Chapter 1 Chapter 1

Red roses, which I loved dearly, could be found in every corner of the engagement party. I was the one who had personally overseen every arrangement. And yet, my boyfriend, Camden Gardner, was passionately kissing another woman on stage. I was about to confront them when one of Camden's closest friends dragged me away and covered my mouth. "Don't you get it, Eloise? Camden has been lying to you this whole time." Just like that, they locked me up in a small utility closet, forcing me to listen to the rest of the humiliating procession. The pain in my heart gradually gave way to numbness. There was no telling how much time had passed when Camden, dressed in a custom-made suit, finally opened the door. His first words weren't an explanation, but a rebuke. "Why are you acting so unreasonable, Eloise? Didn't I tell you to get some rest?" He frowned and glared at me as if I were the one in the wrong. I couldn't hold back the sting in my eyes. "Can't I attend my engagement party?" A complicated expression crossed Camden's face as he helped me up. "Stop causing a scene, Ellie. Kirsty is the heiress of a wealthy family. She'll be of great help to me." Despite the darkening look on my face, he paused but still chose to speak those cruel words. "You're just a country bumpkin. I'll date you, so just stop making a big fuss out of it." I was taken aback. How could he say something like that? Where was the man who once held me close and said he'd never marry anyone else but me? Camden and I met and fell in love in college. The relationship persevered even after we graduated. He was always a bit aloof. Ultimately, I was the one who brazenly proposed to him. The engagement was something we agreed on together. He never bothered to divulge the truth, even while I was trying on my dress the night before. It wasn't until I woke up this morning that I discovered Camden was missing. The front door had even been locked from the outside. I didn't want to be late for the engagement party. So, I climbed out of the window into a neighbor's house and rushed over. I didn't think I'd witness such a scene. Why didn't he tell me if he had never planned to marry me? Why did he make me perform this one-man act all by myself? What a joke. "If you never planned to marry me, why didn't you say so from the start?" Camden sighed softly and ruffled my hair. "Stop being so difficult, Ellie. You're putting me in a tough spot." He used to sweet-talk me this way, and I'd usually give in and make up with him. But this wasn't something I could simply brush off. "What part of me is being difficult? Camden Gardner, do you even have a heart?" In my anger, I grabbed a rag from the side and threw it at him. Camden frowned but didn't dodge. His demeanor grew colder. "I think you need to calm down, Eloise." His calmness only made my outburst seem hysterical. "Are you ready, honey?" Just then, a sweet voice rang out. The sound of high heels clicking on the floor echoed in the air. Camden's friends hurriedly covered my mouth and dragged me to the stairwell. "Where did Harold and the others go?" When I peered through the crack in the door, I saw Camden gently wrap his arms around the woman and playfully pinch her nose. "It's nothing. Don't worry about them. Shouldn't you be making it up to me now?" Kirsty Bainbridge shyly shoved him. "Don't say such things in public." Camden grabbed her hand and led her away. Once the pair disappeared from sight, his friends finally let me go.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

