Three days before the wedding, I found out that Shane Rossi had changed our wedding venue from my grandmother's small town in Italy to a Las Vegas casino, the favorite spot of his childhood sweetheart, Tara Bianchi.

I ran to confront him, only to overhear him complaining to a friend:

“Thank God Tara has good taste, otherwise I’d be the laughingstock of the family for the rest of my life.”

His friend reminded him, “Didn’t you promise Quinn you’d have the ceremony at her grandmother’s place? Aren’t you afraid she’ll get angry and call off the wedding?”

Shane Rossi scoffed.

“The Moretti family is on the verge of bankruptcy. Marrying me is her only way out. She can’t afford to gamble it away.”

“I’ve already had someone inform her. She’s probably scrambling to change her flights and visa as we speak.”

Anger and indignation welled up in my chest. I bit my lip and, in the end, turned and walked away.

Three days later, the casino wedding in Las Vegas went on as scheduled.

I didn’t change my flight, nor did I show up.

Instead, in my grandmother’s small Italian town, I exchanged rings with another man.

To this day, Shane Rossi doesn’t understand.

I wasn't marrying him for a so-called ""way out,"" but because of a love that had lasted for ten years.

But once I woke up from that dream, it was time for me to have other choices.

————————

1

After I left the Rossi family headquarters, Shane Rossi sent me the address of the Las Vegas casino along with a photo.

The photo showed the casino’s magnificent, glittering main entrance.

The neon lights flickered, the picture of opulence.

But front and center in the photo was Tara Bianchi, with her wavy, seaweed-like hair and a long red dress.

My finger paused on her brilliant, smiling face, and I suddenly felt how absurd this all was.

I was the bride, and this was the wedding venue Shane had chosen for us.

But the star of the photo he sent was the childhood friend he always described as, ""just a friend, don't overthink it.""

After that, there was nothing more from Shane.

I knew him.

He figured his assistant had already notified me, and this was just his way of giving me a little push.

He was afraid I wouldn't know the destination when I rebooked my flight.

A heavy stone seemed to lodge itself in my heart. I just couldn't understand.

He had already promised to hold the ceremony in my grandmother’s town. Why would he change it without a second thought, just because Tara liked the idea?

It was already dark when I returned to the villa where we were preparing for the wedding.

Just as I arrived, I heard Shane yelling at the housekeeper, Maria:

“Quinn Moretti isn’t a three-year-old child. Does she have to bother me every time she comes home a little late?”

“But Miss Quinn left right after a phone call this afternoon. I’m worried that in a fit of anger, she might…”

Shane scoffed.

“She went out to get her visa and change her flights. The Moretti family has so many people coming along; it’s not a simple change to make.”

“Don’t worry, Quinn is dying to marry me. She’d die without me.”

“Even if I set the venue in Antarctica, she’d crawl her way there, let alone a place in Las Vegas that Tara so carefully selected.”

Maria said no more. Instead, it was Shane who began muttering to himself:

“Tara hasn’t replied in five minutes… I should go check on her.”

By the time he ran out, I was already gone.

This was a Rossi family villa, not my home.

To make the wedding preparations easier, Shane had suggested I move in.

At first, we were inseparable.

But then one day, Tara came back to the country after a bad breakup, and he said he had to go comfort her.

That ""comforting"" session lasted for four months.

Whenever Tara said she was upset, he would drop me without a second thought and run to her side.

I picked out the wedding dress. I designed the decorations for my grandmother’s house. He wasn’t involved in any of it.

Whenever I protested my dissatisfaction, he would look up from his chat with Tara, his face clouded with displeasure.

“You want to marry me to save your Moretti family’s business, don’t you?”

“I’ve already agreed to marry you. What are you still nitpicking about?”

Then Tara would call, and he would immediately smile and walk out.

He left my words to scatter in the air, leaving no trace.

“But you were the one who proposed to me first.”

“And I agreed because I love you…”

In that moment, I went from a bride-to-be immersed in joy to a lonely observer, keeping watch over an empty house.

And now, even the choice of our wedding venue had nothing to do with me.

I slept at a friend’s house that night. Shane never contacted me.

The next day, after finishing up my work, I walked in the door and immediately heard Tara’s laughter:

“During the vows, there must be a shower of flower petals floating down from both sides. That’s what makes it romantic.”

Shane sat beside her, his smiling eyes fixed on her.

“Whatever you want.”

