All Chapters of The Runaway Groom and His Eleventh-Time Bride: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

I saw the guests off one by one, smiling gently, keeping things steady.Tom Spader's friends came over to console me."Come on, this isn't the first time. Try to be understanding.""Yeah, Tom definitely cares about you. If he didn't, he wouldn't have made it official with you.""That's right. Men stray a little, it's normal."I nodded, quiet and composed. I didn't cry, didn't argue.I just said calmly, "I understand. Please thank him for me. Thank him for giving me a title."They paused for a second, then let out a collective sigh of relief."See? Liz is so gracious.""Liz is mature. She's wife material, for sure."I waved them off with a tired hand, and once they were gone, I leaned over the trash can and threw up.Because Tom still hadn't shown up, relatives and friends were growing more and more impatient.To calm them down, I pleased them with alcohol—three shots at every table.There were fifty tables. That amounted to a total of one hundred and fifty shots.The glas

Chapter 2

The day after I was discharged from the hospital, I handed in my resignation to the orchestra director.I'd only joined the orchestra in the first place to be closer to Tom.He was the associate director—brilliant, magnetic—and I had been drawn in by his talent. I gave up my job teaching at a university just to stand beside him.For a while, I followed him everywhere, from domestic performances to international competitions.In the beginning, he never tired of being with me. Work or downtime, we were always together.Colleagues would joke that we were a match made in heaven—two souls perfectly in sync.But ever since he took in a student named Laura, his time stopped belonging to me.Now that someone else had taken my place, there was no reason for me to keep holding on.The director looked regretful and tried to convince me to stay.But my tone was firm, and after a long sigh, he signed off on the resignation.Then he asked me what I planned to do next.I didn't hide anyt

Chapter 3

I dragged my suitcase behind me and left without another word.Behind me came Gina's mocking voice, "Married five years and still jealous of a little girl? You can't even get pregnant, yet you're always finding excuses to get out of a few chores! Our family really drew the short straw with a daughter-in-law like you! You better have some self-respect—if you walk out, don't come crawling back!"My whole body trembled with anger. I was ready to turn around and snap back, but stopped myself.What was the point? When it came to cutting words, I'd never be her match. And she could say all of this because Tom allowed it.All I needed to do was leave—leave the house, leave him—and everything would fall back into place.My in-laws stood in the hallway, faces like stone, eyes on my suitcase.The housekeeper didn't move. Without their nod, I wasn't allowed to go.I looked at them directly. "Do you want to inspect my luggage?"I hadn't taken a single thing that belonged to the Spaders. Wh

Chapter 4

Tom looked at me in disbelief, then turned to Laura.From the expression on his face, it was clear—he hadn't checked his email, and he had no idea Laura had answered his phone last night.Laura, looking guilty, quickly explained to him, "You were in the bathroom when Liz called last night. I picked up for you… I forgot to tell you. I didn't mean to."Tom brushed it off. "It's just an email. Doesn't matter."But Laura suddenly screamed and burst into tears. "You didn't hear her? Liz said she sent you divorce papers in that email! I'm sorry! This is all my fault! I took up too much of your time, and made Liz misunderstand!""I'll hand in my resignation to the orchestra tomorrow," she sobbed.Panic hit Tom. He reached out, stroking the top of her head gently, trying to calm her down. "This isn't your fault. You don't need to explain anything, and you definitely don't need to quit."But Laura only cried harder.I let out a quiet, bitter laugh.I mentioned divorce—Tom didn't flinch

Chapter 5

Without another word, I turned and walked away.Just ahead, a taxi pulled up. I got in without looking back.Tom tried to follow, but Laura caught his arm."Tom, I never meant to interfere in your marriage. I've always just thought of you as an elder brother. Tom… I feel dizzy. I might be coming down with something. Can you take me to the hospital?"And just like that, he was wrapped up in her soft, helpless world—leaving me behind without a second thought.When I got out of the cab, I put on another jacket to cover the injury on my arm. I didn't want to worry my parents.As soon as I stepped through the door with my suitcase, my mother's face turned stern. My father, on the other hand, looked relieved."Have you thought this through? You really want to divorce that guy?"I nodded. "I already sent him the divorce papers. He'll probably drag things out, but I'm prepared. I plan to sue with a lawyer and take up that teaching post abroad."My father supported the decision without

