Chapter 3

3

I stood still and watched them.

Levi spoke up again, making sure his voice carried through the room.

"Look at him. Caleb Grant doesn't love you at all!"

"He's completely indifferent even when someone is taking his bride away!"

"He failed all three tests. He's not a man worth marrying!"

Anger was wrong. Begging was wrong. Being indifferent was also wrong.

What exactly did they want from me?

Hearing Levi's words, Jade picked up her bouquet and hurled it at me.

"Caleb! You jerk! Why are you just standing there?"

"I'm being taken away, and you don't even move! You never loved me!"

She looked at me with pure rage, as if she were the victim.

I simply brushed the petals off my suit and straightened my tie.

I walked slowly to the officiant and took the microphone from his hand.

"Jade, just go," I said.

"I'm not doing this anymore. The wedding is off."

The entire room went silent.

They all thought I was completely under Jade's thumb. They thought I'd never end it.

Jade recovered from her shock quickly. Her anger flared even hotter.

She picked up a wine glass from a nearby table and threw it at me.

The custom-made suit I bought specifically for this day was ruined.

"Caleb, what is wrong with you!" Jade screamed.

"How dare you say you won't marry me? You've really grown a pair, haven't you!"

"You're the one who failed every single test, yet you have the nerve to say this!"

Test?

The venue cost hundreds of thousands. The dress, the photographer, the flowers―it all added up.

Three weddings in a single month. I had spent millions.

I let out a cold laugh. Every cent had come out of my pocket.

"So it was all just a test, right? Not a real wedding?" I asked.

"Fine. These three ceremonies cost four and a half million dollars."

"Pay me back. Can you even afford that?"