Chapter 4: Not the Groom You Expected

Evelyn’s POV

The moment I got back to my apartment, I shut the door, kicked off my heels, and collapsed on the bed, still in my dress. The silence felt suffocating, but my thoughts wouldn’t stop.

I grabbed my phone and dialed my father.

He picked up quickly. “Evelyn?” His voice was raspy. “Where are you? Are you ready for tomorrow?”

“Dad… something happened.” I whispered.

His breath caught on the other end.

“Don’t tell me you canceled the wedding,” he said. “Please.”

“No,” I said softly. “But I… I changed the groom.”

There was a long pause.

Then came the shout.

“What? Evelyn, are you serious? You can’t just switch grooms the day before the wedding!”

I flinched at the desperation in his voice. This wasn’t about pride. My father had lung cancer, and all he wanted was to see me married before it was too late.

“I didn’t plan this,” I said quietly. “Harrison cheated on me. With Fiona. Right before the ceremony.”

I braced for anger, but what came was softer.

“Oh… sweetheart.”

It broke something in me. Just hearing his voice like that.

“I just wanted to see you happy,” he said, barely above a whisper. 

“I know, Dad,” I choked. “And you will. Just not with him. I couldn’t marry someone who didn’t respect me.”

That’s when Mabel’s voice barged into the call, sharp and impatient.

“You’re seriously going through with this?” she snapped. “After everything Harrison did for you? Do you have any idea how much money was spent?”

“Mabel—”

“No,” she cut in. “He bought you that gold necklace, those designer heels, and let’s not forget the wine shipment. If you’re changing grooms, you deal with the mess. I’m not returning a thing.”

“It’s not about the gifts!” I shot back. “He betrayed me. Should I have just kept smiling and walked down the aisle anyway?”

“Oh, don’t be dramatic,” she huffed. “You should’ve at least waited until after the wedding. Now everyone’s going to be talking.”

In the background, Lily’s voice rang out like nails on glass.

Lily was my stepsister. My father’s daughter from his second marriage. Younger and just as cruel as her mother.

Lily always made it clear I didn’t belong. With every sugary smile came a sharp jab, every compliment laced with spite. She never missed a chance to humiliate me, to make me feel small, unwanted.

Just like her mother, she treated me like an outsider in my own home.

“So who’s the new guy?” she said with a snort. “Some rogue you picked up out of pity?”

I rolled my eyes. “Lily, I swear—”

“Honestly,” she kept going, “this is peak Evelyn. Always acting like a martyr. What’s next? A wedding livestream from the bus stop?”

I clenched my jaw.

“I want to come home,” I said, turning back to the only person on the call who still mattered. “Dad… I want to stay with you tonight. Please. I just… I need to see you before tomorrow.”

There was a pause again. Then, his voice came through, quiet but firm.

“Of course you can come home, sweetheart. This is still your house.”

Mabel let out a sharp breath. “Are you serious? With everything going on—”

“I said what I said,” he cut her off gently, but clearly. “She’s my daughter. And she needs her father tonight.”

I covered my mouth with my hand, trying to hold in the emotions rising up in my throat.

“I’ll be there soon,” I whispered.

“I’ll leave the door open,” he said.

I ended the call and sat there for a moment, staring at the phone.

They didn't care how I felt. But at least one person still cared about me.

I hurriedly grabbed a small overnight bag and went home. 

Before I could knock, the front door creaked open. Dad stood there, leaning on his cane, thinner than the last time I saw him. But when our eyes met, his whole face lit up.

“Evelyn!” he said, warmly. “You’re here.”

I rushed forward and threw my arms around him.

“Dad,” I whispered, burying my face in his chest. “I needed to see you.”

He let out a soft breath and wrapped his arms around me, his hands trembling slightly against my back. He didn’t say a word, but I felt everything in that hug. His worry, his love, his frailty.

I stayed there for a few seconds longer, holding on like the world might fall apart if I let go.

When we finally pulled apart, he gave my arm a gentle squeeze. “Come in,” he said softly.

We stepped inside together, slowly. His steps were more fragile than I remembered, but his grip was steady.

