Chapter 3The Wedding I Burned

I cried the whole way. Tears streamed down my face, blurring the traffic into streaks of light.

In my rearview mirror, Liam’s black Mercedes was a relentless shadow, chasing me through the city. Was he that afraid I would expose them?

He was right to be. I was going to tell everyone.

I was going to tell my brother.

I was going to tell him he couldn't marry Isabelle, that she didn't love him, that we had all been played for fools.

I screeched to a halt in front of the bridal shop.

Inside, Ethan was still trying on tuxedos, his face glowing with a naive, unshakeable happiness. He looked startled when he saw my tear-streaked face.

I opened my mouth to speak, but his phone rang. It was Isabelle.

I don’t know what she said, but when he looked back at me, his expression had shifted. It was questioning, suspicious.

"Audrey," he said slowly. "Are you about to tell me that there's something going on between Isabelle and Liam?"

I didn't have time to think. I just nodded frantically, the words tumbling out in a desperate rush. "Yes, Ethan! Liam's cheating on me. Isabelle has been his secret mistress for three years. She only got close to you to get back at him."

My mind started to clear. From their conversation in the garage, I could tell. Isabelle wasn't over Liam.

And Liam… Liam was far from over her.

But my brother’s reaction was not what I expected. His face remained calm, his eyes fixed on me. A terrible premonition began to form in my stomach.

Just then, Liam strode into the shop, pulling Isabelle along with him.

"Ethan," Liam said, his voice smooth and reasonable. "I'm sure Miss Lin has explained everything. Audrey and I had a little argument. I happened to run into Miss Lin on my way to the office, and we were just saying hello when Audrey jumped to conclusions."

He spread his hands wide in a gesture of utter helplessness, as if I were a hysterical child.

I understood immediately. He was betting on the fact that I had no proof. He was lying, twisting the truth to protect her.

Isabelle pushed past me to stand in front of Ethan. Her eyes were puffy and swollen from crying. "Ethan, I know I'm not good enough for you, and that's why your sister doesn't like me. But she can't just throw accusations like this at me… saying that I… that I'm with her boyfriend. Does she really think I'm that cheap, that shameless?"

Her voice broke. "Maybe we should just call off the wedding. This is too much. I can't take it!"

She shot a frightened glance at me, shrinking back as if I might strike her.

Seeing Isabelle so fragile and distraught, Ethan's heart melted. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a protective embrace.

Then he raised his hand. Before I could process what was happening, a sharp, stinging slap echoed through the quiet showroom.

"Audrey," he said, his voice cold as steel. "If you ever say another bad word about Isabelle, I will forget I have a sister. This is your only warning."

I was stunned. My parents had never, not once in my entire life, laid a finger on me.

But my brother had just hit me.

Faster than my shock, however, was Liam’s fist. It shot out, connecting squarely with Ethan's nose.

"Who the hell do you think you are," Liam snarled, his voice a low growl, "putting your hands on the girl I've spent years cherishing?"

A raw fury erupted from him, and he and Ethan became a tangle of limbs and curses. It ended with Ethan on the floor, hands raised in surrender.

He mumbled an apology in my direction, his words thick with resentment.