He Gambled Away Our Bonding Ceremony and Now He’s Begging for It Back Chapter 08

He Gambled Away Our Bonding Ceremony and Now He’s Begging for It Back Chapter 08

Aldric stood in the rain. His face was pale.

“Mr. Hart, I’ll redo the ceremony. Properly. Venue, dress, ring. Iris picks everything. I’ll cut Bianca off

completely.”

My mother came out when she heard the noise.

“You still think she left because of a ceremony?”

“You looked down on us for being poor. For being from a backwater pack. But we might be poor, and we’d

still never gamble with our daughter’s heart.”

Aldric’s mouth moved. Nothing came out.

He stood there all night.

The next day, I came back to pick up my parents for my studio’s opening.

Aldric stumbled toward me when he saw me get out of the car. One month. He’d lost weight. Jaw covered in

stubble.

“Iris.”

“I finally found you.”

He reached for me. Stopped under my gaze.

“The money’s been returned. I can transfer the house to your name. Just let it go. Let’s start over.”

I looked at him and felt sorry for the person I used to be. Six years I loved him. And even losing me, he still thought money and empty promises could fix it.

“Aldric. I don’t want your house. I don’t want a replacement ceremony.”

“What I wanted was for you to say no the first time Bianca turned me into a bet.”

“To stand with me when she destroyed our photos.”

“To remember who your bride was when she walked down the aisle in my dress.”

“You never did. Not once.”

His eyes went red.

“I didn’t think you’d actually leave. I always told myself I’d make it up to you next time.”

I smiled. Soft. Sad.

“You gave her every first. The only thing left for me was always next time.”

Aldric’s tears finally fell.

He dropped to his knees in the mud.

“Iris. Please. One more chance. I can’t do this without you.”

My father moved to chase him off. I stopped him. I looked at Aldric one last time.

“You like bets, don’t you? This time, accept the loss.”

I got in the car with my parents. In the rearview mirror, Aldric stayed on his knees. Smaller and smaller. I

didn’t look back.

My design firm opened in an old building by the river. Not big. But a whole wall of windows. The dream I’d

redrawn a hundred times.

I reached out to past clients after signing the lease.

Thought I’d be starting from zero without my old firm’s name. First week, three former clients came to me

directly.

One smiled and said, “We hired you. Not your old company’s logo.” That was the moment I knew. Five years of work. My value had never been attached to Aldric.

Three months later, we won an old city renovation project. I pulled a lot of late nights. Slept better than I ever

did planning that ceremony.

When my parents came to the contract signing, they still looked uncertain.

My mother whispered, “Will we embarrass you if we talk too loud?”

My nose stung. I led them to the front seats. “This is my space. Talk however you want.”

I had them cut the ribbon for the studio.

When the applause started, my father was so nervous it took him two tries to cut through.

Everyone laughed. Warm. No condescension. No judgment.

My mother laughed too, and then she was crying. She framed that photo later and put it in the best spot in

the house.