I had no idea when Camden and Kirsty met or got together. I dazedly stumbled back to the home we shared. When I looked at the photo of us framed on the wall, I desperately hoped this was all a dream. If I were to wake up, would Camden and I go back to how we used to be? Unfortunately, even after I finished packing up and going home, Camden never showed up to tell me it was just a dream. I didn't dare to tell my parents the truth. All they knew was that we had broken up. They simply responded that it was time I focused on the family's interests. I agreed to the arranged marriage they set up for me, even though I'd never met the man. At this point, it didn't matter who I married. Then, a mutual friend sent me a screenshot of Camden's social media. It was a collage of nine photos with Camden and Kirsty kissing in every one. The caption read, "The love of my life. No one else can compare.""No offense, Ellie. Someone paid me to send you this screenshot." After that message, the friend immediately blocked me. Camden wouldn't do something like this, which meant this was his fiancee's handiwork. Days went by without a word from him. I slowly began convincing myself to let go of this relationship. The next time we met was at a bridal boutique. "What are you doing here, Ellie?" There was no telling what was running through Camden's head at the time. Before I could answer, he muttered, "Forget it. Do as you please. If you want a wedding so badly, I suppose I could still give you one once this is all over.""My being here has nothing to do with you," I explained. Camden ignored my indifference and walked over to a rack to pick out a gown. "This one looks better. Why don't you try it on?" Seeing the serious look on his face, a different thought crossed my mind. I would wear the wedding gown he picked on my wedding day. The idea made me wonder what kind of expression he'd make once he saw what was on the big screen. I nodded along. "Sure, let's go with that one." Camden thought he had finally talked some sense into me. "I'm glad you've come to your senses, Ellie. I'll give you anything you want. I just can't marry you. My company is still in its startup phase, and I can't afford to lose the Bainbridge family's investment. Once I get through this rough patch, I'll fulfill your every wish." What a cruel joke. I gave up a life of luxury to be with him and worked two jobs to support him. Yet, he ultimately chose to abandon me for money. What a joke. "Why don't we go somewhere for dinner now that you've picked out a dress? Let's go to that restaurant you've been wanting to try. Sounds good?" As Camden spoke, he pulled out a box and opened it, revealing a beautiful diamond ring nestled within. He took my hand and said, "Kirsty really liked the other ring, so I gave it to her. This is also something I carefully picked out. Do you like—" The ring got stuck on my finger and wouldn't go any further. Camden's hand stiffened. He pursed his lips and put the ring back into the box. "The salesperson must've picked the wrong size. I'll give it to you once I've exchanged it." I immediately called him out. "Was it the salesperson who picked out the wrong size, or did you forget my size?" I could no longer understand this man. Every one of his gestures screamed love. But upon closer inspection, that same love was littered with flaws. "If you don't believe me, let's change it right now." Regardless of my protests, Camden grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the boutique.

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

Camden's phone suddenly began buzzing as we reached the door. His expression darkened after reading the message. "Something's happened to Kirsty. I'll take you out some other day." I grabbed his arm as he was about to leave. "If you walk out today, Camden, don't bother coming back." Camden effortlessly pulled away from my grip. He frowned slightly, and his tone was laced with blame. "I love you, Ellie, but you can't be this unreasonable. This is an emergency. Once I've calmed Kirsty down, we can go get the ring exchanged. "I promise, Ellie. Once the company is out of the woods, I'll throw a wedding to make it up to you. I'll give you anything you want." I could see that he had made his resolve. So, I stopped holding him back. "As long as you've made up your mind. But, Camden, August 26—" "Don't show up on August 26 and kick up a fuss, okay?" Camden cut me off and hurried away without bothering to hear the rest of what I had to say. I was getting married on August 26, too. Camden had barely walked out the door when Kirsty casually sauntered down the stairs. She looked me over as if she were evaluating a piece of merchandise. "So, you're the tramp who's been clinging onto Camden. Didn't you get the warning I sent you a few days ago? Why are you still hanging around him?" Kirsty sneered disdainfully. "Someone this poor thinks she can compete with me for a man? Consider this your final warning. Don't force my hand." I raised an eyebrow. "If we're being honest, aren't you the tramp? I've never met a side piece that sticks her nose into someone else's affairs and acts all high and mighty about it." "Eloise!" Kirsty stomped her foot in anger. "So what? When I want a man, I get him. What makes you think you even stand a chance against me, bitch?" That was where she was wrong. Only an idiot would fight over a scumbag like Camden. If I'd seen him for who he truly was sooner, I could've saved myself the heartbreak. It seemed that insulting me was not enough to calm her rage. With a wave of her hand, she bought out the entire store's collection of wedding gowns. She shot me a smug look. "Try fighting back, bitch! I can buy more than just the wedding dresses. Camden is mine!" Once she was done, she stomped off in her stilettos. The owner, Maple Hearst, stared after Kirsty in shock. "Holy crap, we reached the year's sales quota just like that." I nodded. "No reason to say no to free money." Kirsty was certainly an extravagant spender. Unfortunately for her, this bridal boutique belonged to a friend of mine. We were ultimately the ones profiting from the interaction. Soon, August 26 arrived. My social media feed was flooded with news of Camden's wedding. Annoyed, I deleted my Instagram account altogether. I got into the bridal car. After roughly 20 minutes on the road, we ran into traffic just before reaching the church. "Hey, man. My buddy's getting married today. Can you let us through?" The voice sounded oddly familiar, prompting me to roll down the window. I was met with a face that looked like he'd just seen a ghost. "What's going on, Harold? Are they not letting us through?" Camden walked over, dressed in a tuxedo. Harold stammered anxiously, "That's… That's not it." Camden frowned impatiently. "Then, what is it?" "The bride inside… The bride is… is… is Eloise."

