Will you marry me instead?

Elena.

" You have to attend our wedding, Elena. We still need your blessings." He leaned towards her as he seconded, that indulgence, the love that burned in his eyes as he looked at her, one that I had never seen directed at me, was like a smack to my ego, and I looked away.

But the words that he had said? So casually? So easily? Like they meant nothing? Those words had my world tilting, and for a second, I felt like I was about to pass out from anger.

'You have to attend our wedding, we still need your blessings.' I repeated those words in my heart, over and over, and each time, something twisted within me.

When he chose her over me, that hurt. When he betrayed me, embarrassed me publicly, that was a huge blow to my ego, one that I wasn't sure I was ever going to heal from.

But him shamelessly ordering me to attend their wedding? And that too as their maid of honour? And give them my blessings?

No words could accurately describe how insulted I felt.

And I swear, I have never been an impulsive person, but at that point, the words escaped my mouth before I could talk.

" You want me to attend your wedding?"I asked, so calmly, so confidently, that it terrified even me.

" Fine, I will," I whispered, a hint of contempt glazing my eyes as I looked at him.

" But, as your sister-in-law. " I added, smiling so gently, you would think I was the goddess of joy.

Well, for the first time in hours, since that public humiliation, I relaxed and wore a genuine smile.

And I watched with satisfaction as his features contorted with anger, confusion, and humiliation.

And Chloe? Well, her expression was priceless. She looked so pale you would think she was sick, and her earlier smile was already wiped from her face, replaced by shock.

" What did you just say," After what looked like centuries, Marco finally reacted, and the panic on his face was truly amusing.

" I said I will attend your wedding. " I whispered, smiling casually.

"Now, I want you to take your things and leave my home before I change my mind," I warned, and they didn't bulge. They mistook my seriousness for a stunt, maybe.

While they stood there in disbelief, I rushed into the house and came back with my phone, seconds later.

" I will give you two seconds to scram, otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless," I whispered, with the same seriousness still clinging to my voice as I pressed some keys on my phone.

They didn't move, and I didn't hesitate.

"Elena, can you stop this? No amount of acting will make me take..." Marco didn't even get to finish. I pressed call, and he was interrupted by the ringing.

" Yes " A cold voice answered from the other end of the phone, and I smiled gently before I started speaking.

" A resident from Rossi Heights. I am calling to report on harassment and trespassing, " I whispered, and there were urgent whispers from the other end of the line.

They were dispatching people. And Marco? He looked tense, grabbed his bag, shot me a murderous glare, and pulled his pathetic fiancée with him.

" The situation is now under control, officer. Thank you for your service ." I whispered into the phone's speaker before disconnecting.

By then, all I could see was their backs as they scrambled away. Perfect.

I felt like I could finally breathe. Until I recalled something.

" And Chloe? I wish you loads of happiness." I added, casually, before I went back in, locked the door, and slammed my body on the couch.

Hell, my troubles were far from over. Those two fools had just provoked me into making a whole level of mess over the already chaotic situation. I had just promised to attend his wedding as his sister-in-law, and clearly, I couldn't take that back.

And Chloe? That was solely on her. If she hadn't brought up that maids of honour nonsense, Marco wouldn't have brought up my attending their wedding.

Well, I was regretting making that promise to her. Hell no! I was regretting the very day that I met that backstabbing w*tch.

It's funny, you know? The current Chloe? That woman who could proudly stand before me, parading the man she had stolen from me while cornering me into attending their wedding? My kindness and warmth had nurtured her into the person that she was.

When I first met her, she was skinny, withdrawn, and clearly poverty was serving her generously.

She had been a scholarship student, and that was way back in high school. She was only surviving on fixed school meals, barely enough, and with little to no nutrients.

I had taken pity on her, proposed friendship, and within three months, we became friends, sisters, inseparable, and before I knew it, she had already left the dorms and moved to my apartment building near our school.

I treated her well, bought her clothes, and introduced her to my family and friends. She had always acted grateful, kind, lovely and I had fallen for it, until I saw her accepting the ring that I had assumed was mine.

Now, looking back, if I were to be given another chance, I would probably not spare her and her poverty-stricken self a glance.

And Marco? Given another chance, I wouldn't even waste my time loving him. He was such a disappointment.

But since we were already there, taking my revenge against them was my only wish. If they assumed that they could betray me and get away with it, then they were mistaken.

And my first step? Making a call. If I wasn't wrong, Lucien had mentioned something about the promised engagement.

It turned out that I wasn't engaged to Marco like he had claimed. Yes. That day, on my fifteenth birthday, he had said something about us being promised to each other, and since I was already blindly in love with him, I believed him.

But Lucien had said something else entirely. The marriage was between the Reids' family and ours. That meant I could marry any of the Reids' sons, not just Marco.

And thinking about it, a wild idea cropped my mind. What if I called Lucien and proposed a marriage?

My heart was beating wildly just from the thought, but my mind was already made up. And right before I could make the call, another call came in, and I froze in place, staring at the caller ID.

" Elena?" His familiar voice rang smoothly from the other end of the line.

" Will you marry me instead?"