The day was meant to be the happiest of her life.
White roses lined the aisle of the glass-ceilinged chapel, their scent mingling with the soft hum of music that floated through the air. The city outside was alive — cars honking, bells ringing — but inside the chapel, time seemed to hold its breath.
Lila Hayes stood before the mirror, radiant in lace and pearls. Her reflection was perfect, but her heart wasn't.
Every bride dreamed of this day — the whispered vows, the promises of forever. Yet, deep down, something gnawed at her chest. A shadow of uncertainty.
She brushed it aside, forcing a smile for her bridesmaid, Emily.
"You look stunning," Emily said softly.
"Do I?" Lila asked, voice trembling. "Then maybe he'll remember why he loved me."
He — Ethan Voss, the man she had waited for, the man who had promised to build a world with her. The heir to Voss Enterprises, confident, magnetic, and utterly unpredictable. He had swept her off her feet two years ago, turning her quiet world into a whirlwind of passion and dreams.
But dreams fade.
Minutes turned to hours. Guests whispered. The air grew heavy with unease.
Emily's voice broke the silence. "Lila… he's not here yet."
Lila's stomach dropped.
Her hands clutched the bouquet until the stems snapped. "He wouldn't—" she started, but her words fell apart as her phone buzzed on the vanity table. One message glowed on the screen.
> Ethan: I'm sorry. Don't wait for me.
The chapel spun around her. The words were knives, cutting through the lace and flowers and laughter. Her knees gave way, and for a long moment, the world was nothing but silence.
By evening, the news had spread like wildfire. Ethan Voss abandons bride on wedding day.
Lila became the face of humiliation — her photos splashed across tabloids, her heartbreak dissected by strangers.
But beneath the shame, something else burned.
Anger. Resolve. A spark of strength she never knew she possessed.
He had walked away, yes.
But she would rise — not as the abandoned bride — but as the woman he'd regret losing.
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