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

Camden's gaze lowered to meet mine. It was as if he'd been struck by lightning. "Ellie? What are you doing here?" The moment he saw me in a wedding dress, his expression turned utterly grim. I smiled. "I was going to tell you—I'm also getting married today. But you never gave me the chance to say it.""Stop fooling around, Ellie." His eyes darted around until he thought of something and said firmly, "You don't need to pull this kind of stunt just to force a marriage." Camden glanced behind him and lowered his voice, "I've let you have your way plenty in the past, Eloise, but not today. I already explained everything to you two days ago. Don't make me repeat myself." I couldn't help but laugh when I saw how self-absorbed he was. Did he think he could trample on me just because I loved him? "If you have nothing else to say, don't get in the way of our wedding." As the tension thickened, the man sitting beside me finally spoke up. "And, you are?" Camden finally noticed the man sitting beside me. "Are you the actor Eloise hired?" The man let out a light scoff. "For you? Not worth the trouble." Leonard Barnette took my hand and said seriously, "So, is this the scumbag that you were telling me about?""You—!" Camden was clearly infuriated. He looked like he wanted to argue with Leonard, but whatever he was about to say was completely shut down by Leonard's intimidating presence. Then, Camden turned to me and began to plead, "Ellie, I don't care what kind of scene you're trying to cause today. But, can you at least let us through?" I shot back, "Why should I?" Camden was taken aback. If I were still that love-sick fool, I might've given in today. He got engaged to another woman behind my back. And now, he was asking me to be the bigger person on my wedding day. Why should I let things go his way? As the scheduled time for the ceremony drew closer, Kirsty finally lost her patience. She stormed out of the car in her kitten heels. "What's going on, Camden? We're about to miss the ceremony window. Why is this still not handled? If they won't move, throw some money at them and be done with it." Kirsty tugged at Camden's arm with a pout until her gaze swept over the scene. She froze. "Camden, didn't you say you already cut things off with her? Why is she—Is she here to crash the wedding?" She forced out a few tears, then threw herself into his arms, sobbing. I could see the smug look on her face through the gap between them. I still couldn't figure out what made a man like Camden worth fighting over. If she wanted him so badly, she could have him. While Camden gently comforted the woman in his arms, I urged the driver to keep moving. "Be reasonable, Eloise!" Camden immediately had someone block our car. "Today's a big day for me and Kirsty. Can you just be reasonable and move the cars? If this is about the money, we'll cover whatever you're being paid as extras today, alright?" At that, everyone in the car burst into laughter. Camden had no idea that our car motorcade wasn't something money could buy. His so-called fees for the "actors" meant nothing. Leonard raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And how much exactly were you planning to pay our 'actors'?" He put an exaggerated emphasis on the word "actors" on purpose while giving my hand a firm squeeze. Was this a subtle jab at my poor taste in men? It was clear that Kirsty hadn't caught on to the sarcasm. She scribbled a check without any hesitation and tossed it at me. "Here's 500 thousand dollars. Take it and get lost." She snorted and looked at us as if we were ants. "Have you people ever seen this much money in your lives?"