Chapter 4

Landon looked irritated.

"Stop making trouble. We're getting married tomorrow. Can't you make things a little easier on me, the way Carla does?"

When I didn't answer, Landon sighed.

"I already said I'd take you to buy a new dress. Isn't that enough?"

"Do you have to force Carla into apologizing before you'll be satisfied?"

The words had barely left his mouth when Carla's voice broke into sobs.

"Me, apologize? So even you think I did it on purpose? Fine, then I'll die to make it right, will that do?"

She bolted for the door.

Landon panicked and shoved me aside.

"It's your temper, the way you nitpick everything, that pushed her to this."

"If anything happens to her, you'll carry it on your conscience for the rest of your life."

The next second, Landon ran out the door too.

I stood on the stairs and watched the two of them grow smaller and smaller.

He'd chosen her again.

A bitter laugh escaped me, and I turned and went upstairs.

On the way to the hotel, dragging my suitcase, I got a message from Landon.

【Carla's not stable right now. I'm staying with her. Tomorrow morning she and I will come get you together.】

【Don't sulk anymore. Whatever you want, I'll make it up to you.】

I laughed, worn out in body and spirit.

It was always like this.

Back when I had appendicitis and lay in the hospital with no family beside me, he'd said he was busy.

The truth was he'd been rubbing Carla's stomach through her cramps.

When I set up the wedding home alone and asked him to help, he'd said he didn't understand women's little touches.

That same night he was folding and organizing Carla's underwear.

I really was tired.

I didn't even have the strength left to keep score.

I took out my phone and scrolled to the pinned chat.

【Tomorrow, seven o'clock. Come pick me up at the Lexington Hotel.】

The next day I got up early and started dressing and washing up.

My eyes stayed down. Landon was still sending message after message.

【I'll be a little late. Carla suddenly felt unwell, so I took her to get medicine first.】

【Go to the venue and wait for me on your own.】

I turned off the screen and calmly started on my hair and makeup.

The whole time, Landon called countless times and sent countless messages. I ignored all of them.

Just before I went on, I deleted his contact and blocked him.

Then I walked into the venue under the spotlight.

....

By the time Landon reached the venue, the relatives were all clustered together.

"Where's the bride? Why isn't she out yet?"

"Landon, today's your wedding day. You two can't have anything go wrong!"

Landon looked around the room, and unease crept in.

He kept calling my phone.

All he got was a busy tone.

The chat window held nothing from me either.

With a shaking hand he typed out another message, only to find he'd been blocked.

Landon went pale, grabbed his keys, and made to head home.

Then the big screen behind him suddenly cut to a video.

It was the wedding video of me and Mark Weiss.