Semua Bab Marriage To The Wrong Monster : Bab 1 - Bab 5

CELESTE POVThe trepidation in me was enough to make me want to throw up, but I swallowed it down and forced a smile as I stepped out of the taxi.“Have a good day,” I said to the driver after he helped me pull my luggage from the trunk, but he ignored me. It didn’t matter, though. I had bigger problems than a rude taxi driver.Clutching my bag tightly, I stared up at the towering five-star hotel looming before me.I wasn’t sure whether to feel ashamed or sad that my younger sister was doing better than me. But more than anything, I was confused when I got her message last month.It had been six years since I’d seen or heard from her.What if she were also staying here? What would I even say to her?“Hi, Sophie. Thanks for thinking of me and inviting me to your wedding. I’m so sorry for abandoning you with that monster all those years ago.”No. No. No.I couldn’t face her yet. I needed more time. I grabbed my bags and made a call.****Fifteen years ago, I vowed never to return to Vel

CELESTE POVI watched the rest of the wedding like I had cotton stuffed in my ears and glass in my chest. People were smiling, clapping, crying… but all I could hear was static. All I could feel was cold.The priest’s voice cut through the numbness just once.“You may now kiss the bride.”And there it was. The kiss.His kiss.The same lips I’d kissed under garden lights last night. The same lips that made me forget my name.I blinked, stunned at how silent my mind suddenly was. No more excuses. No more pretending. It was real now. All of it.The reception followed. Loud music, champagne towers, flashing lights. But my feet felt like they didn’t belong on the floor. I drifted somewhere between reality and disbelief until two men in suits approached.I didn’t notice them at first… didn’t notice anything—until I heard a voice from behind.“Miss Celeste Marlowe. Please, come through the door.” The guard pointed at one of the doors and I led the way.My heart sank. I wanted to vanish. I wa

CELESTE’S POVThe silence between us stayed longer than expected after I lied through my teeth, telling my sister that what I had to say “didn’t matter anymore.”It mattered. God, it mattered more than anything.But I couldn’t bring myself to destroy the fragile joy in her eyes. She was pregnant. And despite everything, she wanted me to be the first to know. That kind of trust… I didn’t deserve it.Sophia looked at me, her head tilted slightly. “Where are you staying now, C? I'm sorry I haven't contacted you since the wedding.”My eyes darted away as guilt bubbled under my skin. “I’m staying at Bethany’s penthouse. She offered, and I… I didn’t have anywhere else to go.”She nodded slowly, almost thoughtfully. “Okay.”I stood up almost immediately. I couldn’t breathe in this house anymore. Her smiles were choking me, and the huge wedding photo frame was hanging adjacent to where I was seated. It felt like the walls were closing in.“I should get going,” I said quickly. “I have to pick