I Wore White While He Told Me I Was Never the Bride Chapter 05

I Wore White While He Told Me I Was Never the Bride Chapter 05

Julian’s expression darkened as he stood outside the emergency room.

“She called the police?”

“She’s pressing charges against me?”

His best man sounded uneasy.

“The Bennett family’s legal team showed up.”

“They secured the hotel surveillance footage, videos from the guests, and copies of the livestream.”

Julian tightened his grip on the phone.

“Where is she?”

“Mrs. Bennett Sr. took her home.”

“Grant Whitaker was there too.”

At the sound of that name, a muscle jumped between Julian’s brows.

Grant Whitaker was the eldest grandson of the Whitaker family, longtime friends of the Bennetts, and the man Grandma had once wanted me to consider marrying.

I had mentioned him to Julian once.

Julian had wrapped an arm around me and laughed.

“Grant Whitaker, Grant Bennett, whatever his last name is. You’re only ever marrying me.”

I had laughed too.

Looking back, I had been an idiot.

The hospital room door opened, and the doctor stepped out.

Julian immediately approached him.

“How is she?”

The doctor glanced at him.

“She’s fine.”

Julian exhaled in relief.

Then the doctor added, “She also isn’t pregnant.”

Julian’s head snapped up.

“What did you say?”

“Her bloodwork was negative for pregnancy.”

The doctor frowned.

“Who told you she was pregnant?”

Julian stood frozen.

A nurse wheeled Mia out. Her face was deathly pale.

The moment she saw Julian, tears spilled from her eyes.

“Julian, I didn’t mean to lie to you.”

“I was just scared.”

“I was afraid you would leave me. I was afraid Evelyn would take you away from me.”

Julian said nothing.

Mia reached for his sleeve.

“But the marriage is real.”

“We’re legally married now.”

“You can’t abandon me.”

He jerked his arm away and turned toward the elevators.

Mia cried after him.

“Julian Sterling!”

“What good will it do to go find her now?”

“She already had her attorney report you to the police!”

Julian did not stop.

The elevator doors opened, revealing two police officers waiting outside.

“Julian Sterling?”

“We received a report alleging that you unlawfully restrained and assaulted a woman and had her clothing forcibly removed.”

“You need to come with us.”

Julian’s face hardened.

“This is a family matter.”

One of the officers looked directly at him.

“Being family doesn’t give you the right to strip someone’s clothes off.”

The hallway fell silent.

Julian’s mother arrived in a panic.

“Officer, this is all a misunderstanding.”

“My son was the groom. It was just a wedding prank that got out of hand.”

The officer’s expression turned cold.

“A wedding prank?”

“You had a woman pinned down onstage while people stripped off her wedding dress, and you call that a prank?”

Mrs. Sterling’s lips went pale.

Only then did Julian truly understand.

I was not throwing a tantrum.

I was not waiting for him to come back and soothe me.

I genuinely wanted nothing more to do with him.

At the same time, I was sitting in a guest room at the Bennett estate.

Grandma personally draped a clean coat over my shoulders.

Her hands were trembling slightly.

“Does it hurt?”

I shook my head.

She stared at the handprint on my face, her eyes turning red.

“Evelyn, I came too late.”

My voice was painfully hoarse.

“No.”

“I was the one who took too long to come back.”

Someone knocked on the door.

The attorney entered and placed several documents on the table.

“Ms. Bennett, we’ve scheduled a medical examination to document your injuries.”

“The hotel surveillance footage has also been preserved.”

“We conducted a preliminary review of the mortgage documents for your mother’s house, and there appears to be a problem with the signature.”

I looked up.

“What kind of problem?”

The attorney explained, “The house your mother left behind is legally titled in your name.”

“No mortgage could be placed on it without your signature.”

“The signature on those documents is not yours.”

I suddenly laughed.

No wonder Dad had been so desperate.

Grandma took my hand.

Before she could speak, a quiet male voice came from the hallway.

“Mrs. Bennett Sr., I’ve spoken with the police.”

I turned toward the door.

Grant stood in the doorway wearing a black suit, its cuffs damp from the rain.

He handed a shopping bag to the housekeeper.

“A change of clothes.”

“Everything is new.”

Then he looked at me.

“Ms. Bennett, if you don’t want to see me, I can leave immediately.”

I studied him.

Years ago, Grandma had tried to leave another door open for me.

I had thought that door was unnecessary.

Now Grant stood outside the room without rushing me, pressuring me, or saying, “I told you so.”

“Thank you,” I said quietly.

Grant nodded.

“Get some rest.”

“I’ll keep an eye on Julian for you.”