Virginia's parents shot me a look full of disappointment and disdain.
Meanwhile, Cassie stood by, sobbing loudly.
"Bad man! The bad man bullied Daddy! I don’t want him here!"
"I want Daddy! I want Daddy!"
Hugh let out a weak sigh and leaned against Virginia for support, his arm draped over her shoulders.
"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I just told Bryan that I agreed to stand in for him at the wedding, but I didn’t expect him to take it the wrong way…"
"Don’t be mad at Bryan. He didn’t mean it."
Lying on the floor, humiliated, I let out a cold laugh.
"Virginia—our wedding, the car accident, this child… shouldn’t you give me an explanation?"
Her expression stiffened, and a flicker of panic flashed through her eyes.
"What is there to explain? You got into a car accident. What does that have to do with Hugh?"
She crossed her arms, her voice growing colder.
"He was kind enough to stand in for you at the wedding, and instead of being grateful, you attacked him? Bryan, when did you become this kind of person?"
"Apologize to Hugh!"
Before I could respond, Virginia’s parents stepped forward, their faces hard with disapproval.
"You’re already disabled, and yet you still refuse to behave. Do you really think you’re still the young master of the Klein family?"
"Who else would want a cripple like you, if not our daughter?"
"Enough! There’s no need to argue with him. Being disabled is punishment enough for his actions. Send Hugh to the hospital before his injuries worsen."
Their cruel words drilled into me like daggers, but I forced myself to remain silent. My fingers curled into fists, nails digging into my palm until I could feel the sting of blood.
Virginia helped Hugh up with one arm while holding Cassie with the other.
Without looking back, she walked away.
Five years of love crumbled into dust at that moment.
I scrambled back into my wheelchair, my heart pounding.
I booked myself a plane ticket for the day of the wedding.
Then, I turned and left for the hotel.
That night, Virginia sent me a message.
"Hugh will be standing in for you at the wedding after all. You hurt him, and it won’t look good for the ceremony. Asking you to apologize was just a temporary measure—it was all for show. Don’t overthink it.
As for my parents, they spoke without thinking. After the wedding, I’ll make them apologize to you.
Rest well. I have a surprise planned for you. When the wedding day comes, I know you’ll love it."
But I knew—this performance wasn’t for Hugh.
It was for me.
For five years, she had played the role of a devoted wife.
Now, it was time for the final act.
I didn’t go home for the next two days.
Virginia didn’t return either, too busy making the wedding arrangements.
She handled everything herself.
The morning of the wedding, I called her.
She answered distractedly, speaking to someone else in the background, barely acknowledging me.
"Virginia, are you sure about transferring half of the company’s shares to Mr. Wheeler? He’s not part of the Stuart family. Isn’t that too risky?"
"Just do as I say. Half of it is the compensation I promised him. The other half… is for the child."
There was a pause before the assistant cautioned, "You’ll be welcoming the guests yourself today. Be careful—the Klein family might show up and cause trouble."
Virginia sighed. "I’ll handle it."
It was only after the assistant left that she finally remembered my call.
"Bryan? Sorry, I kept you waiting. The wedding is about to start. I’ll come home as soon as it’s over, okay? Don’t be upset."
I stared at the plane ticket in my hand, my expression blank.
"Don’t worry. I won’t bother you."
"Virginia—happy wedding."
She hesitated for a moment, then laughed softly.
"It’s our happy wedding. Wait for me at home."
As soon as the call ended, I turned and boarded the plane.
When I received the confirmation that our marriage certificate had been successfully canceled, I deleted all her contact information.
The wedding began.
But Virginia couldn’t shake an uneasy feeling.
Her conversation with me replayed in her mind, something about it was unsettling.
She turned to her assistant.
"Find out where Bryan is. If I were marrying someone else, he’d definitely cause a scene."
After the ceremony ended, Hugh held Virginia’s hand, guiding her as they toasted each guest one by one.
Suddenly, the assistant rushed over, his face drained of color.
"Bad news, Virginia! Mr. Klein left by plane this morning, and that flight just crashed into the sea!"
