Chapter 1

Thanksgiving Weekend gridlock had paralyzed the entire city. Panicked about missing the scheduled ceremony time, my groom, Eric Lane, actually kicked me out of the car, ordering me to trek back to the hotel on foot.

He even claimed I walked slowly, insisting he'd drive ahead and meet me once the traffic cleared up.

I was the bride, for heaven's sake. Being forced to hike to my own wedding was simply unheard of.

Panicked, I called his parents, hoping they would talk some sense into him.

Instead, they praised Eric for being "practical" and demanded I hurry up and get to the venue.

The other wedding guests were just stuck in their cars, waiting to see me make a spectacle of myself.

Some of them were even filming the whole thing on their phones, laughing at me for being the first bride ever to walk to her own wedding all by herself.

Seething with anger, I spun around and climbed into the Maybach parked right next to me.

"Didn't you always say you couldn't stand your nemesis? Well, let's get married instead. Right now. Are you in?" I asked.

Oliver Shaw looked at me, stunned, as if unable to believe his luck. Then, a wide grin spread across his face. "Hell yes. Let's go."

When Eric and his whole family found out I'd married his sworn enemy, they were absolutely gutted with regret.

*****

On Thanksgiving Weekend, I was getting married. I'd been up since three in the morning, busy until seven, just to handle all the traditional wedding customs.

But on the way to the hotel, we hit a massive traffic jam.

The wedding car was stuck for half an hour, not moving an inch.

Suddenly, Eric swung open the car door and told me to get out and walk to the hotel.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"Excuse me? What did you just say?" I asked.

Eric leaned over and unbuckled my seatbelt for me.

"It's gridlocked. Just walk to the hotel. Don't get stuck here with me."

I stared at him, completely thrown off. "Isn't this our wedding? You actually want me to walk there alone?"

Eric frowned. "It's just a short walk, and you're always so slow. Why not get a head start? Once the road clears up, I'll come pick you up," Eric said.

Before I could even protest, he practically pushed me out of the car.

I was about to lose it. The hotel was at least a thirty-minute drive away, and I was in heels. If I really had to walk all that way, my feet would be dead.

I grabbed onto the car door for dear life, refusing to budge.

"Eric, it's our wedding day. If we're walking, we should walk together.

"And seriously, you want me to walk to the hotel in my wedding dress all alone? People are going to stare," I protested.

Eric let out an impatient click of his tongue.

"Why are you so worried about what other people think? As long as we know what's up, that's all that matters," he replied.

Realizing there was no reasoning with him, I grabbed my phone and called Eric's dad.

"There's a massive traffic jam, and Eric wants me to walk to the hotel by myself..." I said.

Before his dad could even say a word, his mom chimed in.

"Luna, if Eric says walk, just go ahead and do it. It's really not a big deal, no need to make a fuss or drag his dad into it..." she said.

I was at a loss for words.

Just then, Eric's dad tried to reason with me.

"Luna, it's just a traffic jam. Walking a bit won't kill you. Eric's got status, and you're his wife—it's only natural to put in a little extra for your own wedding, right?

"Come on, hurry up! Don't be late for the scheduled ceremony time."

It was crystal clear now—his whole family thought I was a pushover.

Eric shoved my hand away and slammed the car door shut.

No matter how hard I banged on the door, he just ignored me.

A few of my coworkers were in a guest car trailing our wedding motorcade. They rolled down the windows, shooting me sneering looks—they'd never liked me, always gossiping about me behind my back.

They were always calling me shameless behind my back, saying I only managed to snag Eric by scheming and using underhanded tricks.

Now that they saw me looking so pathetic, they couldn't wait to pull out their phones and film me getting booted from the car by my own groom.

"Shameless bitch, always so dramatic. So what if you trapped Mr. Lane into marrying you? You can't even score a seat in the car with him!"

"Can you believe it? The bride has to walk to her own wedding. What a joke!"

"Luna Quinn, this is beyond humiliating. If I were you, I'd bail on this wedding right now!"