My Wedding Photos Belonged To His First Love Chapter 03

My Wedding Photos Belonged To His First Love Chapter 03

The next day, the Sullivan Group wedding brand collaboration had its lead planner switched at the last minute.

I found out standing outside the conference room door.

Derek’s assistant sent the new rundown to everyone. On the first page, under lead creative, it read: Lily Morgan.

My name had been moved to the very bottom.

Execution support.

I stood outside the door, the revised proposal I’d stayed up all night fixing still in my hands.

Inside the room, someone laughed. “No wonder Lily studied art. This seaside wedding concept is seriously high-end.”

Lily’s voice was soft. “Honestly, a lot of it came from Nora. I just pulled it together a little.”

Derek sat at the head of the table and said flatly, “She hasn’t been herself lately. For anything wedding-related, you’re the lead from now on.”

I pushed the door open.

Everyone spun to look at me.

Derek glanced up. “You’re here. Sit.”

I dropped my proposal onto the table. “Why was I replaced?”

He flipped through a document without really looking. “The brand partner preferred Lily’s style. Just cooperate with her.”

I asked, “Which part is her style? The initial draft I handed you three months ago? Because it’s the exact same concept—right down to the flower choices.”

Lily’s face went pale. “Nora, I think you’re misunderstanding the situation. I would never try to take credit for your work.”

Derek closed the file. His voice wasn’t loud, but it crushed the air out of the room. “Nora, this is a professional setting. Not the time or place.”

Professional setting.

But this wedding collaboration was supposed to be the first pre-wedding gift he’d ever promised me.

He’d said, “You’ve always wanted to do your own wedding photography, right? Let me make that happen for you.”

And I believed him.

I thought he had finally seen me as more than just his fiancée.

Turns out the platform was for Lily.

I was just the one who built the ladder.

The brand rep tried to smooth things over. “Ms. Thompson, Mr. Sullivan is just thinking of the bigger picture. After all, Lily’s overseas background is more marketable for promotion.”

I looked at Derek. “Is that what you think, too?”

He said, “Those are the facts.”

Four words. Flat as a receipt. Tossed off as casually as signing a reimbursement form that didn’t matter.

I thought about the first time I showed him my portfolio.

He had said, “These are good, but you don’t need to work this hard. Being Mrs. Sullivan will be enough from now on.”

Back then, I thought he was just concerned about me.

Now I understood. He had never taken my career seriously.

He just needed me to be useful when it suited him, and quiet when it didn’t.

Lily slid a printed sheet toward me. “Nora, if you don’t mind, you could double-check the on-site camera positions for me. I’m still getting familiar with the local vendors.”

I looked down at the page.

It still had my own notes on it that hadn’t been fully erased. [Confirm with Nora.]

I laughed. “You’re not even familiar with the vendors, and you took over as lead planner?” She bit her lip. “Derek asked me to. I was just trying to help.”

Derek’s expression hardened. “Enough.”

He stood up, walked over to me, and lowered his voice. “Do you have to make this so difficult in front of everyone?”

I looked at his cuff.

The cufflink was a birthday gift I had given him last year. I had run across half the city to find the right ones. When I gave them to him, all he said was, “They’re okay.”

And now he was wearing them while standing up for Lily.

So damn ironic.

I pulled my proposal back. “If you don’t need me, I’m pulling out.”

Derek laughed coldly. “Pull out of what? This project runs through Sullivan Group accounts. All assets belong to the company.”

My fingers tightened.

He went on. “That includes every photo you took.”

I looked up. “Those are my original shots.”

His gaze met mine, and his voice was light, almost cruel. “Nora, we’re about to get married. Does splitting hairs over this really matter?”

I heard myself ask, “And what about Lily? Do you treat her the same way?”

He was silent for one second.

Lily suddenly covered her chest and looked uncomfortable.

Derek spun around and braced her immediately.

“Where’s your emergency kit?”

“In my bag.”

The room dissolved into chaos.

No one was looking at me anymore.

I stood there, the proposal crumpling in my grip.

The assistant came over and said quietly, “Ms. Thompson, Mr. Sullivan wants you to head back first. He said not to disturb Lily right now.”

I nodded.

On my way out, I opened my laptop and backed up every single original shot to the cloud.

Then I renamed the local folder.

[To Be Deleted.]