Chapter 1

It was my wedding day, and the venue was packed with guests. Right before the vows, my future in-laws decided to raise the stakes. They demanded my entire paycheck after the wedding and wanted me to pay for my brother-in-law’s new condo in full.

My fiancé stayed silent the whole time. He just leaned in and whispered for me to “be sensible” and “stop making a scene.”

I looked at my wedding dress, which had cost me three months' salary just to rent. Suddenly, it clicked. They never saw me as a person. To them, I was just a business deal they could haggle over.

I pulled off my veil and said six words in front of over a hundred people. Those six words ruined a wedding, but they saved my entire life.

Chapter 1: I’m Not Marrying You

It happened on the second Saturday of October. The weather was perfect. Sunlight streamed through the crystal chandeliers of the ballroom, dusting the floor in gold.

There were twelve tables set up with over a hundred people. Friends, family, and colleagues were all squeezed into the hall.

I stood at the entrance in my white gown, clutching a bouquet of white roses. The petals were still damp with dew, fresh from the florist.

The makeup artist had used three layers of foundation to hide the dark circles under my eyes. I hadn't slept well. Actually, I had been crying under my covers the night before, trying not to make a sound.

But now, my face looked flawless. My makeup was set. No one could see the cracks.

Harvey Wyatt stood next to me. He looked sharp in his tailored suit, his hair slicked back perfectly. He had that “honest man” look―strong brows, clear skin, and a steady gaze.

When my mom first met him, she said, “This boy looks dependable.” I thought so too. Dependable, reliable, someone to build a life with.

We had been together for three years. We went from a chance meeting in the office breakroom to planning a life together. I really thought this was forever.

I just didn't realize how they defined “forever.”

“Gwen, dear―”

Harvey’s mother, Brenda, suddenly stood up from her seat. Her face was flushed with excitement as she walked to the center of the room.

She was wearing a bright red silk dress and a string of pearls. When she started talking, the whole room went silent.

“Since everyone is here, I’d like to say a few words,” she began. She cleared her throat and scanned the room before her eyes landed on me.

“Gwen joining our family is a blessing. But we need to make some things clear before we start. After the wedding, Gwen’s salary will be handed over to me every month.”

She smiled as if she was doing me a favor. “Young people don't know how to manage money. We have experience. We’ll take care of it for your own good.”

I gripped my flowers tighter. We had agreed before the wedding that our finances would stay separate.

But Brenda didn't give me a chance to speak. She took a breath and kept going.

“And one more thing. Harvey’s brother, Hudson, is getting married next year. His girl wants a condo downtown, paid in full. Everyone knows we spent a lot putting Harvey through college.”

She looked at me expectantly. “Gwen, you make good money―eight thousand a month. And you’re an only child. Your parents’ house will be yours anyway. So, we thought―”

“Brenda,” I interrupted. My voice was quiet, but it cut through the room. “Are you saying I should pay for Hudson’s condo? My salary, my family’s assets... you want it all?”

She blinked, then laughed even louder. “Call me Mom, dear! And what do you mean ‘your’ house? Once you marry into the Wyatt family, you are one of us. What’s ours is yours, and what’s yours is ours.”

I turned to look at Harvey.

Harvey was looking down at the tips of his shoes as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. His knuckles were white from clenching his fists.

My mom was sitting in the corner. She was wearing her best navy blue wool coat. She didn't say a word, she just watched me.

She was waiting for me to make my own choice. She always taught me that my life was mine to lead.

But Harvey’s mother was trying to lead it for me. She was trying to lead it for everyone.

“Harvey,” I said his name. It wasn't loud, but in the quiet hall, it felt like a stone hitting water. “Say something.”

Harvey finally looked up. His face was a deep, embarrassed red. He looked at his mother, then at me. His lips trembled before he squeezed out a few words.

“Gwen, just be sensible. Don't start a fight now. Everyone is watching. My mom has a point... we’re family now.”

Something inside my head just snapped.

“I’m starting a fight?” I looked him in the eyes. “Your mother wants me to buy your brother a house. She wants my entire paycheck. And you think that’s sensible?”

Harvey didn't answer. He just pressed his lips together. His mother piped up again, her voice ten times louder than his.

“Gwen! This is how a wife behaves! Your money is family money. That’s how it’s always been. If you’re going to be this difficult, how are you going to live with us?”

I stopped talking.

I looked down at the white roses in my hand. They were so pure, so white. Three years ago, Harvey gave me my first bouquet of white roses.

He told me they symbolized loyalty and devotion. I believed him. I remembered keeping them in a vase, changing the water every day, watching them fade because I couldn't bear to throw them away.

Now I realized that his version of “loyalty” meant bleeding me dry.

I set the flowers down on a nearby table.

Then, I reached up and unpinned my veil.

The white lace felt weightless in my hands. I folded it neatly and placed it next to the roses.

“Brenda,” I said, looking at her. Her smile was still there, but it was turning into a frozen mask. “I won't be calling you Mom.”

I paused. The ballroom was so quiet I could hear the hum of the air conditioning.

“I am not marrying you today.”

The smile vanished from Brenda’s face. She looked like she had been slapped. Her eyes bulged, and the heavy powder on her face seemed to crack.

Harvey staggered back as if I’d punched him. He lunged forward to grab my arm. “Gwen! Are you crazy? Look around! There are over a hundred people here. You can't be serious―”

I didn't let him touch me. I stepped back and pulled a thick red envelope from my bag. It held the $15,000 engagement gift his family had given me. I hadn't touched a cent.

“Here is your money. Every penny.”

I placed the envelope on the table next to the veil and the roses. They looked like items left at a grave.

“The wedding is over. Everyone can go home. I’m sorry for the wasted trip.”

Brenda’s face went from white to red, then to a dark, bruised purple. She began to scream, her voice like nails on a chalkboard.

“You little brat! We were doing you a favor by letting you into this family! You think you’re special? You think anyone else will want you after this?”

“Mom―” Harvey tried to hold her back, but she shoved him away.

“Don't stop me! Today, no one leaves until this is settled!” She pointed a shaking finger at me. “I’m telling you, if you walk out that door―”

“I’m already gone.”

I turned and headed for the exit. My heels clicked against the marble floor, loud and steady.

Behind me, I heard Brenda’s shrieks, the murmurs of the confused relatives, and Harvey calling my name over and over.

I didn't look back once.

My mom stood up and followed me. Her steps were light but firm.

As we reached the curb, an Uber pulled up. The driver looked at me in my wedding dress and froze.

“Where to?” he asked.

“Home,” I said.

My mom opened the door for me. I slid in, my massive skirt taking up half the backseat. The car smelled like cheap air freshener and old coffee. It wasn't pleasant, but it was real.

As the car pulled away, I saw Harvey run out of the hotel. He stood on the steps, his suit messy, his hair ruined. He was yelling something, but the windows were rolled up.

I didn't care to hear it.

The car turned the corner, and the hotel disappeared. The setting sun hit the white satin of my dress, making it glow.

My mom took my hand. Her hand was rough and calloused from a lifetime of hard work.

“Sweetie,” she said. “Let’s go home.”

I finally started to cry. Not because I was sad, but because I was finally awake.