Chapter 2
Braden grabbed my hand and led me past a sea of shocked faces, heading straight for the parking lot.
The air in the underground parking garage was cold and damp.
Once we were away from everyone's gaze, my nerves finally started to relax.
My body trembled uncontrollably, tears threatened to spill from my eyes, but I pressed my lips together, determined not to let them fall.
I wouldn't cry.
It was not worth shedding tears for trash like them.
Braden handed me a cold bottle of water.
"Here, drink this," Braden said, his voice low and flat.
I took the bottle, and the icy touch helped steady my nerves a bit.
"Where to now?" he asked.
I stared ahead, lost and confused, but only one thing was on my mind.
"City Hall," I said.
Braden fell silent.
He watched me quietly, those deep eyes searching my face, as if weighing whether I meant what I said.
After a few seconds, he opened the car door. "Get in."
I slid into the passenger seat, buckled up, and the car smoothly pulled out of the parking lot.
In the rearview mirror, I caught a glimpse of Drake chasing after us like he'd lost his mind, but his silhouette faded away, getting smaller and smaller.
My phone started vibrating wildly, Drake's name flashing across the screen.
I hit decline and then powered it off.
All at once, my world was quiet.
The car was quiet, just the gentle breeze from the AC filling the silence.
I had no clue why Braden was willing to dive into this madness with me.
But right now, this stranger was my only lifeline.
The closed doors of City Hall hit me like a bucket of cold water, bringing me crashing back to reality.
City Hall was already closed for the day.
Braden and I stood at the deserted entrance, the air filled with awkwardness.
The reckless courage I'd felt earlier in the car vanished, like a balloon with all the air let out.
"I..." I started to say something, but nothing came out.
I wondered if I should tell him it was just a spur-of-the-moment thing.
Or should I just thank him for playing along with my crazy drama?
Braden shot me a look, his eyes still calm and steady.
"I'll take you to a hotel," he said.
He didn't ask for an explanation or mock me for my crazy impulse.
He just said it, and then did exactly that.
He drove me to a five-star hotel downtown and booked a room under his name.
"Take a moment to calm down and think about your next move," he said.
He handed me the room key and walked away without a moment's hesitation.
I stood alone in the empty, opulent room, the pristine wedding dress I wore feeling utterly out of place in this setting.
It wasn't until the door clicked shut that it felt like someone had pulled the plug on me.
I couldn't hold it together anymore, and I collapsed onto the soft carpet.
When I turned my phone back on, a flood of missed calls and messages came pouring in.
There were my dad's furious curses, my mom's tearful begging, and Drake's frantic accusations.
[Lexie, where are you?] my dad demanded.
[Why are you doing this to me? Is it really because of that best man you barely know?] Drake messaged.
[Do you have any idea how much shame you brought on both our families today?] my mom cried.
I stared at the messages, my face blank, my heart as cold as ice.
I couldn't understand how Drake had the nerve to ask why.
Three years of memories came crashing down on me like a tidal wave.
On our first Valentine's Day, I had everything planned: a nice restaurant, a romantic evening.
But because Meredith broke up with her boyfriend, Drake ditched me to spend the whole night with her.
He said, "Lexie, Meredith's got a fiery temper. I was worried she might do something reckless."
On our first anniversary as a couple, halfway through our celebration, he got a call from Meredith.
She claimed she was burning up with a fever and said she was home alone.
Drake ditched me and went straight to her place.
Later, I found out Meredith only had a mild cold, and her nanny was with her the entire time.
Even on the day of our wedding photoshoot, Meredith forced her way in, insisted on wearing a bridesmaid dress, and demanded to take pictures with Drake, as if I wasn't even there.
The photographer looked baffled, but Drake just laughed it off. "We've grown up together. We're like family. It's totally fine."
Every time I gave in, every time I backed down, he didn't cherish me. He just kept pushing his luck, taking advantage of me more and more.
I used to think that once we got married, all of this would be over for good.
How naive I was.
Meredith was like a poisonous thorn, buried deep in our relationship, impossible to ignore or remove.
And Drake, that overgrown man-child, shamelessly basked in my patience and Meredith's so-called "pure feelings," feeding off my strength and tolerance.
Thinking about it, my decision today was the best thing I could've done.
Whatever lingering attachment I had to the past vanished.
Just then, an unfamiliar number flashed across my screen.
I swiped to answer, and Drake's mother, Phoebe Finch, blasted through the line.
She spat, "Lexie! You shameless thing, you've got the nerve to answer the phone?
"The Finch family must be cursed to end up having a disgrace like you as a daughter-in-law.
"Listen up. Get your ass back here right now. Apologize to the guests properly. Or I'll make sure you're finished in Rostaville for good!"