“Oh, feisty.”
The man let out a derisive laugh and turned to mutter to the people beside him. “Left at the altar and still acting like she's above everyone. Does she even know what kind of situation she's in right now?”
“I offer to be your groom—that's doing you a favor—and you still have the nerve to cop an attitude with me?”
The words barely left his mouth before he moved in, hands grabbing for me.
Behind him, the other men started hooting, egging him on.
“I want a turn too!”
“Count me in!”
My parents' faces went white with fury. They were rising from their seats to intervene when my phone rang.
Earlier, to give the guests something to watch, I'd had the emcee connect my phone to the giant screen above the stage.
Someone must have hit accept.
The next second, Stephen Sanchez's face filled the ballroom screen on a video call.
“Carina, why are you still hanging around the venue like you can't take a hint?”
“I already told you. Today's wedding is off.”
“If you insist on staying, don't blame me when you embarrass yourself. You're bringing this on yourself.”
Rebecca leaned into the frame beside him.
“Carina, I'm so sorry about all this.”
“I just mentioned that I wanted to see what a wedding felt like, and Mr. Sanchez put together a whole mock ceremony for me. And look—”
She stepped back so the camera caught her full body, then did a slow, proud spin.
Showing off a gown even more extravagant than mine.
“Mr. Sanchez had this flown in by helicopter from overseas. It's a one-of-a-kind piece, diamonds set right into the train. I don't even know how many times more expensive it is than yours. Oh, Carina, you're not mad at me for saying that, are you……”
Surrounded by smothered laughter and prying stares, I opened my mouth calmly.
“Of course not.”
Stephen scoffed. “Carina, you really are generous. Generous enough to hand your own husband over to someone else.”
“Well, that puts my mind at ease. I was worried you'd fall apart over me walking out. Maybe do something drastic.”
“Looks like you're doing just fine.”
“Oh, and if you've got nothing better to do, you're welcome to come down to the riverside for our mock ceremony. It's not real, obviously, but hey, it's still an experience.”
Stephen's gaze turned indulgent as he ruffled Rebecca's hair.
“Rebecca says her one regret is that you're not here. She'd be thrilled if you came.”
“I'll have to pass. I've still got a wedding to get to.”
I spoke first. “If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up.”
And I did.
Then I gathered my skirt and walked through the ballroom, heading for the doors to see if he had arrived.
The red carpet to the entrance was long.
When we'd planned it, the hotel manager said the carpet measured eighty-eight feet, one for each blessing. The grandest possible aisle for a wedding.
Now every one of those eighty-eight feet landed on someone else's laughter.
The whispers around me sharpened, cutting deeper.
“Where's she going? Don't tell me she's actually heading to the riverside to find her husband.”
“Let her go. She'll only humiliate herself more. That little secretary is wrapped up in Mr. Sanchez's arms right now.”
“I heard he chartered an entire cruise ship for the mock wedding just to make the secretary happy. Fifty million. Fifty million.”
“Meanwhile the bride's side looks pathetic. The contrast is brutal……”
Halfway down the carpet.
The ballroom doors swung open from the outside.
I looked up, startled.
Light poured in from beyond the threshold.
Backlit against it, a tall figure stepped through, shoulders perfectly squared, stride unhurried.
