Chapter 9
This was my wedding with Austin. The guest list was filled with prominent figures, people my parents had spent years building connections with. I had no intention of becoming the talk of the town in such a humiliating way, nor did I want to ruin the wedding my parents had been
3:16 PM
<
I gestured for Austin to call security. Without hesitation, they escorted Zachary out of the venue.
That brief interruption didn’t derail the ceremony.
Everything else went smoothly, and by the time we’d completed all the rituals and said goodbye to the guests, the day felt almost perfect.
As the last of the guests left, I turned to Austin,
“Can I have a little time to deal with what just happened? I need to talk to him and end this properly.”
Austin didn’t hesitate. His trust in me was unshakable.
“Go ahead,” he said, his voice calm but filled with quiet reassurance. “But be careful. If you need me, just call. I’ll be right here.”
For some reason, his steadiness gave me a sense of safety I hadn’t felt in a long time.
Zachary had been placed in a side room, with security stationed outside to ensure he didn’t cause any more disruptions.
As I approached, one of the guards stepped forward to explain, looking concerned.
“He was in a car accident and lost a lot of blood. We’ve been trying to get him to go to the hospital, but he refuses. He keeps saying he won’t
leave until he talks to you. If he keeps this up, he could be in serious danger.”
I nodded to show I understood and stepped into the room.
Inside, Zachary was slouched in a chair. His face was pale as a sheet, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead. The pain etched on his face was hard to ignore.
But when he saw me, his eyes lit up, and a weak smile broke across his face.
“Natalie,” he said, his voice trembling with relief, “you came. Please, come home with me. Let’s go back.”
Seeing him like this, I couldn’t help but feel something stir within me. Once, I had loved him deeply. But now…
“You’re injured,” I said, keeping my voice calm. “You need to go to the hospital. We can talk later.”
He shook his head stubbornly. “No. I won’t go. Not unless you promise to come home with me.”
I sighed, my patience wearing thin. “Zachary, we’re over. I’m married now. You need to let this go and move on.”
“No!” he shouted, his voice cracking. “I don’t accept that. Who said we’re over? I never agreed to it!”
“Zachary,” I said softly but firmly, “the moment you decided to marry Aria, we were done. I sent you a message ending things. You didn’t respond, which took as your way of agreeing.”
His face twisted with desperation. “I didn’t see your message!”
“Natalie, listen to me,” he said, his words tumbling out in a rush. “If this is about Aria, I can explain. I didn’t mean to hide anything from you. I don’t love her. I never did. I only agreed to marry her because I felt sorry for her. Her parents from the countryside were forcing her to marry someone she didn’t want–a man with a mental disability. I was just trying to help her. It was supposed to be a fake marriage, nothing more.”
He paused, his voice breaking. “Natalie, you have to believe me. Aria means nothing to me. She’s just someone we once saved from a trafficker and supported through school. She calls me her brother, that’s all. I helped her because of that bond. From the beginning, the only person I’ve ever loved is you.”
I laughed bitterly.
“If it was all so innocent, why didn’t you just tell me the truth? Why lie to me? Zachary, you keep saying you love me, but where was your respect for me?”
He froze, scrambling for an answer. “I… I was wrong to hide it from you, Natalie. I admit that. But I only did it for you! I didn’t want you to worry or overthink things. I didn’t want to see you hurt or upset.”
Ishook my head my voice calm but resolute “I don’t keout
<
I shook my head, my voice calm but resolute. “I don’t know what’s true and what’s a lie anymore, Zachary. But it doesn’t matter: None of it matters now.”
He stared at me, his face crumbling as I continued.
“It’s over, Zachary. You don’t need to explain anything to me anymore. I’ve moved on.”
As the words left my mouth, Zachary shot to his feet, his movements frantic. But the sudden motion pulled at his injured leg, and he gasped in pain, clutching at the chair for support. Beads of sweat rolled down his face as he gritted his teeth against the agony.
Even then, he refused to give up.
“Natalie,” he said, his voice shaking. “I know I’ve made mistakes. I know I’ve hurt you. But when I found out you were in that car, you don’t know how terrified I was. I thought I’d lost you forever. It felt like the world was ending.”
He took a trembling step toward me, his injured leg dragging behind him.
“I was so desperate to get to you, to make things right, that I didn’t even care about the accident. Natalie, this is my punishment. I deserve this. But please… please don’t leave me. I love you. Let’s start over. I’ll do anything.”
