On the day of the wedding, my best friend, Elena Hartman, can't bear to part with me, so she threads my wedding shoes with a string and ties them snugly around her slim waist. The groomsmen turn the whole place upside down, and we end up late for the ceremony.

She eventually cracks up and tugs at her billowy bridesmaid dress, revealing the outline of the shoes at her waist.

"I dare you to come take them. As long as I'm here, she's not getting married!"

My fiancé, Miles Lawson, shakes his head and chuckles. "You just love tormenting us, don't you?"

Miles exchanges a look with the groomsmen, and they charge at her at the same time. She squeals as she falls back onto the bed, squirming under her layers of tulle. "Don't be so rough! I'm ticklish…"

The groomsmen flush bright red.

Miles' ears turn scarlet as he feels around her waist.

She giggles even louder.

"How are you going to undo it through all these layers? Use your head!" Then, she gasped. "That tickles!"

Her theatrics make my temper flare.

I spring to my feet, lift her skirt, and rip the wedding shoes right off her. "If you're that ticklish, smack yourself with a slipper. Drop the act, or I'll yank out the nerves that make you ticklish!"

Elena let out a sharp scream and dove under the blanket before bursting into tears.

Everyone around us froze, stunned by what I had just done.

"Are you out of your mind, Jasmine?" Miles snapped out of his shock and snatched the cameraman's camera with a hardened expression. "We're in public, and someone's filming here. How could you lift a young woman's skirt? You're unbelievable!"

I shook the wedding shoe in my hand. "She tied the shoe to her waist and asked you guys to grab it. Wasn't she asking for someone to reach under? You couldn't do it, so I helped you. What's wrong with that?"

His brows knitted together. "She was just messing around. Did you really have to go that far?"

The groomsmen chimed in one after another.

"We're guys, and even we know how humiliating that was. You've really crossed a line, Jasmine."

"Ellie loves to joke around. You're her best friend. How can you be this petty?"

Elena's sobs only grew louder when they took her side.

Miles shoved me toward the edge of the bed and ordered, "Apologize to Elena or there won't be a wedding."

For a split second, I wondered if I had misheard him.

We had been together for five years, and this was the wedding I had dreamed of for so long. Yet, he was using it as leverage to force me to apologize to Elena.

He didn't even stop to think before playing along with a joke that had no sense of boundaries whatsoever. He was like a dog who would follow anyone home the moment they waved half a bone at him.

He did not have the mindset of a man who was about to become someone's husband.

I did the right thing, yet somehow, I was the one who needed to apologize.

All of a sudden, the man I thought I knew felt like a stranger. He was nothing like the elegant, charming man I met at that reception years ago.

His friends urged, "Jasmine, if you don't apologize to Ellie, we're not going to be your groomsmen anymore. Nobody deserves to be treated like that!"

Looking at their righteous demeanor, I chuckled. "Fine. I won't go through with this wedding, then."

As soon as those words rolled off my tongue, Elena peeked out from under the blanket. "Really?" she asked with teary eyes.

I pulled off the veil from the top of my head and tossed it onto the floor. "Yes."

Her eyes misted over once again. "I'm sorry, Jasmine. I didn't know things would end up like this. You're my best friend. I just didn't want them to take you away so easily, so I came up with that stupid idea…"

Her voice cracked, and tears started rolling down her cheeks again. Elena looked so pitiful that the men immediately offered her tissues.

"It's not your fault, Ellie. You went out of your way to be her bridesmaid, yet she didn't even appreciate it!"

She sobbed even harder. "If Jasmine cancels the wedding because of me, I'll never forgive myself for the rest of my life!"

Miles looked at me coldly. "That won't happen. She's just an ordinary office worker. She doesn't have the ability to call off a wedding.

"This ceremony costs a fortune. If she wants to cancel it, she has to consider whether she can afford it."

I walked straight toward the hotel manager, who had been waiting at the door. "What's the total cost of this ceremony, Mr. Shepherd?"

"The total is one million dollars, Ms. Hansen," he answered respectfully.

Miles' indifferent voice sounded behind me. "Now, do you see where you really stand?"

"How does being an office worker automatically mean I'm poor?" I wondered. I flashed a polite smile at the hotel manager. "Please send me the payment details when you're free."

Miles' tone carried a hint of mockery. "Drop the act. Even if he gives you the payment details, can you even afford it?"

"Jasmine, even if you've been selling Miles' gifts from time to time, it still wouldn't add up to a million dollars."

I turned. Elena's face was tight with worry. "Please don't blow half your life savings just because you're upset!"

Miles' friends looked at me with obvious disdain. "Did you know about that, Miles? You put so much thought into every gift you gave her, yet she actually had the nerve to sell them behind your back!"

Miles' expression darkened further. "What do you take me for, Jasmine?"

I shrugged. "I've never sold anything you gave me."

He clearly didn't believe me. "Elena is your best friend. Why would she slander you out of the blue?"

Elena was my best friend. We had known each other since we were kids.

Then, I lived abroad with my parents for more than a decade. When I returned five years ago and reconnected with her, I realized I didn't really know her at all anymore.

I checked the time. I didn't want to drag this out any longer. This farce had gone on long enough.

"Whatever floats your boat." I turned to leave. "My parents have waited long enough. I'm leaving."

Miles assumed I had given in. He spoke to me like he was doing me a favor. "Out of respect for your parents, I'll let you head downstairs first. We'll proceed with the wedding after I calm Elena down. After the ceremony, I want you to apologize to Elena properly."

Ignoring him, I walked straight toward the elevator. When I arrived on the first floor, I found my parents waiting anxiously in the lounge.

"Dad, Mom," I called out solemnly. "The wedding is canceled. Let's go."

