Chapter 3

3 I brought out the food from the kitchen. While we ate, I casually asked her.

"When I met your friends, they didn't seem to like me. I'm your boyfriend, and they hate me, so won't you stick up for me?"

"You're a grown man, what does it matter if they say a few things? It's not going to kill you.

"Why do you get more sensitive as you get older?"

She brushed it off, playing with her phone.

I had good eyes, and I saw that she was listening to a voice message from an unknown contact.

She accidentally played it out loud.

"Riley, what's so great about that old Cloud? Can he stay up all night with you? No way! I'm in good shape. I can. I'll be waiting for you at eight tonight. Are you coming?"

It was Josh's voice, cheerful and lively.

The air went still.

Riley turned off her phone, acting sweet to me.

"What did you just say? They're talking about you? It'll be okay after we get married. Once we're married, if they dare say anything, I'll cut them off."

She rushed back into the bedroom.

Soon, she came out wearing a spaghetti strap dress. Before I could say anything, she said, "Work stuff tonight, I won't be back. Don't wait up for me."

I watched her leave, whispering: less than an hour until eight.

I didn't sleep all night. She didn't come back.

Would everything be okay after we got married?

A few days later, at the wedding.

I walked down the aisle in my suit, waiting for my bride.

But the woman walking towards me in the white dress wasn't Riley Lowell, it was her sister, Riley Sutton.

Whispers filled the room, countless eyes watching the drama unfold, like spiderwebs wrapping around me.

I was frozen with dread.

"Why are you here? Where's your sister?"

The light in Riley Sutton's eyes shattered. "Does it have to be her? Am I not good enough? I love you too!"

"Are you kidding me? Of course not!"

I looked around wildly, not seeing her anywhere.

The wedding was ruined.

I was acting crazy. People watched from a distance, laughing.

Only Riley Sutton came up to me, tears in her eyes.

"She doesn't want you! She gave you to me! Do you even know that?!"

I shook my head, gritting my teeth. "That's not possible. She promised me. I need to find her, ask her why."

"Even if she's messing with you, even if she dumps you, you still want to find her?"

I nodded.

Riley Sutton laughed, tears streaming down her face.

She said, "Then go. She's not here."

I left without looking back.

When I found Riley Lowell, she was throwing a "fuck the wedding" party with her friends.

I walked into the rowdy bar in my formal suit, drawing attention.

Someone dragged me into the bathroom as soon as I walked in.

It was Josh.

He grabbed my collar, shoving me against the mirror, sneering, "Look at yourself, you pathetic loser. How does it feel?"

I didn't have time for him, I pushed him off and turned to leave.

But his words hit me like a hammer.

"Don't you know that Riley doesn't want to marry you? She carefully planned for you to sleep with Riley Sutton, and brought people to witness it, because she thinks you're old and boring, and she wants to get rid of you!

"You should've just called off the wedding! But no, you had to be so stubborn. Since she can't get rid of you, she switched with her sister at the wedding.

"Why don't you just be a man and live with Riley Sutton, and leave us alone."

My hands were shaking, I shook my head in disbelief.

That's impossible. She wouldn't do that to me, she wouldn't.

"Don't believe me?"

Josh whispered like a devil, "Then go ask her yourself. She's right here, you pathetic worm."