My expression didn't waver. "You misunderstood. I'm getting married."
"Married?"
Andrew looked like he'd just heard the funniest joke of his life.
"You? Do you dare let this guy see what you look like without makeup?"
He turned to Luke, voice dripping with mockery.
"Fair warning, buddy—you might want to see Elena's real face before you commit to anything. Trust me, once that makeup comes off, you'll think you're staring at a ghost."
"I'm her ex-husband. I stared at that face for five years straight. I know exactly what's under there. Consider yourself warned."
Luke stood off to the side, a half-smile playing on his lips as he glanced at me.
"Ah, Mr. James. What a coincidence."
He pulled out a wedding invitation and extended it toward Andrew.
"I was planning to have this delivered to your place, but since we ran into you—saves me a trip."
"Elena and I are getting married next month. You're welcome to attend."
Andrew's face went white.
He stared at the invitation for a long moment, then let out a cold laugh.
"Elena, I have to hand it to you—your game has seriously leveled up. The acting, the props... you really went all out with a fake wedding invitation. Is there anything you won't do?"
"You might fool other people, but you can't fool me."
He tossed the invitation straight into the trash.
Luke's expression darkened. "You—"
He moved to confront him, but I caught his arm.
"It's fine."
I smiled. "The guest list is already packed anyway. We won't miss him."
I turned to the clerk waiting with my custom haute couture gown.
"Besides, we came for the dress. Let's grab it and go."
The moment I took the gown—the store's crown jewel—Sophie's face twisted.
"Andrew, look! She's taking the store's treasure!"
"You said Elena was ugly now. That she had nothing. That she'd be miserable without you—so how can she afford a custom haute couture wedding dress?"
"Is that guy actually loaded?"
"I don't care—you're buying me one too!"
Andrew snapped, clearly fed up with her whining.
"Get lost."
"Sophie, does someone like Elena deserve to even be compared to you?"
"This is all a performance. Can't you see that?"
"Why else would she come to this bridal shop instead of anywhere else? She's here to parade around in front of me. She's stalking me."
"Just wait. Give it a few days, and she'll come crawling back."
After we left the shop, Luke noticed my silence. That pained look crept back into his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Elena."
"Do you blame me? If it weren't for that bet... maybe things between you and Andrew wouldn't have ended up like this."
"And now he's marrying Sophie."
His voice was heavy with guilt.
I forced a casual shrug. "It's all in the past."
"Even without the bet, Andrew would still treat me the same way."
A bitter smile tugged at my lips.
"After all, the ways he's wronged me go far beyond this."
Luke's expression turned serious. He took my hand. "What else?"
What else...
I let out a soft, hollow laugh. "For example, six months ago, he listed me on a secondhand marketplace. Priced at $9.90."