Chapter 6

Tom stood there, his expression dark. "You really want a divorce?"I nodded. "I've already contacted a lawyer. The lawsuit's in motion."I was sure he'd received the legal notice by now.He looked like someone who'd just been slapped. "Is it really just because I canceled the wedding banquet? We've been married five years. Why are you so obsessed with ceremony?"My voice stayed even. "I told you from the very beginning—I wanted a wedding banquet. If you couldn't do it, you should've said so. There was no need to agree, only to cancel ten times and humiliate me each time."He knew, of course. Knew exactly what had happened each of those times. Even if he never showed up, someone always filled him in on the details.His sister, Gina, was the most diligent informant. But her reports always came with a twist—always with an extra layer of blame directed at me.Still, Tom wasn't stupid. Even if someone tried to flip the truth, the hotel surveillance tapes were always there. He knew wh

Chapter 7

When I saw Tom outside my door again, I didn't feel anything. No anger, no panic. Just a calm, distant quiet."What are you doing here?" I asked.His eyes filled with tears. "Do you know why I agreed to the divorce so easily?"He didn't wait for an answer. "Because I was sure you were bluffing. I thought you were just angry. I thought you'd come back eventually."That was always his way—asking questions just to answer them himself.I said nothing.His confidence was what first drew me to him. That bright, effortless self-assurance had once dazzled me.But later, I realized that confidence had a dark edge. It made him careless. Entitled.He thought he could do anything—keep Laura close, treat me like a live-in maid for his family, cancel our wedding banquet ten times—and I'd still stay.But then I left the orchestra we'd worked in together for five years and moved to the one city he hated most.That's when he finally understood. I wasn't coming back.When I was beside him,

Chapter 8

Gina's expression soured."I just didn't think you and Tom would last," she said. "But I never imagined he'd give up his claim to the family business for you. And let you walk away with half of our family's assets."That last part—that was what really mattered to her.If I agreed to return to the family, that money would naturally flow back to them. No loss. No real consequence.Unfortunately for her, I had no intention of playing along."I took that money legally," I said flatly. "I'm not giving it back. If you want someone to blame, blame your brother for betting on the wrong thing. He thought I couldn't live without him. But I could."I left her standing there.After that, Tom's parents, his brother-in-law, and various other relatives all tried to reach out to me.Suddenly full of sincerity, eager to persuade me to reconcile.Whenever I saw them, I changed direction without a word.When I saw Tom again, I couldn't help myself."I didn't think you were the clingy type," I

Chapter 9

Laura lit up with joy. Struggling to her feet, she rushed toward Tom."Tom, let's get back together," she said sweetly, casting a smug glance in my direction.But just then, I heard a sharp smack.Tom had slapped her across the face."I was never with you," he said coldly. "What delusion are you living in?""I let you fool around before because you were young," he went on. "But now I see you clearly. You're not just immature—you're manipulative. If it hadn't been for you meddling between us, Liz and I would never have divorced."Laura clutched her face, stunned."Tom... how could you hit me?"His eyes were full of disgust."Hitting you is just the start," he said. "If you dare show up in front of Liz again, I'll make sure you're done in this industry."She trembled, looking up at him like she was seeing a demon rise from hell.Her lips quivered. "I won't... I promise. Tom, please go easy on me."Then she turned and fled, panic in every step.But he called out after her. "S

Chapter 10

Tom went live, kneeling in front of the camera."Liz," he said, "I wronged you. It was my fault. Now, I'm formally proposing. If you say yes, we'll hold the wedding right here, right now. And if you don't, I'll propose once a month and host a wedding banquet every time. I won't stop until you agree to marry me."In the livestream, I saw his face—earnest, repentant. Behind him, a lavish wedding setup: pink roses carpeting the aisle, an artificial sky full of stars glowing overhead. Even international celebrities had shown up for the spectacle.It was extravagant, romantic, and meticulously staged.But I felt nothing.I thought of the ten weddings I had planned for him back then—each one chipping away at my savings. With the income I had, I could only afford modest hotels, average banquets. But I'd believed that as long as there was love, even the simplest ceremony would feel like joy.And yet, for a ceremony that would last half a day at most, he couldn't bring himself to show up.

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