Chapter 3
By the time we got home, it was already two in the morning.
Nolan rushed to explain, “Maren, Sienna’s pregnant. She couldn’t drink, that’s why I…”
He had never told me what happened between them-not once mentioned the pregnancy.
He thought I didn’t know anything. Thought he could parade her around in front of me like nothing had happened. But there’s no such thing as secrets that never see the light of day.
I knew everything. And still, I played along with his charade.
Just like now-I had to act like I didn’t have a clue. I asked casually, “When’s Sienna getting married? Who’s the father?”
Nolan went silent for a long time before finally shaking his head. “I don’t know.”
I let out a quiet laugh.
That inexplicable laugh made him even more uneasy.
He quickly changed the subject. “Maren, we’re getting married in just a few hours. Let’s get some sleep, yeah?”
I shook my head. “Too nervous. Can’t sleep. We’re moving tomorrow-help me pack?”
Nolan always did whatever I asked.
So we stayed up all night.
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We packed up every photo we’d ever taken together, every gift we a exchanged, every little memento from over twenty
years of memories.
Each time we unearthed something, Nolan would get caught up reminiscing, his eyes glowing with nostalgia.
“Maren, this scarf-you made it for me yourself. I’ve never even worn it once, didn’t want to ruin it. Still looks brand new,
see?”
“This notebook is my old high school journal. You bawled your eyes out the first time you read it. Remember?”
He was giddy with sentimentality, never noticing the girl sitting across from him hadn’t smiled once.
By morning, dozens of boxes were stacked high, taking up the entire living room.
Tradition said the bride and groom couldn’t see each other before the ceremony, so Nolan had to return to his family
estate.
Before he left, he hugged me tightly, reluctant to let go.
“I don’t want to let you go… But it’s okay-just a few more hours, and I’ll finally have you as my wife.”
“Maren, promise me-you’ll never leave me. Not in this lifetime.”
I let him hold me, head bowed, not saying a word.
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Because I couldn’t make that promise. Today would be our final goodbye.
Once his car pulled away from the villa, the housekeeper came over and asked what to do with all the boxes.
Without even looking back, I headed upstairs. “Burn them all.”
The wedding we’d planned for nearly three months began with the peal of church bells echoing through the crisp morning
air.
Under everyone’s gaze, my father walked me slowly down the aisle.
The guests stared, stunned by how beautiful I looked.
Nolan’s eyes shone with unrestrained love.
He’d waited so long for this moment, a dream finally coming true. His heart was pounding so hard he looked like he might
float off the ground.
He reached out and took me from my father’s hand.
Together, we stood under the spotlight. As the officiant read the vows, surrounded by friends and family, he was so overwhelmed with emotion that he blurted out his line before he was even asked. “I do.”
His voice trembled with excitement, making the audience chuckle.
The officiant moved on to the next vow. “Ms. Whitfield, do you take Mr. Everett to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love, honor, and cherish him, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to hold, from this day forward, until death do you part?”
But the expected “I do” never came.
The silence stretched thick in the air. One by one, all eyes turned to me.
For some reason, Nolan’s heart skipped a beat.
He quickly looked at me-only to find that my gaze was fixed on the doors at the end of the aisle.
He followed my line of sight-only to see darkness.
Just as the tension in the room reached its breaking point, the officiant cleared his throat and began reading the vow
again,
But before he could finish, the tightly shut doors swung open from the outside.
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