The Wedding Where I Was The Witness, Not The Bride Chapter 08

The Wedding Where I Was The Witness, Not The Bride Chapter 08

Mom, feeling wronged, raised her voice. “But you agreed when we asked you to marry Wren!”

He had no answer. He hung up and sank into his chair. He remembered me staying up all night to organize his files, selling my own jewelry to fund his start-up. Even when I thought about selling my grandmother’s bracelet, he’d told me not to. “Keep it. Something to hold onto.” When I sold it. anyway, he’d bought it back double.

His throat tightened.

He’d cared about me-he’d loved me. But when Wren destroyed that last piece of my past-he’d seen the devastation in my eyes. And he’d done nothing. He’d let them force me to kneel.

Guilt and regret churned in his chest.

He dragged his hands through his hair in frustration. “Book me a ticket to the Southeast branch.”

“Sir, you have a meeting tonight-”

“Cancel it.”

“At the cost of the company’s reputation-”

“I don’t care.”

I was walking out of work when I saw him waiting at the gate. His eyes went red when he saw me. He approached haltingly, uncertain.

“Clementine. I’m sorry.”

He reached for my hand-I stepped back. “Can I help you, Mr. Ward?”

The words were crisp, final. He swayed, his voice almost breaking. “Don’t be like this. Let’s talk.”

Aware of our colleagues passing by, I suggested we go somewhere private. He pulled out my chair, grabbed the menu. “Buffalo wings. Chili cheese fries.” He looked up, hoping. “Clementine, I remember. These are all your favorites.”

“All my favorites,” I repeated, “and on our wedding day, you still chose Wren’s taste.”

His face fell. “I felt sorry for her-”

“So that makes it okay for her to walk all over me?”

He lowered his head. “I didn’t think it through. I didn’t realize you’d be this hurt. If I’d known I’d lose you-”

Asmiled bitterly. “If I took another man to destroy your mother’s things, to wear your clothes- would that not hurt you? Or does it only hurt when it’s you?”

He had no answer.

“Grayson, every action has a cost. I don’t hate you. Let’s just part clean.”

I turned to leave. My phone rang.

“Clementine! You’re not answering your phone-are you really cutting us off?” Mom.

Dad snatched it. “You ungrateful child! If you leave, don’t ever come back.”

Marcus’s voice came through: “You’re going to break up the whole family over something this

small?”