CHAPTER 21
Three days after that horrifying phone call with Victoria, I married Marcus in a grand ceremony at the historic cathedral overlooking the vineyard
The morning of the wedding, I woke up feeling lighter than I had in years. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows of the bridal suite, and for the first time in a long time, I felt genuinely excited about my future.
My wedding dress was everything I had dreamed of as a young girl, flowing white silk with delicate lace details, nothing like the cold, formal gown Alexander had chosen for our ceremony nine years ago. This dress was my choice. This day was my choice!!
Marcus had spared no expense. The cathedral was filled with white roses and baby’s breath, creating a romantic atmosphere that felt like something out of a fairy tale. Friends and family had flown in from around the world to celebrate with us. Even Alexander’s grandfather had sent his blessings along with an elegant red envelope, though he couldn’t attend in person.W
As I walked down the aisle, I saw Marcus waiting for me at the altar, his face glowing with joy and love. He looked handsome in his black tuxedo, his eyes never leaving mine as I approached. This was what love was supposed to feel like–safe, warm, chosen.
The ceremony was beautiful. The elderly priest spoke about commitment and partnership, about building a life together based on mutual respect and genuine affection. Everything Alexander and I had never had.
We exchanged rings and simple gold bands we had chosen together, so different from the massive diamond Alexander had given me that felt more like a chain than a symbol of love.
“Do you, Lauren, take Marcus to be your lawfully wedded husband?” the priest asked.
I smiled, feeling tears of happiness in my eyes. “I do.”
“And do you, Marcus, take Lauren to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
“I do,” Marcus replied, his voice strong and sure.
Just as the priest was about to pronounce us husband and wife, the cathedral doors burst open with a thunderous crash.M
Alexander stood there, wild–eyed and disheveled, still wearing hospital clothes. His hair was messy, his face pale and gaunt, and there were fresh bandages visible under his torn shirt. He looked like he had driven straight from the psychiatric ward.”
“No!” he cried out, his voice echoing through the sacred space. “Lauren! You can’t marry him!“}
The entire congregation turned to stare. Gasps and whispers filled the air. Some guests reached for their phones, while others looked around nervously, unsure of what to do.
Marcus stepped protectively in front of me, his jaw set with determination. “Security,” he called out calmly, but his hands were clenched into fists.W
But Alexander was beyond reason. Something inside him had clearly shattered completely. His chest was heaving with desperate breaths, and his eyes had the wild look of a man who had lost everything.
He stumbled forward, then collapsed to his knees on the red carpet that ran down the center aisle. The composed, powerful CEO was gone. In his place was a broken man who looked like a lost child.
“Please,” he begged, his voice cracking with emotion. “Lauren, we’re not divorced. I never signed the papers. I never wanted a divorce.“}
Tears were streaming down his face uncontrollably. “Don’t marry him. I’m begging you… don’t leave me for someone else.”
The guests were dead silent now, everyone staring at the dramatic scene unfolding before them. I could feel Marcus’s tension beside me, could sense him waiting for my signal about what to do.
I looked down at Alexander without a shred of sympathy. After everything he had put me through, after the psychological torture, after the lies and manipulation, he still thought he could burst into my wedding and claim me like property.”
“Alexander,” I said coolly, my voice carrying clearly through the cathedral, “since your grandfather was kind enough to send me a red envelope of blessings, I’ll forgive you for interrupting my wedding.“N
“But let me be clear, this ceremony has no place for you. So do me a favor and go back to wherever the hell you came from.“}
My words hit him like ice water. His face crumpled, and he began sobbing harder than I had ever seen a grown man cry.
“Lauren… I know I was wrong,” he pleaded desperately. “Please… just give me one last chance. I swear I’ll change.”}
“I can’t live without you. Ever since you left, I’ve been thinking about you every single day. Even in my dreams it’s always you. The way you used to love me, the way you looked at me…”
His voice was getting louder, more frantic. “Lauren, I love you. I love you more than anyone else ever could.”
He was pouring out his desperation like a man drowning, as if saying the words might somehow make them real again. The veins on his forehead were standing out, his face red with emotion and exhaustion.}}
Security guards had finally arrived and were moving toward him, but Alexander wasn’t finished.
In one last fit of complete madness, he ripped open his black shirt, revealing the fresh tattoo over his chest which I had drawn years ago, now permanently etched into his skin with the wound still bleeding through the bandages.
He pointed to it with bloodshot eyes, and roared.
