreed.

He promised to treat me well and give me a grand wedding.

After he left that day, I sobbed by Gordon's bedside. "Grandpa, I won't marry. I'll stay with you. Please get better."

My grandpa lifted a trembling hand to touch my head. "Once I'm gone, only he can protect you. You must be happy for me to rest easy."

My parents died in a plane crash when I was five, and I grew up with my grandpa.

Once he was gone, the company and the vast inheritance he left would put me in a dangerous position.

Jeremy was the one my grandpa chose to shield me, and in return, he'd gain immense benefits.

My grandpa believed that for the sake of those benefits and our years of friendship, Jeremy would treat me well.

He was wrong.

I looked at the man before me, dressed in a black suit, his sharp features and refined air the very image I once adored.

The deeper I had loved him, the fiercer I hated him now.

I spoke wearily. "Get out. I never want to see you again."

He grabbed my wrist and leaned close, lowering his voice. "Once Eliza's better, I'll make it up to you with another wedding."

I laughed in disbelief, spitting out each word. "Tell Eliza I don't want a filthy man. Wish her luck scavenging!"

His face twisted with anger, and he yanked me so hard I stumbled.

An arm caught my waist, pulling me into a warm embrace. "Mr. Elliott, show some respect to my wife."

It was Jonny Knight. I leaned into him, my eyes lowered.

Jeremy's face darkened further. "What are you playing at?"

Jonny tilted my chin up, locking eyes with Jeremy in defiance. "Look closely. She's mine now."

Jonny leaned down and kissed me lightly. I didn't pull away.

Jeremy narrowed his eyes. "Are you using him to make me jealous? That won't work. You know I don't fall for games like this."

He raised a brow, beckoning me confidently. "Come here."

He was so sure of himself.

Arrogance born of being favored. I stayed in Jonny's arms, unmoving. "You left, so I found a new groom."

2

On the wedding day, half an hour before the ceremony, Eliza called.

Jeremy answered in front of me, his face growing colder, his eyes softening with concern.

He spoke into the phone. "I'm coming right now."

I looked up at him. "The wedding's about to start."

He replied grimly. "Cancel it. We'll do it another time."

I didn't cry or argue, just asked stubbornly yet calmly, "So many media and people from our circle are here today. Canceling now will make me the laughingstock of all Jaxperton. Is that what you want? Gordon got a special injection just to hold on and see me get married."

He cut me off, urgency in his voice. "Eliza tried to kill herself. She's in critical condition. I have to fly to Nevoria now."

I broke down, screaming. "What does her dying have to do with me?"

Jeremy turned to leave. I grabbed his sleeve, pleading one last time. "Don't go."

He shook off my hand. "There's no time. Stop making a scene."

My heart ached so much I could barely breathe, my nails digging into my palms. "If you leave, don't ever come back."

He paused for a moment, then strode away toward another woman.

I tilted my head back, refusing to cry, my heart numb and empty. This was the man I loved for so long, and I had been so wrong.

My assistant spoke cautiously. "Should we inform the guests the wedding's canceled?"

I wasn't afraid of humiliation, but I feared Grandpa couldn't take the blow. After a moment's thought, I said, "Ask Jonny to come in."

When Jonny knocked and entered, I was touching up my makeup in front of the mirror.

He leaned against the doorframe, exuding a roguish charm. "Calling me now? Don't tell me you want to rekindle things. I'm always game."

I finished my last stroke of eyeliner and raised a brow. "Good boy."

He choked on his words.

I slapped the contract my assistant had hastily prepared onto the table. "Finish this wedding with me, and the land in the south is yours."

"Where's Jeremy?"

"Dead."

He burst into a delighted laugh. "Now that's my kind of talk."

By family status, Jonny and Jeremy were equals-one a refined, aloof prince, the other a reckless, rebellious rogue.

They were like oil and water, lifelong rivals, infamous in our circle as sworn enemies.

I was out of options, which was why I turned to him.

Our relationship wasn't as hostile as it seemed on the surface. We'd even watched the sunrise together at four in the morning.

Everyone thought I was head over heels for Jeremy, but honestly, I wasn't that in love.

I lowered my gaze. "Fifteen minutes until the wedding. If you don't agree, I'll find someone else."

He took the contract, raising a brow. "I'm in. But no fake marriage. After the ceremony, we get the license."

"Fine."

The last-minute groom switch caused a stir, but the wedding went smoothly. When we exchanged rings, the Elliott family finally snapped.

Jeremy's father stood, his voice heavy. "This was supposed to be your wedding with Jeremy. How can you just swap him out?"

I gave a soft laugh and countered, "Do you know where Jeremy is right now?"

I took the microphone from the officiant. "Jeremy's lover, Eliza White, attempted suicide. He's on a plane to Nevoria as we speak. From today, he and I are done. I have no interest in a faithless man like that."

The Elliott family's faces turned ashen. Jeremy's mother fainted on the spot.

Jeremy's reputation plummeted in our circle, and the Elliotts spent a fortune to scrub the story from the internet.

