đFind your passion today
đđThree days before the wedding, I discovered my fiancĂ© had given my grandmotherâs heirloom to his childhood crush, Chloeâand even changed our wedding venue to the Spanish castle sheâd always dreamed of. So on the day he stood waiting at the altar, I flew home and married someone else in my grandmotherâs garden.
I once believed love could overcome anythingâeven him always choosing her first. I planned every detail alone while he stayed by her side. He even told his friend, âHer family is collapsing. Iâm her only lifelineâshe would never risk losing me.â
I endured it all⊠until he handed her the one treasure my grandmother left for me.
But he never imagined I had another choice.
He thought I needed his money to survive.
What he never knew wasâmy love was never for sale.
And now⊠itâs too late for regrets.
đ Guess whose ring Iâm wearing now?
_________________________
Chapter 1
ăăShortly after I resigned from Thorne Corporation, Griffin Thorne sent me a photo along with the location of our wedding: a Spanish castle called Solaris Castle.
ăăThe photo displayed the castle's front, its ivory limestone walls crowned by a golden dome that radiated opulence in every detail.
ăăAt the center of the image stood Chloe Ashford, her hair cascading in soft curls, dressed in a red gown that clung perfectly to her form.
ăăI stared at her beaming face for a long moment, disbelief freezing me in place.
ăăI was meant to be the bride. This was supposed to be our venue, picked for me-but the person shining in the photo wasn't me. It was Chloe, the childhood friend he'd always insisted I shouldn't worry about.
ăăAfter that, Griffin fell silent. I knew him well enough to guess he assumed the planner had already told me about the change. He likely sent the address only to confirm where I should fly if I rearranged my ticket.
ăăAnger settled like lead in my chest. I couldn't comprehend it. He had promised the ceremony would be at Grandma Rose's home-how could he discard that without a second thought just because Chloe fancied a castle?
ăăBy the time I arrived home, the evening had already fallen. I walked in just as Griffin barked at the housekeeper, Mrs. Beatrice Webb, "Elara Vance isn't a child. Must you trouble me over a few minutes of delay?"
ăăMrs. Kent hesitated. "But Miss Vance took the planner's call this morning and left right after. I feared she might have-"
ăăGriffin laughed sharply, cutting her off. "She went to handle her visa and adjust her flight. The Vance family is massive-it's not easy to move everyone. Don't worry. Elara's dream is to marry me; she'd follow me anywhere, even to Antarctica. And this-this is the castle Chloe chose herself."
ăăMrs. Kent fell quiet, while Griffin muttered to himself, "Chloe hasn't responded in five minutes. I'd better check." He dashed out just as I vanished into the night.
ăăThat house was never truly mine; it belonged to the Thornes. Griffin had only invited me to stay there to simplify wedding planning. At first, we were like any happy couple, close and devoted. Then Chloe returned, heartbroken from a failed romance overseas, and Griffin rushed to console her. One conversation stretched into four months.
ăăFrom then on, the instant Chloe mentioned feeling low, Griffin abandoned everything, including me, to be by her side. I picked my wedding dress alone. I decorated Grandma Rose's garden for the ceremony myself. Griffin didn't lift a finger. When I voiced my frustration, he barely looked up from his phone, irritation flashing as he messaged Chloe.
ăă"Is the only reason you want to marry me to rescue your family's business?"
ăă#Chapter 2
ăă*"I've already promised to marry you. What else could you possibly want?"Griffin barked.
ăăThen his phone rang-it was Chloe. Instantly, his tense expression melted into a smile as he stepped outside to answer, leaving my words to vanish into silence.
ăă*"You were the one who asked first. I only said yes because I loved you..."*
ăăIn that instant, I went from a bride-to-be full of hope to a mere observer, abandoned in an empty room. Even the wedding venue, once chosen for me, no longer included me.
ăăThat evening, I stayed at a friend's home. Griffin didn't reach out even once.
ăăThe following morning, after finishing my work handover, I entered the villa and immediately heard Chloe laughing. *"Rose petals should fall from both sides during the vows. That's what makes it romantic."*
ăăGriffin sat next to her, eyes fixed on her with a warmth I had never known. *"Anything you desire,"he said softly. She had his full attention, leaving me invisible.
ăăAs I appeared, Chloe waved brightly. *"Elara, come here! I just came up with the perfect wedding idea!"*
ăăFrom the corner of my eye, I saw Griffin's annoyance. *"Why are you only just arriving? Chloe has spent four months preparing, while you've done nothing. Maybe it's for the best-her taste exceeds yours. That rustic theme nearly humiliated me. You can't imagine how close I came to ridicule."
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