Chapter 3: The Wedding

Morning came too fast.

Rosa woke me at six with tea and a quiet smile.

“It’s time, Miss Lila.”

I got up without a word. The white dress waited in the next room. I let them do everything. Hair. Makeup. Veil. My hands stayed still while they fixed the buttons at my back. Every touch felt wrong, but I kept my face calm.

At the church the guests filled every seat. My mother cried when she saw me. Adrian stood at the altar in a black suit, smiling like a man who had already won. Maya stood beside me in soft pink, holding the flowers. Her perfume reached me again.

The ceremony started.

I said the words when the priest asked.

“I do.”

Adrian said his part in a clear voice. He looked at me like I was the only woman in the world. I looked back and saw the man who had choked me while still inside me.

When the priest said, “You may kiss the bride,” Adrian leaned in.

I lifted both hands between us.

“I’ll pass,” I said, loud enough for the front rows to hear. “Not in public.”

Silence fell for a second.

Adrian’s smile froze.

No one argued. Everyone knew who I was. Chairwoman of Nexus. The company my father built. Power still sat in my name.

The priest cleared his throat and finished the rest. We walked back down the aisle side by side. Cameras flashed. People clapped. I kept my arm in his and my eyes forward.

The after-party was at the big mansion Adrian’s family owned. Lights, music, food on long tables. Guests drank and laughed. I moved through it all with a glass of champagne I never finished.

Later I stood near the stairs and saw them.

Adrian and Maya in the middle of the room.

They talked close. His head bent toward her. She laughed at something he said and touched his arm for a second too long. No one else seemed to notice.

A small smile pulled at my mouth.

So this is how long it has even been going on.

I turned away before they looked up.

Hours passed. Guests started leaving. Cars pulled out one after another. My mother hugged me tight before she left.

“You looked beautiful today,” she said.

“Thank you, Mom.”

Maya stayed behind after almost everyone was gone. She came to me with a soft voice.

“Lila, my driver already left and it’s late. Can I stay the night? I’ll take the guest room down the hall.”

I looked at her. Same sweet face. Same sister who had been in my husband’s bed for two years.

“Of course,” I said. “Stay.”

Rosa showed her to the room. Adrian walked the last guests to the door. When the house finally grew quiet he came back to me.

“Long day,” he said. He reached for my waist. “You looked perfect in that dress.”

I stepped back a little.

“I’m tired. You should rest too.”

He watched me for a moment, then nodded.

“Alright. I’ll be up soon.”

I went to the master bedroom alone. I changed out of the wedding dress and put on a simple nightshirt. I left the door cracked open and sat on the edge of the bed in the dark.

I knew what would happen.

In the old life he had waited until he thought I was asleep. Then he had gone to her.

Tonight I waited.

Time moved slow. The house stayed silent. After almost an hour I heard soft steps in the hallway. A door opened and closed farther down.

I stood up, quiet as I could, and followed.