Two hours before the wedding ceremony, I watched my fiancé pin another woman down on the bed and kiss her. That woman was wearing my wedding dress. Three years ago, my ex-fiancé fled on our wedding day. It was Grayson Jones who charged into the banquet hall and took me away. He said he would never let me stand alone at a wedding again. I waited three years for this public ceremony. But just as I was about to deliver the vow card to him, I heard Sylvia Sterling's voice through the crack in the door. "Do I look like today's bride?" Grayson's phone was lit up. He was sending me a message: I'm upstairs going over the program details. Don't come up yet. He was kissing her while telling me to wait for him patiently. I stood outside the door and tore the vow card in my hands to shreds. This wedding. I'm not going through with it. Claire Carter POV Grayson and I got married three years ago, but today was finally my public wedding ceremony. Two hours before the ceremony began, I saw Grayson pin another woman down on the bed and kiss her. That woman was wearing my gown. This morning, the hotel's top floor was filled with white roses. The sign outside the banquet hall was already set up, displaying both Grayson's and my names. The makeup artist stood behind me, arranging the ends of my hair. My main wedding dress hung on the rack beside us. I'd tried it on seven times before finally choosing it. I sat before the mirror, looking at my reflection. The ring box rested beside my hand. Beneath it was a vow card I'd finished writing at two in the morning. I'd been waiting for this wedding for three years. Three years ago, Grayson and I decided to marry. But his family refused to hold a ceremony. They said my family had no power or influence, that a woman who'd been publicly rejected by her ex-fiancé didn't deserve a grand wedding. Back then, Grayson had held my hand and said, "Claire, wait for me. Once we have the wedding, no one will ever be able to humiliate you again." Last night, he'd sent me a message. "After tomorrow, you'll be my wife. No one will ever be able to make you unhappy again." I'd read that line over and over. I believed him. Three years ago, my ex-fiancé fled on our wedding day. All the guests laughed at me. Then Grayson charged into the banquet hall. He pulled me away from the cameras and the gossip. He'd said he would never let me stand alone at a wedding again. So today, I wanted to hand him the vow card personally. When the makeup artist went to get my earrings, I picked up the ring box and slipped out of the makeup room, avoiding my bridesmaids. Grayson's groom lounge was on the same floor as the makeup room, just down the hallway from mine. When I reached the door, I heard a woman's suppressed laughter inside. "Grayson, do I look good like this?" My steps stopped. The door wasn't fully closed. There was a gap. Standing outside, I first saw a high heel lying on the floor, then saw the veil on the vanity table, and finally saw the wrinkled corner of the bedding. Sylvia was wearing my gown, the shoulder straps hanging loosely on her arms. That gown was one I'd personally selected. My initials were even embroidered on it. But now, Grayson stood behind Sylvia, lowering his head to adjust her shoulder straps upward. Sylvia tilted her face up to look at him. Her eyes were wet, as if she'd been crying, or as if she was seducing him. "Do I look like today's bride?" Grayson didn't answer. He simply lowered his head and kissed her. My hand gripping the ring box suddenly clenched tight. The corner of the box dug into my palm, the pain shooting numbness through my fingertips. My phone lit up at that moment. It was a message from Grayson. "I'm upstairs going over the program with the host. Don't come up yet. Wait for me to come get you." He was kissing Sylvia while telling me to wait obediently for him. Through the gap in the door, Sylvia seemed to hear something. Her eyes suddenly shifted toward the doorway. She saw me. But she didn't hide. Instead, she smiled softly and reached out to touch the veil on the vanity table. The veil I was supposed to wear as I walked down the aisle. "Grayson, if she finds out, will she be angry?" Grayson's voice dropped. "Don't make trouble. Nothing can go wrong with the wedding today." "What if she refuses to marry you?" Silence for a few seconds. Then I heard Grayson say, "She's very sensible. All the guests have arrived. She won't embarrass everyone." That sentence felt like a hand pressing me back into that failed wedding from three years ago. I stared at the vow card in my hand. The first line read: Thank you for not leaving me standing alone at a wedding again. How pathetic. The sincerity I'd written with my own hand felt like it had been torn open and trampled on the ground. A staff member hurried up from downstairs. "Miss Carter, we still need to take your solo portraits. The coordinator is asking for you." I didn't push the door open. I didn't charge inside. I didn't ask Grayson why. I simply refolded the vow card, tucked it back at the very bottom of the ring box, then turned and walked back to the makeup room. The moment the makeup artist saw me, she smiled and said, "Miss Carter, you look wonderful. You'll photograph beautifully." I sat back down before the mirror. In the reflection, I wore a white wedding dress, my makeup clean, the diamond drop by my ear swaying slightly. Nothing about me had changed. Yet suddenly I felt like this wedding dress was something someone else had worn and discarded, making me feel dirty. The makeup artist picked up the veil, about to place it on my head. I raised my hand to stop her. My voice was soft. "Can we use a new one?"
