Rafael Luke Kendall

"This is our wedding. Don't make a scene," my fiancé texted, abandoning our big day for the 9th time to comfort his "fragile" friend. I didn't cry. I just took off my veil, canceled the ceremony, and texted his billionaire rival: "Does your offer to marry me still stand?" 👰🔥 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was the ninth time Bo Whitaker had vanished in the middle of a wedding event. His friends had started placing bets on how many seconds it would take me to start breaking things. The engagement party. The wedding photo shoot. The appointment at the County Clerk's Office to file for the marriage license. Every single time he was supposed to show up, a phone call pulled him away. Today was no different. I took off my veil and told the guests to leave first. My voice was steady. I didn't scream. I didn't smash a single thing. Tucker Miller, the one who always got the betting started, dialed Bo right in front of everyone. He put it on speaker. "Whitaker, you bail every damn time. Lila used to lose it immediately. She's way too quiet today. It's creepy. You think she's got something else planned?" Bo's voice came through the speaker, breathless and rushed. "Daisy's having another episode. She can't be alone right now. Tell Lila to wait for me. The wedding goes on as planned." Eight times in three years. This time, I wasn't waiting. Tucker turned to the people behind him, a grin still stuck on his face. "Last time he was less than three minutes late and she knocked the entire flower wall down. This is a way bigger event. Two minutes. I'm betting she starts flipping tables." Someone nudged him. "Knock it off. Look at her face." Tucker didn't care. "She'll get it out of her system. Bo says a few soft words and she'll cool right off, same as always." So every time I fell apart, they saw it as pre-wedding entertainment. My bridesmaid came over and took my hand gently. "Lila, should I call him again?" "No." I walked over to the wedding planner's table. "Everyone, the wedding is canceled." The planner froze, her walkie-talkie hovering in midair. "But Mr. Whitaker said to keep everything running as planned." She glanced at my wedding dress and couldn't stop herself. "We spent three months on this gown. Mr. Whitaker came in every single week to check on the progress." I suddenly remembered something the makeup artist had mentioned offhand the night before, during the trial run. "Mr. Whitaker specifically requested this neckline. He said it couldn't be cut too low. He said you have a small scar on your chest and he didn't want you to feel self-conscious about it." That scar. I gave it to myself the night of the engagement party, after he disappeared. I locked myself in the bathroom and used a shard of glass. He remembered to cover the scar. He just didn't remember how it got there. I looked down at the skirt. Hand-stitched embroidery and sequins, glittering under the lights. It was beautiful. And it was laughable. Daisy twisted her ankle. He left. Daisy was scared of a thunderstorm. He left. The day we went to the County Clerk's Office to file the paperwork, she said she had stomach cramps. He left anyway. The reasons always changed. The outcome never did. He always dropped me to go to her. He spent all that time picking out the dress, watching every detail, selecting jewelry. But showing up to the wedding on time was never something he treated as important. Every time he came back, he brought up the car accident from twelve years ago. Daisy saved his life, he said. He couldn't just abandon her. He wanted me to understand. To be gracious. To accept it. Tucker saw I still hadn't exploded and dialed Bo again. This time, a woman's voice came through first. "I feel so awful, Bo... Stay with me. Please?" I knew that tone too well. She always sounded like she was about to break at exactly the right moment. Bo's voice dropped low. "I'm not leaving. I'll stay." The grin on Tucker's face faltered. He glanced at me. His mouth kept running. "Bo, is there seriously no one else on earth who can deal with Daisy's condition except you?" The voice on the other end was clearly annoyed now. "Cut the crap. Tell Lila I'll be back when I'm done." The call ended. Bo's texts popped up immediately. First one: Daisy needs a little more time. Handle things on your end first. I'll be back as fast as I can. Second one: This is our wedding day. Don't make a scene. Be a good girl. Be a good girl. I stared at that word and laughed out loud. Eight times in three years. Same script every time. I was done watching. I closed the chat and scrolled until I found a number I hadn't contacted in three years. My finger hovered over the screen for a long time. Then I typed out a message. Does what you said before still stand? Sent. I picked up my skirt and walked toward the door. Behind me, Tucker's voice cracked with panic. "Bo! She's actually leaving this time. She didn't break anything—" #Goodnovel #Wattpad #Dreame #Library #Novel #Booktok #Bookish 📚Only a limited number of chapters can be displayed here. Click "Continue Reading" to open the application and continue reading (it will automatically navigate to the corresponding book page).👇👇👇