Chapter 2

The plane sliced through the clouds, leaving Luxrian's twinkling lights far behind. Leaning against the window, I watched the sea of lights shrink into the distance, feeling not a single shred of regret.

I'd powered off my phone before takeoff. I could imagine it blowing up right now, filled with my dad's angry questions, my stepmom's shrill screams, and Andrew's barely contained rage.

But none of that mattered to me anymore.

The flight attendant brought over a glass of champagne, the golden bubbles dancing in the glass. I raised it to the night sky outside, silently toasting the darkness.

It was to the three years of love that died, and to the new life I was finally reclaiming.

*****

Meanwhile, in the heart of Luxrian, St. John's Cathedral was descending into chaos like never before.

Morning sunlight streamed through the massive stained glass windows, spilling over the red carpet lined with white roses.

The guests, dressed to the nines, buzzed with excitement and anticipation, whispering among themselves.

Nearly every major media outlet in the country had its cameras and microphones ready, poised to capture every moment of this wedding of the century.

Andrew stood at the altar in a custom white suit, looking more striking than usual.

He wore the perfect blend of nervousness and sweetness on his face, glancing at his watch every so often, playing the part of a devoted groom waiting for his bride to walk down the aisle.

But only Andrew knew that the hand hidden in his pocket had fingertips numb with cold, and his palm was drenched in sweat.

Charlotte was missing.

From last night until now, she'd vanished without a trace. Her phone was off, her apartment was deserted, and the Evans family couldn't find her anywhere.

Andrew's thoughts were all over the place. 'Where the hell did Charlotte disappear to? Did she catch on to something? It's impossible. My plan was airtight. She only has fairy tales and pretty dreams in her head.

'There's no way she could've seen through it. She's acting up, trying to make me sweat. Yeah, that's got to be it. When the wedding starts, she'll make a dramatic entrance in her dress and give me a surprise.

'But what if she really doesn't show? What about all the arrangements? How do I spin this for the press?'

The more he thought about it, the more panicked he felt, and his smile grew stiff and unnatural on his face.

Minute after minute slipped by, the scheduled time long gone.

The murmurs in the church swelled, whispers turning into a full-blown commotion. The reporters started getting restless, their cameras swinging away from the groom and sweeping the crowd, desperate to catch a glimpse of the missing bride.

"What's going on? Why isn't the bride here yet?"

"Did she seriously ditch him? With a wedding this big and Andrew as the groom, what reason would she have to run off?"

"You know how it is with those rich families. There's always drama. Who knows what really happened?"

Every whisper felt like a needle in Andrew's nerves. He kept up a calm facade, leaned in close to his best man, his right-hand guy, and muttered, "Go call the Evans family again. See if you can figure out what's really happening."

The assistant had already called countless times and was now sweating profusely. He lowered his voice and replied, "Mr. Lawson, the Evans family is freaking out.

"They said they haven't been able to reach Ms. Evans since last night. The wedding planner called with some news. Ms. Evans canceled the wedding on her own and settled all the payments."

Andrew's head rang as if he'd been struck by a hammer.

Andrew thought, 'Canceled? She actually went through with it? That bitch is getting back at me. She must've found out something, and now she's doing this to embarrass me.'

He clenched his fists so hard that his nails dug into his palms, barely holding himself together.

The scheme he'd carefully plotted to make Charlotte a joke had come back to bite him. Now he was the pathetic loser, abandoned by his bride with everyone watching.

Just then, his phone buzzed. It was a message from Sophie.

Sophie: [Andrew, what's going on? The media's saying the bride disappeared. Are you alright? I'm still waiting for you at the back door.]

Seeing Sophie's name pop up, Andrew felt like he'd grabbed a lifeline. In the chaos of his mind, a new plan suddenly took shape.

Andrew: [Yeah, Sophie. Since Charlotte ditched me, I won't hold back either. If she won't play her part, I'll take the lead and own this stage myself.]

He took a deep breath, putting on a look of utter heartbreak.

