He Gambled Away Our Bonding Ceremony and Now He’s Begging for It Back Chapter 02

He Gambled Away Our Bonding Ceremony and Now He’s Begging for It Back Chapter 02

Someone in the crowd called out, laughing.

“Iris, don’t be like that. You know how they are.”

“Aldric and Bianca just click. They’ve always messed around like this.”

“Bianca doesn’t even believe in bonding. She’s never gonna actually go through with it.”

“Let her have this one day. Think of it as giving her a memory.”

“Getting worked up over something this small makes you look petty.”

One after another. Everyone telling me to be the bigger person.

Not one asked if I was okay with handing over my own ceremony.

Aldric’s mother, Mrs. Whitmore, took Bianca’s hand. Satisfaction all over her face.

“I have to say, that ring looks better on Bianca than it ever did on Iris.”

Bianca tilted her head sweetly.

“Oh, you shouldn’t say that. Iris will be upset.”

Mrs. Whitmore glanced at me.

“She’s about to join our family. If she can’t handle a comment like that, how will she ever be the future Luna of this pack?”

She patted Bianca’s hand.

“Truth is, I’ve always preferred you.”

“You’re lively. You know how to make people feel good.”

“Unlike some people. Always fighting to be right. Making everyone uncomfortable over the smallest things.”

Aldric’s father, Mr. Whitmore, approached with a wine glass in hand.

“Aldric made a bet. He lost. A man honors his bets.”

“Integrity comes first.”

“We’ll give Iris another ceremony next month. Hardly a disaster.”

I turned to him.

“In your eyes, a bonding ceremony can just be rescheduled on a whim?”

Mr. Whitmore’s expression cooled.

“It’s just a ceremony.”

“If Aldric is still willing to bond with you in the end, what exactly are you unsatisfied with?”

“And honestly.”

“If Bianca weren’t against bonding, if the Moon Goddess hadn’t chosen you, we would’ve preferred Aldric with her.”

The room fell silent.

Aldric finally noticed my expression. He cut in with a frown.

“Dad. Why bring this up now?”

Then he turned to me.

“My parents just like that Bianca’s easygoing.”

“Don’t take everything so personally.”

I almost laughed.

Anything that cut me was just a joke to them.

Bianca tightened her arm around Aldric’s.

“Alright. Don’t fight because of me.”

“Iris. You already said I could have the ceremony. Let me finish it at least.”

She looked at my wedding dress and smiled.

“You can just do another one next month anyway.”

I didn’t argue.

I pulled out my phone and called the venue coordinator.

“The bride has been changed. I’m not paying the balance.”

Silence on the other end.

Then the coordinator spoke carefully.

“Ms. Hart. You don’t know?”

“A month ago, Aldric brought Bianca here to revise the contract.”

“The bride on the contract was already changed to Bianca.”

My hand tightened around the phone.

“A month ago?”

“Yes.”

“Bianca also reconfirmed the banquet menu and stage setup.”

“Aldric said you approved all changes.”

I looked up at the two of them on the stage.

The bet they’d claimed was made last night. They’d been ready for a month.

I steadied my voice.

“And the remaining payment?”

The coordinator answered.

“It was settled last night.”

“Aldric paid 680,000 from your joint account.”

I opened my banking app.

3.74. That was all that was left.

That 680,000 was every dollar I’d saved across five years of work.

After the ceremony, I’d planned to use what was left to open my own design studio.

Aldric saw my screen and finally walked over.

“It’s already paid. You can’t get it refunded if you cancel now.”

I stared at him.

“What gave you the right to touch my money without asking?”