Chapter 2
For months, I’d sneak between his house and mine, learning new songs to soothe him. Worried my voice wasn’t good enough, I even practiced tirelessly at home.
But now, those cherished memories–moments I had treasured–were reduced to a joke, a cheap performance to amuse his fiancée.
Tears welled in my eyes as I shoved the microphone back into Jared’s hands.
“I’m not singing.”
“And I don’t wish you two any happiness.”
My voice was firm, yet someone in the crowd snickered.
“Elizabeth, don’t tell me you’re still hung up on Jared?”
“Jared, you better be careful. A clingy, obsessive woman like her is dangerous. She ran away from her own wedding just to throw herself at you–she’d probably settle for being your mistress if you let her!”
“My mistress?” Jared sneered, glancing at me with disdain. “You think she’s even worthy?”
Their taunts were like arrows, piercing my heart one after another.
In the past, I might’ve broken down, sobbing and begging Jared to tell me why he was doing this to me.
But today, I forced myself to swallow the lump in my throat and plastered on a smile.
“Jared, today you’re only proposing. I’m the one actually getting married. How about you give me a wedding gift instead? No need for money–a song
will do.”
Jared exchanged a glance with Cora before both of them burst into laughter.
“Elizabeth, you really think your husband would still want you after you ran away for me?” Jared mocked.
“Yealt, Elizabeth,” Cora chimed in. “Didn’t you and your husband rush into this marriage without much of a bond? Now that you’ve caused such a scandal, do you really think your wedding can go on?”
Forcing my smile wider, I replied, “Don’t worry about me. My wedding will proceed as planned.”
I had known all along that Jared Donovan planned to trick me into running away from my wedding.
Early this morning, he had called me.
His voice over the phone had been slurred with drunkenness, even tinged with a hint of sobbing.
“Elizabeth,” he said, “please don’t get married, okay? Don’t marry someone else–I can’t bear it. You know I can’t live without you.”
“If you still love me, come to Emerald Manor, It’s our special place, the one that belongs to you and me. I’ll wait for you until midnight.”
“As long as you come, I’ll take you away without hesitation! From now on, it’ll just be you and me against the world!”
With that, Jared Donovan hung up abruptly, leaving my heart racing on the other end of the line.
Jared and I had grown up together, side by side, for over a decade. I had confessed my feelings to him countless times, but he had never accepted them, always brushing it off by saying we were just friends.
But now… was it only because I was about to marry someone else?
At the same time, I received a message from my bridesmaid, Cora Hope.
She wrote, “Elizabeth, I know deep down you’ve always loved Jared. He told me everything and asked me to drive you to Emerald Manor.”
“As long as you make up your mind, we can leave right now. Nothing in this world can stop the two of you from being together!”
12:23
The Bride’s Awakening
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Jared rolled his eyes. “Her? As if the deserves it. This is for Core–I’m planning a surprise proposal to make her my fianceer
“Best tit Contacting as a hid today! Wiktionary
Jared’s eyes glimmered with mischief, and a sly smile spread across his face
*Elizabeth’s getting married, right? I bet you this all it takes it one phone call, and she’ll ditch her wedding and come running here.”
Want to see a runaway bride in a clownish wedding dres?
The group burst out laughing and eagerly replied, “Yes”
Another voice chimed in, “Hey, Jared, those flowers–are they real? Must’ve cost a fortune?
Someone else answered, “Not just real; they were flown in from France! And this lawn? People would kill to book this venne, but Jared pulled strings and spent a fortune to make it happen–for the best of the best.”
Jared smiled faintly, “Of course, Only the best for Cora”