The housekeeper peeked from the kitchen and smiled warmly. “Miss Evelyn, welcome back. You’re still the only one who comes around. Always looking after him. He’ll live longer with you by his side.”

I gave her a grateful look, but my chest tightened.

My father lowered himself into his favorite chair with a soft sigh. His breathing was uneven, and every now and then, he coughed quietly into his hand.

“I thought you’d be preparing for your big day,” he said gently. “I didn’t expect to see you here… not like this. The wedding’s tomorrow.”

Dad sighed and said. “That Harrison… I should have seen it coming.”

He reached over and held my hand. His grip was faint, but warm. “My biggest regret is not being well enough to protect you. You deserved better.”

“Don’t say that,” I whispered. “You’ve always been the only one who cared.”

He was quiet for a moment, then asked, “Do you trust this new man?”

A shadow crossed my father’s tired face, but he reached for my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“I’d broken up with Harrison a long time,” I lied. “Dominic… is quite reliable, and someone I can count on.”

“As long as you’re happy,” he said quietly. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

I spent the night in my old bedroom, wide awake, staring at the ceiling. Tomorrow loomed, and I was marrying a man I barely knew… yet I wasn’t as afraid as I expected.

By morning, I was already up when the doorbell rang.

“Makeup artist is here.” The housekeeper called from downstairs.

I readied myself and moved to sit at the vanity. Then came Lily’s sneering voice, from the hallway.

“Well, look who’s still getting dolled up for a last-minute disaster,” she said, arms crossed. “Didn’t know you had anyone left to pay for this.”

Before I could reply the makeup artist did it for me.

“Actually, Mr. Dominic arranged everything,” she said smoothly. “Last night. Paid in full.”

Lily blinked, mouth hanging open. I didn’t say a word. A few minutes later, my phone buzzed.

Dominic.

I stepped away and picked up. “Hey,” I said softly.

“You’re awake?” he asked.

“Been up all night.”

“The artist’s there?”

“She just arrived.”

“Good. The church is set. Everything’s on track.”

I paused. “Dominic… you know, if you have any doubts… it’s not too late to back out.”

There was a pause.

Then his voice came, low and calm.

“I never regret my decisions.”

Click.

He ended the call before I could say anything else.

I stared at the screen for a second, heart beating fast. And for the first time that morning, I smiled.

A long while later, I was set. The satin of my gown rustled as I turned toward the mirror. I barely recognized myself. The dress clung perfectly, the veil soft against my back. It was beautiful—just not how I imagined wearing it.

Then Lily appeared in the doorway, eyes scanning me head to toe.

“That’s the dress?” she asked with a smirk. “Kind of a waste for a backup wedding. I heard your new groom’s from a hospice. Is he even walking, or being wheeled in?”

I said nothing.

Mabel entered next, arms crossed. “Wearing silk doesn’t change the fact you were dumped. And now you’re marrying someone random? You’re embarrassing the family.”

“Dominic isn’t random,” I said evenly.

Mabel raised a brow. “Oh? Then what kind of man agrees to marry a castoff overnight? He must be probably older than your father.”

Lily laughed. “Hope he makes it down the aisle.”

A honk outside cut her off.

We turned to the window.

A white Rolls-Royce pulled up, followed by a convoy of black luxury cars. Neighbors stopped to stare. Phones came out.

Mabel’s jaw dropped. “Is that… for you?”

Lily blinked. “That’s got to be a mistake.”

I picked up my bouquet without a word.

Mabel followed, voice unsure now. “He must be loaded. But rich men are usually nightmares.”

Then the door opened.

Dominic stepped in, dressed in a flawless white suit. Every detail, his posture, his presence, radiated confidence. He looked nothing like the scruffy man I once knew.

Lily stared, stunned.

Dominic ignored them completely, came straight to me and held out his hand.

“The timing is perfect,” he said.

His voice felt distant, like it was echoing through a dream.

 I was stunned, unable to process the Dominic standing before me. It was as if my world had blurred at the edges, and some kind of fairy tale had quietly taken over.