Chapter 1: The Truth Behind the Bruise
Diane Carter staggered through the grand ballroom beneath the weight of an enormous tower of wedding flowers, struggling to hide the dark bruise on her cheek and the tears threatening to fall. One careless step was all it took. Her shoulder barely grazed the bride's pristine gown.
Victoria Sterling exploded.
"You stupid woman! Can't you do anything right?" she screamed, humiliating Diane in front of hundreds of stunned guests.
The ballroom fell into a suffocating silence.
Then Ethan Carter saw his mother.
He pushed through the crowd without a word, wrapped his arms around Diane, and gently wiped away the tears she could no longer hide.
When he finally looked up at his bride, there was nothing left in his eyes but ice.
"The wedding is over."
No one understood why the groom would abandon everything over a single insult.
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Until they discovered what Victoria had done to Diane just hours before the ceremony.
That was the moment Ethan realized he could never marry the woman he thought he loved.
