Chapter 3
Calista’s eyes locked on the rings–those unfamiliar ones from earlier at the wedding
“You don’t deserve these, Adrian sneered, his voice dripping with contempt.
His words stung, but the real pain came from what followed. Adrian’s hand shot out, his fingers digging into her jaw as he shoved her aside, rough and unforgiving
Without another glance, he slid into the car, slamming the door shut. His face was a cold mask as he barked at the driver, “Go Now”
But Grid wasn’t about to give up. She took off after the car, her bare feet hitting the scorching pavement. The August heat in Stonebridge was brutal but she barely felt it–desperation fueled her. She had to catch him.
Her heavy wedding dress billowed behind her as she ran like a woman possessed. But it wasn’t long before the damn dress tangled her legs. She fell hard, scraping her knees and elbows raw, blood dripping. She was a wreck, but she didn’t ca
The driver caught sight of her in the rearview mirror and instinctively eased off the gas. “Mr. Cole, Ms. Terell is he began, but his voice faltered. Adrian’s voice cut through the moment like a blade. “Didn’t I tell you to fucking gor
The driver clammed up, hitting the gas again without another word.
For a second, as the car slowed, hope flickered in Calista’s eyes. But it was crushed as quickly as behind in a cloud of dust.
as it had come
me when it
the car sped off, leaving her
Calista sat there, sprawled on the rough ground, her once–perfect bridal makeup smudged and hair a total disaster. She stared blankly in the direction the car had vanished, feeling like she’d just been kicked in the gut.
She let the brutal summer sun scorch her skin, thinking maybe if her body hurt enough, her heart wouldn’t ache so badly.
Suddenly, the click of high heels approached from behind, and a shadow fell over her.
Calista slowly looked up to see Tessa Cole standing there, her face a mask of frost beneath her perfect makeup.
Tessa crouched down, meeting Calista’s eyes with a cold smirk. “There are some things you should know,” she said.
Tessa pulled out her phone, unlocked it, and scrolled through her gallery before shoving it in Calista’s face. “Take a good look at Adrian’s first love.” The moment Calista saw the photo, the color drained from her face. The girl in the picture looked young, maybe eighteen or nineteen, with a beautiful face full of joy as she held up her hand, showing off a ring on her slender finger–the exact same ring from today’s w
Calista’s eyes widened as she noticed something else the uncanny resemblance between herself and the girl in the photo, especially around the
“This is the reason my brother noticed you, Tessa said coldly.
The pieces finally clicked into place for Calista. She finally understood who “she was–the person Adrian had referred to earlier.
“So, I’m her…” Calista began, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Replacement,” “Tessa finished, her words cutting deep like a knife.
Calista’s eyes widened in horror as the truth sank in. “No… it can’t be… she mumbled, her body suddenly shivering despite the summer heat. At that moment, she felt like a cruel joke.
Tessa watched Calista’s anguish with unsatisfied anger. Unable to contain herself, she raised her hand and struck Calista’s pale face with all her might
Calista’s head snapped to the side, her cheek instantly burning with pain. On her delicate face, five vivid red fingerprints quickly appeared, along with angry scratches from Tessa’s nails that had drawn pinpricks of blood,
Tessa’s anger simmered down just a little. She scoffed, “Today, you humiliated Adrian in front of everyone, turning this wedding into a joke for the entire Stonebridge elite. You’re damn–lucky our parents stormed out in disgust, or you’d be getting a lot worse than just a slap.
Tears filled Calisa’s eyes, but she refused to let them fall. “I didn’t cheat on him” she said. lifting her chin and meeting Tessa’s gaze, her eyes red and
swollen.
Tessa’s face twisted with pure disdain. She’d never liked Calista, not from the very beginning. “Oh, cut the innocent little victim bullshit. No one buying it,” she snapped. “You’re just a stubborn idiot who refuses to own up to her mess!”
- up. She walked away, her heels clicking against the pavemem
With one last scomful look at Calista, Tessa shoved her phone into her bag and stood up. with the same cold grace she’d walked in with
