"You already have my promise to marry you. What more are you nitpicking about?" Shane snapped.

Then, Tania called. His expression softened instantly, a smile spreading across his face as he walked out to answer.

My words scattered into the air, unheard. "It was you who proposed first. It was because I loved you that I said yes..."

In that moment, I shifted from a woman immersed in the joy of marriage to nothing more than a bystander left alone in an empty room. Even the choice of our wedding venue had nothing to do with me anymore.

That night I slept at a friend’s house. Shane never once tried to contact me.

The next day, after finishing my work handover, I stepped into the villa and was greeted by the sound of Tania’s laughter.

"During the vows, there must be rose petals drifting down from both sides. That’s what makes it romantic."

Shane sat beside her, his eyes locked onto her with a tenderness I had never once received.

"Anything you want," he said warmly.

She had his devotion, something I had never been granted.

When I appeared, Tania waved cheerfully. "Lila, come here! I just thought of the perfect idea for the wedding!"

From the corner of my eye, I caught Shane’s look of displeasure. "Why are you just getting home now? Tania’s been working hard for four months on this wedding, and you’ve done nothing but stand back. Well, maybe it’s for the best. Her taste is far better than yours. You almost embarrassed me with that country-style theme. You have no idea how close I came to being ridiculed."

Once again, that suffocating sense of being a spectator pressed down on me.

"I’m tired. I’m going to rest," I said, ignoring the tight knot in his brow as I headed straight for the guest room.

The moment I closed the door, my phone buzzed with another message, the kind I had rejected countless times before: "As long as you say the word, I’ll throw everything away. I’ll crash the wedding."

I smiled bitterly as my fingers typed a reply. "No need to crash it. You’re already my groom."

If Shane was destined to walk into that castle, then I would return south, back home. I would free both of us.

That night, I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw flashes of our ten years together, filled with endless love.

I had once been his only one, his fiercest devotion. Whenever anyone said I wasn’t worthy of him, he would take my hand and stand beside me without hesitation.

Back when Grandma Mae was alive, she had patted his hand and entrusted me to him. His eyes had blazed with certainty as he swore, "Don’t worry, Grandma. I love Lila more than I love myself. I’ll never let her suffer. I promise, we’ll marry in your courtyard, so you can watch her walk down the aisle with your own eyes."

Those words had been carved in stone, eternal and unshakable.

Alas, I had forgotten that even stone can be worn down, and time can dissolve even the most solemn vows.

The day before the wedding, I walked into the living room and saw a purple gown spread across the floor, its hem trailing, a massive red flower blooming across the chest.

Tania hurried toward me, her face alight. "Lila, look! I designed this wedding dress just for you. Shane said you like the rustic style, so I studied traditional wedding traditions for ages!"

Even though I had already decided to let go, my brows furrowed at the sight of what she dared call a wedding dress. "In our traditional weddings, the bride still wears a wedding dress, not a bridesmaid's gown."

Tania froze, her smile faltering as she stepped back. "I’m sorry, Lila. I shouldn’t have assumed. I just thought you’d like it... I’ll take it apart right now."

She snatched up a pair of scissors, but before she could cut, Shane rushed out of the study, yanking the fabric from her hands.

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

Tania’s eyes brimmed with tears, her voice trembling. "Shane, did I do something wrong? Lila just snapped at me so badly..."

Before I could say a word, Shane’s face hardened. He turned on me with a glare. "Tania spent four months preparing that wedding dress for you. She stayed up late countless nights to coordinate with designers. And this is how you repay her? If it weren’t for her, you wouldn’t even have a dress. Apologize!"

The disdain in his eyes made me want to laugh, bitter and hollow.

When I had asked him about the dress, he’d brushed me off, saying not to bother him because he was busy taking Tania to Bali to "cheer her up".

Of course, she was important. When she said she was heartbroken, he spent the whole night consoling her. On my birthday, he rented out a theater to watch a romantic movie with her. When I collapsed with a fever from overwork, he told me to drink more warm water and immediately turned to rush Tania to a private hospital for a tiny scrape.

This was my wedding. I had handled everything I was supposed to, but because of Tania’s constant presence, all credit suddenly went to her.

Even Shane’s relatives saw me as useless, dismissing me as the bride who lifted not a finger.

The dress and his suit were both untouched in the guest room closet. He hadn’t spared them a glance, but now he demanded I apologize to Tania.

Disappointment carved itself deeper into me. My face darkened.

Shane sneered. "So you won’t apologize? Fine. Then the wedding’s off. When you apologize to Tania, that’s when we’ll marry."

My clenched hands slowly loosened. I looked him straight in the eye. "Alright."

Then, I turned and began to pack my things.

Ryan Lane had told me that the bougainvillea in Grandma Mae’s courtyard was blooming again. I wanted to see it as soon as possible. It was the very plant she and I had planted together before my parents took me to Eastbourne city.

In the living room, Shane tried to soothe Tania, but irritation simmered under his skin. His eyes flicked toward the guest room as he quietly sent a message to his assistant, Mark Sullivan.

