I always thought heartbreak would come with screaming.With mascara-streaked cheeks, shattered glass, and a playlist of sad songs echoing through my apartment.
But instead, it came in silence.
I stood in the doorway of our hotel suite, staring at the silk bedsheets where my fiancé lay tangled with my best friend.
She was wearing the lingerie I had bought for the honeymoon.He was moaning her name like he hadn't said I love you to me just twelve hours ago.
My hand didn't tremble. My voice didn't rise.I just turned and left.
Let them have their climax.I had a wedding to cancel.
—
It was supposed to be the perfect day.A five-star venue, custom Vera Wang gown, crystal chandeliers, celebrity guests, and enough peonies to make a florist weep.
But instead of vows, there was silence.
Instead of love, there was betrayal.
Instead of a groom, there was a runaway bride walking barefoot across the marble lobby of the Blackwood Grand Hotel, carrying nothing but a torn veil and the ruins of five years of loyalty.
"Miss Carter?" The event manager's eyes widened as I passed. "Are you—do you want us to—"
"Cancel everything," I said. "Burn it all, for all I care."
Her lips parted. "But the groom—"
"Is currently busy screwing my maid of honor," I said, smiling sweetly. "So no, there won't be a wedding today."
I left before she could answer.
Outside, the rain had started.
Of course it had.
Because if you're going to get cheated on and humiliated, it might as well be in the middle of a storm.
I walked across the parking lot in my wedding dress, soaked and barefoot, watching cars splash water like I didn't exist.
I didn't even know where I was going.
Until I saw him.
—
He was leaning against a sleek black car, suit sharp enough to cut, jaw clenched like the whole world had insulted him personally.
Aiden Blackwood.
Older brother to the man who just broke me.The so-called "recluse CEO."Whispers of empires, rumors of scandals, a face too perfect for someone who never smiled.
He wasn't supposed to be here.He never came to family events, never attended weddings, never got involved.
But there he was. Watching me. With those piercing eyes the color of ash and war.
I don't know what came over me. Maybe it was the heartbreak. The rage. The absolute madness of it all.
Maybe I just wanted someone to look at me like I wasn't broken glass.
So I walked up to him.
"You look like hell," he said.
"You look like money," I replied, lifting my chin. "Let's make a deal."
His brow arched. "You just got cheated on. You want to discuss business?"
"No," I said, stepping closer. "I want to get married."
He blinked once. "To me?"
"To anyone who isn't my bastard ex-fiancé."
He looked me over — soaked dress, ruined veil, wild eyes — and for a moment, I thought he'd laugh.
But Aiden Blackwood didn't laugh.
He opened the car door.
"Get in."
—
They say revenge is a dish best served cold.But I say it's better served publicly, with a witness list of five hundred guests and a photographer from Modern Bride magazine.
Because two hours later, I stood in the small private chapel inside the Blackwood Grand — hair fixed, makeup redone, new dress provided by the hotel's emergency stylist — holding hands with the older brother of the man who cheated on me.
"Do you, Aiden Blackwood, take this woman—"
"I do."
His voice was quiet. Absolute.
Like he'd already signed a contract in blood.
"And do you, Scarlett Carter, take this man—"
"I do."
Because why not?
If my old life had to die today, I might as well bury it with style.
The priest looked as stunned as I felt. "By the power vested in me—"
The words blurred after that.
There was a ring — his mother's, apparently.There was a kiss — light, polite, and businesslike.There were no witnesses, except the silent chapel and the wind outside.
But I was married.To the wrong brother.
And I didn't even know his middle name.
—
We drove in silence for a while.
I kept looking at the ring. Heavy. Real.
Like the life I had just thrown away was being replaced by something colder, shinier, and far more dangerous.
"What now?" I asked finally.
"We make it look real," he said, eyes on the road.
"Why?"
"Because if I'm going to marry someone for revenge, she might as well be beautiful."
I stared. "You did this for revenge?"
"Didn't you?"
I opened my mouth. Closed it.
He glanced at me. "You think I just marry strangers for fun?"
"I think you don't care about much at all."
"That's not true," he said, voice calm. "I care about three things: loyalty, leverage, and payback."
"And I'm what? Number four?"
He didn't answer.
Just reached into the glove compartment and handed me a small envelope.
Inside was a prenuptial agreement already signed. His signature was fast, aggressive, exact.
I scanned the terms. Everything was clear.
One year marriage.No claims to assets.Public appearances together.Divorce upon mutual agreement.
"And if I break the rules?" I asked.
He looked at me like he already knew I would.
"Then I break you."
—
Back at his penthouse, reality hit.
The staff bowed. The doors opened. The entire space smelled like glass, metal, and control.
He poured himself a drink. Loosened his tie. Turned to me.
"You can have the guest wing. Do not touch my office, my study, or my schedule."
I raised a brow. "No welcome gift?"
"You got a multimillion-dollar name and a ring worth your student loans."
Charming.
"And what do you get?"
His gaze turned sharp. "Access."
"To what?"
"To a woman who makes my brother burn."
Ah.
There it was.
The real reason.
This wasn't just revenge.
This was war.
—
That night, I lay in the guest room — alone, cold, mind spinning.
My phone buzzed endlessly. Messages from everyone.
Travis:Scarlett, please. Let's talk. You don't understand what you saw.
Jasmine:OMG, you btch. You think this will make you better than me?*
Mom:What did you do?
Dad:Come home. We can fix this.
And finally, one I didn't expect:
Aiden:You made the right move. Don't regret it.
I stared at the message.
Simple. Icy. Steady.
Just like him.
I didn't know what tomorrow would bring.But tonight?
Tonight, I slept with my ring on.
And for the first time in weeks, I didn't cry.