~Camilla's POV ~

Morning sunlight streamed through the thin, sheer curtains as I stood in front of the mirror.

It spilled into the bridal suite like warm, liquid gold. It made the ivory walls glow, the room radiating with the ray of sunlight over my dress, making the diamond stones sparkle.Olivia had chosen this wedding dress for me, and I can tell her fashion sense is no joke.

I had low fashion sense, or let's say I have no fashion sense. She took it upon herself as my best friend to dress me up even though I turn her down most times. And now she picked the perfect dress for me.

I turned to leave when my eyes caught the red velvet ring sitting on the dressing table beside scattered rose petals, my lips curved into a smile, my heart swelling as I thought of George and the moment he would slide the ring onto my finger.

A small light knock brought me out of my thoughts. The door creaked softly. My mother slipped in, her eyes glistening. She kissed my hair, her hands trembling slightly.

"It's time," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

I smiled, feeling the sting of tears. "Mama..."

"No, no-don't ruin your makeup," she said quickly, pulling out a delicate handkerchief to dab at my cheeks.

"I love you," I murmured, hugging her tight.

"I love you more, my Camilla." She pulled away, studying me like she wanted to memorize my face. "You look... perfect."

"Thank you, Mama," I said, sniffing. The realization of leaving my parents behind hit me.

"You're always welcome, my love," Mother said, squeezing me in another hug.

The door opened again, and Olivia, my maid of honor and best friend, walked in, her blue floral dress swaying.

"Oh my God... You look stunning," she breathed, her eyes wide with admiration.

"Thank you," I said shyly.

"I'll leave you two to talk," my mother said but paused at the doorway. Her smile faltered. "Camilla... call George. He should be here by now. You know how your father is."

I waved her off lightly. "It's fine, Mama. We talked until late last night-he probably just overslept."

She didn't look convinced, but she left anyway.

"Cam, baby!" Olivia squealed, grabbing my hands and spinning me around before tugging me down onto the bed.

"Liv!" I laughed, steadying myself.

"I'm so happy for you," she said, tracing her fingers over the lace on my sleeve. Then her smile dimmed. "But... I wouldn't be a real friend if I didn't say what's on my mind."

My own smile slipped. "Liv..."

"I'm not trying to ruin your big day," she rushed out, "but George still makes me uneasy. I hope he doesn't show up late. Especially not today."

I sighed. "Why does everyone feel that way about him? If you got to know him, you'd see how sweet he is. My father only dislikes him because of his family background. He didn't grow up with love; of course he struggles with people."

"It's not just your dad," she said softly. "George... he hides parts of himself. And sometimes... I wonder if you're holding on out of love or out of loyalty."

"That's not fair," I whispered, looking away.

"I'm not judging you. But I've seen how he talks you down sometimes. How he twists things when you question him. Just promise me you're sure, Cam."

I swallowed hard. "I know him, Liv. I've seen the side no one else does."

Her lips curled into a half-smile. "Fine. Just remember, I've got your back. If he ever hurts you... I'll hunt him down myself."

That made me laugh, though my chest still felt tight. Olivia had been my rock since college. But she had never liked George, not since that night he spilled a drink on her at a ball and she accused him of staring at her chest. He denied it, and I believed him. Still... she never forgot.

"We cool now?" I asked.

"Yeah, we are," she said, smiling.

Soon my other bridesmaids came in, most of them my colleagues from work and Olivia's friends.

"It's time, baby girl," Olivia whispered in my ears while I threw her a playful glare as we walked out.

On the surface, I was calm. But deep inside, my thoughts swirled restlessly.

For the last two years, I'd dreamed of this day. The flowers. The music. The promises. I'd fought for this love when no one else believed in it. And now, it was finally here.

I was getting married.

To George Miller.

The man I loved.

The man I'd chosen.

Outside, faint laughter from the garden drifted through the open window. I could already smell the roses. The guests were beginning to arrive.

By the time I stepped into the garden, it was like walking into a dream. Rows of white chairs tied with silk ribbons. Roses blooming under the summer sun. Guests moving in elegant waves, the air heavy with perfume and excitement. My father had spared no expense.

Music swelled as I began walking down the aisle. Guests rose to their feet. Cameras flashed like fireflies.

My heart pounded with every step.

I looked up at the altar; my smile dropped drastically.

And froze.

George wasn't there.

Only the priest stood under the floral arch, his gaze flicking nervously to the empty space beside him.

The air shifted. People began whispering.

I turned slowly, scanning the crowd. Olivia was rushing toward me, panic etched on her face, mouthing something I couldn't hear.

My legs went weak. My vision blurred.

