Chapter 3

A week before the wedding, Mom suddenly said she wanted to meet Diego.

I was surprised, but beneath it all, a tiny spark of hope flickered to life.

I booked a table for lunch the next day and asked Diego to dress nicely. I arrived at the restaurant at eleven-thirty, ordered a full table of dishes, and waited.

One o'clock.

Two.

Three.

The lunch crowd came and went. Eventually, the restaurant switched on its warm evening lights.

But they never showed up.

My phone lit up.

Mom had finally replied: [Rory, something urgent came up today. We'll meet another time.]

At that exact moment, a new message popped up in the family group chat. It was from Rianne.

[Look! Mom took me to get my wedding nails done. Aren't they gorgeous?]

The photo showed her fingers covered in glittering rhinestones. Under the lights, they sparkled so brightly they made my eyes sting.

Ace immediately replied: [Beautiful! They suit Rianne perfectly.]

Dad followed: [They look great. Thanks for all your hard work, sweetheart.]

My hand trembled as I lowered my phone. So Mom's "urgent matter" was taking Rianne to get her nails done.

'Rory, oh, Rory, what are you still hoping for? The more you hope, the more of a joke you become.'

I swallowed every emotion and shook my head at Diego, who was watching me with concern.

"I'm okay. Let's have them bring out the food."

His eyes were full of heartache. "The day after the wedding, we'll fly to Switzerland, and we're not coming back."

I smiled and nodded. "Yeah. We're not coming back."

When I got home, the living room was in complete chaos. Everyone was busy.

Dad was trying to squeeze more things into Rianne's hope chests, pressing down as hard as he could, but they were already too full. Both chests were packed to the brim, yet several bedding sets were still piled on the floor.

Summer sets and winter sets, all in bright colors.

"Rianne, we'll bring the rest separately," Dad said.

Mom turned to me, and there was even a hint of reproach in her eyes. "What took you so long? You're getting married soon, yet you've done nothing to prepare."

My throat tightened. "I waited for you until four o'clock today."

Mom's expression darkened. "I already told you something urgent came up. I've been running around nonstop getting everything ready for your weddings. Not once have I heard you say thank you. Instead, I have to put up with your attitude every day."

"Getting a manicure was your emergency?"

The moment the words left my mouth, Ace shot to his feet. "Rory! Mom spent the entire afternoon shopping for things for your weddings! She didn't get a chance to sit down once! She already packed your things and put them in your room.

"Do you really have to make such a big deal over one meal? What, is your fiance dying? Couldn't he wait until after the wedding?"

I stared at him in disbelief, unable to believe my own brother could say something so vicious about the man I was about to marry.

The living room fell silent. The only sound left was Mom quietly crying.

I'd seen this scene countless times before.

Once again, I was the villain.

In the past, I would've apologized immediately. I would've admitted everything was my fault.

But now, I was just tired—exhausted to the core.

Without another word, I turned and went back to my room.

Two sets of brand-new bedding lay beside the bed. I looked around the rest of the room. There was nothing else.

So this was the dowry Mom had been "running around all day" to prepare for me.

In the otherwise empty room, the two gift envelopes stood out like a silent mockery.