“I find out about your relationship before the wedding, break it off, and you take my place.
“You’ve already exposed it, so what’s there to be afraid of? The ending is the same, isn’t it?”
My sister stopped struggling, biting her lip and staring at me.
I said calmly, “You knew I tested Evan using my new account, yet you still dared to show up here. You were just trying to get me to spill the
beans, weren’t you?
“Well, let me be clear!
“I’m marrying Evan. I’ll spend the rest of my life with him.”
I watched my sister’s shocked expression and laughed mockingly, “You don’t believe a scumbag can change, and neither do I.
“Every rich young heir of a wealthy family keeps his wife at home while having affairs outside.
“Did you think I would marry Evan without knowing what kind of man he is?
“Tell me you’ve fallen for him, haven’t you?
4:16 PM
<
“But does he actually care about you? To him, you’re nothing more than a plaything.
“Don’t tell me you actually believe his sweet talk.”
Chapter 6
I continued, “Thinking he’ll treat you like his dream lover? Marry me to be his normal wife at home?
“He doesn’t want to marry you because you’re dirty, too wild. You’re not presentable. Otherwise, why do you think he chose to marry me instead of you?”
Grace’s tears pooled in her eyes.
A sharp pain twisted in my chest, and I took a deep breath.
My voice broke with emotion. I said, “You’re willing to ruin our sisterhood for this kind of man?”
Grace lowered her head and covered her ears with her hands.
I turned my face away, tears streaming uncontrollably down my cheeks.
It hurt.
It hurt so much.
A family member who had been by my side my entire life was now the one to sever this bond with her own hands.
Every cut felt like a bloody, suffocating wound.
“What’s going on?”
Evan slid into the front passenger seat and noticed the strange atmosphere.
He turned to me, his brows furrowing immediately.
“Grace, what did you say to Mia? Why is she crying like that?”
He got out of the car and squeezed into the back seat.
He said coldly, “Grace, get in another car.”
Grace’s face turned ashen, her lips trembling, looking at Evan in disbelief.
“Didn’t you understand me?”
Evan grew stricter.
Grace wiped her tears and slammed the car door shut as she left.
Evan pulled me into his arms, his tone softening. “Baby, tell me, what did you two talk about?”
Outside the car, Grace froze for a moment.
I spoke in a trembling voice, “You misunderstood. We were just talking about some emotional topics.”
Evan’s brows tightened.
“Is she crazy? Why would she bring this up at a time like this? What if it ruins your mood? You still need to do your makeup tomorrow, and your eyes will be all swollen… how ugly will that be?”
He deliberately raised his voice.
His words pierced through the car window like a blunt knife, forcing Grace to quicken her pace.
4:16 PM
<
4
On the day of the wedding, the rooftop garden of the five–star hotel was dignified and elegant.
I wore a pure white wedding dress, sitting in an elevator decorated with flowers, slowly rising.
The soft piano music echoed in the air.
Evan stood at the flower arch in a custom suit, waiting for me with excitement.
I linked my arm with him, stepping toward the flower–laden stage.
Petals fluttered, butterflies danced, and applause surged like waves.
After the emcee’s opening remarks, Evan spontaneously confessed for ten minutes.
I watched his slightly trembling chin and his shaky hands.
By the end, his eyes were red, his voice choked.
He reminisced about the first time we met, spoke of the day we fell in love, recounting every little moment we shared.
But in my mind, all I could hear were his words from that night at the outdoor bar.
“Then I’ll have to settle for second best and be with her younger sister.”
As my tears fell, Evan pulled me into his arms.
I could hear the frantic beating of his heart in his chest.
He was nervous, but he was happy.
I thought he must love me.
His vows were real, but his betrayal was real, too. These contradictory sides of him existed simultaneously.
The emcee exited. The vow exchange was scheduled for later in the evening, unlike during rehearsal.
Evan looked at the emcee in confusion.
I gently tugged at his sleeve, whispering, “I arranged it.”
But later, amidst the blooming flowers and dazzling lights, I met Evan’s expectant gaze and said, “I do not.”
The emcee was stunned, and the guests were shocked.
The happiness in Evan’s eyes was instantly replaced by anger.
He stared at me intensely, and I calmly returned his gaze.
At seven o’clock, the bells rang precisely. The overhead lights went out, and the fountain in the distance lit up in a dazzling light show.
Multicolored beams intertwined, bursting in the night sky in a magnificent display.
The lights reflected in the fountain’s water, dreamlike and surreal.
I watched for a moment, then untied the hem of my wedding dress and gracefully left the stage.
The wedding I had carefully planned, with every detail meticulously crafted, had finally come to an end.
Evan blocked me at the hotel entrance.
His face was darker than the night itself. “Mia, what does this mean?”
I calmly looked at him and repeated the words that pierced my heart.
D
4:16 PM d.
<
I repeated. “The one I’ve always loved is Grace, from the beginning to the end. But who’s to blame when Grace, this flirtatious woman, refuses to settle down for me?
“Guess I’ll have to settle for second best and be with her little sister.
“Mia might not be as wild as Grace in bed, but as far as body and looks go, she’s not bad at all, tsk…”
Evan froze for a moment. Then his eyes blazed with fury.
“Who told you this? Grace? Was it her?”
I sneered, “So, you can’t stand the taste of betrayal, can you? But how could you betray me so recklessly?”
“Was it her?”
“No, I heard it myself at the bar.”
Evan’s face darkened, and he said coldly, “You knew all along and never said anything just to embarrass me in front of everyone?
“Mia, you really are a master of tactics.”
