At the wedding of Lucas Blunt and me, Natalie Hanks, he was suddenly dressed like a best man, holding his first love, Jessica Hawkins, and heading to the altar after showing up fashionably late. Meanwhile, his sharp groom’s tux was casually tossed onto the sofa. “Lucas, isn’t today our big day…” I quizzed him. “Natalie!” Lucas cut me off sharply, his eyes flashing a warning. “Watch your mouth now. Don’t be so narrow-minded. I don’t want to end up hating you.” After hearing that, I let out a self-mocking chuckle. Just because Lucas’ first love lost her memory, everyone had to put on a show to help jog her memory. So we all had to coax her, making sure she would not be stressed out. To comfort me, Lucas stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me. He whispered in my ear, “Natalie, I know you understand how important this is, right?” I nodded to show my understanding, then turned around. However, I took the hand of one of the real best men and walked to the altar with him. Later, while I was shopping in the mall with my baby in my arms, he approached me, tears streaming down his face, and said, “Natalie, weren’t we just putting on a show? How did you end up pregnant with someone else’s child?” ***** On my wedding day to Lucas, he didn’t even show up in the wedding hall. When I thought he might be in trouble, there he was, dressed in a best man’s suit with a blue boutonniere, holding Jessica’s hand as she walked slowly into the hall in a white puff-sleeved dress. It looked like they were the real bride and groom. Lucas’ best men quickly stepped in and whisked him away. “Are you out of your mind? Not only are you late for your own wedding, but you bring her here?” his friends exclaimed. Lucas furrowed his brow and said helplessly, “Jessica’s memory has gone back to the day we kissed in high school. She thinks we’ve been together since graduation. I can’t just abandon her, can I?” Jessica stood off to the side, looking innocent and awkward, twisting her fingers nervously. She acted like a lost high school student. My face went pale as I realized she was clutching my wedding ring in her hand. Then, Lucas approached me, dragging Jessica along, and wrapped his arm around her while congratulating me, “Natalie, congratulations on your wedding.” It was dead silent all around. I stared at him, my voice tinged with uncontrollable resentment. I said, “What on earth are you talking about? Today’s our day…” “Natalie!” Lucas quickly cut me off, his eyes betraying a hint of panic. He glanced nervously at the person by his side. Seeing that Jessica hadn’t caught on to what I hadn’t finished saying yet, he turned back to me with a look of displeasure, his eyes filled with malice. I was taken aback as he had never been so harsh with me before. In the past, when I was terrified by news of domestic violence and a husband murdering his wife, and couldn’t sleep, Lucas held me in his arms and reassured me that he would never hurt me, not even with a word, and if he did, he would go to hell. The old love words he once whispered still echoed in my ears, but now he loathed me for not being broad-minded enough. “Show some understanding to me, okay?” he asked. After coming back from the past memories to reality, I heard his words again. Looking at him, I stared for a long time before finally nodding my head. A look of relief spread across his face. But I brushed him aside and walked over to Jessica, extending my hand to her and saying, “Ms. Hawkins, I’m sorry. The ring on your hand is my wedding ring. Please give it back to me.” Jessica froze, then burst into tears. With tears streaming down her face, she looked at Lucas. “Lucas, isn’t this the gift you gave me to commemorate our time together? How could it be hers? Did you lie to me?” Lucas quickly wiped away her tears and said, “Don’t cry, Jessica. You’re breaking my heart.” I stood there, watching my fiancé comfort another woman wholeheartedly. Even the people around me were grumbling that I had made their good friend cry. One of Lucas’ dudes stepped forward to mediate. “It’s my fault. I made a mistake with the ring. Today it’s my responsibility to keep the wedding ring, and I accidentally mixed up the wedding ring with the gift Lucas was going to give you, Jessica.” Jessica had been pampered like a little princess since childhood. So, she pouted and tossed the ring onto the ground. “I don’t want to wear someone else’s wedding ring!” The ring rolled to someone else’s feet. I bent down and reached out to pick it up. Just as my fingers brushed against the ring, the heel of a high-heeled shoe crushed down on my hand.
