Rowena’s voice came through, sweet and almost coaxing, as she said, "Desmond, you know she really loves you. When you're upset, she gets scared. It seems like she really wants to marry you."
I hung up the phone, my eyes lingering on the group chat where Desmond’s friends were posting their usual cruel remarks.
[Wow, looks like the real puppet is Elara. She’ll do anything for money, even sell her dignity. Wasn’t she acting so arrogant earlier? Now that Desmond says he won’t marry her, she’s losing it. Marrying into the Hawke family as a daughter-in-law? Her family must be over the moon.]
I closed the wedding group chat, the sting of their words still sharp.
Shaking it off, I opened another group chat titled "Cool Breeze Squad."
I posted a photo of myself in my wedding dress, riding a public bike.
Along with the photo, I dropped the hotel address in the group chat and typed:
[This is my wedding. You’re all invited. Get here by public bike.]
The group instantly lit up:
[Whoa, Elara! You’ve been MIA for two years and finally pop up! How’s life been?]
[Elara, you’re telling us east while we’re heading west. But wait, you’re seriously making us ride public bikes? Is that a new flex?]
[Quit whining. Elara said public bikes, so we ride public bikes!]
[Got it. I’m on my way and I’ll be on time.]
Only one person didn’t join in the laughter.
It was Cyrus Vance, my childhood friend.
He messaged me privately.
[Who are you marrying? Desmond Hawke? Does he even deserve you?]
I could tell he had been keeping tabs on me over the years.
I grinned and replied:
[If Mr. Cyrus Vance is willing to ride a bike to propose, then I’ll marry you.]
I turned off my phone, a sense of empowerment flooding me.
Without a second thought, I grabbed the long skirt of my wedding dress and tore it in half, turning it into a short one. After all, this dress wasn’t my choice. It was Desmond’s, or rather, Rowena’s.
When the dress arrived, I couldn’t hide my disappointment. It was nothing like the one I’d picked out.
“Why isn’t it the one I chose?” I asked, my tone edged with frustration.
Desmond shrugged, his voice dismissive. "Rowena specially chose this one for you. She said it’s the best fit. You should trust her judgment. She’s a fashion designer. You can’t possibly know better than a professional, right? This is haute couture, Elara. You’ve never worn anything like this before so that you wouldn’t understand. Just trust Rowena."
Rowena jumped in, her tone sweet but patronizing. "Elara, you might not know what people in our circle like, but it’s different from your usual crowd. You’ll have to adapt. This one suits you best."
'Suited me best?' I thought, feeling the bitter sting.
She’d chosen this dress to highlight all my flaws.
And it arrived just the day before the wedding—no chance to change it. It was as if she wanted me to look foolish.
When Desmond and I first met at Winslow Group, he’d assumed I was just a low-level employee.
That day, the company held its annual family day, and employees were invited to bring their families.
There was no need for business attire, so I showed up riding a public bike, carrying a big bag of snacks for my colleagues’ kids.
As I entered through the front gate, my public bike scraped against Desmond’s car. He noticed me right away, and before I knew it, he was pursuing me.
He insisted that no matter my status or profession, he only liked me.
Back then, my father always doubted my ability to handle hardship.
To prove him wrong, I made a bet with him: if I could stay at Winslow Group, work my way up from the bottom, and stick it out for two years without quitting or getting fired, I would pass his test and inherit the Winslow Group.
But those two years had to be mine alone.
No contact with old friends, no asking for help. Just me, on my own.
I rented a small apartment with my salary, rode a public bike to work every day, and threw myself into the work at the ground level.
During those two years, I transferred between departments, gained insight into the company's inner workings, and began to earn recognition from my superiors.
I even managed to get promoted twice.
The work was challenging, but I had come this far. And now, I was about to marry Desmond. Although, honestly, things had changed a lot since those early days.
