Chapter 7

In the end, I was the only one left.

As the staff member checked the list, his expression shifted.

"Miss Murphy?" he said, sounding uncertain.

The people nearby froze in surprise.

"Wait, why is there still a bride left?"

"Didn't the third groom already pick up his bride?"

"So who was it that just left?"

All eyes finally landed on me.

I reached up and lifted my veil.

The air went still for a moment.

The staff member saw my face and lowered his voice. "Miss Murphy, are you alright?"

I pulled the vow card from inside my cuff.

The words on the back were smudged from sweat. [Zackary, this is the third time.]

I folded the card and put it back in my bag.

Outside the window, the third wedding yacht had already sailed away.

I heard myself say, "It's fine. I'm not waiting anymore."

After I said that, the staff member was stunned for a long moment.

There had been mix-ups at the lighthouse wedding before; sometimes couples switched back right away, sometimes they went with it and laughed it off later.

But this time, the groom was already on the boat, and the real bride was still sitting here in the waiting area. The staff member just froze, staring at the list.

There were still a few brides left in the waiting area, watching me through their veils. Some were sympathetic, some embarrassed, and others whispered behind their veils.

"Isn't that the girl Zackary was dating?"

"Didn't Zackary just take her?"

"That wedding dress Lexie's wearing looks kind of off, doesn't it?"

I ignored them, folded my veil, and set it on the chair.

The staff member asked quietly, "Miss Murphy, do you want me to contact Mr. Hoover for you?"

"No, thank you," I said.

"But your boarding info is still in the system. If you want to withdraw now, you'll need to sign a waiver"

Even though I was the one left behind, in the end, I was the one who had to sign the waiver myself.

As I reached for the tablet, a sharp pain twisted in my stomach, and cold sweat broke out all over me.

I grabbed the back of the chair to steady myself, and the staff member jumped. "Miss Murphy?"

But then, a voice suddenly rang out from behind me. "She's not withdrawing."

I turned around and saw Jackson Wilson standing in the doorway.

He was dressed in a dark suit, his jacket draped over one arm, his expression cool and distant. When he looked at me, his gaze lingered for a moment.

The staff member clearly recognized him and immediately greeted him quietly, "Mr. Wilson."

Jackson walked over, glanced at my face, and then asked the staff member, "Her boarding eligibility is still valid, right?"

The staff member hesitated. "In theory, yes, but her original groom has already—"

"Before the third bell rings, the bride can switch her boarding partner," Jackson interrupted. "As long as both boarding passes are approved, the pairing can still be changed."

With that, he pulled two boarding passes from his pocket.

"My original boarding partner dropped out at the last minute, so my spot's still open," he said.

Whispers rippled through the waiting area.

I stared at the boarding passes in his hand, and suddenly, I remembered who he was.

I'd run into him a few times. Over the past six months, he'd dropped off injured birds and turtles at the rescue center, and even sponsored a few batches of medicine.

He always showed up quietly, took care of business, and left, like he was always a little removed from everyone. Zackary never liked him, always saying Jackson acted like he was just keeping up appearances.

Earlier, when the staff was going through the list, I overheard someone whisper that the Wilson family's wedding yacht still had an empty spot.

He didn't ask what happened and just handed me his jacket.

"It's windy," he said.

I looked down at the jacket, but didn't take it.

After a few seconds, I looked up and asked, "Do you still need a bride for your boat?"

Jackson looked at me, momentarily stunned.

"Yeah," he replied.

He offered the jacket again, his voice gentle.

"Jenny, let's get on the boat," Jackson said.

He didn't say anything else and just stepped aside, giving me space to walk through.

I took the jacket and draped it over my shoulders.

The staff quickly updated our boarding info. Jackson stayed right next to me, blocking everyone's stares.

When I signed again, my hand trembled.

He reached out and steadied the edge of the tablet, not touching me, just standing there quietly beside me.

"Can you walk?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said.

As I stood up, my vision went black for a second.

Without another word, Jackson grabbed my arm to steady me.

When the second bell rang, I stepped onto his boat.

The Wilson family's wedding yacht was docked on the other side of the pier, way bigger than Zackary's, and a lot quieter. The deck wasn't over-the-top, just white roses and silver ribbons wrapped around the railings.

As soon as I steadied myself, my stomach churned again.

Jackson noticed right away and helped me into the cabin.