I raised my head and gazed at Jessica’s arrogant face. Meanwhile, a sharp pain pierced through the back of my hand as her foot continued to apply pressure. Gasps echoed around us. “No one can take something even I abandoned,” Jessica declared. I tightened my fist, ready to speak, but someone cut in firmly, saying, “Alright.” Surprised, I turned to see who had spoken. Lucas was standing beside her, his head bowed, a hint of guilt flickering in his eyes. Without a second thought, he kicked the ring towards the nearby artificial lake. Like a meteor, the ring streaked across the sky and disappeared in the blink of an eye. I stared at the spot where the ring vanished, stunned for an eternity. In the past, Lucas treasured that ring so much, never letting anyone lay a finger on it. He secretly carried it with him, traversing seven countries, only to propose to me under the aurora. Now, he discarded it like it was nothing. His action pleased Jessica. She hugged Lucas’ neck and said joyfully, “Lucas, don’t blame me. You know me. I hate it when my things have other people’s scent on them.” Lucas nodded indulgently. Jessica turned around and seemed to notice that I was still on the ground. She exclaimed in surprise, “Ms. Hanks! Why are you still sitting there? You’re the bride today. I’m sorry about your ring. How about…” She turned and spotted something amusing, picking up a nearby can. “You can use this pull ring as a ring! Wow, this is like a TV drama. It’s so romantic!” I stood up, took the drink from her hand with a pale face, popped it open, and stared at her nonchalant smile. My anger surged. Just as I was about to throw the can at her, Lucas stepped in front of Jessica. My arm was forcibly restrained by the best men. Lucas’ roar mingled with others’ voices trying to calm me down. “Natalie! You’re losing it!” Lucas shouted. “Natalie, don’t argue with the girl. She’s special. She doesn’t mean any harm. She’s just a bit sensitive right now,” someone said. “Yeah, yeah. You’re the star of the day. Don’t let this ruin your special moment,” another added. My struggle ceased instantly, and a deep sadness enveloped my heart. Lucas hollered at me and rushed over, yanking the can from my grasp and tossing it aside. “Can’t you just simmer down? If you’re not into this wedding, then quit! Is it your pride to bully someone with amnesia? I had no idea you were this harsh. How could you be so heartless? Apologize to Jessica right now!” I clutched my wrist, standing there helpless, the ache in my hand paling in comparison to the pain in my heart. A quick glance at everyone doting on Jessica was all it took before I couldn’t take it anymore and bolted. Once I calmed down and headed back to the dressing room, I found Lucas holding Jessica on the sofa. The hickey on Lucas’ lips told tales of their recent antics. I overheard Jessica asking curiously, “Lucas, why didn’t I see Ms. Hanks’ groom? Was she dumped?” My steps halted, my grip on the door handle tightening, my eyes locked on him. This is your last shot, Lucas. Don’t let me down. Just admit you’re the groom of this wedding, and I’ll forgive you while still loving you with all my heart. Lucas noticed my intense stare and abruptly looked up. When Jessica, impatient at his silence, nibbled on his lip, demanding, “Answer me, Lucas.” I shook my head vigorously, pleading silently. Don’t say anything. Just don’t… Lucas’ lips quivered a bit before he finally averted his gaze from mine, gazing at the girl in his arms with affection, saying, “Jessica, you know who the groom is.” “Someone I know? Who?” she queried. “Benjamin Russell,” Lucas replied.
