Chapter 3

The anger on Derek's face faltered. Then, as if he had just heard an absurd joke, he let out a low laugh.

"Aren't you being a little too immature, Celine? Did you make up such a lie just to make me jealous?"

I didn't explain. Instead, I reached into my bag for the folder with my marriage certificate and tossed it across the table at him.

Janice let out a cold laugh. "Open your eyes and take a good look. She just signed the papers this afternoon."

Derek lowered his head to glance at the folder, but he didn't even bother flipping it open to look at the certificate inside. Instead, he stared at the cover, and the certainty in his eyes never wavered for a second.

"You think I'd believe a marriage certificate you faked?"

The booth briefly fell silent before someone couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.

"I knew it! How could Celine possibly leave Derek for real?"

"That's such a lowly tactic."

Lessie yanked at Derek's sleeve lightly before looking at me with innocent, wounded eyes. "Don't do this, Celine. Even if you're upset with us, you shouldn't use marriage like a joke."

She paused before adding softly, just loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Are you really that desperate to get married? Is that how hard you're trying to force Derek into marrying you?"

The moment the words left her lips, louder laughter erupted around the table.

Someone slammed the table and jeered at me, "Oh, come on, Celine. This is just pathetic."

"Derek said he'd marry you sooner or later anyway, so what's the rush?"

"I can't believe you went out of your way to forge a marriage certificate. You must be losing your mind trying to force his hand."

Janice's eyes were bloodshot with rage. She snatched the folder off the table and was about to flip it open.

"Are you people blind? You have to look at it for just one second to tell whether it's fake or not!"

I held her hand down and said, "Forget it, Janice. We don't have to show them anything."

I took the folder back and gently wiped away a splash of liquor that had splattered onto the cover.

Deep down, I knew that they refused to believe it, not because the marriage certificate looked fake, but because to them, I was supposed to spend my whole life waiting for Derek.

Derek looked at me with a hint of irritation in his gaze. "Go home once you're done throwing a tantrum, Celine. I can let today's nonsense slide."

I couldn't help but laugh. "But I'm done dealing with you."

With that, I grabbed Janice's hand and marched out.

The moment we pushed the bar doors open, the night wind hit us. Janice's tears immediately spilled over.

"What right do they have to talk about you like that? What makes them so sure you can't survive without him?"

I looked down at the marriage certificate in my hands. The cover looked exceptionally dark under the dim glow of the streetlights, like a heart that had gone completely cold.

"It's fine. From now on, what they think is none of my business anyway."

…

The next morning, Reuben arrived to pick me up for a wedding gown fitting.

A black Bentley waited downstairs.

As soon as I got into the car, he closed the file he was reading and handed me a warm cup of almond milk. "I grabbed it on the way. You have a sensitive stomach, so have something to drink first."

When I took the warm cup, the heat radiated through my palms. For a brief second, I didn't even know what to say.

My marriage to Reuben was arranged.

After Grandma passed, several relatives started eyeing the shares I owned in the Coleman family business. The Alderson and Coleman families shared an old pact, so when Reuben proposed marriage, I didn't refuse.

There wasn't any romance between Reuben and me. In fact, we had only formally met three times before signing the papers.

Still, he remembered that I had a sensitive stomach, that I never drank iced beverages, and that my fingers had been freezing cold when I walked out of the city hall yesterday.

Derek and I had dated for seven years, but he had never remembered a single detail.

The car stopped at the door of a bridal boutique.

When I walked in, I noticed that the entire second floor had been cleared out for privacy.

The manager walked up to us with a warm smile and started the introductions. "These are all the designs Mr. Alderson personally selected last night. The gown you bookmarked in that fashion magazine has also been flown in via air freight, Ms. Coleman."

I was stunned. I had just posted a photo of the wedding gown on my social media feed once.

The caption read, "If I ever get married, I want to wear something simple like this."

Derek had left a one-word comment under the post. "Boring."

I had never brought it up again after that.

But Reuben didn't seem to notice my stunned expression. He lowered his head and pulled back the heavy curtain of the fitting room for me.

"If you don't like them, we'll swap them out. Today is just about what you like."

My nose stung with the sudden urge to cry. So, this was what it felt like to be cherished.

It wasn't constant rushing, dismissive brush-offs, or settling for just "good enough". It was having someone truly remember a passing remark you made and quietly lock it away in their heart.

By the time I finished trying on the third wedding gown, the manager walked over with a wedding venue registration form.

"This is the list of available venues open for booking next week, Ms. Coleman. You and Mr. Alderson can browse through them first."

The moment my eyes swept across the first page, I froze.

There were two familiar names on the top row of the form.

"Groom: Derek Hubbard. Bride: Lessie Davenport."

The booked date was three days from now, which was coincidentally the same day as my wedding.