Chapter 2

Just then, a waiter came in with a food cart.

On the tray were some millet oatmeal, steamed egg custard, and a cup of milk.

Andrew reached out and touched the side of the plate to check the temperature. "The milk's too hot. Let it cool for two minutes.

"She has a sensitive stomach, so no scallions in the steamed egg."

I hadn't eaten a single thing since morning, and my stomach was already knotted with pain.

He didn't even care about me, but he still had the time to make oatmeal for another woman.

There were only twelve minutes left before the wedding was supposed to start.

The emcee rushed over, clutching the schedule. "The ballroom doors have to open at 11:18. If the bride doesn't get changed soon, we'll have a gap in the schedule."

Andrew grabbed a pen and started crossing things out on the schedule. "Cancel the morning robe photos.

"Cancel the parents' farewell photos.

"Cut the father's speech and shorten the handover.

"No interviews or vows. Only exchange rings."

The pen scraped across the paper, making a harsh, grating sound.

The wedding I'd spent six months preparing for was wiped out in less than a minute, leaving nothing but a single ring.

My dad's face darkened instantly.

He'd been looking forward to giving his speech at the wedding for years.

He'd spent a whole month working on that speech.

The emcee glanced at me with a troubled expression. "Ms. Warren, are you really canceling all these?"

Andrew jumped in before I could respond, "There's no time left. This is it.

"Just finish the wedding. We'll talk about everything else later.

"When we get home, you can be as mad as you want. I'll make it up to you."

There were only nine minutes left before the wedding was supposed to start.

Suddenly, there was a crash from inside the room.

Then came Olivia's muffled sobs. "Andrew, am I causing trouble for you guys?"

Andrew's face changed instantly, and he swiped his card to unlock the door.

I took a step forward, but he moved to block me. "Don't go in."

"My wedding dress is in there," I protested.

"She's really upset right now. If you go in, you'll only make things worse for her."

"Andrew, I'm the bride today."

"Yeah, I know!" Andrew had never yelled at me before. "That's exactly why everyone downstairs is waiting for you. Can't you put everyone else first for once?"

With that, he darted inside and slammed the door shut behind him.

There was a click.

The door locked again.

Through the door, I could hear Olivia speaking through her tears, "Maybe Emily should come in. I'll hide in the restroom."

Andrew's voice was gentle, with a hint of patience. "You don't have to hide. This isn't your fault.

"Just finish your oatmeal. I'll handle things outside."

"But today's her wedding," Olivia said.

"She's always been understanding. I'll explain everything to her after the wedding."

Everyone outside heard every word.

My mom's tears started streaming down her face.

I, my parents, the hundreds of guests downstairs, and the wedding he'd ruthlessly stripped down were all problems for him to deal with.

Olivia, the one in that room, was the only person he truly cared about keeping safe.

There were only five minutes left before the wedding was supposed to start.

Through the walkie-talkie, the emcee was already warming up the crowd.

Bursts of applause from the ballroom drifted up.

My dad slipped his speech back into his pocket, then whispered, "Emily, do you still want to go through with this?"

I stared at the tightly shut door.

Seven years ago, when Andrew was chasing me, he said I would always come first with him.

Then Olivia came back.

When she got her heart broken, he blew off my birthday to go drinking with her.

When she moved, he missed my dad's big birthday celebration.

When she got scared in the middle of the night, he'd drop everything and drive from Eastgate to Westfield for her.

Every single time, he always expected me to be understanding.

I endured it all until today, and now, on our wedding day, he finally made it clear I came second to her.

My mom squeezed my hand.

My dad spoke calmly, "Don't worry about us. If this is how your wedding's going to be, you don't have to go through with it."

The walkie-talkie crackled with the final reminder. "Three minutes left. Bride, please get ready to enter."

Finally, the door opened.

Olivia stood behind it.

She was wearing the white silk morning robe I'd had custom-made.

The word "Bride" was embroidered in tiny letters on the chest.

Her eyes were slightly red, but her makeup was flawless, her hair perfectly styled in soft curls.

She hadn't slept at all.

She was sitting in the bridal suite, wearing the morning robe that was meant for me.

And Andrew didn't hesitate to stay with her for the entire twenty-five minutes.

Olivia lowered her head. "Emily, I'm sorry. Andrew gave me the robe because he was afraid I'd get cold."

Andrew didn't say a word.

He took the wedding dress from my mom and pressed it into my hands without a second thought. "The room's free now. Go get changed. Three minutes will do."

My mom stared at him, utterly shocked. "She hasn't even put on the wedding dress, and you expect her to walk out in three minutes?"

Andrew glanced at his watch, getting more and more frustrated. "The ceremony's already running late. Everyone's been waiting for her.

"The parents' farewell and speeches are canceled. She can go straight up from the side door. She'll make it in time."

Then he turned to the wedding planner and said, "Tell the emcee to open the doors. The bride will be there in three minutes."

I stood there, clutching the wedding dress, frozen in place. "Who said I was going in?"

Andrew's face turned cold. "Emily, how long are you going to make a scene?

"You've got the room now, and Olivia's already left.

"Are you really going to keep hundreds of people downstairs waiting to vent your anger?"

I let out a sarcastic laugh. "So I'm the reason the wedding's delayed, huh?"

"Is there any point in figuring out who's at fault now?" Andrew lowered his voice. "You know exactly how much we spent on the hotel and the wedding.

"Both sides of the family are downstairs, and your parents spent six months getting everything ready.

"If you really walk out today, how are they supposed to face anyone after this?"

Monica hurried over. "Emily, Andrew's already swallowed his pride. Why not leave it at that?

"Go get changed now, and we can act like none of this ever happened."

I couldn't help but laugh.

Andrew finally looked relieved. "Alright, that's enough. Stop making a scene."

I put the wedding dress right back into his arms. "I'm not changing."

Andrew froze, his expression turning stone cold. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not going through with this wedding," I said.