The echoes of my wedding vows still resonated in the air, a sweet, hopeful melody that felt increasingly distant. My mom's tender embrace, Gray's protective warning, Chelsea's sweet scent, Ashley's infectious excitement—they were all fading, replaced by a chilling reality.

I stepped outside, seeking a moment of peace under the cool night sky, only to find my perfect wedding day tainted. A girl emerged from the bushes, flustered and disheveled, followed by King Sterling. His smirk, his amber eyes, the cloud of cigarette smoke, all filled me with a familiar disgust. "You couldn't have taken her home first?" I snapped, my voice laced with venom.

He chuckled, a sound that always sent a shiver down my spine. "That's no fun. Besides, I would've missed the hilarious look on your face right now." His words, a playful tease, yet they carried a dangerous edge, a hint of the chaos he embodied. He was everything I hated, everything Isaac wasn't. Or so I thought.

Then came his taunt, raw and offensive: "Has he popped your cherry yet, or are you still ripe for the taking?" My cheeks flushed, a betrayal of my composure. "N-No. I wanted to wait until marriage like my parents did," I stammered, clinging to a fading ideal. His mocking laughter, his insinuation that Isaac would fail me, ignited a spark of fury. "When shit doesn't work out between you and Isaac, just know you can call me anytime," he said with a shrug, his words a premonition I desperately wanted to ignore.

I shot him a glare, my confidence unwavering. "Why wouldn't things work out? I love my husband and he loves me." The lie tasted bitter on my tongue. "Your pathetic husband seeks out trouble," he retorted, a chilling whisper that hinted at a truth I wasn't ready to face. Just then, Nikolai and Mason emerged, completing the trio of men I hated most, their presence a dark cloud over what should have been the happiest night of my life. "Oh, great. Here are all three dumbasses."