A Flash Marriage: Moving on With Someone New

I stood there like the punchline of a cruel joke, surrounded by Elliot and his friends.One of them mocked, "Daniella, have some self-respect! Eli already has someone he likes, yet here you are, desperately trying to be his backup plan. We've never seen anyone as shameless as you."Another voice chimed in, "All these years, and Eli hasn't even given you a second glance. How can you still dream about being with him?" Someone else added, "I'm so sick of watching her follow Eli around like a lost puppy."Their harsh words echoed around me as I kept my eyes fixed on Elliot Coleman, desperately searching for even a hint of hesitation or sympathy in his expression. Sadly, I was left disappointed.Elliot stood with his arms crossed, wearing that signature smirk I once found irresistible. "Come on, Daniella. It's just a joke. You're not going to get upset about it, are you?" He paused before adding with a mocking tone, "Honestly, I didn't expect you to dress up and come here like this.

Rafael Peterson strode over and naturally took my hand in his. My posture straightened immediately, feeling a surge of confidence with him by my side.Elliot and his friends froze, staring at this unexpected newcomer with varying expressions of shock and disbelief.I smirked and said, "Everyone, meet my husband, Rafael Peterson.""What? No way!" someone exclaimed in disbelief.Rafael smiled politely and nodded at them. "Hello, everyone. I'm Dani's husband." One of Elliot's friends snorted, his tone dripping with sarcasm as he said, "Oh, come on, Daniella. Weren't you into Eli? Did you just grab the first guy you could find?" Ironically, I had Elliot to thank for meeting Rafael. After his first date with Isabelle, I had gone to the mall to clear my head and accidentally bumped into Rafael, staining his clothes. While I apologized profusely, he just laughed it off and invited me for coffee. We exchanged numbers, and one thing led to another.One day, he simply asked, "Would y

"If you hadn't been so foolish and self-centered, you wouldn't have pushed such an amazing woman as Dani right into my arms," Rafael stated. Elliot gritted his teeth in frustration. "Dani, I might have gone about it the wrong way, but it was all because I love you. I guarantee no one in this world loves you more than I do."If he truly loved me, he would not have stood by watching me get hurt or confessed to another girl right in front of me. He had merely used love as an excuse to hurt me."Elliot, I don't want this kind of toxic love. I would rather have none of it," I declared firmly before signaling the staff to remove him. As they dragged him away, he kept shouting, "Dani, I won't give up! I'll wait until you forgive me!"After our date ended, I looked at Rafael uncertainly. "I'm sorry... I had no idea things would turn out like this. If you want to break things off—"Rafael covered my mouth before I could finish. "Dani, don't say such things. You have no idea how happy I