Chapter 1

Hotel Ballroom, Borevia City

"This wedding's nuts. You hear? Alden's childhood sweetheart is about to throw herself off the roof."

Meredith Martinez froze in the waiting room, those words outside the door slicing straight through her.

Vicky Beech. Suicide attempt #99.

Meredith should've felt nothing.

But it was her wedding day.

And once again, Vicky was pulling another stunt, Meredith already knew—she'd be the one stepping aside.

Five years with Alden, and every damn time Vicky so much as hiccupped, he dropped everything.

Sometimes Meredith felt like she might as well have been the side chick.

Last time he ditched her for Vicky, he swore it was the last.

That promise? The only reason she was in this damn dress.

"If she wants to die, let her. Why are you calling me?" Alden's voice drifted through the crack of balcony doors—cold. "Jump? She won't. She's all drama. Has she ever even drawn blood?"

He said something else, too quiet to catch.

Then he hung up and turned—eyes meeting hers.

Her heart kicked. 'He didn't run to Vicky this time.'

Maybe this time he actually meant it.

"What are you staring at? Ceremony's starting. You ready?"

Blank face. Same as always.

Still, Meredith smiled.

Yeah, to her, he had that whole emotional detachment thing wired into his DNA.

But Meredith had crushed on him forever, and once it turned real, she threw everything she had into them.

Now they were finally here.

'I have to mean something to him. Why else would he say yes?'

Grinning, she linked arms with him.

"Alden, we're finally getting married..."

"Yeah." Flat.

The waiting room doors burst open—

"Let's welcome the bride and groom!" the emcee yelled as the crowd snapped to attention.

Meredith walked toward the stage clinging to Alden's arm, glowing.

"Let's all congratulate—"

A phone rang.

Laughter trickled in. The emcee stalled.

Meredith's smile dropped.

That ringtone was set for Vicky especially—her personal nightmare.

Alden pulled out his phone. "What now?"

The emcee scrambled to keep things afloat, clearly out of his depth.

Then—

"I'll be right there." Alden was already moving.

He stepped off the stage.

Boom. Ballroom chaos.

"Don't go..." Meredith chased him, dress bunched in her hands. "You promised!"

He paused, frowning—at least that's how it looked to her, like he was doing the math.

After a beat, he said, "Vicky really jumped. I have to check it out. Calm the guests—I'll be back."

She grabbed his wrist. "If you leave, I'm not marrying you!"

He pried her off him. No hesitation.

"Then don't regret it."

Her heart shattered. Tears ran hot.

Alden saw Meredith crying. Something flickered.

The truth was, he still figured she'd fold.

Like always.

She ditched her cushy rich-girl life just to be with him in Borevia, fought her whole family to stay.

Her biggest dream? Marrying him.

Every time Vicky blew up, Meredith cleaned up the mess.

But now she was threatening to walk?

He guessed she'd finally snapped.

Still... a thought nagged him—what if Vicky actually meant it this time?

He couldn't just let Meredith throw a tantrum and blow this up.

Alden opened his mouth—

His phone buzzed again.

He answered, turned, and ran.

No goodbye. No explanation.

Just gone.

Guests looked around, totally stunned.

What the hell just happened?

Did the groom really just dip?

As chaos cracked through the ballroom, Meredith wiped her tears, stood tall, and grabbed the mic from the frozen emcee.

"Sorry, everyone. The wedding's canceled."

The room blew up.

But she couldn't care right now.

After today, she'd be the biggest joke in Borevia.

Everyone knew how deep she was in with Alden—how she'd turned down rich guys left and right just to stick it out with someone who had nothing.

She thought she'd finally made it to the light at the end of the tunnel.

Instead, she got left in the dark. On her wedding day.

***

When Meredith burst out of the hotel, the entrance was packed.

Not far ahead, Alden was carrying Vicky down from the rescue air cushion.

She was in a wedding dress, face blotchy from crying.

"Alden, how could you leave me all alone? Didn't we promise to be together forever?"

"Stop it." He frowned a little, but his face stayed blank.

Vicky cupped his face, staring straight into his dark eyes. "No! I won't!"

Meredith's first instinct? She expected him to snap.

She'd done that once, years ago—held his face, looked at him like that.

He'd shut her down cold.

"I don't like people touching my face," he'd said, voice like stone.

But now?

He didn't move.

Didn't flinch.

Just let Vicky touch him like it was nothing, until she smiled through her tears.

Meredith used to think Alden's emotional distance meant he was just cold with everyone.

But watching him now—carrying Vicky to the ambulance—

Meredith finally got it.

She'd been a total fool.

For years, she thought if she just stuck it out, stayed loyal, kept loving him hard enough, he'd eventually fall for her.

That one day, those cold, perfect eyes would finally light up—for her.

But nope.

Reality didn't just hit—it slapped her clean across the face.

Alden had feelings.

Just not for her.

Meredith smiled as the tears slipped down.

Five years...

What did she even mean to him?

'Meredith, You're so naive. So pathetic.'

The last five years were just one big, pathetic dream.

And now that it was finally shattered?

Time to wake up.

She walked back to the lounge, peeled off the wedding dress, and changed into her regular clothes.

***

The wedding drama was still fresh gossip. So when Meredith walked back into the law firm, the office buzz died on impact.

She didn't flinch. She'd never been the fragile type. In college, she chased the golden boy of law school—Alden—and caught every joke thrown her way.

She'd gone all in. No fear, no backup plan. And now that she'd hit the pavement? It finally clicked—he never liked her.

She headed straight to her desk, printed her resignation, signed it, and dropped it on Alden's.

The second it hit the desk, her phone lit up.

[Alden calling.]

"I heard you canceled the wedding. Why didn't you talk to me first? Do you have any idea how bad this makes the firm look?"

"What was I supposed to do?" Meredith snapped. "Make everyone wait around while you played hero for your damsel in distress?"

Silence.

Alden hadn't expected her to bite back. In his mind, she'd always orbited him like sunshine—always upbeat, always patient. She never snapped.

"My bad," Alden said, cool as ever. "I didn't think it through."

Meredith let out a sharp laugh. God, she'd been so reckless—thinking someone that emotionally flat could actually love her.

She eyed the resignation letter. "Alden, I'm re—"

A sugary voice cut in. "Alden, my back hurts. Come rub it for me, okay?"

"I'm busy. We'll talk later."

Click.