Claire Carter POV When I asked to change the veil, everyone in the makeup room froze. That veil had been personally selected by Grayson. All the styling, all the photos, even the backdrop on the big screen had been designed around it. Changing it at the last minute wouldn't just look bad. It would create unnecessary extra work. The makeup artist carefully tried to persuade me. "Miss Carter, Mr. Jones ordered this veil six months in advance. Today's main dress can only be paired with this one." I looked at that layer of white gauze. I thought of how Sylvia's fingers had just slowly slid across its edge, touching it like a trophy. I felt sick. "I'm not wearing it." The makeup artist didn't dare try to convince me further and hurried to find the coordinator. As I adjusted my earring, I noticed a pearl hairpin missing from the jewelry tray on the vanity. That hairpin was supposed to match the veil. The day I'd tried on the dress, Grayson had personally placed it in my hair. He'd even said pearls suited me better than diamonds. Now the hairpin was gone. The coordinator rushed over, her expression even worse than the makeup artist's. "Miss Carter, the backup veil and hairpin were sent upstairs earlier to test the effect. They haven't been brought back yet." I looked up at her. "Who was testing them?" The coordinator's lips moved. "Mr. Jones's side arranged it." That told me nothing. A young assistant beside her blurted out, "That lady earlier looked really good in them. I thought we were doing two bridal looks today." The makeup room instantly went dead silent. The coordinator's face changed immediately as she turned to scold her. "What are you talking about!" The young assistant shrank back in fear. But I laughed. The laugh was light and faint. "Two brides?" The coordinator immediately tried to placate me. "No, no, it must be a misunderstanding, Miss Carter. I'll have someone bring everything back right away." I didn't pursue it further. I just took the wedding program tablet. I'd only meant to check how many more procedures we had to go through. But the moment I opened the video materials, I saw a short clip from last night. In the video, Sylvia stood at the center of the ceremony platform, wearing my backup veil and holding my bouquet. Grayson stood below the platform, looking up at her. Sylvia smiled and asked, "If I hadn't taken the fall for you back then, would I be the one standing here today?" Grayson didn't deny it. He only said, "Come down quickly. Don't let anyone see you." Don't let anyone see. After hearing that sentence, my fingertips grew colder bit by bit. So from last night, Sylvia had already been standing in my place. The platform, the bouquet, the veil. Even my room had been used by her. When Grayson came in, he happened to see the tablet in my hand. His steps clearly paused. I didn't make a scene or throw anything. I just turned the screen toward him. In the video, Sylvia still wore the veil, smiling like a real bride. Grayson was silent for a few seconds before speaking, his voice deliberately low. "Sylvia was emotional last night. She just wanted to experience what a wedding felt like." I looked up at him. "So my veil, my bouquet, my platform, my room. She can try them all?" Grayson's brows furrowed. "Claire, she was rejected because of me years ago. People mocked her for years. Don't use these words to provoke her today." I looked at him, suddenly losing the energy to ask anything more. My wedding was being stolen. And Grayson was worried my words would upset Sylvia. He was always like this. Whenever Sylvia cried, he immediately made excuses for her. As for whether I was hurt, whether I felt wronged, whether I had to swallow things that had been stained. He never considered any of that. A light knock came from the doorway. Sylvia personally brought the backup veil back. She had the white gauze draped over her arm, her face full of apology, her eyes reddening the moment she entered. "Claire, I'm sorry. I just envied you too much and couldn't resist trying it on. Don't blame Grayson. It's my fault." She sounded so humble, as if I'd really bullied her. Before I could speak, she'd already turned to look at Grayson, tears falling. "I should just leave. Today is your wedding. I don't want Claire to misunderstand us, and I don't want to put you in a difficult position." Grayson spoke up as expected. "Since you're already here, stay for the ceremony." Sylvia bit her lip and nodded. As she passed me, she turned her face slightly and said in a voice only the two of us could hear, "Claire, at least this morning, I was the one he held first." The words were soft, but they pierced my heart like a knife. Outside, the wedding music had already started playing. My bridesmaids came in to urge me to change into the main dress. I looked at the returned backup veil but didn't touch it. I picked up the pearl hairpin that had been returned with it. The hairpin still carried a perfume scent that wasn't mine. I opened the drawer and threw the hairpin inside. Grayson stood at the door. Seeing I wasn't making a fuss anymore, he visibly relaxed. He walked over and reached out to adjust my shoulder strap. "Claire, the ceremony is about to start. Don't keep the guests waiting too long." I looked at his hand in the mirror. That hand had been on Sylvia's waist not long ago. I stepped back half a step to avoid him. Grayson's hand froze in midair.
