One Touch, One Truth Chapter 07

One Touch, One Truth Chapter 07

Tristan’s face turned even paler.

At last, panic set in.

He stumbled toward me, looking utterly defeated.

“Felicity, I can explain. Things between Cora and me aren’t what you think.”

“I was just under too much pressure before the wedding.”

“I just…”

I cut him off, “You don’t have to explain, Tristan.”

His eyes instantly turned red, “No… that’s not it. Felicity, I loved you.”

For the first time, I fell completely silent.

I looked at him, “Loved me?”

“Tristan… listen to what you just said. Even you know that love belongs in the past.”

It was as if someone had wrapped a hand around his throat.

He couldn’t say another word.

I turned to face the audience.

Among them were family members, old friends, and people who had known my mother.

Lifting the microphone, I spoke steadily.

“Today’s wedding is canceled. I’m sorry that all of you came here for nothing.”

“But I will never apologize for exposing this farce. Because I wasn’t the one who betrayed my mate.”

“I wasn’t the one who desecrated the keepsake my mother left me.”

“And I wasn’t the one who trampled seven years of love beneath my feet.”

Silence filled the ballroom.

Then someone began to clap.

At first, it was only one or two people.

Soon, more and more applause spread through the crowd.

It wasn’t a celebration.

It was their way of giving me back a little dignity.

I removed the bonding ring from my finger and placed it into the hands of Tristan’s Beta. Then I gathered my mother’s stained veil into my arms.

This time, I wasn’t leaving it behind for anyone.

Seeing me walk away, Tristan completely fell apart.

He rushed after me and grabbed my wrist, “Felicity, don’t go. You can hit me, yell at me, anything you want.”

“The wedding can be canceled. But please… don’t leave me.”

I looked at the hand gripping mine.

Suddenly, I remembered years ago.

The first time he had held my hand, his palm had been drenched in nervous sweat.

Back then, he’d smiled shyly and said, “Felicity, I’ll hold your hand forever.”

Now, all I wanted was to shake him off.

I yanked my hand free, “Tristan. Don’t touch me. I feel dirty.”

His hand remained suspended in midair.

In an instant, he looked like someone whose entire world had been ripped away.

Cora burst into tears and tried to chase after me.

“Felicity, I know I was wrong. Please… don’t abandon me. Don’t stop being my friend.”

I stopped walking. Then I turned around to face her one last time.

“When I paid for your education, you were my friend.”

“When I asked Tristan to look after you, you were my friend.”

“When my mother held your hand before she died and asked you to stand beside me on my wedding day, you were my friend.”

“But the moment you draped yourself in that veil, and leaned into Tristan’s arms…”

“You became nothing to me.”

Cora’s sobs caught in her throat. I didn’t look at her again.

Holding my mother’s veil tightly against my chest, I walked away from the ceremony.

Behind me, Luna Violet was still scolding Tristan.

Cora’s mother was dragging her toward the stage, forcing her to apologize before the entire pack.

The guests’ voices grew louder and louder as whispers turned into heated discussion.

On the giant screen, Tristan and Cora’s disgrace continued to play on an endless loop.

I never looked back.

As I stepped through the ballroom doors, the sunlight outside was so bright it stung my eyes.

I lowered my gaze to the veil in my arms.

Several pearls were gone. The edges were hopelessly wrinkled.

Even so, I hugged it gently against my heart.

“Mom… I’m not getting married anymore.”

“This time…”

“I’ll be the one to walk with you.”