Chapter 1

In the church, the pastor gently reminded, "The bride and groom may now exchange rings."I, Joycelyn Chilton, extended my ring finger and waited quietly, but Theodore Gunther didn't move. He stared intently at the message on his phone before he suddenly tossed the ring and rushed out.I took out my phone and saw that Gwen Lithgow had just posted something on her social media account. The photo was of a hospital bed, and the caption read, "Came back all alone for treatment. How sad."The guests began to whisper about the groom suddenly running away from his own wedding when my brother, Alvin Chilton, stepped forward."Joy, you've always been strong, so I know you can handle this alone. Gwen needs me more than you right now."With that, he was out the door as well.Both of them had deserted me for the same woman.I tried calling Theodore's phone, but it remained unreachable. Soon, I noticed that Gwen had updated her social media account again.In her photo, both Theodore and Alvi

Chapter 2

When I called my biological parents, they were pleasantly surprised.My mother shrewdly noticed the disappointment in my voice and comforted me. "Joy, I'll say it again. If you're unhappy, don't forget that you have another home. Your father and I will always be waiting for you at home. Always.""I know. I still need another five days to sort out my resignation and complete the handover. Then, I'll return home!""Alright. We'll book your plane tickets for you then. Take the next few days to properly bid farewell to your brother. No matter what, your father and I will always be behind you, protecting and supporting you."Tears streamed out of the corners of my eyes. Alvin and Theodore had said that they'd always protect me and would always be my safe harbor.Theodore had even said that he would take me as his wife when he grew older and spend the rest of his life with me. He couldn't imagine being apart from me, not even for a second.So when my biological parents came looking, I

Chapter 3

After sorting out my thoughts, I returned to Theodore's and my house. I had personally decorated the place, and we had planned to move in here after the wedding.I had just opened the door when I saw Gwen, wearing a beautiful new dress, eating fruit on the couch.My favorite flowers had been thrown in the trash, and my favorite ceramic mug was now in pieces, also lying at the bottom of the bin.Even the throw pillows and rugs that I had chosen had now all been replaced with ones that Gwen liked."You're home, Joy? I just had surgery for a fracture, and I need to recuperate. Theodore had me move in, saying that it was more comfortable at home than in a hotel," she said, her smile smug."As you know, I'm allergic to pollen, so I had no choice but to throw the flowers away. And I accidentally broke the mug when I was getting some water to drink."The ceramic mug had a small puppy painted on it, and it was the first present Theodore had ever gotten me. I hadn't had the heart to use i

Chapter 4

After packing my things, I went to the orphanage where I grew up to say goodbye to the director, Madam Jones, whose hair had gotten grayer over the years.I had bought her several years' worth of gifts in advance, then gave her a big farewell hug."My dearest Madam Jones, I'm leaving this place and going somewhere far, far away. I won't come back here for a long while."Madam Jones pinched my cheeks and asked, "Did someone bully you and make you unhappy, Joy? Where's your brother and Theodore? Why haven't those two looked after you? You don't look well at all."I gave a small laugh. "No one bullied me. I've simply found my real family, so please give me your well wishes."When I left the orphanage, my biological parents called to wish me a happy birthday. Along with their blessings, I received a notification that a million dollars had been transferred into my bank account.In the description that asked the reason for the transfer, "Happy birthday to our daughter!" was written.M

Chapter 5

I leaned weakly against the wall, unable to speak from the immense pain. Tears of despair streamed out from the corners of my eyes.I recalled the words Gwen had said to me on board the cruise ship. "Who do you think is more important to them? Me or you?"I knew now that the answer was Gwen. I didn't matter to either Alvin or Theodore at all.Not long after, the trauma doctor called an orthopedic surgeon over for a consultation. Now that there were enough doctors, there was no need to argue about who went first. Gwen and I were taken into surgery at the same time. Alvin held my hand and said, "I'm sorry, Joy. I… We didn't know…"I pulled my hand away and turned my head, not wanting to look at him. I wasn't going to hold the slap against him. I'd just consider it payment for all the care he had taken of me over the years.I closed my eyes. "I hope we never see each other again," I thought to myself.After the surgery was over, I found myself waking up in a hospital bed with Th

Chapter 6

Theodore glanced at the invitation and frowned. He said, "It's just someone with the same name. The Forrester heiress has been studying abroad all this time. Moreover, Forrester Group is now a Fortune Global 500 company. If they were Joy's birth parents, then they would've come looking for her." Alvin thought that Theodore's explanation was reasonable. However, he felt an inexplicable sense of nervousness somewhere deep down, as if something important was slipping away from him.Meanwhile, I was having dinner with my biological parents at the Forrester residence."You really don't have to go through all this trouble, Mrs. Forrester," I said, feeling both moved and helpless as I stared at all the food that had been heaped onto my plate."You're still calling me Mrs. Forrester?" my mom asked, pouting.My face flushed pink at her comment. "Mom…""That's better! You're too thin. Come, eat more," she said while beaming at me. She even grabbed a spoonful of food and said, "Here, Joy.

Chapter 7

Hunter accompanied me when I went to try on wedding gowns.My arm was still in a brace, so it wasn't particularly easy for me to dress and undress. Hunter, however, stayed by my side to help me, with nary an ounce of impatience.I tried on several gowns until I noticed one labelled "Evening Star". This was a wedding gown I had designed while in college. I later sold it to help Alvin and Theodore get their businesses off the ground.I never expected to see the gown here in this bridal boutique.This boutique was one of the Straydens' assets. It turned out that the mysterious buyer from back then had been them."You like this one?"Hunter took the gown off the hanger, helped me put it on, then carefully zipped it up for me. He then found a white lace fabric to use as a shawl to conceal my arm brace.He bent down and carefully adjusted the train of my gown. He was very meticulous and took it seriously. It was as if I were a precious treasure that he needed to care for faithfully.

All Chapters of Leaving Me Alone at the Altar: Chapter 1 - Chapter 7