Chapter 2

The moment those words dropped, the relatives fell dead silent.

Ethan's cousin was practically shoving her phone into our faces, recording everything.

My dad let go of my hand and stepped forward.

"Out of the way."

Ethan’s father didn't budge.

"Did I stutter? Wedding's off, money comes back to us. Otherwise, none of you are walking out that door today."

I looked at my so-called fiancé.

He was standing just a few feet away, clutching the diamond ring, his face a mess of panic and frustration. But what came out of his mouth was:

"Natalie, stop this. Can't we just talk? It's just a tiny misunderstanding."

"You call this a tiny misunderstanding?"

I stared him down.

His throat bobbed once, twice—and he actually nodded.

Chloe came rushing up behind him, holding out the ring she had finally managed to pull off, thrusting it toward me.

"Natalie, look, I took it off! It really was just a silly joke from when we were kids. If it makes you uncomfortable, I'll never see him again, I swear!"

Her eyes welled up with tears, glistening on the verge of spilling over.

Someone in the crowd muttered under their breath, "She already apologized. Don't be so dramatic."

Ethan's mother latched onto that instantly:

"Exactly! It was just a ring! Our families have been close for decades. Honestly, they were practically destined to marry each other anyway before you came along—"

She caught herself halfway through and slammed her mouth shut.

Too late. I heard every word.

My mother heard it too.

"What did you just say?"

Ethan's mother lifted her chin, completely dropping the mask.

"What if I said it? Ethan and Chloe were childhood sweethearts. Both sets of parents had already agreed on it. If your daughter hadn't wedged herself in between them—"

"Then you should've told me sooner!"

I violently hurled my bridal bouquet onto the floor.

Petals exploded everywhere, red and white scattering across the floorboards.

"If you had told me sooner, I wouldn't have bothered showing up to play the supporting actress in your little drama!"

Ethan panicked. He shoved his mother behind him and yelled at me,

"Natalie! She's just talking out of anger, don't take it seriously!"

I ignored him and locked eyes with his mother.

"Ma'am, you meant every word of that, didn't you?"

She turned her head away, refusing to meet my gaze.

Behind us, Ethan’s cousin sneered, "What a drama queen."

My dad cast a cold look over his shoulder at her, then turned back, unhurriedly pulling out his phone from his inner suit pocket.

"You want the twenty-thousand-dollar wedding money back? I can wire it to you right now."

Ethan's father's eyes lit up, his phone already out in anticipation.

"Since we're settling debts," my dad continued, "how about you return the marriage contribution we paid for the house and the car as well?"

My dad’s voice wasn't loud, but the entire hall went so quiet you could hear the air conditioner humming.

The grin on Ethan's father's face froze solid.

"What contribution?"

My mother dabbed her eyes, letting out a sharp, frigid laugh.

"Playing dumb now? The thirty-thousand-dollar car we bought, plus the fifty thousand in cash we put down for the renovation and savings. Add it up. How much is that?"

Ethan's mother turned paper-white.

My dad held his phone higher.

"Either wire the money back right now, or I'm calling the police for fraud. Take your pick."