Chapter 4
He reached his hand toward me, his voice carrying clear pain and sadness,
“Kaylee, come with me. I’ll take you home.”
When I arrived at the Winslows‘ residence, the familiar garden and the same old housekeeper brought back a flood of memories.
Aiden’s mother, Juliet Winslow, and my mother were actually best. friends.
The engagement between us had been arranged since we were children.
Back then, I used to fight with my mother a lot, and I didn’t really like Juliet or little Aiden either.
After middle school, I moved to Milan to study art.
Aiden went off to England because his family wanted him to learn business management.
More than ten years passed, and the next time I saw him was at my mother’s funeral.
At some point, Juliet came over holding a glass of hot chocolate.
She gave me a tight hug, clearly upset,
“Aiden is so careless! Letting my daughter–in–law get soaked in the rain like this. Just wait, I’ll scold him later!”
“Daughter–in–law?” I asked.
I looked at her, puzzled.
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Aiden looked away, clearly embarrassed, and gave a small cough.
“I’ll go get you a change of clothes,” he mumbled and walked off.
Juliet handed me the hot chocolate with a gentle smile.
She said happily, “Aiden told us you two are planning to marry soon, so from now on, you’re my daughter–in–law.
“I’ve been looking forward to this day. Your mom had already picked a wedding date, and we won’t be changing it.”
The date my mother had chosen is next month.
That was the same time I was meant to marry Dylan.
As I sipped the chocolate, its heat slowly brought warmth back to me.
At that moment, I felt a sting in my eyes, as if I might cry.
The following day, Aiden showed up with all the wedding supplies and asked me to look through everything carefully.
At first, I figured there wouldn’t be enough time to get ready, and that I’d probably have to fall back on the original plan I made.
But to my surprise, Aiden had already handled every detail, leaving me with nothing to stress over.
It was clear how much effort he put in, and how much he cared.
As for Dylan…
We had dated for five years, but if I hadn’t pushed him to get married, he would’ve never brought up marriage on his own.
I was the one who arranged everything for our wedding.
Chapter 4
When someone truly loves you, and when they don’t, it’s easy to see the difference.
So, I made a decision and contacted the previous wedding planner. I called off the wedding.
Almost instantly, I got a phone call from Dylan’s mother, Camilla Gabbard.
She snapped, “Kaylee, are you out of your mind? How can you just cancel everything like it’s no big deal?
“What did Dylan do wrong this time? Can’t you be a little more understanding? You’ve got such a nasty attitude every single day, only someone like Dylan would even put up with you!”
The Gabbard family never really accepted me.
I used to believe that his mother just liked to act tough but was kind underneath. I thought maybe she actually liked me.
It wasn’t until I heard what Dylan said at the birth care center that everything became clear.
With that thought in mind, I spoke calmly, “Camilla, Dylan, and I have broken up. Naturally, the wedding should be canceled.”
Camilla yelled, “Broke up? Did you upset Dylan again? Then say sorry! You’re a woman–if you don’t know how to calm your husband, how will
you ever…
I didn’t want to hear her moek me any longer, so I ended the call.
The next day, Aiden and I visited a bridal shop to try on wedding gowns.
He got called into an online meeting halfway through and told me to go ahead and change first.
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I slipped into the gown he had flown in all the way from Italy and smiled. as I looked at myself in the mirror.
I heard footsteps behind me and turned with a bright smile, saying quickly, “How do I look?”
Dylan’s eyes widened for a second in surprise.
My smile faded as I noticed Rachel stepping out of a nearby fitting room.
Dylan’s expression instantly grew cold. He reached forward and yanked. off my veil.
“Well done, Kaylee! First, you’re the one who called off the wedding, then you sneak in here, secretly trying on the wedding gown? What, is this your way of playing hard to get?”
He pulled so forcefully that the veil came off in a flash.
The pin securing the stiff veil sliced straight across my face. Blood spilled down, staining the million–dollar gown.
I winced and let out a cry from the pain.
“Dylan, I didn’t come here because of you!”
Rachel’s eyes welled with tears immediately, and she jumped in to stir things up.
“Kaylee, I’m not trying to steal Mr. Gabbard. I just wanted a wedding shoot for memories, that’s all.”
Dylan gave a cold laugh.
“What’s the point of saying anything to someone like her? Kaylee, I used to think you were just a little dramatic, and even then, I let things slide because I loved you. But now, you’re still acting selfish, as to even getting
Chapter 4
on with our wedding.”
He glared at me. “Fine, I don’t want this wedding anymore!”
With that, he ripped at my gown and tried to force me out of the bridal shop.
I fought back with all my strength.
Right as he grabbed me around the waist, ready to rip off my wedding gown in front of everyone, Aiden suddenly appeared.
He kicked Dylan hard, sending him to the ground, then caught me in his
arms.
“My wife is trying on her wedding gown. And you, her so–called ex, sure have some nerve making yourself the center of the drama.”
