Chapter 5

On the day of the wedding, the sky was an almost blinding blue.

My father forced himself to come. His best suit hung loosely over his thin frame, the fabric draping off his shoulders. Still, he stood straight, greeting every guest with a proud smile.

“Yes, I’m the father of the bride. I’m so happy she’s found such a wonderful man…”

No one could blame him for approving of George. For seven years, George had been flawless. Every time he visited my family, he brought expensive gifts. Sometimes, he even put on an apron and cooked in our kitchen like an ordinary son-in-law.

I used to think he was God’s answer to every quiet prayer I had ever whispered. If not for the lies and the betrayal… today, I should have been the happiest bride in the world.

The ceremony began. On the stage, George stood in a black tuxedo, smiling as he waited for me.

With his fingers trembling slightly, my father gently adjusted my hair as he said, “You’re so beautiful. Go on now. Stand beside your husband.”

Everything was going perfectly until the pastor asked my father to take my hand and place it into George’s.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out. Everyone turned toward the sound. A pale young woman had collapsed onto the floor, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

“George… It hurts…”

Before she could finish, her body went limp, and George instinctively stepped forward.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my father’s smile stiffen. My heart dropped. I couldn’t let him be disappointed. I couldn’t let him find out that the son-in-law he was so proud of had been deceiving us all along.

I grabbed George’s wrist tightly and pleaded in a low voice. “She’ll be fine. There are doctors right here. Just let my father hand me over to you. Let him believe you’re the man he thinks you are. Please. Just finish this part.”

He stared at me as if I had lost my mind. “Are you crazy? Josie needs to be tended to right now, and you want me to stand here acting in some ceremony for your sake? When did you become so selfish?”

Those words hurt more than anything he had said before.

The next second, he shook off my hand so violently that I fell to the ground. As gasps rose from the crowd, he strode over, lifted Josie into his arms, and turned to leave.

“George!” Clutching my abdomen against the sudden, twisting pain, I shouted at him. “If you walk out today, we’re over!”

The entire hall fell silent.

He paused for only a fraction of a second before saying, “Suit yourself.”

Then, he left without looking back.

The heavy ache in my abdomen grew sharper. Cold sweat soaked my back as I curled into myself. Slowly, a glaring red stain spread across the white of my wedding dress. At the same time, another scream pierced the crowd.

My heart jolted. I turned my head and saw my father fall straight to the ground.

“Dad!”

I tried to crawl toward him, but my body felt like it was filled with lead. Fear and pain consumed every part of me before my world went dark.

Meanwhile, at the hospital, Josie had been examined.

The doctor removed his gloves and said, “She’s fine. She just has mild hypoglycemia. The blood came from biting her lip.”

Stunned, George paused before asking, “That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

Hypoglycemia was nowhere near life-threatening, yet he had left his own wedding because of it. He had abandoned the woman he had sworn to marry, leaving her kneeling on the floor. For the first time, his usual certainty wavered.

Sensing the change in his expression, Josie coughed softly, her eyes reddening.

“George, I just wanted to see you. I’m sorry. My useless body ruined your wedding with Bella, but I didn’t mean to…”

He didn’t answer. Instead, he walked into the corridor, already holding his phone, scrolling through his contacts for my number as he moved.

At that moment, a group of medical staff rushed past him, pushing a stretcher at full speed. A white sheet covered the patient completely. Only one corner of a snow-white wedding gown peeked out, studded with tiny diamonds. Dark red blood had soaked through the lace at the hem, dripping slowly onto the floor.

When George’s gaze brushed past it, his steps came to an abrupt halt.