The officiant hadn't even begun our vows when my fiancé, Jeremy Nichols, pulled his childhood sweetheart, Callie Wilson, into his arms.
Drunk and rowdy, the groomsmen started chanting, "Kiss! Kiss!"
In front of all our guests, Jeremy and Callie shared a passionate kiss that stretched on for a solid minute. They only broke apart when the officiant coughed awkwardly and gasps echoed through the crowd.
Afterward, Jeremy brushed it off, telling me it was just a harmless prank among friends.
His childhood sweetheart played innocent, telling me not to take it to heart.
Smiling, I took off my veil and handed it to her.
"I don't mind at all. In fact, congratulations on your marriage."
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1
I noticed Callie's bridesmaid dress—a custom Vera Wang—wasn't just pure white; it was a near-perfect replica of my own wedding gown.
So when she slipped on my veil, she looked every bit the bride.
I took his hand, then hers, and placed them together.
"If you'd like, I can even be your witness."
The groomsmen's roaring laughter died instantly, and the air turned to ice.
Callie gazed up at Jeremy, her eyes brimming with adoration and tears.
"Oh, Jeremy, what have we done? I think Sloane is angry with us."
"Sloane, I swear I didn't mean for this to happen, I never..."
Jeremy's face darkened as he shielded her behind him.
"I told you, it was a joke. Don't be unreasonable."
His friends chimed in, rushing to his defense.
"Come on, Sloane, Jeremy is crazy about you. We were just messing around."
I stared at the handsome face that had once captivated me, now etched with concern for another woman, and the entire charade felt utterly meaningless.
If he truly cared about me, he wouldn't have let his childhood sweetheart show up to our wedding as a bridesmaid in a pure white dress.
And he certainly wouldn't have pulled her into his arms and kissed her in the middle of our Napa Valley vineyard ceremony.
Even now, a faint, self-satisfied smirk lingered on his lips.
I waved a dismissive hand.
"It's fine. Better to see the truth now. Go on, take your bride and get out of my sight."
With that, I strode toward the main gate.
Suddenly, a powerful grip seized my wrist.
Jeremy's face was terrifyingly dark.
"Haven't you made enough of a scene? Don't forget, this wedding is holding together the merger of our family empires!"
He was right.
I was the one who had pushed for this marriage.
Seven years ago, during an architectural design competition, he had given me his full support. I'd been utterly smitten with him ever since.
It took an instant to fall in love, but only a second to fall out of it.
I forced a smile, but my eyes were ice-cold.
"Don't worry. I'll never use our marriage to tie you down again."
The pressure on my wrist tightened, his voice turning frigid.
"Everything is set for the wedding, and you want to cancel now? Are you taking me for a fool?"
I glanced to the side and saw a faint smile flicker across Callie's face.
"Besides, this whole wedding was decorated to her taste, wasn't it? Champagne roses, her favorite, everywhere. Not the white lilies I prefer. So, it's perfect. The two of you can have it."
Callie immediately burst into tears.
"Sloane, I just wanted to help you... It's all my fault, I didn't consider that you might not like it..."
Jeremy cut her off.
"Ignore her. Your intentions were good; you have nothing to apologize for."
As he spoke, their hands found each other, clasping tightly.
I let out a self-deprecating laugh and strode past them.
Jeremy's cold threat followed me.
"Let her go! She'll just come crying and begging me to take her back!"
This time, he had seriously miscalculated.