As Lucas wrapped up his speech, I dropped my head and chuckled, shaking my own head in self-deprecation. Benjamin had once called me out in front of everyone, accusing me of being two-faced and gold-digging. Seemingly, even though Lucas lied, he didn’t want to make up something that could at least save my face today. When Jessica heard the name, she was momentarily taken aback before diving into her phone. She had already dialed the number before Lucas could even blink. “Benjamin, it’s your wedding day. Where are you? We’re all gathered at Elysian Garden,” she announced. Jessica got caught up in the excitement and started rounding up the guests to head to the auditorium. Meanwhile, my hands and feet went ice-cold, and my heart felt like it was about to skip a beat. The phone rang endlessly before I finally, numbly, picked up. “Natalie?” The voice on the other end was like a devil’s whisper, making me instinctively want to chuck the phone aside. “Don’t you dare hang up on me,” Benjamin said. I responded in a hushed, defeated tone, “Can you please just ignore it?” The person on the other end chuckled mockingly, “I thought by declining to be Lucas’ best man, I’d avoid seeing you. But I heard that I became your groom. How could you forget to invite me to your big day?” I fingered the stains on my wedding dress and replied with difficulty, “Please, just let it go.” There was a long, uneasy silence on the other end. After what felt like an eternity, his cold laughter cut through like a chilling wind. After a lengthy stay in the restroom, I stood up, my legs stiff, using my hands for support. I felt my frozen body slowly start to thaw. As I opened the door, a shadow loomed before me—it was my groom. Lucas had a thunderous look on his face, staring me down. “Who were you talking to just now?” I brushed past him without acknowledging his question. Suddenly, his hand grasped mine, accidentally pressing down on my injury, sending a sharp pain shooting through my wound. “Answer me!” he roared, his voice echoing. I looked up, defiant. “My groom is Mr. Russell. Remember what you said yourself? Don’t tell me you’ve developed a case of ‘short-term memory loss’ in such a blink of an eye.” His face sulked. In our eye contact, his gaze slowly shifted away. “Natalie, that was just something I said in the heat of the moment,” he muttered. There was a hint of compromise in his smooth voice. “Will Benjamin really come here?” I inquired, my voice tinged with depression. The bitterness that had settled in my chest continued to rise, choking me. I locked eyes with him, tears pooling in my sockets. My voice, raw and strained, escaped my lips. “Lucas, you were just dying to hear how Mr. Russell put me through the wringer, weren’t you? “You told Jessica about Mr. Russell being my new groom-to-be because you knew he would never show up! After all, I betrayed him for you. He’s made it clear that I’m a lowlife, someone he despises with every fiber of his being! “You didn’t want to hurt Jessica, so you chose to hurt me! All I wanted was for this wedding to end without a groom, but you wouldn’t budge. You’d prefer to see me being laughed at in front of everyone! “Well? Are you content now?” I spat out, my frustration boiling over. Upon hearing this, Lucas’ face lit up like a Christmas tree. Ignoring my hysterical rant, he enveloped me in a hug, gently dabbing at my reddened eyelids with his hand, displaying a level of tenderness that was almost unnerving. “Did Benjamin say something harsh to you? Only I can put up with your wild antics.” He then attempted to stroke my forehead, but I subtly turned my head to dodge his touch. “It’s all on me. I’ll make it up to you in the future. Natalie, be a good girl. After today, I’ll come home to you. This whole mess will be over soon. Trust me, alright?” Lucas persisted. I blinked rapidly, swallowing back my tears, recalling the pathetic way I had begged him before. I summoned all my composure and said, “Lucas, there’s no future for us. We are done.” He furrowed his brow, his eyes flashing with dissatisfaction and disdain as if I were the one being unreasonable. “Come on, Natalie. What can you do after we break up? Have you forgotten the days when you vowed to have two kids with me and be the perfect wife and mother? If we break up, your life will be in a mess.” His words left me momentarily speechless. For him, I had left the Russell Group at a crucial juncture, sacrificing everything, all because he said the Blunt family only needed a competent homemaker as their wife. And this was his rationale for manipulating me. Before Lucas could take his leave, I clutched his sleeve tightly and stressed, “Lucas, I’m being serious.” Lucas’ face darkened, his patience worn thin. He methodically pried my fingers off one by one. “Natalie, you’re too naughty. Jessica needs another year to regain her memory. After today, I won’t see you for a year. Otherwise, she can’t handle the shock. In a year’s time, I’ll reassess whether you make a suitable wife. Don’t let me down.” Over at the auditorium, Jessica, with her encouraging words, rallied everyone together. Catching sight of me approaching, her eyes gleamed with malice. “Ms. Hanks, you finally decided to show up! Where’s your groom? Why hasn’t he arrived yet? Oh no! Did he dump you?” The murmurs among the guests intensified after they heard her words. “Isn’t Ms. Hanks’ groom Mr. Blunt? Isn’t the one on stage supposed to be the groom?” said a guest. Another guest chimed in, “Could her groom be one of Sir Blunt’s illegitimate siblings?” “The groom’s been late for so long. Did he really call off the wedding?” said someone else. Jessica clung to Lucas’ arm, gazing at me with a triumphant smile. I was on the verge of announcing the cancellation of the wedding when, suddenly, a strong arm wrapped around my shoulders. An exclamation erupted from the crowd.
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