My Marriage, Their Regret

When my brother, Keith Quinn, and my childhood friend, John Webb, hinted once again that they couldn't bear to let Vanessa Quinn take my place, I wasn't nearly as shocked or upset as I had been the first time.When I lowered my head and stayed silent, Keith took a long pause before forcing out an awkward smile. "Willow, I know Nathan is in a coma, but you never know. He could wake up any day now. And when he does, whoever's married to him will be the luckiest woman in all of Charleston."I scoffed inwardly. If marrying a guy in a coma was such a great deal, why were they so reluctant to let Vanessa do it?I didn't say a word. They assumed I was still in denial, and their expressions grew even more grim. But they were wrong. I had already made up my mind that I was going to marry Nathan Stone.Out of basic courtesy, I visited the Stone family the next day.When the Stones heard I was coming, they were over the moon. Nathan's mother, Mary Thatcher, held my hands as she wiped away he

Keith and John looked genuinely surprised. After a moment, John suddenly lit up like he had figured something out. "You didn't come all the way out here just to light a candle and pray for us, did you? I'm not getting involved.""Yeah, me neither," Keith chimed in. "Just head back already. There's a long hike ahead, and no one's carrying you."I picked up my pace and kept climbing, not wanting to waste another second arguing with them.They were convinced that I was just putting on a show, so they followed right behind me. They were waiting to watch me make a fool of myself. But this time, I didn't pay them any attention like I usually did. After lighting my candle, I closed my eyes and whispered a quiet prayer. Vanessa let out a sarcastic laugh. "What, are you praying they will love you more than they love me? I hate to break it to you, but you can't control how they feel. Not even God can do that for you."John clearly picked up on what Vanessa was implying and immediately st

Mom said, "Even though Willow is engaged, I can see you two care deeply for each other. As long as you're faithful to one another, the Stone family will understand."But now, Keith and John stood on the opposite side of me, siding with a complete outsider like she actually mattered to them.I gave a faint smile and said, "No need for the act. As long as the three of you are happy, that's what matters most."Nathan burst out laughing at my words. They never imagined I could be this sharp-tongued.Back then, Keith cared about me, and John was in love with me. I kept up the image of someone with a peaceful, perfect life.Over time, their affection gradually shifted to Vanessa, and I kept my silence. I went along with everything, swallowing my pride and pain for years.Back then, I thought keeping quiet would make things better. And I thought eventually, they would realize how much I had endured and feel sorry for me. But I eventually learned that silence only made things worse.The

Vanessa didn't stay quiet either. She kept sending me taunting messages on WhatsApp. Photos, videos, all showing how John and Keith were at her beck and call, doing whatever she asked."Don't think running away will make them come crawling back to you. Playing hard to get? Please, I perfected that game a long time ago. You leaving was the best thing that ever happened. The title of the heiress of the Quinn family should've been mine from the start," she wrote.I muted all notifications from them. Two days before the wedding, Keith showed up at the Stone residence. He was shouting at the gate, demanding to see me.I didn't want to cause trouble for Nathan or leave a bad impression on his family. So, I rushed outside, hoping to pull him away.Instead, he plopped himself down right at the front door like he owned the place. "Willow, now that Nathan is awake and you two are about to get married, that means the Quinns and the Stones are basically family, right? Our parents are gone,

Instead, John stood there on the verge of tears, looking up at the stage. "Willow, I'm here to take you home. I know we made a lot of mistakes, but that's all in the past now. I've also looked into everything Vanessa did to you."So it turned out that clearing my name had never been all that difficult. Back then, I tried so hard to defend myself, but no one believed me.Maybe it wasn't that they couldn't see Vanessa's little schemes. Maybe they just didn't care how I felt. If letting her step on me made her happy, they were more than willing to turn a blind eye. Standing there, John looked noticeably worn out. His face was unshaven, shirt wrinkled, and a sharp smell of alcohol clung to him.Nathan frowned, clearly annoyed. "John, have you lost your mind? Today is my wedding day with Willow. What are you doing here?"Instead of backing down, John snapped, his voice tight with emotion. "I'm not the crazy one. You are! Willow was supposed to marry me. She is mine! I was the one who