And when the chapel doors opened, all the guests stood up with smiles on their faces and cameras held high, ready to capture a perfect memory.
At the altar, Ethan looked exactly as I had imagined him so many times: handsome, impeccable, and self-assured. He smiled when he saw me, as if nothing in the world had happened.
That smile almost broke me.
The officiant began. We went over the first lines, the prayer, even the first polite laughs from the audience. Ethan even squeezed my hand once, and I had to restrain myself from pulling away.
Then came the votes.
The officiant turned first towards Ethan.
He cleared his throat, unfolded the paper from his pocket, and began:
“Claire, from the moment I met you…”
“For.”
My voice echoed throughout the chapel.
Hundreds of heads turned toward me. Ethan blinked.
“That?”
I took the officiant’s microphone, stunned. My fingers were trembling, but not enough.
h to stop me.
“You can’t stay here lying to me in front of everyone,” I said.
The room fell silent.
Continued on the next page