Claire Carter POV When Grayson's mother, Helen, entered the makeup room, there wasn't a trace of a smile on her face. She first glanced at me, then looked at Grayson, her voice deliberately low. "Everyone's waiting for you outside. Why hasn't the ceremony started yet?" The wedding coordinator's forehead was covered in sweat. "Helen, the bride is still adjusting her veil." Helen's expression immediately darkened. "Stop wasting time on these trivial matters! The ceremony is about to start. All of the Jones family's guests are here today. Claire, don't keep everyone waiting!" I sat before the mirror, my shoulders still bare above the wedding dress. That gown had been worn by Sylvia. That veil had been touched by Sylvia. The pearl hairpin still carried her perfume. And Helen said I was the one wasting everyone's time. I looked up at Grayson. Grayson didn't speak up for me. He only said to Helen, "Mom, please go outside. I'll handle this." The door closed again. Only the two of us remained in the room. Grayson stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Claire, there can't be any problems today. I'll explain what happened this morning after the wedding ends." I looked at him. "You want me to put on the dress and go out there smiling, even though I know what happened in that room?" Grayson's brow furrowed tightly. "You're already my wife. There's no need to fight with Sylvia over these small things." Wife. That word coming from his mouth felt like a dull blade slowly pressing against my heart. Three years ago, when my ex-fiancé left me standing at the wedding, everyone told me to just endure it. It was Grayson who took me away. He'd said, why should an innocent person bear the consequences of someone else's mistake? Now he was the one pushing me back into that position. I opened the ring box and took out the vow card, holding it in front of him. "Read the first line." Grayson glanced at me, then took the card. When he opened it and saw that line, his throat seemed to catch on something. I asked, "Can you still read it out loud now?" Grayson closed the card, avoiding my eyes. "Now isn't the time to talk about this." I took the vow card back from his hand. I tore the paper down the middle. The sound was soft, but it made Grayson's face change color. I didn't hit him. I didn't cry. I simply pressed the torn card back to the bottom of the ring box, then handed the box to my bridesmaid. "Hold onto this. Don't give it to the host." The bridesmaid froze, instinctively looking at Grayson. I repeated, "Don't give it to the host." Outside, the host had begun speaking. Applause filtered through the door. The makeup artist placed the new veil on my head. This time, the veil hadn't been touched by anyone else. But looking at myself in the mirror, I still felt like this wedding dress was suffocating me. Grayson stood behind me. Seeing I was finally cooperating, he visibly sighed with relief. He probably thought I would still endure it. He thought that, just like the past three years, I would swallow all my grievances for him, for the Jones family, for the perfect completion of the ceremony. When the banquet hall doors opened, the lights fell on me. The guests turned to look. Applause erupted instantly. Grayson stood at the end of the red carpet in his tidy suit, looking like a groom truly waiting for his bride. I walked forward step by step. My gaze moved past Grayson to the front row. Sylvia sat there. She'd changed into a different dress. The missing pearl hairpin was now pinned to her chest. That was my hairpin. Sylvia looked up and smiled at me, her fingers lightly touching the hairpin, as if reminding me. Even something this small, she could take. I reached Grayson. The host smiled and said, "The groom has finally waited for his bride." Applause erupted again. Grayson extended his hand toward me. That hand had touched Sylvia's waist this morning. Now it reached toward me, wanting me to continue performing in this wedding. I looked down at it for a moment but didn't place my hand in his. I looked up at Grayson, my voice not loud but clear enough for the nearest rows to hear. "Are you sure the person you've been waiting for today is me?"
