Chapter 5

Suddenly, the sound of fabric tearing echoed through the room.

Claire looked down and saw that the wedding dress, which had been trailing gracefully on the floor just moments ago, was now ripped from the train all the way up to her thigh; her entire thigh was now on full display.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to! I saw a loose thread and tried to pull it down, but the dress just ripped apart when I touched it!" Lily blurted out, panic written all over her face.

This wedding dress was custom-made by a top designer team. There was no way it would have a loose thread.

Lily was still kneeling at Claire's feet, clutching the torn halves of the dress and making a show of trying to pull them together. But her clumsy hands only made the delicate pearls drop off one by one, scattering all over the floor.

The dress was completely ruined, and Lily was still pretending to be all innocent and helpless.

Claire couldn't stand to look at her anymore. She stepped away, wanting to escape Lily's touch, but out of nowhere, Lily flung herself backward as if she'd been shoved by a ghost, totally over the top.

Right before she hit the floor, her hand shot out and latched onto Claire's ankle.

With a sharp yank, Claire lost her balance and went down hard, crashing to the ground.

The moment she hit the floor, Claire knew her ankle was screwed. It was swelling up right before her eyes, and there was no way she was getting back on her feet now.

Before Claire could even cry out in pain, Lily was already putting on a show, wailing, "Oh, my head hurts so much! I must have a concussion from that fall.

"Claire, you can push me, hit me; whatever you need to blow off steam. Are you feeling better now?"

Claire let out a cold laugh, like she'd just heard the biggest joke ever. "Me? Push you? Hit you? You fell all on your own, then dragged me down and messed up my ankle. And now you're flipping the script and acting like the victim here?"

"I ruined your dress, and I'll pay for it. But you can't just trash my character because of this. Just because I don't have as much money as you doesn't mean I'm any less decent," Lily choked out, big fat tears rolling down her cheeks.

Claire was just telling it like it is, but Lily always managed to turn everything around on her. If Claire really cared about money, she never would've been friends with Lily in the first place.

For the first time, Claire saw Lily for who she really was. She didn't hold back, her words sharp as a knife. "Pay for it? Can you even afford this dress?"

"She can't afford it, but I can!" James, who'd been watching the whole thing, interrupted sharply, his voice ice-cold.

"Claire, you're being cruel. She didn't mean to ruin your dress. As her so-called best friend, you should try to understand her, not throw your money around to push her down."

James gently scooped Lily into his arms, shooting Claire a frosty glare. "I've put up with your drama, but hurting her? That's where I draw the line. If you keep this up, maybe we should rethink our wedding next month."

With that, James turned and walked away with Lily in his arms, not sparing Claire so much as a single glance.

Claire clenched her fists in anger and shouted after him, "Like I was ever going to marry you!"

James's back stiffened for a split second, but he didn't even look back. He just kept walking away with Lily in his arms, not sparing Claire a single glance.

Lily buried her face in his chest, a sly smile tugging at her lips.

The bridal shop, which had been buzzing just moments ago, suddenly fell silent. All the staff turned to look at Claire, their eyes curious and sympathetic.

Claire couldn't stand the stares. She struggled to pull the curtain closed, shutting everyone out.

Now, she was alone, surrounded by mirrors reflecting her disheveled, miserable state.

Her ankle was swollen to the size of an egg, and the wedding dress that had fit her perfectly now hung loose, looking nothing like the dress it once was.

Claire covered her face with her hands, finally unable to hold back her quiet sobs.