Chapter 4

On the day of the engagement party, Diana arrived with the entire wedding planning team in tow.

Red roses intended for the engagement were still arranged across the living room, but people were already hauling in floral arches, bouquets, and a guest sign-in desk outside the front door.

Mom panicked. "Isn't this just an engagement party? Why are you moving in things for the wedding too?"

Diana maintained a composed smile. "There's been a change of plans. We are holding the wedding ceremony together with the engagement party today."

Mom’s face drained of color. "Why the rush?"

Diana turned to look at me, her voice retaining the refined warmth of high society. "The Fitzgeralds' projects are undergoing restructuring by the end of the month. Elliot needs a stable spouse by his side."

Those words hung heavily in the air.

I set my cup down. "I refuse."

The living room fell into silence.

Mom was the first to snap. "Willow, have you lost your mind? We’ve already accepted, and the guests are here. You're saying no now?"

Poppy stood by the stairs, her fingers clutching her skirt tightly. She was wearing a white dress again today, her subtle makeup applied as if she had deliberately mirrored my exact face.

She stared at me, her breathing quickening. Her chance had finally arrived.

Over the past few days, she had copied me wearing the wedding dress, putting on my jewelry, reading the vows, and even messaging Elliot. Now, seeing me call off the marriage, she assumed I was simply playing hard to get.

She couldn't grasp why I was backing out, only that she had to snatch the opening I left behind.

Elliot stepped up to me and lowered his voice. "Willow, don't make a scene. Once today is over, we can discuss everything else."

I looked up into his eyes. "Discuss what exactly?"

His expression finally stiffened.

Poppy couldn't hear his low murmur, only catching my refusal. Eyes rimmed red, she immediately stepped forward.

"If Willow isn't willing... I can take her place."

"Poppy?" Mom asked.

Diana, however, looked her up and down. "This isn't a game of house."

Poppy straightened her spine, acting as if the spotlight had finally shone on her. "I'm not playing around. I’m willing to take care of Elliot, and I’m willing to face everything alongside the Fitzgeralds."

Elliot stared at her for two long seconds. In those brief seconds, the hesitation in his eyes completely dissolved. To him, whoever was willing to sign was Mrs. Fitzgerald.

I looked at Poppy. "Are you sure?"

She let out a triumphant smile. "Willow, you won't regret this, will you?"

I smiled back. "Not at all."

The wedding moved along in a rush. Before the guests could even process the news that the engagement party had been turned into a full wedding, the officiant was already inviting the bride and groom onto the stage.

Poppy walked out wearing that repaired wedding dress. Under the bright lights, the mended seam along the side of her waist still showed a slight bump, but she didn't care. Raising her hand to show off her ring, she cast a smug glance across the crowd straight at me.

When it came time to sign the registry, she picked up the pen, her wrist instinctively flicking upward. She almost wrote "Willow Palmer".

The coordinator instantly pressed a hand over the paper. "Ms. Poppy, please sign your own name."

A few muffled laughs broke out among the guests nearby. Poppy’s face turned red for a second, but she quickly lifted her chin back up.

"Starting today, I am Mrs. Fitzgerald." She looked at me, genuinely convinced she had won.

I stood at the back of the crowd, holding a microphone in my hand.

When it was time to exchange vows, Poppy held her card, reading every single word without missing a beat.

"For better or for worse, I will stand by Elliot and share every burden."

Diana smiled with satisfaction. Beside her, their attorney, Mike, closed his folder.

I could hear people in the audience whispering praises, remarking how the Palmers' younger daughter was far bolder and more sensible than their oldest.

I raised the microphone to my lips. "Poppy, do you know why the Fitzgeralds were so desperate to get married today?"

Poppy’s expression shifted instantly. "What are you talking about?"

I turned my eyes toward Mike standing at the edge of the stage. "Why don't you ask him?"

Mike adjusted his glasses and opened his folder. "The debt restructuring agreement for the Fitzgeralds strictly requires a signature from a spouse. The current pending amount to be confirmed is one hundred and eighty-six million dollars."

He looked up at the stage. "Mr. Fitzgerald didn't need a bride today. He needed a Mrs. Fitzgerald who could sign her name and take the fall."