Chapter 4
This was the first time I'd seen him lose control.
I looked at him calmly and said, "I'm getting married soon. Maybe all of this should be put behind us."
That worked immediately.
Ted froze. His tense jaw relaxed—but his face quickly darkened again.
"Why are you always in such a rush?" he said, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "Stop pressuring me. I've already arranged a beach party for you. Take a few days off."
He paused, then added, "You'll come, won't you?Tomorrow is our sixth anniversary. "
I almost said no.
But then I thought—if I'm leaving, I should at least say goodbye properly.
The next day, the beach was sunny and the music was deafening.
I was wearing the dress I'd worn the day we first met.
A suitcase lay beside me. Inside were all the gifts Ted had given me over the years—watches, bracelets, letters, and precious promises I had carefully preserved, far exceeding what they deserved.
His eyes lit up when he saw me.
He smiled, took my hand, and placed something in my palm.
A ruby ring.
Deep red. Flawless. Priceless.
“Carly,” he knelt on the beach, his voice steady and sincere. “Will you marry me?”
“We’ll get married next year,” he quickly added, as if afraid I would doubt him. “I promise.”
He looked at me so firmly, and in that moment, I forgot everything.
I think if it were the old me, I probably would have said yes.
But now, it was too late.
He held up the ring, his face full of love.
Then his phone rang.
His expression changed instantly.
The smile vanished. His face turned pale, replaced by obvious panic.
“I’m sorry,” he said hastily, “there’s a problem with a shipment. I have to deal with it right away.”
“Wait for me,” he added, taking a step back.
Before I could speak, he shoved the ring into my hand and turned to leave.
I stood there, clutching the ring tightly until my fingers ached.
My vision blurred.
A few minutes later, my phone vibrated.
An anonymous video.
A woman’s voice, tinged with mockery and smugness.
“Look how touched you are,” she said casually, “one phone call and he came running to me. You didn’t realize you were so important to him, did you?” “Please,” she continued, “look at this.”
The screen moved slightly.
A newly decorated bridal chamber and a wedding dress.
I didn’t need to know the name to know who sent it.
I wiped away my tears and spent the entire night on the beach.
Ted never came back.
It wasn’t until dawn that I received a message—an apology letter.
The situation was complicated. He wouldn't be back for a while.
I gave a wry smile, stuffed my phone into my bag, and went home.
I erased every trace of myself from that house.
After all, it had never truly been mine.
I returned to my parents’ home and began preparing for my wedding.
My wedding mattered.
And Ted never even noticed that I’d been gone for days.
On the day of the ceremony, I met my fiancé for the first time.
His name was Austin Ryder.
My parents were right; he was indeed outstanding.
He was tall, handsome, and impeccably polite; his manners were among the best of all Mafia families.
The wedding procession was grand and magnificent; my fiancé had booked half the city.
It was a grand ceremony publicly announcing the marriage of two powerful Mafia families.
As we made our way through the streets, our car passed another wedding convoy heading in the opposite direction.
Both sides stopped briefly, as was the custom, to exchange bouquets between the brides.
The car windows rolled down.
And that’s when I saw him.
Ted.
OuOur eyes met, and in that instant, shock and disbelief flooded his face.
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