FLASH MARRIAGE TO MY EX FIANCE'S FATHER

The chandelier above her head glittered like a thousand watching eyes.

Every crystal shimmered, reflecting light across the grand hall, bouncing off polished marble floors and gilded pillars. It was beautiful—painfully beautiful—the kind of setting little girls dreamed about when they imagined their wedding day.

And today was supposed to be hers.

Selena stood at the center of it all, wrapped in layers of white silk and lace, her fingers trembling ever so slightly as they curled around her bouquet. The scent of fresh roses filled her lungs, sweet and suffocating.

Everything was perfect.

Too perfect.

Her heart pounded—not with joy, but with something she couldn’t quite name. A quiet unease had been sitting in her chest since morning, pressing harder with every passing minute.

The music had already stopped.

That wasn’t supposed to happen.

The guests—hundreds of them—shifted in their seats, whispering behind manicured hands, exchanging curious glances. Some checked their phones. Others craned their necks toward the entrance.

Still no groom.

Selena forced a smile, though her lips felt stiff, unnatural. He’s just late, she told herself. Traffic. A delay. Something trivial.

Adrian wouldn’t do this to her.

He couldn’t.

Right?

“Miss… should we… stall a bit longer?”

The wedding coordinator’s voice came out low and cautious, like she was afraid even speaking too loudly might shatter something fragile.

Selena swallowed.

“Yes,” she said, her voice steady in a way that surprised even her. “He’ll be here.”

He has to be.

Minutes passed.

Then more minutes.

The whispers grew louder.

Her father’s face, seated in the front row, had gone from proud to tight with concern. Her mother’s fingers were clasped so tightly together they’d turned pale.

Selena’s chest tightened.

Something was wrong.

Something was very wrong.

And then—

The doors opened.

A collective hush swept through the hall.

Relief flooded her so quickly it almost made her dizzy. Her lips parted, a breath catching in her throat as she lifted her gaze toward the entrance.

Adrian…

But the smile that began to form on her lips froze.

Because he wasn’t alone.

He walked in slowly, confidently—like a man who had nothing to apologize for. His tailored suit was flawless, his expression calm.

And beside him—

No.

No.

That wasn’t possible.

Selena’s fingers loosened around her bouquet. A few petals slipped free, drifting silently to the floor.

Because the woman holding his arm…

Was her best friend.

Lila.

The same Lila who had helped her pick this dress. The same Lila who had cried with her, laughed with her, promised to stand beside her as her maid of honor.

The same Lila who was now wearing a fitted champagne dress—and standing where she shouldn’t be.

Holding the man she was supposed to marry.

The silence in the hall turned sharp, electric.

Then came the whispers.

“Oh my God…”

“Is that…?”

“No way…”

Selena couldn’t hear them properly. Everything sounded distant, muffled, like she had been dropped underwater.

Her heartbeat roared in her ears.

Adrian stopped a few feet