Discarded Bride, Billionaire's Obsession

was wrong when my fiancé didn'

y perfectly-too perfectly, actually, because I'd barely eaten for three days straight. My s

ful," the makeup artist sai

would look at me the way he used to, back when we first met at that charity gala three years

buzzed.

ng late. Sta

t him? At ou

hook as I

t without you? Adrian, e

red. Disappeared

k down the aisl

thing twisted in my chest. This wasn't

ing planner poked her

was overreacting. Maybe he really was just stuck i

pped into the ha

yi

tched, dramatic kind that m

the marble floor. A crowd had gathered near the bri

ere sh

li

everything. Except hers was stained with red wine down the front, and she w

any emotions at once that I just froze. I di

, to see what Emma would look like, and then someone bu

murmured, stroking her ha

d been punched

on?" My voice came out

and for a split second-just a split secon

it wa

t go of Melissa. "There's been

dress?" I cut him off. "Why is

milar..." Melissa started, bu

bric. Same embroidery. Same pearl buttons I'd

he stood there, confidently, shamelessly, wearing what was supposed to be mine. A scream tore from my throat before I could stop it. I wasn't just shocked, I was stunned, insulted, and ho

"Emma, you're m

ed even to my own ears. "Your friend is wearing my wed

tone I'd grown to hate. "She wanted to make sure everything was perfect for y

I repeated in

stepping toward me. "The guests are waiting. Go get chan

m dumb. What the hell just happened here. My mind

ng was to him. Someth

at him straight in the eye trying t

ha

'm supposed to be we

elissa. That look told me

" I whispered. "You gav

, lis

ening while you came home late, while you forgot our anniversaries, while you took her to the

bing my arm. His fingers dug into my skin.

ed people. His family. His bu

o keep the guest list professional. Because my family wasn't im

of me,

ma.

t you understand i

ere furious. "You're e

der this time. "I

d. Every phone was out. E

nced. "Because the groom seems to have al

the crowd. Adrian's fa

ou doing?"

ff this joke o

that had never quite fit right because he'd bought

dly, you can pay for it. Fifteen thousand dol

walke

ed, one foot in front of the other,

s. My hands were trembling, my throat was tight like I'd

hing at once. I felt their eyes on me. I felt the weight

r woman. And the man I was supposed to marry

Told her to pay for the

ut also proud. Proud that I chose myself this fucking t

at tomorrow would look like. But at th

ow, that