Life Is So Much Sweeter Without You

Two days later, Chester opened the door with a pleased smile. "Winona's not mad at you for what happened anymore. Clean yourself up—we're going to try on wedding dresses and pick out rings."

Noelle was taken to a bridal boutique. As soon as she got out of the car, she saw Winona and Simon already waiting inside.

Winona greeted her warmly. "Elle, you're here! I didn't get to congratulate you last time. Chester and I are best friends, so let me keep you company and help you choose the perfect dress today!"

She smiled, clearly waiting to see Noelle lose her composure.

But Noelle showed neither fear nor disgust. She smiled back and said, "Thank you. I appreciate it."

Winona's expression darkened for a split second before she smiled again. Hooking her arms through Chester's and Simon's, she said cryptically, "Then I'll try some on with you. I'm going to be a bride very soon myself."

Noelle offered a calm smile. "Congratulations."

Winona's gaze turned frosty.

From that moment on, any gown Noelle so much as glanced at, Winona would flag down a sales associate and rush to be the first to try it. Each time she came out of the changing room, she would grab Chester's hand. "Chester, what do you think? Isn't it gorgeous?"

And each time, Chester would stare at her as if enchanted. He would shower her with praise. Simon hovered at Winona's side, too. The two of them ignored Noelle completely.

A sales associate sighed with envy. "This bride is so lucky…"

Winona let out a playful yelp and turned to Noelle, who stood off to the side like an outsider. "Sorry, Elle. You're the actual bride. You should've tried first."

She thumped Chester's chest. "Chester, what's wrong with you? How can you leave your own bride standing around?"

The sales associates looked embarrassed, and Simon's lips curved into a mocking smile.

Only then did Chester look toward Noelle. "See anything you like?"

Noelle picked one at random and went to try it on. When she came out, the three of them were already gone.

A sales associate gave her a sympathetic look. "Ms. Johnson said she was going to pick out rings, miss. The two gentlemen went with her. You…"

"It's fine." Noelle took off the dress, handed it back, and walked out.

Soon after, Winona updated her social media with a photo of a diamond ring, embedded with pavé gemstones. "A ring Chester bought at an auction."

Noelle glanced at it, locked her screen, and went back to packing. Beyond clothes and daily essentials she needed to take with her, she gathered up everything else that belonged to her—including the gifts she'd once given Chester—and threw them away or destroyed them.

As for anything Chester had given her, she didn't touch at all.

She had just finished packing a suitcase and slid it into the closet when Chester walked in, holding a blue velvet box. "I bought you this ring at an auction."

Noelle recognized it—it was a free gift that had come with the ring Winona had shared on her social media. She accepted it calmly and set it aside.

Her reaction was so cool that it made Chester frown. His gaze drifted and landed on the trash can, where he saw the couple's mugs she used to cherish.

A flicker of unease crossed his heart, and he raised a brow. "Why'd you throw the mugs away? Are you mad?"

She pressed her lips together. "No."

That only seemed to confirm it for Chester. "Is it because of what happened at the bridal boutique? Winona's just a good friend of mine. We haven't seen each other in years, so of course I paid her a little extra attention."

He wrapped his arms around Noelle. "There's no need to be jealous of her. If there was something between us, we would've gotten together long ago, right? You're my bride, Elle. Don't you understand how I feel about you?"

At that, Noelle's heart lurched. She felt like a fist had clamped hard around it, making a sharp pain shoot through it. Her eyes reddened.

Chester ruffled her hair when he noticed. "I'm sorry, Elle. I upset you."

Hearing that, Noelle's fingers trembled. She curled them into fists, making her nails bite into her palms. In that instant, she wanted to question him. She wanted to peel back his sincerity from his lies, to know whether he'd harbored even a shred of genuine love for her in the past three years.

But she swallowed the words when they were at the tip of her tongue.

Chester's phone rang, and he immediately answered. "Winona? I'll be right there."

After hanging up, he mussed Noelle's hair again. "I've got something to take care of, so don't wait up for me. You'll be the most beautiful bride in a few days."

With that, he turned and left in a hurry.

Noelle sat on the bed and swallowed back her tears.

Two hours later, she finished washing up and got into bed to hit the hay. Just as she was drifting off, the door swung open. Chester, who was supposed to be hosting a party at a bar with Winona, walked in.

He smelled of alcohol. He carelessly ripped open his shirt, tossed back the covers, and pressed down on Noelle.

The instant their skin touched, Noelle's drowsiness was dispelled. She knew with blinding clarity that the man on top of her was Simon.