Part 3I Married His Rival Instead

At 1:00 PM, I was sitting in the private showroom of the city's most exclusive bridal boutique.

Willie sat on the leather sofa opposite me, casually flipping through a thick design catalog.

He wore a perfectly tailored dark gray suit, his deep, intelligent eyes framed by gold-rimmed glasses.

He was the polar opposite of Garrett, whose expressions were always aggressive, impatient, and demanding.

"Do you like this main gown?" He pointed to a strapless dress embellished with thousands of delicate, shimmering diamonds. "If you think it's too revealing, we can ask the designer to raise the neckline."

I shook my head.

"No need to change it. I like it. It's beautiful."

Garrett had always complained whenever I wore anything remotely form-fitting. He didn't even let me buy camisoles.

He used to say that "good girls" dressed modestly and shouldn't try to draw attention.

I had actually listened to him, wrapping myself up like a Puritan for years.

Willie closed the catalog and turned to the boutique director.

"Prepare this piece. Have the designers alter it to Ms. Fiona's measurements overnight. And swap out the standard crystals for aurora-cut diamonds."

The director bowed respectfully and left the room.

Willie poured a cup of warm tea and handed it to me.

"I've finalized the wedding favors and the venue. The shuttle service for your relatives is booked too. Is there anything else you're worried about?"

I stared at the amber tea, my throat tightening with sudden emotion.

"Thank you, Willie. Really. You didn't have to go this far..."

"Shh," he said, placing a long, elegant finger to his lips. "Fiona, I've waited seven years for this chance. If I can't even handle these details, how do I expect to earn my promotion to husband?"

Right then, my phone began to buzz incessantly.

It was Hannah, spamming me with dozens of voice messages and screenshots.

"Fiona! Look at the alumni group chat right now! I am losing my mind!"

I opened the screenshots.

It was the college group chat, which included Garrett's old friends, as well as Amber and me.

The chat was buzzing.

Amber had posted a close-up photo of her hand.

On her finger was a simple, elegant band.

It was the custom wedding ring I had designed myself, visiting three different jewelers to get the blueprint right.

The inner band was engraved with our initials: "F & G".

Amber had written in the chat:

"Oh my gosh, Garrett insisted on getting me a little treat to cheer up my poor injured foot~ The style is a little vintage, but it's the thought that counts!"

His friends immediately started hyping it up.

"Whoa, is Garrett finally spending cash on someone else?"

"Does the future wifey know? That looks like a women's ring!"

Garrett replied with a voice note.

I tapped play, and his smug, casual voice filled the room.

"It's just a cheap trinket, let her wear it for fun. Fiona's been throwing a massive fit lately; she just needs a few days to cool off. Consider the ring an apology to Amber for the drama."

Hannah was typing in a fury:

"Cheap trinket?! You stayed up coding for two weeks straight to save up for those rings! Garrett couldn't even afford a down payment on an apartment back then, and now he's using your hard work to play big spender?"

I calmly saved the screenshots.

Then, I called the jewelry boutique's VIP service.

"Hello, this is Fiona. I'd like to cancel all future maintenance and engraving services for the rings registered under my name."

"Yes, keep the deposit. I just want all association with your brand severed."