The last thing I saw before everything went black was the camera flashes sti

ll going because my wedding was being broadcast live.

The world was watching when my groom disappeared.

~ Camilla's POV ~

The first thing I heard was static-like the rush of ocean waves inside my skull.

Then voices. Muffled. Urgent.

"...She's waking up."

"Camilla? Sweetheart... Can you hear me?"

My eyelids felt like they weighed a ton, lashes damp with tears I didn't remember shedding. The ceiling spun above me as I tried to open my eyes. Tried sitting up, but Olivia pushed me gently back on the bed.

"Just stay still," she said, brows furrowed with worry.

My mother's pale, tear-stained face hovered into view. Beside her, Olivia gripped my hand so tightly my knuckles ached, her forced smile doing a terrible job of hiding the storm in her eyes. My stomach twisted.

It wasn't a dream. George hadn't shown up.

I pushed myself up slowly, every movement heavy with ached, as if an iron band had wrapped around it, tightening with every breath.

"Where...where is he?" My mother's expression crumpled.

"We don't know, darling. He never showed up at the venue. His phone is off. No one's seen him since last night."

The veil slipped from my shoulders, pooling around me like the ghost of a fairy tale that had died before it began. In the mirror across the room, I saw her, the bride who was supposed to be me. Makeup smudged, hair undone, eyes hollow like a doll cracked straight down the middle. A small laugh escaped my mouth.

"We talked last night, Mama... he said he couldn't wait to see me in my dress." I shook vehemently, fear engulfed me, and tears threatened to fall.

"It's okay baby" My mother wrapped me in her arms, patting my back softly.

What could've happened?! He couldn't leave me like that, could he? The thoughts kept ringing in my head.

A sharp knock shattered the silence. The door burst open, and my father stormed in like a thundercloud, suit half-buttoned, tie hanging loose, and jaw so tight it looked painful.

"This is a goddamn circus," he barked. "We're all over the internet. 'Abandoned at the altar.' Do you have any idea what this will do to our name?"

I flinched at the sound of his voice.

"James, please..." my mother began, but he cut her off with a wave.

"I told you that boy was trouble. And now he's dragged our entire family into disgrace!"

"I didn't know..." My voice came out small and raw. "Didn't know? he snapped.

"Didn't know you were marrying a coward who'd humiliate you-and us-on live broadcast?"

"Dad, something could have happened to him." My voice came out sharper than I thought it would.

"What could have happened to him? Wake up Camilla Baker, that boy has nothing to offer you but ruins."

"Okay, enough" Olivia shot back, standing so fast her chair scraped the floor. "She's the victim here."

My father turned on her; Olivia didn't flinch, she pressed on.

"You wanted this too, this wedding too; isn't only about her getting married," Olivia paused for a second.

"What?!" My father said voice low and stern, his face held an unexplained expression of rage.

"Whether George is a legitimate son of the Millers or not, he's the only son, and getting your daughter married to him would strengthen the ties of your company. Now, things goes south and you blame your daughter?"

"And who are you to tell me what to do in my own house?!" My father yelled angrily, rage all over his face. It was very obvious he cared less about what happened to George or how I was feeling.

"She is telling the obvious truth, John. "This isn't the time to blame anyone," my mother added, her voice soft, trying to calm my father down, who just angrily paced the room.

The silence that followed was suffocating. My breaths came short and shallow. My mother continuously tapped my back gently as if to tell me to hold my anger in.

I couldn't take it.

The walls were closing in.

I stood, my gown rustling like brittle leaves, and fled to the bathroom.

I slammed the door and collapsed to the cold tile floor, my knees buckling under the weight of it all.

I didn't cry.

I just sat there, drowning in layers of tulle, clutching the velvet ring box I never got to open. It felt weightless now.

Meaningless.

I didn't need to open it to know it was empty.

I could still hear my father's raging voice, my mother yelling as it turned to sobs, doors opening and slamming, then silence.

A soft knock on the bathroom door, but I didn't budge.

"You can come out now, Cam," Olivia said and continued knocking.

Just then my phone dinged; I didn't realize I was holding it all along.

My shaky hands swiped open the phone to see the heart-wrenching message my husband-to-be left behind:

I can't do this, Cam. I'm sorry, but ... you're not just good enough for me to settle with ..."

My heart sank; the whole cell in my body went numb.

Not good enough for two years...

How could he say this to me?!

Just when I start to think about where I had it all wrong, a message from an unknown source sends a picture of George and a woman half naked on the bed, but the woman's face was blurred out.

I held my breath in for a couple of seconds stunned...and that was when I felt it, the lump at the back of my throat and the pain of my heart ripping apart.

It all felt like a dream.

But it wasn't.

