Chapter 3

Early the next morning, Jake’s parents found out that he and Nora had slept together, and they showed up to force him back home.

Jake actually agreed to go. His eyes were bloodshot as he muttered, "I can't keep hurting Wesley like this."

Nora, however, refused to let him leave.

That evening, I received a frantic call from our wedding planner.

"Mr. Hart, I'm so sorry to bother you, but Miss Mitchell just bumped up the reservation for the venue you booked," she stammered, her voice panicking through the receiver.

"And... The names on the main display screen were just changed to Nora and Jake. Was this agreed upon between you two?"

Three months ago, Nora had told me how fast popular wedding venues booked up. Even though I hadn't officially proposed yet, she suggested locking in our dream setup early. White tulips, our custom entry track, the crystal floral archway, every single detail was handpicked by the two of us.

Back then, she had wrapped her arms around me, whispering, "Come next May, I'm going to make you the happiest groom in the world."

By the time I rushed to the hotel ballroom, the lights were already gleaming. The giant display screen, bright and clear, had swapped my name out for Jake’s.

Nora and Jake spotted me the moment I walked in.

Nora didn't cancel the proposal setup. Instead, she walked right over to me and whispered a quick explanation, "I'm just borrowing the venue for Jake for one night. His parents don't believe I'll take responsibility for him, and they're threatening to drag him home. You'll still get your wedding. Next year, I'll recreate this exact setup for you, down to every detail."

I stared at the crystal archway I had personally picked out, a bitter laugh rising in my throat. The future I had waited five years for was, in her eyes, just a set design that could be copy-pasted whenever it was convenient.

The moment Jake’s parents arrived, Nora dropped to one knee before Jake in front of them.

She pulled out a men's ring box. At first, I assumed she had borrowed the wedding band I had chosen for myself, too. As the spotlight hit the metal, I saw it clearly: it was a custom ring meant exclusively for Jake. His initials were engraved on the inner band, and the sizing fit only him.

Nora hadn't just handed over my wedding venue. She had already gone out of her way to order a unique ring custom-made for Jake.

Jake hesitated, his voice raspy. "Is this just a show for my parents, or are you actually going to marry me?"

Nora looked up into his eyes. "It's real. I'm going to marry you."

Jake turned his head to glance at me. He knew damn well he was standing in my place, surrounded by my wedding, looking at the girl I had loved for five years.

Yet after a beat of silence, he extended his left hand anyway. "Wesley, I'm sorry," he choked out, "I just... I don't want to be abandoned again."

Nora slid the ring onto his ring finger. Jake closed his hand into a fist, making no move to take it off.

When Nora leaned up to kiss him, he froze for a split second, but then his hands found her waist, pulling her close as he kissed her back.

His guilt was real. His desire to have Nora was just as real.

I didn't step in to ruin their moment. I simply turned around, found our wedding planner, and canceled every reservation and design plan under my name right in front of her.

"Whose names end up on this package in the future has nothing to do with me anymore," I told her.

That night, I packed up my passport, my laptop, and the rest of my belongings. Then I called the project director, Claire Donovan, to push my departure date forward.

Nora thought she was just borrowing my wedding for a single night to calm down a guy who might run off.

She had no idea I was leaving her behind, right alongside the stolen future that no longer had my name on it.