Chapter 3

"What the hell are you trying to imply, huh, Luke?" Alice shrieked hysterically. "Don't even think for a second that I can't live without you! You know what? I'm not going to be a part of this wedding! It's over between us!"

She acted as if she truly had nothing to lose and had made up her mind to end our relationship. Even though her voice was shaky, there was a hint of exhilaration in it as well.

The fact that she'd spat out that ultimatum with such careless indifference completely chilled me to the bone. In her eyes, our impending marriage was something so insignificant that she could cast it aside without a care in the world.

"Fine." I calmly nodded back at her. "Since you're so unwilling to be with me, you can move out of the house right away."

Alice's breathing hitched. My unusual reaction made her uneasy. But in the end, out of spite, she grabbed her handbag and stormed out of the house without looking back.

As I stared at the mess on the floor, I felt completely drained.

Just then, Vanessa texted me, "Meet me at the bridal studio at 1:00 pm this afternoon."

…

Despite arriving at the bridal studio, I sat in the car, unable to bring myself to head in. My mind was in chaos as I stared at the glass doors.

Vanessa and I had broken up because she saw me accompanying my cousin, who had secretly gotten involved with someone and had to get an abortion once she got pregnant.

After misunderstanding the situation, Vanessa left the country without even giving me a chance to explain. Many years had passed since then, but I didn't know if she was still upset with me.

Just then, my phone buzzed. I looked down and saw a call from Alice. I thought she was calling to get back together with me. She did storm out of the house without taking anything with her.

But when the call connected, I heard her breathing heavily. Her voice was unusually hoarse as she asked, "Luke, can you give me the wedding gift you promised me in advance?"

What was she doing right now?

I frowned. In the background, I heard Cole's low voice ring out, his tone lewd. "Go on, babe. Say more…"

Hit with a belated realization, I figured out what the two of them were doing right now. My stomach churned, and my other hand gripped the steering wheel tightly.

Alice's voice abruptly shot up several octaves, and I heard a muffled moan at the end. "I'm out jogging right now. I'll talk to you later!"

After she frantically ended the call, I tossed my phone to the side and took a few deep breaths.

When I looked up, I saw the glass doors to the bridal studio opening.

Vanessa stepped out. Standing in the sunlight, she seemed to glow. She was still as beautiful as ever. It was as if time hadn't left a mark on her at all.

When she stopped me, her eyes flickered, but there was a hint of exasperation in them. She came up to me and said, "Why aren't you heading inside, Luke?"

Alice's call ended up dispelling most of my nervousness.

Without saying anything further, Vanessa hauled me into the bridal studio. She swiftly picked out a wedding gown for herself before urging me to change into a new suit.

"You should change the decor and all the other arrangements for the wedding ceremony as well," she said briskly while handing me a folder filled with brochures and samples.

I glanced at her while remarking nonchalantly, "You're making it seem like it's a real wedding."

Vanessa paused and looked me straight in the eye. "How can a wedding be fake?"

After a pause, her voice turned colder. "Are you starting to regret this?"

I met her gaze and swallowed hard, but I stubbornly retorted, "Why should I regret this? What's there for me to be afraid of when you're not afraid?"

As I looked around out of habit, my gaze swept over the display wall on one side of the bridal studio. A photograph from a wedding photoshoot caught my eye.

Alice was dressed in a white gown, smiling radiantly as she leaned into Cole's arms.

Scoffing, I got my phone out and snapped a picture of that before sending it to Alice. Three minutes later, I got an audio message from her.

In a haughty and overbearing voice, she snapped, "What the hell is wrong with you, Luke? I only took that photo for fun. Don't be so petty! I'm about to marry you tomorrow anyway!"

She'd gotten dressed in a wedding gown and taken a wedding photo for fun, huh?

I couldn't be bothered to respond, so I stuck my phone back inside my pocket.

Later that night, I'd just slipped off my shoes when a soft body pressed against me from behind.