Claire Carter POV The host's smile froze on her face. The applause on both sides of the red carpet gradually stopped. In the guest seating, it became so quiet only the music remained. Grayson's extended hand hung in midair. His expression changed as he said in a suppressed voice, "Claire, don't make a scene right now." I didn't look at anyone else. "I just need one answer from you. Is the person you've been waiting for today me?" Grayson's Adam's apple bobbed. He didn't answer. He only said, "The ceremony has already begun. Let's complete it first." That phrase again. Complete the ceremony first, let the guests watch us perform first, let me continue being the sensible bride first. Helen walked over from the side, still smiling on her face but her voice cold and hard. "Claire, if you have something to say, say it at home. So many guests are here today. Don't make everyone uncomfortable." I looked at her. "Another woman was in my room, and I'm still supposed to smile through this ceremony?" Helen's smile stiffened for a moment. Quickly, she lowered her voice again. "A truly sensible bride doesn't put her husband on trial at their wedding." Murmurs were already rising from the guest seating. "What's going on?" "Does the bride not want to marry the groom?" "I think there's something wrong with that woman in the front row." Those voices drilled into my ears. The failed wedding three years ago had been just like this. No one asked if I was hurt. They only wanted to see if I would cry, if I would lose control, if I would become an even bigger joke. Grayson suddenly grabbed my wrist, trying to place my hand in the crook of his arm. His movement looked gentle, but the force was strong. It hurt so much I frowned, yet still I didn't cooperate. Grayson said in a low voice, "After the wedding ends, you can ask me whatever you want. Not now." I looked at him. "After the wedding ends, am I supposed to thank you for being willing to explain?" Grayson's expression darkened, and he gripped my wrist even tighter. At that moment, a harsh scraping of a chair came from the front row. Sylvia stood up supporting herself on the chair back, her face very pale. The pearl hairpin on her chest swayed. She looked at Grayson, her voice trembling. "Grayson, I didn't mean to sit here. I didn't mean to make Claire misunderstand. If I'm causing problems for your wedding, I'll leave right now." After speaking, her body swayed as if she might collapse at any moment. Grayson barely hesitated. He released me and walked straight toward Sylvia. The force controlling me disappeared. My wrist hurt badly, but Grayson had already reached Sylvia's side. "Where does it hurt?" His voice was urgent. Much more urgent than when he'd been coaxing me to complete the wedding. The entire venue fell completely silent. The lights still fell on me. But the groom was no longer by my side. Helen's face looked terrible, but her first reaction was to have the host pause and have staff turn off the big screen. Someone said quietly, "Who the groom really loves is pretty obvious, isn't it?" I stood in place. The veil on my head suddenly felt as heavy as a shroud. The host tried to salvage the awkward situation. "This guest isn't feeling well. The groom is just helping to look after her." Guest. I looked at the hairpin on Sylvia's chest. A guest who had worn my gown, touched my veil, was wearing my hairpin, and could make Grayson publicly leave me at my own wedding. I raised my hand and slowly removed the veil. Grayson looked back and saw my movement. His expression immediately changed. "Claire, don't!" I ignored him. I handed the veil to my bridesmaid, my voice calm. "I'm a bit tired. I'm going back to my room to rest." The bridesmaid's eyes were red with anxiety. "Miss Carter..." I'd already turned around. I didn't make a scene. I didn't rush over to hit Sylvia. I simply walked step by step away from the wedding venue. Behind me, Grayson was supporting Sylvia. I knew he wanted to chase after me. But then I heard Sylvia say, "Grayson, I'm so dizzy... Don't leave me."
