“My fiancé passed away before our walk down the aisle…”
Every time someone murmured, “I’m so sorry for your loss,” I would nod quietly, acting as though I were the sole soul on earth grieving a tragic loss.
Yet Adrian wasn’t gone. He was upstairs. Breathing. Preparing to marry another woman.
And somehow, I was expected to keep arranging floral centerpieces as if none of it mattered.
I caught my reflection in the dressing room mirror one final time. “Fine,” I whispered to my reflection. “If this is the game you’re playing, Adrian, I’ll play along.”
Part 1: The Gathering Under the Arch