His Friends, Her Friends, His Mother, All Lied To Her Face Chapter 03

His Friends, Her Friends, His Mother, All Lied To Her Face Chapter 03

The moment the words left my mouth, Ryan scoffed.

“How old are you? Aren’t you a little old for this kind of stunt?”

“What, you don’t care whether your mother gets to see you married anymore?”

It was like throwing a punch that never landed. Even my anger felt useless.

I had been the one who pushed for the wedding because my mother was in poor health, and her greatest wish was to see me get married.

Ryan had said he didn’t want to marry so soon, so I begged him to have the ceremony first, even if we waited to make it legal.

That was why he didn’t believe I would really cancel it.

I stopped explaining. Once someone has chosen a side, you’ll always be the one in the wrong.

When I stayed silent, Ryan assumed he had called my bluff.

“Enough already. If you don’t want Maya here, then try on the dress by yourself.”

He turned and gently steadied Maya, whose eyes were still red.

“Forget her. Let’s go get you a puppy. Then you’ll have company and won’t be alone with your thoughts.”

I froze.

Ryan was terrified of dogs.

I had raised Buddy for six years, but after I moved into the place Ryan and I had bought for after the wedding, I had to board him at a pet resort because Ryan said even seeing a dog frightened him.

Yet now he was willing to take Maya to choose one himself.

I suddenly felt like the punch line to a cruel joke.

Maya nodded through her tears.

Tessa moved to her other side, and the three of them walked out together.

The boutique fell silent.

The bridal consultant looked furious on my behalf.

“Ms. Ashton, your fiancé was completely out of line. No one should be trying on a custom gown made for someone else.”

Even a stranger understood something Ryan couldn’t be bothered to care about.

“Please cancel the order. I’ll pay the cancellation fee.”

After leaving the boutique, I called the hotel and canceled the wedding venue and reception package as well.

Once everything was done, I went home alone.

That evening, my company approved my transfer request.

It was the only good news I had received in days. I let out a long breath and fell into a deep sleep.

Ryan’s call woke me the next day.

“We’re having a small get-together at Mom’s today. She wants you to come over, and we can talk about the wedding while you’re here.”

“I stayed at Mom’s last night, so come over on your own.”

He hung up before I could respond.

Once again, I swallowed the words, “The wedding is off.”

Fine. I could end it in front of everyone once and for all.

When I arrived at the Mercer house, the front door was ajar, and laughter drifted outside before I even reached it.

Tyler’s voice carried from the living room.

“Maya, if you hadn’t gone abroad back then, you’d be the one marrying Ryan now.”

Maya sat in the center of the couch with Ryan’s mother’s wrap around her shoulders, smiling softly.

Ryan sat beside her and laughed.

“Cut it out.”

Tessa and the rest of their friends were there too, all chiming in about what a shame it was that Ryan and Maya hadn’t ended up together.

No one seemed to think it was absurd for Ryan’s ex-girlfriend to be sitting there in the first place.

I walked into the room.

“It’s not too late.”