01
Dustin and I had been together for six years, and tomorrow was supposed to be the wedding I had dreamed of.
I looked at myself in the mirror, dressed in a pure white wedding gown, my face radiating happiness and joy.
But as I approached the banquet hall, I witnessed a scene that shattered my heart.
There, at the entrance, Dustin was placing the wedding ring I had designed onto Renata’s finger.
He caressed Renata’s hand casually, a playful smirk on his lips.
Renata, in return, gazed at him coyly, her voice dripping with sweetness.
“What a beautiful ring… Too bad it’s not mine.”
Dustin chuckled lightly, pulling her closer, his lips near her ear.
“Do you want it? It can be yours too.”
As I observed their shameless flirting, a sense of sadness overwhelmed me.
The door to the banquet hall creaked open, and I froze. My hands trembled, and I dropped the bouquet I had been holding to the floor.
Dustin noticed the noise from the door and turned, his eyes scanning my pale face. His tone dripped with mockery.
“Lyanna, I’ve already promised to marry you. It’s just a rehearsal, so why get angry over something so small?”
As he spoke, he pulled Renata closer, stroking her cheek, his gaze locked on me with a cruel glint.
I barely registered his look. I was fixated on the ring on Renata’s finger, my own wedding ring.
It was the ring I’d spent countless sleepless nights designing, the one that represented the love I’d poured into Dustin for all these years.
But now, it was carelessly sitting on another woman’s hand.
All the energy drained from me, and with it, my anticipation for the wedding.
Dustin, seeing I wasn’t throwing my usual tantrum, pushed it even further.
“Ms. Watson, what’s next in the program? Isn’t it time to kiss my bride?”
He leaned in towards Renata, his breath warm on her flushed face as if ready to kiss her any moment.
Had it been the old me, I would’ve rushed forward to stop him, grabbing the ring back and asking Renata to leave.
But now, I just stood there, saying quietly, “Dustin, you should know the boundary.”
He didn’t get the reaction he wanted, and his smile faded. He slowly walked toward me.
“Lyanna, even if we get married, don’t think things will change between us.”
With that, he pushed open the door and left, leaving me standing alone in the beautiful banquet hall, feeling like a pathetic fool.
Renata, seeing Dustin leave, hurried to follow him. As she passed by me, she stepped right on my bouquet.
A black heel mark appeared on the once–pristine white flowers. She picked up the dirty bouquet, handing it to me and apologizing with a feigned
innocence.
*Sorry, I didn’t mean to.”
Her eyes were full of provocation. I had been by Dustin’s side for years, and I’d seen countless women come and go, many of them just like her.
But the old me wouldn’t have let her get away with it.
Now, though, I just silently took the bouquet from her.
She smirked. Upon seeing that I wasn’t reacting, her tone grew even more scornful.
“Oh, and your ring too.”
She took the ring off her finger, my wedding ring, and deliberately dropped it on the ground.
The diamond ring hit the floor with a sharp, clear sound and then rolled away.
Renata strutted away, her head held high like a victorious rooster.
I stood there in my wedding dress, struggling to bend down and pick up the ring, which had been discarded like garbage.
The wedding dress, which had fit me perfectly just moments ago, now felt like it was suffocating me. The pin in my hair tugged painfully, and a sharp ache shot through my scalp.
I fought back tears and slowly took off my veil.