He stumbled, as if the shock was too much for him, his voice rough and shaky as he spoke into the mic, "Ladies and gentlemen, members of the media, I'm sorry, but today's wedding might have to be canceled."

The crowd broke out in gasps and commotion.

His eyes reddened, his voice quivering. "I don't know why Charlotte left so suddenly. Maybe I wasn't good enough for her. Maybe I put too much pressure on her. But no matter where she is, I'll be here waiting for her."

His words struck a chord, and some of the more sentimental female guests started wiping away tears. Media cameras went wild, snapping every painful second of the abandoned CEO.

Andrew thought, 'Nice job. Everyone will take my side now. They'll blame Charlotte for being impulsive and feel sorry for me, the victim.' He was quite satisfied with his last-minute acting.

He bowed deeply to the crowd, then turned and walked off the altar, barely keeping himself upright, making his way toward the back door of the church.

That was where his so-called true love was waiting for him. That was the real finale he'd planned all along.

But when he pushed open the heavy wooden door, the scene before him left him stunned all over again.

The alley behind the church was completely empty.

There was no sports car ready for their escape, and no Sophie's anxious figure waiting for him.

Instead, a handful of tabloid reporters were lurking nearby, and the moment he stepped out, they swarmed him like hungry wolves.

"Mr. Lawson, did the bride really ditch the wedding and leave you at the altar?"

"Mr. Lawson, are you seriously going to wait for her as you said?"

"Mr. Lawson, why did you slip out the back door? Were you trying to dodge the press?"

Andrew was overwhelmed by the barrage of questions and flashing cameras. He pushed past the reporters, grabbed his phone, and called Sophie.

The call rang for a long time before she finally picked up.

"Sophie, where are you? I'm at the back door. Why aren't you here?" he said in a low, urgent voice.

Sophie's voice came through with a hint of impatience. "Andrew, have you checked the news? You're surrounded by reporters in the church. Why would I go to the back door? To get caught on camera? I left a while ago."

Andrew was momentarily speechless, then his anger shot up.

Andrew thought, 'She left? Seriously? She ditched me here to deal with this mess alone?'

"Where did you go? Didn't we agree to leave together?" he asked.

"Please, with the media all over us, how could we possibly leave together? Handle your own mess first, and when things settle down, I'll get in touch.

"I don't want tomorrow's headlines to scream 'Mr. Lawson caught cheating, runs off with a C-list actress,'" Sophie replied, her voice cool and logical.

With that, she hung up before Andrew could say another word.

Andrew stood there, clutching his phone, feeling like he'd been struck by lightning.

He felt like a total fool.

He thought he was the mastermind behind the whole show, but in the end, both his stars had bailed on him. One left early, while the other walked out mid-act.

Now he was the only one left, standing on an empty stage, the whole world watching him as the clown he'd become.

"Mr. Lawson?" The reporters wouldn't let up, their voices dragging him back to reality.

He stared at the flashing cameras. Every single light felt like the world was laughing at him. Shame and rage flooded his mind, drowning out any sense of reason.

He shoved a reporter out of his way and, like an angry beast, charged into the crowd, trying to get away.

The next day, every newspaper and online headline in Luxrian was dominated by the chaos.

[The Grand Wedding Turns into the Biggest Joke. Both Bride and Groom Run Off.]

[The Abandoned CEO? Heartbroken or Hiding Something? Andrew's Humiliating Exit.]

[Charlotte, heiress of the Evans family, mysteriously vanishes. Who's footing the massive wedding bill?]

The drama Andrew cooked up to embarrass me ended up blowing up in his face in ways he never imagined. He became the biggest laughingstock in town.

*****

Meanwhile, I was standing in front of the Duomo in Flowerind, soaking up the warm sunlight and watching the white doves flutter across the square.

When I turned on my phone, a flood of messages and missed calls came pouring in. I didn't bother to look at any of them.

I swapped out my old SIM card for a local one and tossed the old card, full of lies and schemes, into a trash can by the side of the road.

Goodbye, Andrew.

Goodbye, my foolish past.

Some goodbyes need a grand ceremony, but others only need a one-way ticket.