Chapter 3

My parents froze.

Olivia looked at me.

"Theodore, weren't you angry that I was late? Let me explain."

"I was late because I went to the hospital. I'm two months pregnant."

"So?" I was strangely calm.

Before Olivia could say another word, my mother rounded on me. "Shut your mouth right now."

Then she turned to Olivia with a smile. "Good, good, I'm going to have a grandchild. Don't worry, Olivia, I won't let him carry on like this a moment longer."

The heaviness lifted from my father's face. He nodded. "Since she's pregnant, the wedding goes ahead."

I shook my head. "As long as Olivia is the bride, there is no wedding."

That set my mother off. She jabbed a finger at me. "You little wretch, what exactly do you want? You don't want a wife, and now you don't want a son either?"

Wayne watched me, cold-faced.

"Theodore, this is going too far. Olivia is carrying your child, and you'd still put her through this kind of humiliation."

I laughed. "You don't want to humiliate her? Easy."

I pointed at the groom's boutonniere lying on the floor.

"Pick it up and pin it on. You be the groom today."

"Theodore!"

Wayne's face went red.

"Enough!"

Mr. Norris roared, glaring at me with bloodshot eyes.

"What is it you actually want? The Norris family has a reputation too. We're not something you get to humiliate as you please."

Muriel stared at me for a long moment, then turned on my parents. "You're just going to let him carry on like this? Are you trying to make it war between our families to the bitter end?"

The Norris guests all piled on, tearing into me.

"Theodore, are you even human? Olivia is carrying your child."

"Theodore, say one more word about swapping the bride and I'll expose you."

"Olivia loved you for five years, and now she's pregnant with your child, and this is how you treat her? Is your heart made of ice?"

"..."

My mother rushed up onto the stage and struck me hard, several times.

"Do you have to tear this family apart before you're satisfied? Fine. You want to swap the bride, then swap your father and me out too. From today, your father and I don't have a son."

My throat went tight. The blows to my body were nothing next to the pain in my chest.

For the past five years, I had loved Olivia like that.

If she wanted the moon, I would never have handed her the stars.

I loved her until I lost myself, and she was the one driving the knife into my heart.

Seeing my tears, my mother went still.

My father's brows drew together. "What is going on here? Explain yourself clearly," he demanded.

I tipped my head back, fighting to keep the tears from falling.

Olivia and Wayne exchanged a glance. Wayne gave a slight shake of his head, shot Olivia a look, then opened his mouth.

"Theodore..."

"Olivia!"

I cut him off sharply, my eyes hard.

"If you remember even a shred of what I did for you, then in front of every relative and friend of both our families, tell them everything."

"If you had the nerve to do it, have the nerve to own it!"

Olivia's face changed. She turned her head away, not daring to look at me.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

I let out a cold laugh. "You don't know? Fine, then I'll tell you. Say it out loud. What exactly is going on between you and Wayne? And whose child is in your belly?"