Chapter 4

When I arrived at the hotel, a welcome sign stood outside the ballroom doors.

Dominic Hale & Vanessa Carlisle

Beside the names was a photo of the two of them. Dominic in a white tux, smiling brilliantly. Vanessa in a stunning gown, her baby bump barely visible, radiating pure joy.

How perfect.

I tightened my grip on my purse. Inside was my certified Marriage Certificate, a proposed divorce settlement, and a formal preservation notice legally barring Dominic from touching another cent of our joint funds.

Before the ceremony began, my lawyer had already arrived and spoken with the hotel’s event coordinator. The agreement was clear: the moment I presented the certified Marriage Certificate during the ceremony, the hotel would halt the proceedings.

The officiant didn't know the exact details, only that a legal document would be served, and he was required to suspend the ceremony before the vows and rings were exchanged.

The ballroom was packed with guests. I slipped through a side door and took a seat in the corner.

At 11:18 AM, the wedding march began.

Vanessa walked down the aisle, her arm looped through Richard Carlisle’s. Her dress was masterfully designed to hide her stomach, making it barely noticeable.

At the end of the red carpet stood my husband, a smile he couldn't suppress plastered across his face.

Watching them from afar, I felt entirely calm.

Lily walked ahead, wearing her pink dress and carrying the ring box. Her cheeks were flushed with excitement. She ran up to Dominic and proudly held the box up to him.

Dominic crouched down, patted her head, and took the rings.

The officiant began telling the story of how the couple "met and fell in love." The guests smiled and clapped.

It was a flawless fairytale. If I weren't the wife who had spent the last year caring for an old woman at home, waiting for him to come back, I might have been moved.

I took off my hat and mask, straightened my spine, and walked toward the stage.

Just as the officiant prepared to begin the vows, I stepped up to the front.

The officiant saw the document I presented. His expression shifted, and he immediately lowered his script.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please hold for a moment." His voice was restrained and serious.

"The hotel has just received a critical legal document regarding the groom's eligibility to marry. To ensure today’s ceremony is not misconstrued as a legal wedding, I cannot proceed until the hotel's legal team verifies this filing."

The entire room froze.

Dominic’s face instantly drained of color. He whipped his head around, scanning the crowd, until his eyes locked onto me.

The guests started whispering.

I walked up the steps, standing directly in front of him and Vanessa.

I pulled the certified Marriage Certificate from my bag and held it up for everyone to see.

It clearly stated: Claire Bennett and Dominic Hale. Date of registration: two years and three months ago.

"He is still my legal husband."

My voice wasn't loud, but it cut clearly through the entire ballroom.

The hotel coordinator took the certified copy from my lawyer to hand off to their legal team for immediate verification.

Simultaneously, with the hotel's clearance, my lawyer projected the PI's evidence onto the backup screens.

Up went the photos of me caring for Evelyn at home, the text messages from Lily’s watch telling her to lie to me, and the photos proving Dominic wasn't out of state, but living on the North Side with Vanessa.

The guests couldn't read the redacted fine print, but the photos were undeniable. Dominic wasn't out of state. He was living on the North Side, building a second life, while begging his little sister to keep me in the dark.

The Carlisles’ faces turned ashen simultaneously.

Dominic lunged forward, trying to snatch the document.

"Fake!" he finally roared. "It's all fake!"

My lawyer stepped smoothly between us, handing the document to the event manager, and calmly addressed the Carlisles.

"These materials will be formally submitted to your respective counsel. Tonight, the venue merely needs to acknowledge that this ceremony cannot proceed."

The hotel event team didn't argue. The coordinator signaled security to maintain order, her tone calm.

"The ceremony is suspended. Please direct any legal disputes to your attorneys."

People had already pulled out their phones, recording the sudden confrontation.

I looked at Dominic, my voice clear and steady.

"You're getting married, Dominic. Why didn't you tell me?"

Chapter 4

When I arrived at the hotel, a welcome sign stood outside the ballroom doors.

Dominic Hale & Vanessa Carlisle

Beside the names was a photo of the two of them. Dominic in a white tux, smiling brilliantly. Vanessa in a stunning gown, her baby bump barely visible, radiating pure joy.

How perfect.

The officiant didn't know the exact details, only that a legal document would be served, and he was required to suspend the ceremony before the vows and rings were exchanged.

The ballroom was packed with guests. I slipped through a side door and took a seat in the corner.

At 11:18 AM, the wedding march began.

Vanessa walked down the aisle, her arm looped through Richard Carlisle’s. Her dress was masterfully designed to hide her stomach, making it barely noticeable.

At the end of the red carpet stood my husband, a smile he couldn't suppress plastered across his face.

Watching them from afar, I felt entirely calm.

Lily walked ahead, wearing her pink dress and carrying the ring box. Her cheeks were flushed with excitement. She ran up to Dominic and proudly held the box up to him.

Dominic crouched down, patted her head, and took the rings.

The officiant began telling the story of how the couple "met and fell in love." The guests smiled and clapped.

It was a flawless fairytale. If I weren't the wife who had spent the last year caring for an old woman at home, waiting for him to come back, I might have been moved.

I took off my hat and mask, straightened my spine, and walked toward the stage.

Just as the officiant prepared to begin the vows, I stepped up to the front.

The officiant saw the document I presented. His expression shifted, and he immediately lowered his script.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please hold for a moment." His voice was restrained and serious.

The entire room froze.

Dominic’s face instantly drained of color. He whipped his head around, scanning the crowd, until his eyes locked onto me.

The guests started whispering.

I walked up the steps, standing directly in front of him and Vanessa.

I pulled the certified Marriage Certificate from my bag and held it up for everyone to see.

It clearly stated: Claire Bennett and Dominic Hale. Date of registration: two years and three months ago.

"He is still my legal husband."

My voice wasn't loud, but it cut clearly through the entire ballroom.

The hotel coordinator took the certified copy from my lawyer to hand off to their legal team for immediate verification.

Simultaneously, with the hotel's clearance, my lawyer projected the PI's evidence onto the backup screens.

The Carlisles’ faces turned ashen simultaneously.

Dominic lunged forward, trying to snatch the document.

"Fake!" he finally roared. "It's all fake!"

My lawyer stepped smoothly between us, handing the document to the event manager, and calmly addressed the Carlisles.

"These materials will be formally submitted to your respective counsel. Tonight, the venue merely needs to acknowledge that this ceremony cannot proceed."

The hotel event team didn't argue. The coordinator signaled security to maintain order, her tone calm.

"The ceremony is suspended. Please direct any legal disputes to your attorneys."

People had already pulled out their phones, recording the sudden confrontation.

I looked at Dominic, my voice clear and steady.

"You're getting married, Dominic. Why didn't you tell me?"