It was a look of affection I had never received.

Seeing me, Tara waved me over.

“Quinn, come quick! I have a brilliant idea for the wedding!”

In my peripheral vision, I saw Shane’s displeasure.

“Why are you just getting back now? Tara has been busy with the wedding for four months, and you’ve become the one who doesn’t lift a finger.”

“But it’s for the best. Tara has much better taste than you. Not like that rustic style you came up with. I was almost laughed at by everyone in our circle.”

At that moment, the feeling of being an outsider washed over me again.

“I’m tired. I’m going to rest.”

Ignoring Shane’s knitted brows, I went straight to the guest bedroom.

As I closed the door, a message I had rejected many times popped up again:

“Just say the word, and Vincent Lombardi will risk his entire fortune to come and crash that wedding.”

Outside the door, Tara was describing her dream floral wedding in a casino.

Her words were interspersed with Shane’s endlessly patient refrain of “Whatever you want.”

I gave a bitter smile and typed on my phone:

“No need to crash it. You are my groom.”

Shane, if you are destined for a casino, I will go south, back to my hometown.

Then I will let you go, and let myself go as well.

I tossed and turned all night.

Every time I closed my eyes, I thought of the endless love Shane and I had shared over the past ten years.

I was his one and only, the one he favored above all else. No matter who said I wasn't good enough for him, he would stand firmly by my side.

That’s why, when my grandmother was still alive, she patted his hand and said she was entrusting me to him.

His eyes burned with sincerity as he nodded firmly.

“Grandma, don’t you worry. I love Quinn more than I love myself. I will never let her suffer any grievance.”

“I promise you, we will get married in your courtyard, so you can watch Quinn get married with your own eyes!”

His oath back then felt as solid as a rock, as if it would never fade.

But I forgot that time erodes all promises and vows of eternal love.

The day before the wedding, I saw a long purple dress in the living room, its train trailing on the floor.

On its chest was a large, gaudy red flower.

Tara greeted me enthusiastically.

“Quinn, look! This is the wedding dress I designed for you myself.”

“Shane said you like a rustic style, so I spent a long time designing it according to the style of your small town!”

Even though I had already decided to let go, I still frowned when I saw this so-called “wedding dress.”

“In our town’s weddings, the bride wears a white wedding dress.”

Tara froze for a moment, then slowly backed away.

“I’m sorry, Quinn. My presumption made you uncomfortable.”

“I just thought you would like it… I’ll take it apart right now!”

She picked up a pair of scissors and aimed them at the dress, but Shane, coming out of the study, snatched them away.

“How many times have I told you not to use scissors? What if you hurt yourself?”

Tara’s eyes filled with tears, her voice trembling.

“Shane, did I do something wrong? Quinn got so angry…”

Before I could explain, Shane glared at me with a dark expression.

“Tara spent four months on your wedding dress. How many nights did she stay up to communicate with the dressmaker, and this is how you repay her?”

“If it weren’t for Tara, you wouldn’t even have a wedding dress to wear.”

“Apologize!”

I met his disgusted gaze, and the situation felt even more ridiculous.

When I had tried to discuss the wedding dress with him before, he had told me not to bother him while he was taking Tara to Bali to cheer her up.

Yes, Tara was so important.

When Tara said she was sad about her breakup, he stayed up all night talking with her.

On my birthday, he booked a private screening of a romance movie for Tara.

When I was running a high fever from overworking myself, he told me to drink more water, then turned around and took Tara to a private hospital to bandage a tiny scratch.

This was my wedding, and I had done everything I was supposed to do.

But because of Tara’s involvement, it had all become “everything she did for me.”

The Rossi family relatives also thought I was a hands-off bride and all looked down on me because of it.

Even now, my real wedding dress and his suit were hanging in my closet in the guest room. He hadn't even glanced at them, yet he was demanding I apologize to Tara.

The more I thought about it, the more disappointed I became, and my expression darkened.

Shane sneered.

“Not going to apologize, are you? Then let’s not get married. We’ll have the wedding when you apologize to Tara!”

Suddenly, my clenched fists relaxed. I looked at him seriously.

“Fine.”

With that, I went back to my room to pack my things.

Vincent said the bougainvillea at my grandmother’s house was in bloom. I wanted to go back and see it as soon as possible.

My grandmother and I had planted it together before my parents brought me to New York City.

In the living room, Shane was comforting Tara, but he felt a nagging irritation.

