Married To The Forgotten Heir

cked twice before opening the bridal suit

er fingers tightening around the ed

ed. "Your groom's fa

laugh. "Then I guess th

k on the flowers, leaving Aurora alone with her own reflection and

ing silly. Something that would make him smile if he read it before he walked into the ceremony. She hit s

d. Not r

bly laughing about something, probably too distracted to check his phone. She could picture it clea

d the whole week alone like she always had. He hadn't asked if she needed him. He'd just come, sat on the edge of her bed, and made her laugh so hard she'd

said, adjusting the veil with ca

mirror. Soft curls. A veil pinned just right

s was the woman she'

ving through the glass at cars that pulled away without her. She used to wonder what was wrong with her, why nobody circled back for a second look. She had promised her

was doing e

her heart jumped befor

reminder. The ceremo

hone down a l

tist asked, catching the

, and meant it, mos

because neither had thought to bring an umbrella, his tie soaked through and his hair dripping and none of it mattering at all. She thought about his mother

amily sitting in the front row. J

all clock beside the

ain. Just checking

read, the little check ma

ht, the low rise and fall of conversation, a string quartet tuning somewher

room, and for a moment her smile looked exactly like it always did ....warm, a

stunning,"

ra smiled back. "

se. Barely anything. "You

Aurora could a

groom got nervous. Phones died. There were a hundred small, boring r

fragments of two guests chatt

e ballroom right next door tonig

heard that families bare

of them laughed, and their v

lse's wedding, someone else's family d

e time again.

thing fr

ding close together in the hallway, heads bent low, voices too quiet to

tightened, j

back. Everything is fine, she told herself. Today was the day she stopped being th

n at her phone

w mes

he bridal sui

re, face pale, a phone cl

, breathless. "You