The reply came quickly. "Mr. Dawson, Miss Quinn has rescheduled her flight with Dawson Airlines. But I don’t have clearance to check the new details. You’ll need to look it up yourself."

Relief eased his features. He typed back a curt: "No need."

As I zipped the last of my luggage, a message from Shane lit up my phone. "Since you’re going to marry me, you’ll have to learn to control your temper. Tania is doing everything for you. How could you hurt her feelings? Anyway, there’s a family lunch at noon. I’ll bring Tania over first and send the driver for you later. Just apologize to her and let’s move on. Tomorrow’s the wedding, so don’t ruin everyone’s mood."

It was the Dawson family lunch, and he was bringing her as his date.

When the driver knocked at my door, I glanced at my suitcase one last time.

So be it.

He had once proposed to me in front of everyone. Now I would return the gesture by breaking the engagement in front of them all. It was an apt beginning and an end.

I arrived at the Dawson estate to find Tania glowing in the center of the room, surrounded by relatives showering her with praise.

"Lila, over here!" she called, teetering over in stilettos. She was dressed in a red evening gown, identical to the one I had chosen as my own dress for the toast.

My teeth sank into my lip. At that exact moment, Shane descended the staircase. His eyes landed on her, widening in awe. "Tania, you look stunning!"

Her cheeks flushed. "Shane, don’t tease me... Lila’s right here." She turned to me quickly, smiling sweetly. "Lila, I’m sorry about this morning at Shane’s place. I feel awful for causing you both to argue."

Shane’s gaze never left her. His eyes sparkled as if she were the only woman in the world. He even reached up, carefully plucking a stray false lash from under her eye.

The scene drew laughter and teasing from the crowd.

Mr. Timothy Dawson, his father, sighed in regret.

"Honestly, Tania and Shane are a much better match."

I glanced down at the teal gown I wore. I wasn’t a goddess, not by any stretch, but Shane used to call me beautiful all the time. He used to tuck the stray strands of hair behind my ear with tender hands.

Across the room, Tania pouted playfully. "Uncle, don’t say things like that in front of Lila. She’ll feel hurt."

Mr. and Mrs. Dawson chuckled under their breath.

At last, Shane looked at me, but his expression was one of annoyance. "My parents watched Tania grow up. Can’t you stop being so petty? Why take offense at harmless words? No wonder my mom says upbringing matters most. You grew up with your grandmother and didn’t move to the city until you were eighteen. You really don’t have a shred of proper upbringing."

My brows knitted, disbelief burning through me. "Shane, you know how much Grandma Mae cared for you. Don’t you think words like that would break her heart?"

For a flicker of a second, guilt shadowed his face. Still, with his family around him, he hardened.

"In the end, Tania and I are just childhood friends. Don’t let your jealous streak make her uncomfortable."

He always defended her.

A crushing weight pressed down on me. All those years we had shared now felt like a mountain pinning me breathless.

At last, I forced myself to speak, "I came here today because I wanted to say—"

Tania cut across my words, her voice bright and eager, "Shane, my best friend, Sophie Blair, wants to come to Spain too. Are there still seats left on the flight?"

"Of course," Shane said immediately. "I’ll arrange it."

However, Mark hesitated. "Mr. Dawson, wasn’t the last open seat reserved for Miss Quinn?"

Tania backtracked with a soft, guilty sigh. "Then, never mind. I don’t want to upset Lila..."

Shane couldn’t bear her look of dejection. He made his decision on the spot. "Lila can take another flight. Sophie doesn’t know anyone. She has to travel with us."

Joy lit up Tania’s face as she looped her arm through his, swaying against him. "Shane, I knew you were the best."

With that, the eyes around the room turned on me with even more contempt.

"Imagine that! Shane even chartered two private direct flights for this wedding, and in the end, the bride herself won’t be on board."

"What does it matter? The Quinns are desperate to save their family. Even if she had to walk there, she’d still marry him."

Laughter and whispers buzzed around me, sharp as thorns. Shane’s gaze was fixed entirely on Tania, deaf to every word I might have spoken.

Once again, I was nothing but a bystander.

I sighed inwardly and turned to leave, deciding I would call off the engagement later. In my peripheral vision, a glint caught my eye. Tania wore a gold necklace with a diamond pendant shaped like a rose.

My mind exploded. "That diamond… Where did you get it?"

Before my fingers could reach the necklace at her throat, Shane shoved me back, hard. "Lila Quinn, are you insane?"

Tania’s face went pale as she cowered behind him. "Lila, I know I upset you, but this is the family lunch. Let me apologize now, and once it’s over, you can scold me all you want, okay?"

The guests crowded around, showering her with comfort and sympathy.

Shane’s face was dark, and his voice was sharp. "Look at Tania’s grace and manners, and then look at you. When my parents compliment her, you lose your mind. If I marry you, God knows how you’ll disgrace the Dawsons once you’re through the door!"

Fury had already swallowed me whole. I pointed at the chain trembling at Tania’s throat, my teeth gritted together. "Lose my mind? That diamond pendant used to be my grandmother’s ring. And she turned it into her necklace. I can’t even ask her about it?"