Chapter 1: Called off the wedding

The clock on the church wall continued to tick, each passing second making Soraya more anxious. The groom was supposed to have arrived by now, yet there was still no sign of Emilio anywhere in the church.

The priest glanced toward the closed doors before looking back at Soraya. His patience was beginning to wear thin.

"How much longer is this going to take, Miss? It’s almost evening, and I’m afraid we’re nearing closing time," he said.

"I’m trying to call him, but his phone isn’t connecting," Soraya replied, forcing herself to remain calm. She checked her phone again, hoping to see a message from Emilio. There was nothing.

"Please, give me five more minutes. I’m sure he’ll be here."

The priest sighed but nodded. "Very well."

He returned to his seat and opened the holy book in his hands, quietly waiting while Soraya stepped away from the altar.

She dialed Emilio again.

The call rang several times without an answer. Soraya stared at his name on her screen, her fingers tightening around the phone. She had already called him repeatedly, but he hadn’t picked up once. He knew she was waiting for him. He knew they were supposed to be getting married today. So why wasn’t he answering?

Just when she was about to end the call, it finally connected.

"Emilio, where are you? Everyone is waiting—"

Before she could finish speaking, a woman’s breathless voice came through the phone.

"Ngh... harder, Emilio."

Soraya froze. Her mind went blank. She stared at the phone, unable to process what she was hearing.

The man who was supposed to be standing next to her at the altar was with another woman instead.

Another moan came through the speaker, followed by the wet sound of them kissing hard. Then the woman’s voice again, low and mocking:

"Tell me—do you love fucking me so much that you didn’t even show up to your own wedding?"

"Shut your mouth and take it," Emilio’s voice answered. "Gina."

Soraya’s hand shook as she pressed it over her mouth. Tears filled her eyes. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

Gina spoke again between moans. "Won’t she be upset when she sees you’re late to the church?"

"Soraya’s a naive bitch," Emilio said. "She should be grateful I’m marrying her at all. The second her money hits my account, she’s out of my life."

Soraya ended the call and slowly lowered her phone. Her gaze lifted toward the cross above the altar as tears continued to stream down her face. A sharp pain tightened in her chest, making it difficult for her to process what she had just heard.

She had no family of her own. Emilio had been the one person who had always stayed by her side. They had grown up together, and for years, she had considered him her closest friend and the person she could trust with everything.

She had believed that he loved her.

But, now she was aware of his true face.

He had only stayed with her because of her money. Worse, he had been cheating on her while pretending to be the loving fiancé she thought she knew.

The realization shattered whatever hope she had left for their future.

Soraya quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and cheeks before walking toward the priest. She kept her head lowered, unable to bring herself to look at him.

"I’m sorry, but this wedding isn’t happening," she said quietly.

The priest studied her for a moment. He had already noticed the tears on her cheeks and the way her hands were trembling. It was obvious that something serious had happened.

He closed the holy book and spoke gently.

"Perhaps God has something better planned for your future. What you have lost today may become the reason for a brighter tomorrow."

Soraya didn’t respond.

She didn’t have the strength to explain what had happened, nor did she know what she could possibly say.

She simply turned around and walked out of the church.

The moment she stepped outside, she removed the veil from her head. Her fingers loosened around the delicate fabric, and it slipped from her hand, falling onto the ground behind her.

She didn’t stop to pick it up.

As she walked away, the words she had heard through the phone kept replaying inside her head.

’She should be grateful that I’m even marrying her. Once her money is in my hands, I’m kicking her out of my life.’

Each sentence hurt more than the last, making it harder for Soraya to accept that the man she had trusted all her life had never truly loved her.

Soraya had no idea how long she had been walking. She simply kept moving, her mind still trapped in the words she had heard from Emilio.

Then a bar caught her attention.

She stopped outside for a moment, staring at the entrance. Soraya had never touched alcohol in her life. She had always avoided it, but tonight, none of that seemed to matter.

She wanted to forget everything. She wanted to silence the pain in her chest, even if it was only for a few hours.

Without giving herself time to change her mind, Soraya walked inside.

She took a seat at the bar and ordered a drink. The moment it was placed in front of her, she picked up the glass and downed it in one go.

The alcohol burned down her throat, but instead of putting the glass down, she asked for another.

A strange laugh escaped her lips as she leaned against the counter and looked at the bartender.

"You must be wondering why I’m wearing this dress," she mumbled, glancing down at her wedding gown. "It was supposed to be my wedding dress."

The bartender remained silent, simply listening.

"But Emilio never came." Soraya gave a bitter laugh, blinking several times as her vision began to blur. "Do you know why?"

She leaned closer to the counter.

"Because he was fucking another woman behind my back."

Her voice cracked, but she forced another laugh.

"I called off the wedding." She lifted her glass again, staring at the remaining drink. "I’m the unluckiest woman in the world, right?"

The bartender didn’t answer. Perhaps there was nothing he could say.

After sitting there for a while longer, Soraya finally pushed herself to her feet. The moment she stood, her balance wavered.

She took a few unsteady steps before stopping and kicking off her heels.

"Annoying heels," she muttered.

She rubbed her forehead with one hand and tried to walk straight, but the alcohol had already affected her balance.

"Agh!"

She stumbled forward and collided with something, or rather, someone.

Her face hit a solid chest, and she instinctively lifted her hands to steady herself. Expecting to feel fabric beneath her palms, she was surprised by how warm and soft it felt.

Soraya slowly raised her head. Her unfocused eyes met a pair of dark, intense eyes staring down at her.

For several seconds, neither of them spoke.

"He cheated on me," she whispered, her voice filled with drunken sadness.

She tilted her head, studying the stranger as though she had just thought of the perfect solution to all her problems.

"Do you want to sleep with me?"

"Boss!"

The secretary standing behind the man immediately looked startled. The man merely raised one hand, stopping him from saying anything more.

His gaze returned to Soraya.

"You’re drunk."

"I heard that when you kiss someone, you aren’t drunk anymore," Soraya mumbled.

Before he could respond, she rose onto her toes.

The next second, she leaned forward and pressed her lips against the stranger’s.