Chapter 6
With those words, the entire venue erupted in gasps and whispers.
All the guests knew our family situation and started murmuring among themselves.
“Isn’t James supposed to be with Sophia? How did he end up with his own niece? That’s completely inappropriate.”
James heard the whispers from below and his face turned pale.
He clearly realized, in his moment of impulse, he’d revealed something explosive.
Some guests had already raised their phones, ready to capture the drama.
I crouched down, picked up the rings from the floor, and handed them back to Noah, signaling him to continue with the ceremony. I also motioned for the DJ to play more upbeat music.
The officiant had never seen this kind of wedding disruption and froze, unsure what to say next.
I extended my hand toward Noah once more.
James stood beside me, his face darkening. He grabbed my hand and pushed it down, speaking just loud enough for those nearby to hear.
“Emma, what game are you playing now? Come with me–we need to talk!”
When I refused to budge, he realized he couldn’t force me away with everyone watching. He lowered his voice, trying to sound gentle.
“Babe, I know you’re upset about the accident. If something’s bothering you, talk to me about it. How could you marry someone else? Do you have any idea what this does to my reputation?”
By the end, he was getting visibly agitated.
I picked up the microphone, making sure my voice would carry throughout the entire ballroom.
I wanted every single person to hear what I had to say.
“Uncle James, how does my wedding affect your reputation at all?”
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Chapter 6
“You claim I’m your wife, but did we ever get a marriage certificate? Did we ever have a ceremony? This is literally the first time I’ve worn a wedding dress!”
“Twenty–eight years of life, and I’m just now discovering how beautiful a proper wedding can be.”
James stared at me, stunned.
A flicker of guilt finally appeared in his eyes.
He pulled a small box from his pocket and placed it in my hand, trying to shield it from the curious eyes of the audience below.
James opened it in front of me.
Inside was a dazzling pair of wedding rings that caught the light from every angle.
“Emma, stop this nonsense,” he whispered urgently. “I’ll make up for everything you’ve missed. Just come with me now–you can’t go through with this wedding.”
The old me would have been thrilled to see these rings, but now I felt absolutely nothing–not even a
ripple of emotion.
James tried to pull me away.
Right at that moment, his phone rang.
It was Sophia.
She’d heard that James had crashed my wedding and publicly revealed our relationship. Now she was threatening to jump from a building, hysterical and crying.
Apparently, she was hurling bricks at anyone who approached her. She’d nearly pushed a firefighter off the ledge when he tried to reach her from the side.
James hesitated for only a second before turning to leave.
“James!” I called after him.
He thought I was trying to stop him from going to rescue Sophia and immediately went into lecture
mode.
“Emma, someone’s life is at stake! You can drop this spiteful wedding charade now! Don’t you
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Chapter 6
realize bigamy is a crime? I expected better from someone as educated as you.”
He looked incredibly anxious, as if terrified Sophia might jump if he didn’t get there in time.
I knew then, as I had known in my previous life, that I had never been James’s first choice.
This time around, I didn’t even feel sad about it.
I simply tossed back the ring box he’d forced on me, and deliberately slid Noah’s ring onto my finger.
“James,” I said calmly.
“Compared to your ring, I much prefer this one.”
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