Claire Carter POV I returned backstage, closed the door, and finally shut out the lights from the banquet hall and all those mocking eyes. I didn't cry. I just placed the veil on the vanity. The backstage screen was still connected to the wedding video system. The image was frozen on the moment when the ceremony had paused. I stood alone under the lights. Grayson was in the front row supporting Sylvia. The image was sickening. I watched it for a few seconds, then reached out and unplugged the connection cable. The screen went black. But at that moment, the door was pushed open. Sylvia walked in. The weakness from earlier had vanished from her face. The pearl hairpin was still pinned to her chest. She glanced at the darkened screen and laughed softly. "Unplugging the cable won't help. Everyone already saw it." I didn't turn around. "Get out." Sylvia walked to the vanity, her fingers trailing across the veil before touching the ring box beside it. "Claire, what's the point of guarding these things? Can you stop Grayson from giving them to whoever he wants?" I pressed my hand down on the ring box. "Don't touch it." Sylvia's eyes immediately reddened, and her voice rose slightly. "I was just trying to help you take the rings out so the wedding could continue. Why are you so nervous? Are you afraid the wedding can't go on?" As she spoke, she suddenly grabbed my wrist and reached for the ring box with her other hand. She gripped hard, hurting me. I shook her hand off. Sylvia seemed to have been waiting for this exact moment. She stumbled backward and knocked into the video equipment rack beside her. The rack fell, the screen crashed to the floor with a sharp sound. Sylvia clutched her arm, tears flowing immediately. "Claire, even if you're angry, you can't push me... The wedding video is ruined. What is Grayson supposed to do?" Footsteps rushed in from outside. Grayson and Helen arrived almost simultaneously. Grayson saw Sylvia clutching her arm with the shattered screen at her feet. His expression immediately darkened. Sylvia was crying so hard she could barely stand. "I just wanted to take the ring box out to let the wedding continue. Claire refused, and she pushed me..." I looked at Grayson. "She grabbed for the ring box. She knocked the equipment over herself." Grayson didn't ask me why Sylvia had been touching the ring box, nor did he ask why the equipment rack had fallen. He only stared at me, his voice frighteningly cold. "Are you determined to ruin today?" I was stung by that sentence into laughing. "Who exactly ruined today?" Grayson clenched his teeth. "Stop saying such ugly things." I looked at him and asked coldly, "Am I supposed to put the dress back on, take the ring she tried to steal, go outside and smile at the guests. Is that what counts as being sensible?" Grayson didn't respond. Helen was already trembling with anger. "Claire, have you lost your mind? After what you just did out there, you're going to hurt people backstage too?" Sylvia cried even harder. "Grayson, I should just leave. I really don't want to make things difficult for you..." Grayson seemed crushed by that sentence. The next second, he raised his hand and slapped me hard across the face. The slap was heavy. My face jerked to the side. My ear rang. Soon I tasted blood at the corner of my mouth. Backstage fell silent. Grayson froze after the slap as well. His hand remained suspended in midair. His first words weren't an apology. "Calm down." I slowly raised my head. I saw the panic in his eyes, and also saw the anger. Three years ago, when I was left standing at the wedding, Grayson had shielded me from the cameras, saying no one had the right to see me in that state. Now my humiliation had been delivered by his own hand. I didn't cry. I raised my hand to wipe the blood from the corner of my mouth and closed the ring box. Grayson's voice finally dropped. "I didn't mean to. Too much is happening today. Don't push me." I looked at him. "Are you going to wait until after the wedding to explain this slap too?" Grayson's face went pale. I handed the ring box to my bridesmaid. "Keep this safe for me." Then I turned and went into the backstage restroom. The moment the door closed, I slowly slid down to sit on the floor, my back against the door. Outside, people were still calling my name. I pressed my hand against the side of my face where I'd been hit. My fingertips wouldn't stop shaking.
