Part 1Ruined Lace: The Bride Who Walked Away

On my wedding day, my older brother poured a glass of red wine over my wedding dress.

"Chloe Davis, you know Mia likes Nathan too. Why do you have to throw such a massive, flashy wedding?!"

My fiancé leaned against the doorframe, his face an icy mask as he spoke in a low, cold voice:

"I'll give you two choices. One, you walk down the aisle and finish this ceremony in that dirty dress."

"Two, you go apologize to Mia right now. Once you coax her into a good mood, I'll announce that the wedding is postponed."

I didn't choose either.

I chose a third path. I walked out in my wine-stained gown, stood before all our friends and family, and announced I was calling off the engagement.

My brother, my lover, my adopted sister... I didn't want any of them anymore.

But not long after I left, rumors began to spread—the heirs of two of New York's most powerful families had lost their minds.

They were scouring the globe for the world's top designers, desperately trying to repair a wedding dress stained with red wine.

* * *

When Carter stormed into the backstage dressing room, I had just finished changing into the wedding dress I had treasured for ten years.

Before I could even step in front of the mirror to admire it, the young man who shared my facial features kicked the door open.

"Chloe! Are you out of your damn mind? I warned you so many times, but you just had to go through with this stupid ceremony!"

"You know perfectly well that Mia is in love with Nathan. Are you intentionally trying to break her heart? Do you have any idea how hard she’s crying at home right now?"

He screamed at me, completely blind to how the initial joy in my eyes instantly shattered into dull ash.

So, it was about Mia. Again.

I stood there, at a loss for what to do. The gorgeous, heavy gown restricted my movements, a constant reminder that today was not a day for fighting.

I let out a soft sigh. Instead of snapping back at him like I usually did, I looked up with unnatural calm.

"Carter, can we not fight? At least not today... I'm getting married today. I just want to be happy."

Carter's face darkened even more. He let out a scoff and took two aggressive steps toward me.

"Could you stop being so selfish for once, Chloe? It's just a wedding. Is a party really more important than Mia's mental health?"

"She is so sweet and understanding. She’s enduring her own heartbreak just to bless you and Nathan! She only had one request—she begged you not to make this wedding a massive spectacle! What would be so wrong with just having a quiet family dinner? Why do you have to be so stubborn?!"

My hands began to tremble with rage at his sheer audacity. Throwing the "big day" out the window, I fired back:

"I am the one getting married! What is wrong with wanting a real wedding for myself? I don't care how sad Mia is—why the hell should I have to pay the price for her feelings?!"

"Shut your mouth! Mia is your sister too! You have a responsibility to look out for her and compromise!"

My vision swam with black spots. I practically screamed at the top of my lungs: "Sister?! She's your sister, not mine! My mother only ever had one daughter!"

"Shut up!"

Ice-cold red wine dripped down my hair, soaking into the snow-white lace of my gown, blooming into a violent crimson stain.

For a split second, both Carter and I froze.

It was as if his sanity suddenly snapped back. The hand holding the empty wine glass began to tremble violently.

"Chlo... Chloe, I didn't mean to—"

He scrambled to grab a handful of tissues from the vanity, clumsily reaching out to wipe my face, but I flinched away.

Like a ghost whose soul had just been siphoned out, I stared down at the dark red stain blooming across my chest, sinking into a long, suffocating silence.

Wine continued to drip from my hair. Perhaps feeling the scene was too disgraceful, Carter forcefully pressed a wad of tissues against my forehead.

"Heh—Carter, why are you babying her?"

"I told her from the start we shouldn't have a wedding, but she teamed up with my parents to force my hand, making Mia cry all morning! Let her learn a lesson. It suits her."

Carter and I simultaneously looked toward the door.

Nathan was leaning against the frame, a cigarette dangling from his lips, sneering at me.

I suddenly realized he wasn't even wearing a tuxedo.

He was wearing a casual white jacket. Painted haphazardly across the chest was a crooked cartoon bear.

It was the birthday present Mia had given him last year.