A Wedding That Never Was Chapter 03
“Grandpa, I wanna break off the engagement.”
Olivia’s face was set—stubborn, determined.
Arthur froze for a second, looked up at her. “Olivia, marriage ain’t no joke. You and Alex…”
Olivia cut him off, eyes solid, no hesitation at all. “Grandpa, I’ve thought this through. Draggin’ it out’s just torture for both of us. Better to let go, give each other freedom.”
“Also, I’m gonna move my dad’s ashes and go to Country M to start over.”
Arthur saw he couldn’t talk her out of it, just let out a heavy sigh. “Alright. I’ll arrange a cemetery in Country M, transfer the money to your card. In a week, you can leave…”
Right then, Alexander pushed the door open and walked in, frownin’. “Who’s leavin’?”
Before Arthur could explain, Olivia jumped in. “Nothin’. Why’re you back?”
He bent down to change his shoes. “The nurse said you checked yourself out, so I came to get you.”
Before they left, Alexander handed her a scarf, just like always, soft and gentle. “It’s gonna get colder tomorrow. Bundle up—don’t catch a cold.”
Olivia took the scarf, her heart all twisted up. When it came to takin’ care of her? He was perfect.
That’s why she’d mistakenly thought he liked her.
That night, his phone rang out of the blue. Chloe’s ringtone.
Alexander picked it up, voice all soft and indulgent. “Chloe? What’s wrong?”
“Mr. Sterling, Chloe threw up from drinkin’ at the dinner party. She’s feelin’ real sick right now…” Chloe’s voice drifted through the phone.
“Alright, I’m on my way.” He sounded frantic, grabbed his coat, and headed out.
He didn’t care one bit how messed up it was—picking up a drunk female student in the middle of the night.
Olivia sat in the dark, watchin’ his hurried back as he left. A dull ache thumped in her chest.
She sat wide awake till dawn, then went out to buy a bouquet of white lilies and headed to the cemetery on the edge of town.
She knelt down in front of her dad’s tombstone, fingertips brushin’ the name on the stone, voice light as wind. “Dad, I came to see you.”
“I’m doin’ okay. It’s just… my wedding with Alexander’s off. Dad, he don’t like me. And I… I don’t like him no more, either.”
Her tears hit the tombstone, blurrin’ into a little wet spot. “I told Grandpa I’m takin’ you to Country M. We’re never comin’ back.”
Olivia left the suburban cemetery and went back to the bridal house she shared with Alexander.
She packed all her stuff—plus the old keepsakes her dad left her—one by one into her suitcase.
Just as she zipped the suitcase shut, the airline called.
The flight she’d booked was delayed—departure pushed back to after the original wedding date.
She opened the booking app, fingers flyin’ to cancel the ticket, then booked the earliest flight she could get.
Right as she was gonna close the app, an Instagram notification popped up:
[The wedding invitation of me and my wife, Olivia…]
She clicked it. It was Alexander’s official announcement, with a cozy photo of the two of ’em.
In front of other people? He never denied she was his fiancée.
But that ain’t never been love. It was just a responsibility he’d had since he was a kid.
At that exact moment, she heard the fingerprint lock unlock at the door.
The door pushed open, and a man’s heavy breathin’ mixed with a woman’s sweet moans slipped through the crack.
It was Alexander and Chloe.
“Mentor, thanks for takin’ care of me all night…” Chloe’s voice was soft as water.
“I’m supposed to take care of you. Don’t call me mentor no more.”
“But… Alex, won’t Ms. Bennett be mad you brought me back here?” Chloe paused, fake modest—but her tone was oozin’ with smug pride.
Before she could finish, he kissed her, cuttin’ her off. Soft, breathy gasps broke the quiet of the livin’ room.
Olivia sat in the guest bedroom, listenin’ to every single thing outside. It felt like she’d been dumped into an ice cellar—bone-deep cold sweepin’ over her whole body.
She couldn’t believe it. Alexander had the nerve to bring Chloe back to their marital home, so bold and unashamed.
