Chapter 3
Honestly, I had no clue if James Sterling would actually agree to marry me.
After all, James was like a god in Riverdale. He built his empire from nothing, and in less than five years, his assets stretched all across the country.
James never bothered with anyone in Riverdale, and there wasn't even a hint of scandal about him,I'd never heard a single rumor.
The reason I even dared to approach James was, first, because he was Lucas's sworn enemy.
Over the past few years, James had snatched more than a dozen major deals from Lucas, costing him a fortune.
Mentioning how James stole his partnerships was enough to make Lucas seethe with rage.
The second reason was that James had helped me out more than once.
When Charlotte shoved me down the stairs and I was bleeding from a head wound, Lucas left me there without a second glance,but James was the one who took me to the hospital.
And when Lucas left me stranded in the middle of nowhere for Charlotte, it was James who happened to pass by and gave me a ride home.
On Valentine's Day, while Lucas watched fireworks with Charlotte, I waited five hours at the restaurant I'd booked. When I realized he'd abandoned me, I broke down and sobbed without caring how I looked.
I didn't even notice when James arrived. Until, out of nowhere, a bouquet of roses appeared right in front of me.
I looked up at him through my tears, and he sat down across from me.
I got stood up. And I'm starving. I didn't even get a table. Mind if I join you for dinner? he asked.
My face was a mess of tears, and I was a total wreck. I nodded, not even caring how I looked.
James handed me a tissue, and while I wiped my tears, he took the menu and started ordering.
By the time I'd pulled myself together, the table was already packed with mouthwatering dishes that looked, smelled, and tasted incredible.
To my surprise, every single plate was my favorite,spicy and flavorful. I buried myself in the food, eating like nothing else mattered.
Maybe it had been ages since I'd had anything spicy, because as I ate, tears started streaming down my face again.
James didn't say a word. He sat across from me, watching me in silence.
He poured me a glass of red wine and raised his glass to me.
I wiped away my tears and picked up my glass. That night, feeling miserable, I drank way too much, and James ended up driving me home while I was completely wasted.
I couldn't tell if I was drunk or hallucinating, but I could've sworn James whispered something in my ear.
If you ever want to switch guys, you can always consider me, he said.
Honestly, even after all these months, I still don't know if what I heard that night was real or something I imagined.
Either way, texting James was me clutching at straws.
I didn't want to bring shame to the Hart Family, and I definitely didn't want to marry anyone at random.
James was the best option I had right now: he had both looks and talent.
When James agreed to marry me, I finally felt like I could breathe again. I let the makeup artist do her thing, finally able to relax for once.
Halfway through, my phone buzzed with a message from an unknown number.
Unknown number: [Looks like you lost! The wedding's off! lol.]
The message was dripping with gloating malice. No doubt it was from Charlotte.
Charlotte wasn't done yet, and she sent over a few more pics.
There were screenshots of Lucas texting his relatives and friends, calling off the wedding.
There were also photos of Lucas carrying her, rushing straight to the hospital, his face full of panic.
Charlotte texted: [Sorry, but I'm gonna be keeping him busy for a while. So go ahead and wallow in your sadness. He won't have the time or energy to comfort you! lol]
Strangely, seeing Charlotte's shameless taunts didn't make me angry at all.
After all, Lucas had ditched me more times than I could count, and it wasn't the first time he'd rushed Charlotte to the hospital, acting like she was fragile as glass.
I ignored Charlotte's provocation and stayed focused, letting the makeup artist do her job without being bothered in the slightest.