Claire Carter POV I stayed in the restroom for a long time. The people knocking on the door were first the bridesmaids, then the makeup artist, and finally Grayson. His voice came through the door, much lower than before. "Claire, come out first. We can cover the injury on your face with makeup, and we can simplify the ceremony. The guests have already been settled." Hearing these words, I suddenly found it laughable. He didn't ask if I was in pain. He didn't say the slap was wrong. He was only considering whether this wedding could still continue. I opened the door. Grayson saw my swollen cheek, and something flickered in his eyes. He reached out to touch me. I turned my head away. His hand stopped in midair. "I was too rushed earlier. Sylvia injured her arm, and Mom kept pushing me. I lost control for a moment." I asked him, "So if I say I lost control, can I hit you now?" Grayson's expression darkened. "Don't let this spiral out of control." Helen had someone bring ice packs and concealer, her tone like she was dealing with a soiled wedding dress. "No one outside knows what happened backstage. Go out and interact with the guests, then complete the ceremony." I looked at her. "As long as the guests can't see the injury, we can pretend it never happened?" Helen sneered coldly. "Since you've already married Grayson, you should know when to endure." Grayson stood beside her and didn't contradict her. Watching his silence, the last of my resolve crumbled. The wedding program was changed. The host told everyone I wasn't feeling well, so the program would be simplified. Staff quickly removed the vow platform. The big screen that was supposed to display our handwritten vows was replaced with a generic congratulations image. I stood backstage, watching that screen go dark. After a while, Sylvia came again. Her arm was wrapped in gauze, her face pale, yet she still had to stand next to Grayson. "I should really leave. Claire isn't in a good mood today. If she gets angry again in a bit, everyone will be uncomfortable." After hearing this, Grayson turned to look at me. "Don't say anything you shouldn't during the ceremony." I didn't agree. I picked up my bag. "This wedding ends here." Grayson's expression changed drastically. He reached out and grabbed my wrist. I already had an injury there. When he pressed on the wound, the pain shot numbness through my fingertips. "All the guests are outside. You can't leave now." I couldn't break free. I could only look up at him. "I'm not your toy, and I'm not this wedding's toy either." That sentence completely provoked Grayson. He dragged me toward the banquet hall. My knees were already weak, and the wedding dress train was so long. I stumbled and fell. My knee hit the ground first. The edge of a step scraped my calf open. Blood quickly seeped through the gauze skirt. All the staff around us paled. My vision went black. I braced my hands on the floor, unable to stand for a long time. Grayson also froze, instinctively bending down to help me up. But at that moment, Sylvia called out softly, "Grayson, my arm hurts so much..." Grayson's movement paused. He looked back at her first. His action made me completely lose hope. I supported myself on the steps and stood up on my own, not accepting his belated hand. The white wedding dress dragged across the floor, stained with blood. I pulled the train down from the steps, my voice very soft. "The wedding has nothing to do with me anymore." I turned and walked outside. Grayson tried to follow, but Helen stopped him. "The guests are still outside, and Sylvia is injured too. She's emotionally unstable right now. Let her cool down." Grayson stood in place and ultimately didn't chase after me. He only told an assistant, "Follow her. Don't let anything happen to her." I reached the end of the hallway and heard that sentence. I paused. Even now, he still thought I was the one who would cause trouble. I turned my head and saw a videographer walking by with his gear. I spoke directly. "The wedding video backup. Give me a copy." The videographer froze. I raised my still-swollen face. "Now." Half an hour later, I sat in a car outside the hotel. My knee hurt so badly I was trembling. My face hurt too. The lawyer on the other end of the phone said the divorce agreement could be drafted tonight, and the joint account Grayson and I shared could be processed simultaneously. I looked at the wedding sign outside the car window. The sign still displayed both Grayson's and my names. I closed my eyes. When I opened them again, my voice was steady. "Take me to the villa." After hanging up the call, I opened Grayson's chat. I archived it. I changed his name from "My Love" back to just Grayson Jones.
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