From Ex to Aunt

To help Sean pay off his high-interest loans, I sold my house. He hugged me tightly, crying, and promised to marry me on next year's Valentine's Day.

It happened to be Valentine's Day when I paid off the last of his debt. However, what I saw shattered me—he was in bed with another woman.

He arrogantly mocked me: "What are you staring at? You're not much different from her, are you? Go buy some rubbers for us."

That's when it hit me—he had lied to me.

Later, I agreed to marry the man my parents had chosen for me before they passed away.

On the wedding day, Sean and his friends came to mock me:

"Ella, do you think that I'll marry you if you just wear a wedding dress and follow me around? You're so shameless!"

However, everything changed when the priest announced the exchange of rings. At that moment, as Sean's uncle knelt and placed the ring on my finger, I saw a flash of fear in Sean's eyes.

"You're downright shameless, Ella! Really, you're stalking me?

"You think slipping into a wedding gown means I'll say 'I do'?"

The priest was right there, ready to start the ring exchange, but the mocking voices cut through the air.

Sean Foster, all dapper in his suit, pointed at me with a smug grin. "Take a good look at yourself, Ella. You think you're in my league? Honestly, if you hadn't offered to bail me out, I wouldn't have given you the time of day.

"Who'd want you? You think I'd settle for you?"

The guys flanking him snickered, their faces twisted with scorn as they piled on.

"Isn't this Ella who sold her house, her car, and who knows what else for my buddy? What's wrong? Got dumped and now you're looking for my friend to clean up your mess?"

"She sold her body? Disgusting."

"She's got some nerve, showing up on the day Sean's uncle's getting hitched."

Their taunts hit me like a barrage, each word a heavy stone on my heart.

I was clueless about Sean's debts to the sharks when we started dating. Six months in, I would still have been in the dark if his creditors had not come knocking.

He was the one who pleaded with me, swore I was his one and only, his future wife. Even when I knew he was just after my money, I never bad-mouthed him.

Alas, there I was, being called a tramp, a lowlife…

The wedding was winding down, and I did not want my once-in-a-lifetime moment ruined by these memories. I bit back the curses and faced him, my voice steady but firm.

"Sean, I never stalked you, and marrying you is the last thing on my mind. After all, today's my wedding day."

Their laughter erupted. Even Sean, caught off-guard, joined in after a beat.

"You, getting married? Who'd marry a plain Jane like you?"

Sean's voice dripped with scorn. "You must've picked today to