He glanced at the guest room and, avoiding Tara’s eyes, sent a message to his assistant, Tony.

A reply came back quickly:

“Mr. Rossi, Miss Quinn does have a record of a flight change, but my access is limited. You’ll have to check yourself to see the latest flight information.”

The tension in his face eased. He replied with a simple, “No need.”

After I finished packing, a message from Shane came through:

“If you’re going to marry me, you need to fix that temper of yours sooner or later. Tara was doing this for you, how could you hurt her feelings?”

“Alright, there’s a family dinner this afternoon. I’ll take Tara over first and have the driver pick you up.”

“Apologize to Tara when you get there, and we’ll let this go. We’re getting married tomorrow, let’s not ruin everyone’s mood.”

It was a Rossi family dinner, but he was escorting Tara.

The driver knocked on the door. I took one last look at my luggage.

So be it.

Shane had proposed to me in public. Now I would call off the wedding in public. At least there would be a proper start and a proper end.

When I arrived at the Rossi family estate, Tara was the center of attention.

“Quinn, over here!”

Seeing me, she walked over in her stilettos. I noticed she had changed into a red evening gown.

It was identical to the reception dress I had prepared for myself.

I subconsciously bit my lip. Just then, Shane came down the stairs, and his eyes lit up with amazement the moment he saw her.

“Tara, you look so beautiful!”

Tara blushed. “Shane, stop teasing. Quinn is right here.”

“Quinn, please don’t mind. I already feel so bad about causing you two to argue at your villa this morning.”

Shane couldn't take his eyes off her; the sparkle in them was genuine.

He was so engrossed that he didn’t even glance at me, instead reaching out to gently remove an eyelash from under her eye.

The scene made everyone present burst into laughter and cheers. Don Antonio Rossi looked on with a regretful expression.

“Tara and our Shane really are a better match.”

I looked down at the teal-green dress I was wearing.

While I was no goddess, in the past, Shane had often told me how beautiful I was, then carefully tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

On the other side, Tara was chiding playfully.

“Uncle, please don’t say things like that in front of Quinn. She’ll be upset.”

Don Antonio Rossi and Mamma Isabella Rossi scoffed.

Shane finally deigned to look at me, but his expression was again one of displeasure.

“My parents watched Tara grow up. Can’t you be less petty? Getting worked up over a comment like that.”

“No wonder my mom always says a good upbringing is the most important thing. You grew up in a small town and were only brought to New York at eighteen. You really have no manners at all.”

My brow furrowed. I couldn't believe he would say that.

“Shane, you know very well how good my grandmother was to you. Aren’t you afraid of hurting her feelings by saying something like that?”

Shane looked a little guilty, but with the entire Rossi family present, his face darkened.

“In any case, Tara and I are just friends who grew up together. Don’t let your womanly jealousy make Tara sad.”

In the end, it was all about standing up for Tara.

I suddenly felt so tired. The past felt like a great mountain, crushing me and leaving me unable to breathe.

After a long moment, I began, “I came today because I actually wanted to say…”

Tara suddenly cut me off loudly, “Shane, my best friend wants to go to Las Vegas too. Are there any empty seats on the flight?”

Shane nodded immediately. “Yes, I’ll arrange it.”

Tony, however, hesitated. “Mr. Rossi, wasn’t the last empty seat reserved for Miss Quinn…”

“Oh, then never mind. I don’t want to make Quinn unhappy…” Tara said, feigning disappointment.

Shane couldn’t bear to see Tara upset and made an instant decision. “Quinn Moretti can take another flight. Tara’s friend isn’t familiar with the place; she has to fly with us.”

Tara was overjoyed, grabbing his arm and swaying it back and forth.

“Shane, I knew you were the best to me!”

With that, the looks I received from those around me became even more disdainful.

“For the wedding, Shane arranged two separate direct flights, and in the end, he’s not even taking the bride.”

“What does that matter? To save the Moretti family, Quinn Moretti would walk there if she had to, let alone take another flight.”

I was surrounded by mockery, while Shane only had eyes for Tara, completely deaf to my words.

In the end, I was just an observer.

Sighing to myself, I turned to leave, deciding to cancel the wedding later. But out of the corner of my eye, I saw a gold necklace around Tara’s neck.

Hanging from it was a plum blossom-shaped diamond.

My mind exploded.

“Where did you get that diamond!”