Once The Bride He Discarded, Now The Love He Can't Forget

"The wedding is grand enough on its own, but did you hear? Richard's childhood friend is up on the hotel rooftop, threatening to jump!" someone said.

Brynn Morgan caught the whispers drifting in from the hallway, and a slow ache gathered in her chest.

Rena Davis, Richard Yates' childhood sweetheart, had staged a suicide scare ninety-nine times already.

Brynn once believed she had grown numb to it. Yet today felt entirely different. Today was the day she was supposed to marry Richard.

With Rena making another dramatic scene, Brynn understood she would be the one who had to bend again.

She had loved Richard for five long years, and Rena had been stirring trouble for exactly that amount of time.

Every single time, Richard chose to run to Rena before he ever thought of his own girlfriend.

Brynn often wondered if she was nothing more than the extra woman in their tangled relationship.

Richard had insisted the last time he left her for Rena that it would never happen again.

Brynn held on to that promise, and believing in it was the reason this wedding existed at all.

"If she truly intends to die, then let her. Why should I be the one they call?" Brynn jerked her head up, startled. The balcony door remained slightly open, and Richard's even, indifferent tone slipped through. "Jump from the roof? She won't. How many times has she acted out these so-called suicide attempts? Has she ever shed a single drop of real blood?"

A few quieter words followed, though Brynn couldn't make out what he said next.

Richard ended the call and turned around, his eyes landing directly on hers.

Brynn's heartbeat quickened. He had stayed. He hadn't run to Rena this time. Had he truly kept his promise?

"Why are you staring at me like that? The ceremony is about to begin. Are you prepared?" Richard asked, his face devoid of emotion.

Even so, Brynn felt happiness bloom inside her. She understood that he came into the world with a distant nature. His feelings rarely aligned with anyone else's.

However, from the innocent affection she once held to the deeper love she carried now, she believed she had finally earned a place in his heart. She felt certain she mattered to him. Otherwise, why would he choose to marry her at all?

She stepped forward with a radiant smile and slipped her arm through his, joy brightening her eyes. "Richard, we're finally about to be married..."

Richard gave no change in expression. "Yes. I'm aware."

As the soft melody of a piano filled the hall, the ceremony began.

Dressed in a tailored suit with a crisp shirt, Richard walked down the aisle. Reaching the front of the aisle, he took his side of the wooden altar, his hands resting at his sides.

The groomsmen, dressed in complementary suits, stood beside him, offering quiet grins.

Then, the piano melody shifted—soft strings joined in, weaving a lyrical tune that signaled the arrival of