Chapter 4

I only asked calmly, "What a coincidence?"

Layla covered her mouth in fake surprise.

Then, as if she had been wronged, she bit her lip and grabbed my hand. "Oops, Esther. Our weddings are on the same day, and there wasn't much time to prepare. I'm doing everything by myself, so I asked Timothy to help me. You won't be mad at me, will you?"

I didn't want to play along with them. I simply pulled my hand away and turned to leave.

But Layla suddenly fell to the floor and started crying. "Esther, I know you're angry. You can do whatever you want to me. I just hope you won't blame Timothy. I don't want you two to fight because of me."

Her acting was terrible.

But Timothy actually believed her.

He quickly helped Layla up and stepped in front of her to protect her.

Then he turned on me. "Esther, can you be a little more understanding? Layla is getting married soon. As her sister, you should be helping her instead of getting angry with her. I never realized you could be so narrow-minded."

I took a few steps back and put some distance between us.

Maybe even Timothy hadn't noticed that we had slowly become enemies without realizing it.

I let out a cold laugh. "I only said, 'What a coincidence?' And you already called me narrow-minded?"

Timothy froze. Then he glanced at Layla standing behind him.

He cleared his throat awkwardly and softened his voice. "I'm just helping you take care of Layla. Don't overthink it."

I nodded. "I'm not overthinking anything. So please, take good care of her. I don't have time to waste on little things when I'm busy preparing for my own wedding."

I could see the shock on Timothy's face.

He was surprised that I could calmly let him stay with Layla.

And perhaps he was confused because I had said "my own wedding" instead of "our wedding."

But I couldn't be bothered to figure out what either of them was thinking. That would only waste my time.

Layla hadn't gotten the reaction she wanted, so of course she refused to give up.

She kept coming to bother me and constantly brought up Timothy.

In the end, I moved into a hotel and blocked every way they could contact me.

I didn't speak to either of them again until the day before the wedding.

What I never expected was that Timothy would personally walk me to Noah's wedding car and boldly confess the truth. "Your whole family begged me to do this. I had no choice, so I had to ask you to marry Noah in Layla's place for now. After Noah dies in a couple of years, I'll divorce Layla and marry you."

I didn't cry and beg him not to leave me like he expected. I didn't cause a scene at the wedding either.

I knew exactly what he was trying to do.

At first, he had hidden the truth from me because he was afraid I'd ruin his wedding to Layla.

Now that he was telling me the truth, it was only because he wanted to satisfy his own ego.

After all, he and Layla deserved each other.

I said, "Okay. I understand. Just remember what you said today. Don't regret it later..."

I smiled as I finished speaking.

Then I quickly shut the car door without even looking at him.

Timothy stood there in a daze, staring at the wedding car as it drove away.

He didn't even have a chance to say another word.

...

My thoughts came back to the present. I looked at the miserable-looking Timothy standing in front of me.

I knew he wasn't here because he still loved me or couldn't forget me.

He was here because he regretted his choices.

He hadn't divorced Layla because he had learned that I was back and wanted to get back together with me.

His wife had ruined both his family's fortune and the Bardots' fortune before running away with the money.

I pointed at the man standing behind me. "My husband isn't in a coma. He's much taller and stronger than you. And don't pretend to be surprised. Didn't you come here today to attend his succession ceremony?"