I wasn't some pushover who'd take betrayal lying down. If he showed no loyalty, I owed him nothing.

I wanted Eliza to understand that some circles weren't so easy to break into, and the path to high society wasn't a stroll.

After that day, the Elliotts publicly declared Eliza a scheming opportunist, vowing she'd never be accepted into their family or step foot in their home.

3

After our tense parting at the funeral, Jeremy didn't reach out for a whole month.

That was his style-always waiting for me to cave first and make amends.

This time, I wasn't turning back.

I swiftly took over the family company and threw myself into work. I'd been Jeremy's chief secretary for four years, handling every kind of situation, so I settled into the chairman's seat with ease.

The vultures in the family, wary of Jonny's ruthless reputation, didn't dare make a move.

Everything was heading in a good direction when a "jilted heiress" story exploded online.

It painted me as abandoned by Jeremy on our wedding day, with him and Eliza as the true love story, while I played the villainous side character from some novel.

The report drew massive attention, and the scandal raged online.

Before I could act, Jonny posted our marriage certificate online, along with a photo of me at eighteen in my school uniform. "The woman I've loved for years-Jeremy thinks he can abandon her?"

His post stirred a storm, pure Jonny style.

I smirked and posted the only photo of us together. "I was blind before, but my eyes are clear now."

The narrative flipped instantly. My phone rang soon after.

It was Jeremy. I rejected the call.

That evening, Jonny picked me up to celebrate his friend's birthday.

In the car, I studied his sharp profile and blinked. "Don't tell me you've been secretly in love with me all along."

He coughed, caught off guard. "Well, you're my wife now, aren't you?"

At the party, I spotted Jeremy sitting in a corner, his face dark, his aura so cold no one dared approach.

Jonny shot a glare at his friend, who shrugged innocently. "I didn't invite him. He showed up on his own."

Jonny wrapped an arm around my waist as we walked over. Jeremy stood, staring me down. "Enough games. Come home with me."

I tilted my chin up. "What, you're eager to play the homewrecker now?"

"Claire!"

"Lower your voice. I'm not deaf." My expression hardened as I reminded him, "I'm married. Mr. Elliott, know your place and stop saying things you shouldn't."

Fury flashed across Jeremy's face. He strode over, grabbed my arm, and pulled me toward the exit. "Can't you understand plain words?"

Jonny held me back, refusing to let go.

Jeremy fixed me with a deep stare. "Come with me. It's just a wedding. I'll make it up to you."

"Let go." I spoke with biting sarcasm. "I told you that day-if you leave, don't come back. Jeremy, there's a saying: late affection is worth less than dirt."

His face twisted, and he spat coldly, "Claire, you'd better not regret this."

He left, dejected. Jonny rubbed my reddened wrist, muttering, "What a downer."

4

Word of that night at the bar spread quickly. I never expected Eliza to have the nerve to confront me.

We agreed to meet at a coffee shop outside our old high school. I arrived on time.

Years had passed, and compared to the poor, pale girl with bright eyes from high school, she looked far more polished and prosperous.

A new Hermès bag sat on the table, and her clothes were all designer.

She gave me a gentle smile. "You're as beautiful as ever."

I sat down, blunt. "You, on the other hand, are a letdown."

I meant it. Back then, that frail yet radiant girl had a fierce determination to change her fate through education.

After high school, she left without a backward glance, heading to a top university.

That unique grit was captivating, and it made her Jeremy's untouchable ideal.

Jeremy once said she had a wild, untamed energy, a vibrant life force unlike the pampered girls in our circle.

He called her special.

The unattainable always seems best. Their feelings sparked in secret during their youth, only to be interrupted by distance.

When they reunited, it was like dry tinder catching fire.

Eliza gave a bitter smile. "You know, I've always envied you. Beautiful, rich, everyone adores you. You lack nothing."

I countered, "So you took Jeremy."

"I didn't take him," Eliza shot back, indignant. "You grew up together, but we fell for each other first."

I felt sick. "When you went after him, I was his girlfriend."

"Your words are harsh." Her face paled. "I know you still love him, but forcing something won't end well."

I flashed the expensive diamond ring on my finger. "My husband's handsome and treats me well. I'm not hung up on a piece of trash. I'm not getting involved in your mess. If you're so capable, make him marry you."

I grabbed my bag to leave, but Eliza, desperate, clutched my hand. "I can't live without him."

"What's that got to do with me?"

Her eyes reddened. "You're as formidable as ever. Your coldness only makes him obsess over you, guilt eating at him."

I thought she was delusional, seeing schemes in everyone because she was full of them herself. "Tch, that just means he's pathetic."

She suddenly stood and dropped to her knees with a thud, grabbing my pant leg, pleading pitifully. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have coveted your man or tried to take Jeremy from you. I just love him so much. I want to be with him forever. Please forgive me."

Her over-the-top performance left me baffled. Then Jeremy, who'd been watching from the doorway for who knows how long, strode over and pulled her up from the floor.