~ Unknown POV ~

The night sky glittered with stars as he stood on his rooftop balcony, the city lights sprawling beneath him like fallen constellations. A half-empty glass of whiskey dangled from his hand, the ice long melted. The wind tugged at his shirt, but he barely felt it. His mind wouldn't stop turning.

On his phone screen, the video of the abandoned bride dominated the news. The clip had already gone viral, spliced, remixed, memed, and dissected. Yet he wasn't interested in the spectacle. He was interested in her.

She hadn't cried, not at first. Not in public. Not until the very last second, when her knees gave out and her world visibly shattered.

"Interesting," he muttered to himself.

"Camilla Baker." He tested her name, tasting the weight of it. The faint smile that touched his lips vanished the moment he saw her father's face. Those same eyes stared back at him...haunting him once more, though this time it wasn't just physical. That look of fear and confusion... he wanted more of it.

He wanted to be the reason for that fear.

His lips curled into a slow, humorless smile as he raised the last of his whiskey. Fate had finally handed him leverage, and this time, he would use it.

A low, sharp laugh broke free from his chest, echoing into the night as his grip on the glass tightened.

He pulled out his phone and dialed his PA. It rang a few times before she finally answered.

"Get me a meeting with John Baker," he ordered, ending the call without another word.

--

~ Camilla's POV~

"No... no." My fingers trembled as I stared at the file the house help had delivered that morning.

My name. Bold across the top, right beneath the words Marriage Contract.

And in my father's handwriting.

This couldn't be real.

Mother had gone to the grocery store. Father hadn't spoken to me since the scandal, the wedding that never was. I knew he was furious, but this?

Tears spilled as I pressed the papers to my chest. My life already felt ruined, and now this contract was supposed to fix it?

I reached for my phone and dialed Olivia.

"Hi... can you come by after work?" My voice cracked.

She hesitated. "Cam... I've got a lot to finish today. I don't think I'll close early."

"Oh. Okay." I sniffled, staring down at the file. "It just feels like you've been avoiding me."

"Camilla, that's not true. I've just been busy. Wait... are you crying?"

"It's the same job you've had for weeks. You haven't called, haven't replied to my texts..." My throat tightened and the words tumbled out with the tears.

She sighed. "Calm down. I'm coming, okay?"

Fifteen minutes later, Olivia burst into my room. She wrapped me up without a word, her arms tight around me.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, cupping my face. "I shouldn't have left like that last week. I didn't know what to say to you."

I shook my head. "I just feel so alone. George cheating, the wedding... I just need closure."

"It's been two weeks, Camilla. You have to let him go. He's not worth it."

"It's not that easy," I whispered. "I even tried finding out who that woman in the picture was. The one that came blurred. Someone sent it to me for a reason... I need to figure it out."

Olivia pulled back, eyes flashing. "You what? Cam, we talked about this."

"Relax, I just... I need to know why he chose her over me." My voice shook. "Maybe it'll make sense of everything."

"To what end? It won't change what happened." She dropped my hands and paced.

"I know. But maybe it'll save me from what's coming." I slid the file toward her.

Her brows furrowed as she read, her mouth twisting. "What?! Camilla, this is insane."

"I know my Dad hates me now... but this is too much." My sobs broke again.

"Hey," she said softly, pulling me close again. "We'll figure this out. But stop chasing what's gone, it'll only hurt you more."

We sat on the bed in silence. My chest felt hollow, my head heavy.

"You want a drink?" she finally asked.

"Sure."

She came back with whiskey and glasses. We clinked and drank. The burn stung, but it dulled the ache a little.

"That's heartbreak doing its part," Olivia said with a crooked smile. "Whiskey just plays backup."

A weak laugh escaped me.

We drank, talked, even laughed over old memories. Then the silence came again.

"Do you think I wasn't enough?" I whispered.

"Don't." Her voice was firm. "You gave everything. He's the fool who didn't see it."

I leaned against her shoulder, tears dampening her sleeve. "I feel so stupid."

"You're not. You're human. And humans love the wrong people sometimes. That's all."

I nodded, clutching the glass in my hand.

"What are you going to do about the file?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know. Dad hasn't spoken to me in weeks, and the first thing he does is send this."

"Maybe... maybe it's for the best," she muttered.

I turned my head sharply, but she looked away.

Silence hung between us.

"Where's the whiskey?" I finally whispered.

She poured another round, and we clinked glasses again, slower this time, sadder.

"Thanks for being here."

"Always," Olivia said. "You break, I break. That's the rule."

I smiled faintly. "Best friends."

"Best friends."

But inside, a storm brewed.

If my parents thought they could trade me off like a pawn, they had another thing coming.

Just... not tonight