Chapter 1 On my first night at Kenneth Garcia's, I saw his stepsister, Nicole Kelton, wearing his T-shirt as pajamas. I told him that I couldn't tolerate even a hint of disloyalty. To avoid any suspicion, he sent Nicole abroad. Five years later, on the night before our wedding, Kenneth got drunk and put up a cryptic post on Instagram. "Regrettably, all your regrets are about me." But within seconds, it was gone. I stared at my phone, stunned, then went to the City Hall website and canceled our marriage license appointment. Since his heart wasn't in it, I didn't want him. *** At three in the morning, I was still awake. Kenneth sobered up and sent me a message. "Babe, love you." Someone believed the difference between "I love you" and "love you" was about far more than a single word. The former was a deliberate declaration, while the latter was often a habit or a simple sign-off. Maybe, for Kenneth, being with me had become nothing more than a habit. I tossed my phone aside, pretended nothing had happened, and showed up for the wedding the next day. Not because I still wanted to be his wife, but because I wanted to know what he was thinking. As he went to slip the ring on, the three-carat diamond sparkled with a brilliance that left me momentarily dazed. Just then, a shrill female voice rang out across the lawn. "Kenneth, don't marry her!" He didn't seem surprised and sighed helplessly. Nicole wore a bright red dress, the skirt billowing in the wind and instantly drawing everyone's attention. "Nikki, stop it. This isn't a game-it's the most important day of my life." 0.0 % 12:02 288 VOUCHE Chapter 1 Kenneth frowned, but as he spoke, he let go of my hand. "When I turned 18, you gave me this necklace and said if I ever came to you with it, you'd grant me one request, no matter what. "My request is to leave her and come with me." Nicole yanked the necklace from her neck and threw it to the ground. Kenneth hurriedly crouched down to pick it up. When he saw the pendant, his face darkened. "Do you really have to do this?" he asked. In the crowd, Kenneth's father, Gerald Garcia, was fuming. "Enough, Kenneth, Nikki-whatever's going on between you two, settle it at home. Officiant, please. Proceed with the ceremony!" But Kenneth slipped the necklace into his pocket and pressed his lips together before apologizing to Gerald. The guests erupted in confusion. "What's going on? Kenneth's running out on his wedding?" "Ugh, blended families always come with a lot of challenges. Those two have been fighting since they were kids. Nikki's so immature, trying to ruin her brother's wedding." "How's the bride supposed to face everyone? She's been humiliated." Kenneth grabbed my hand, his eyes full of guilt. "Lucy, forgive me. I promise I'll give you an even grander wedding someday." "Kenneth." My voice wasn't loud, but the whole place fell silent. "No. We do this today, or we don't do it at all. If you walk away now, we're over." He stared at me, a flicker of anxiety in his eyes. Then he shut his eyes in pain and finally managed to say, "I'm sorry." Nicole let out a mocking laugh. "Lucille, don't be sad. The good news is, you get to see what kind of person he really is. "To him, you were never that important; he could toss you aside without a second thought." "Shut up!" Kenneth roared. "I've already agreed to go with you. Don't hurt her anymore." Nicole huffed and stomped off angrily. 38.2 % 12:01 Chapter 1 Kenneth followed her without looking back. "You ungrateful brat!" Gerald slammed a bottle down with a bang. I didn't cry. I didn't make a scene. I entertained the guests with a stiff, unnatural smile. "Please enjoy yourselves." I maintained my dignity, as if I hadn't just been abandoned. But inside, I was shattered. After everyone was seated, I slipped back to the dressing room. I took off my veil, then tilted my head to remove my earrings. But my hands wouldn't stop shaking. "Lucy, let me help," my mom said. She had walked in without me noticing. She took off my earrings, then wiped away my makeup. "Sweetheart, I'm sorry this happened to you." My mom's hair had a few more strands of gray. Those gray hairs blurred before my eyes until everything faded into black. 81.3 % Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!