“Your father is sitting right there supporting her version of events, and Thomas is telling everyone that you never even wanted him to be your best man in the first place,” she continued.
I felt a wave of intense nausea wash over me as I stood in the dark garden.
My own family had not only skipped my wedding, but they were actively defaming my character in front of everyone I knew.
And yet, with all the nerve in the world, they were still calling me and demanding that I help them.
Sarah swallowed hard before she whispered the final, most infuriating part of the update.
“Isabelle’s catering company just canceled on her at the last minute, and your mother wants you to call one of your professional contacts to save their party,” she said.
I looked back toward the reception tent, where Catherine was standing and looking for me with a confused expression on her face.
For the first time in my life, I understood something truly terrible about the people who raised me.
To them, I was never actually a son to be loved; I was just a tool they could use whenever Isabelle needed someone to fix a problem.
I could not even begin to imagine what other secrets would be discovered later on.
Chapter 2: The Choice
Catherine walked out into the garden barefoot, holding her heels in one hand and lifting her dress so it wouldn’t drag on the grass.
“What exactly happened out here?” she asked me, her brow furrowed with genuine concern.
I tried to give her a weak smile, but it felt impossible to pull off.
“It is nothing that matters tonight, I promise,” I said, trying to deflect.
She looked at me with that deep, steady gaze that only someone who truly loves you can offer.
