Chapter 1

On the day I was supposed to try on wedding dresses, I waited downstairs at Micah Walker's company for what felt like forever before he finally strolled out at a lazy pace.

As soon as he got into the car, he tossed a necklace at me. "Ariana asked me to give you this. You embarrassed her at the funeral yesterday. You should apologize when you get the chance."

I glanced at the necklace. It was a complimentary gift that came with a luxury purchase. I had seen it sitting in his online shopping cart just days ago.

"I don't want it," I said calmly.

Micah frowned. "What's your problem now? You caused a scene at the funeral, claiming I wasn't her fiance.

"You humiliated her in front of everyone, and she didn't even make a fuss. She even thought of getting you a gift, and this is how you act?"

The man who once defended me so fiercely was gone. Now, he cared only about someone else. Frustrated, Micah rolled down the window to let in some air.

After a long silence and seeing that I wasn't trying to smooth things over like I used to, he muttered, "Forget it. I'm going with you to try on the wedding dresses today. I won't argue with you."

It was the first time he had backed down this entire year.

When we arrived at the bridal boutique, a sales associate greeted us with a smile. "Mr. Walker, Ms. Preston, your custom order of twenty gowns and suits is ready for fitting."

But Micah's eyes weren't on the outfits. He was staring down at his phone, his brows drawn tight with urgency.

Noticing my gaze, he quickly put his phone away and gave me an apologetic look. "Skylar, something's happened with Ariana. I need to go to her right away. You can try the wedding dresses on your own, and pick a suit for me while you're at it. I trust your taste."

Before I could say anything, he rushed outside and flagged down a cab, leaving me standing there alone.

One of the sales associates stepped forward, hesitant. "Ms. Preston, will you be selecting the groom's suit as well?"

I looked away from the glass door and nodded.

The suit definitely needed to be chosen—just not for Micah. After all, the groom had changed.

I took out my phone and made a call. "Kyle, the wedding goes on. But I need you to find me a new groom."

My brother was stunned. "You're calling off the engagement?"

"No. He's the one getting married to someone else," I replied with a bitter smile.

To be with Micah, I fought through endless family objections and hurdles before finally earning my parents' approval. My parents even planned the launch of the "True Love" jewelry line to coincide perfectly with our wedding day.

And now, it was all for nothing.

My brother was silent for a long time before he finally said, "There's only one person I can think of—Elijah. His family's been pushing him to settle down. He's actively looking for someone."

I frowned slightly. Elijah Middleton and I had been rivals for years. On the day I got engaged, he even joked that my perfect wedding dream would crash and burn.

Now, his words had become reality.

Time was running out, and I was out of options. I said, "Alright. Reach out to him. If he says no, I'll figure something else out."

My brother blurted out without thinking, "No need to ask. He'll definitely say yes."

"What?" I was about to question him further, but he mumbled something incoherent and hung up before I could get another word in.

After choosing the wedding dresses, I got in the car and headed home. I assumed Micah wouldn't come back tonight. But just before dinner, I saw him walk through the door.

He strode over with a takeout box in hand.

"I drove all over the city to get this for you. Late-night bites from Stardust Diner."

I looked down at the ravioli inside. There were three fewer than usual, and one of them had an obvious bite mark. It had already been tasted.

Half an hour earlier, I saw Ariana Thompson's Instagram post. The photo featured the same food that was now in my hands.

"My darling brought me late-night munchies even when he's busy. Love him so much!"

I set the fork down and gave him a bitter smile. My appetite disappeared in an instant.

"I'm not hungry. Just throw it out."

Micah looked visibly irritated but restrained himself. He sat down beside me with a tired sigh.

"You have no idea how much Ariana went through today. My parents showed up at her place and berated her for coming from a family with no money.

"They said she couldn't even afford a decent wedding gift. She was so stressed, she ended up in tears."

He paused, then added, "Ariana just moved back here. She's short on money. I was thinking... we could transfer the wedding gifts your family prepared to her instead."

His tone left no room for argument, and something about it made my stomach churn.

I turned toward him, my voice thick with sarcasm. "So now I'm supposed to provide the wedding gifts for your wife?"