Even though I tried my best to hold it together, my throat still tightened, and a dull ache spread through my chest. I had always been emotional around my parents.

The man I had spoken so highly of to them countless times ended up disappointing me in the worst way. Without saying a word, my mother helped me out of my wedding gown.

…

An hour later, I arrived at the place Miles and I shared, and my phone began to vibrate nonstop. Miles' name kept flashing across the screen. So, I set my phone to Do Not Disturb.

Ten minutes later, he burst through the door, anger written all over his face. Elena followed right behind him.

"I was upstairs cleaning up the mess you made, Jasmine. I was only an hour late. I can't believe you actually left!" he growled, the vein on his temple throbbing. "I'm about to sign a major deal with IS Global Group. How dare you embarrass me at a time like this? Believe it or not, I'll dump your ass right now!"

I zipped up my suitcase and responded calmly, "I thought we had already broken up. Did you just realize that right now?"

Elena hurriedly stepped forward, her eyes wide with innocence and earnestness. "Please don't say that, Jasmine. It's all my fault, okay? I'll apologize. I'll take the blame.

"I'll do anything to make you forgive me! Please don't fight with Miles, okay? His reputation is really important right now."

I had watched her put on this act for five long years. Whenever there was a man around, she would always become the picture of understanding and innocence. Even I sometimes fell for it.

Miles immediately pulled her behind him. "You're not the one who should apologize. You've always looked out for her, and she can't do even a fraction of what you've done.

"Jasmine, if you're dead set on breaking up with me, compensate me for the ceremony first!"

His ice-cold gaze landed on me, waiting for me to make a fool of myself. I picked up my phone, unlocked it, and pulled up the payment confirmation.

I'd already paid a million dollars in full.

His eyes widened for a split second before he sneered, "Wow, you really came prepared. That screenshot almost looks real."

He glanced at the suitcase on the floor. "I know you're only acting out because you want my attention, and you want to feel important. You're packing your bags for our honeymoon, right?

"I'll give you one last chance. You don't have to pay for the wedding anymore. Come back to the hotel with me and go through the ceremony. I'll even take you to the partnership conference next month so you can enjoy the spotlight."

I shifted my gaze to the jewelry box on the vanity. I had no intention of taking any of those beautiful pearls and gemstones with me. Since his heart wasn't in it anymore, those gifts were nothing more than cold stones.

The wedding he used as leverage, and the rewards he dangled right in front of me as though he was doing me a favor—I didn't want any of it anymore.

"I'm not going through with the wedding, and that's final." I crouched down and continued packing my belongings.

"You're unbelievable!" Miles pointed right at my nose. He was so livid that he was at a total loss for words.

Elena, who was standing beside us, took a deep breath, almost as if she had made a difficult decision. "Miles, let me take Jasmine's place and go through the wedding with you. She needs time to calm down. I can't bear to watch you and your family struggle like this."

He took one long look at me, and his eyes were filled with disappointment.

In the end, he turned to Elena and nodded. "Alright."

Before he left, he spat out, "You should reflect on your actions and thank Elena."

…

He slammed the door shut, causing my ears to ring for several seconds. Silence settled back over the house. Even my phone stopped buzzing.

I felt as though my heart had a gaping hollow. It was as if the day had strapped me into a roller coaster and hurled me down the steepest fall.

In the span of a few hours, we went from standing at the edge of marriage to breaking up. However, those few hours allowed me to see their true colors.

It was impossible not to grieve after losing my boyfriend, whom I've dated for many years, and my best friend. Still, I believed I had made the right choice. The wounds in my heart could only be healed by time.

When I grabbed my luggage and stepped outside, the local news had already been completely taken over by the Lawsons' wedding. Elena wore a thick veil that covered her face in the photos. The groomsmen flanked her, subtly blocking the cameras so not a single reporter could capture her face.

Elena sent me countless pictures—shots of the venue, the decorations, and even every dish that was served.

She even wrote, "Too bad you couldn't experience your own wedding. I took a lot of pictures, so you won't regret it for the rest of your life."

The last few photos were of her and Miles on stage, kissing in front of all the guests. It seemed she had completely immersed herself in the role she was playing.

Elena commented in the text, "Wow, no wonder this wedding costs a million dollars. The groom is ridiculously handsome, too. I'm having the time of my life!" She even added two grinning emojis after that.

She must have thought I was a joke. I planned and paid for everything, yet she was the one who walked down the aisle with my fiancé.

I calmly powered off my phone and started the engine.

It was fine.

I didn't mind losing my fiancé, but my money would come back to me—and it would come back multiplied.

…

The following day, Miles and Elena were spotted by reporters at the airport, heading off for their honeymoon. If they were going to put on a show, they might as well commit to it.

Elene was active on social media every day after that—beaches, fine dining, hot springs, private pools. She looked like she was living her best life. Ironically, these honeymoon spots were all places she had originally recommended to me and Miles.

Miles was wearing the ring he and I had picked out together while he held Elena in his arms, and he looked radiant in the photos. His friends liked the post, and the comments were full of subtle jabs.

"Why do I get the feeling Ellie and Miles look way better together?"

"Someone threw a huge tantrum, and look how that ended. I can't stop laughing!"

Ignoring the dull ache in my chest, I took screenshots and saved every single post.

Their honeymoon lasted half a month.

Miles called me once during that period. His voice dripped with arrogance. "I allowed Elena to post those pictures. If you had done as you were told back then, you would've been the one enjoying all this."

Looking at the massive lobster on my table, which was twice the size of the one in Elena's photo, I let out a soft chuckle. "I'm not that cheap. I wouldn't let a man order me around just to go on a vacation."

His breathing turned ragged on the other end. "When I get back, we'll see how long that attitude of yours lasts!"

"We shall see." I hung up on him and added his number to my blacklist.