Nigel’s POV
Chapter 6
Inside the bustling party hall, I couldn’t quite make out what my assistant had just said.”
“What? Say that again,” I asked. “A wedding? Who’s getting married today?“”
He opened his mouth, hesitated, then swallowed hard.
After a long pause, he finally stammered, “Sir, we received a wedding invitation this morning. It’s… from Ma’am Rianne. The wedding… It’s happening today.”
The moment those words landed, the entire party hall went silent to my ears.}
! stood frozen, trying to make sense of what I’d just heard. I could feel my blood draining in my face.”
“What are you talking about? That’s impossible!” I laughed it off. “You’re telling me Rianne is getting married today? That has to be a joke, Joseph.”
Joseph probably noticed my rising anger. He knew the best thing to do was to shut up. With shaking hands, he quietly unfolded the invitation in his hand and handed it to me.”
I looked down. My eyes fell on the gleaming pink and gold lettering.§
[Groom: Hunther Rawlings]
[Bride: Rianne Mixson]
Indeed, the wedding date was today, but there was no address.
Í stumbled back, panic rising in my throat.
“No. No! This can’t be real!”
“Rianne would never marry someone else. She’s still my wife! We never divorced!”
This has to be her way of getting back at me. She’s still mad about what happened that night, so she made this invitation to test me.“>
“I’ve said it before–I’ll never divorce her. Not in this lifetime!“}
Frantically, I pulled out my phone and dialed her number, the one I’d pinned to the top of my favorites.}
But all I heard was a robotic voice.
“We’re sorry. The number you have dialed cannot be reached at this time.“>
And that’s when it hit me.
For the past seven years, she’d never missed a single good morning or good night message. Not once.
No matter how late I worked, no matter how tired she was–she always checked in.}
But for the past month? Nothing–no calls, no texts.
The weight of it made my knees buckle. I had to grip the back of a chair just to stay upright.
At that moment, Luella walked over and, like always, she gently clung to my arm and looked innocently.
“Don’t get upset, Nigel. It’s the baby’s one–month celebration today. Everyone’s watching. Let’s not make a scene,” she reminded me.
She speculated, “Maybe this whole wedding thing is just a setup. Maybe Rianne’s trying to embarrass us–why else send the invitation today of al! days? Not yesterday, not tomorrow. Today. She’s obviously doing it on purpose.“>
Over the past month, Luella had said plenty of things like this–sarcastic, passive–aggressive digs that I’d brushed off.”
After all, she’d been injured. I’d given her the benefit of the doubt.
But now… her words cut through me like knives.}
Because the woman she was mocking… was my wife. The woman I’d loved for ten years. The one I’d promised to protect for life. ‘How come I just stood by and let an intern tear my wife down like this?‘
As I realized that, something inside me snapped.”
Without warning, I yanked my arm free.
“Ahh!”
Caught off guard, Luella lost her balance. Her ten–centimeter heels wobbled, and she crashed to the floor, twisting her ankle in the fall. She gasped in pain, her face contorting.”
“Nigel! What are you doing?! My foot! Something’s wrong with my foot!“}
She sat on the floor, waiting for me to help her up like I always had.”
But the man standing in front of her wasn’t the same.
There was no concern in the way I looked at her–only indifference.
My voice came out low and sharp.
“Let me be clear, Luella. Rianne is my wife. You? You’re just a woman who offered to carry a child.” I warned her, “If I hear you insult her one more time, I’ll make sure you’re kicked out of Florida!“}
The moment I said it, murmurs rippled through the hall.”
People started whispering, and phones were pulled out to record.”
