On the Wedding Day, He Replaced the Bride with The Unforgettable Flame

: Resignation

From anger to powerlessness, and then to clarity.

I looked in the mirror and wiped off my makeup.

I changed back into my own clothes.

This wedding was never meant for me.

My poor choice had already brought my parents enough shame.

Caleb Lockwood was a piece of trash, and I wasn't about to take him back.

The wedding ceremony was a tedious affair.

I had wanted this grand ceremony to be a testament to our happiness.

Now, it was nothing but torture.

Once it was all over, the door to the dressing room swung open.

Caleb Lockwood stood in the doorway, his face etched with exhaustion.

"Raina, I'll make it up to you. I'll go explain to your parents, I…"

I cut Caleb Lockwood off, raising my hand and slapping him several times.

"President Lockwood, this is my letter of resignation."

I had always been gentle and capable, never one to act so irrationally.

Caleb Lockwood was stunned.

I brushed past him, never looking back.

"Raina."

He called out to me.

I ignored him and strode toward my parents.

Red marks were still visible on their faces.

All manner of aunts and other relatives were gathered around them, all talking at once.

"See? I told you. No good comes from a girl trying to land a rich man."

"Looks like Raina just got played, huh? Thought she could lock down some Alpha CEO, but it turns out he never really wanted her. What a disgrace. Tsk, tsk. You two really need to teach that girl a lesson."

I stepped in front of my parents. Seeing their faces flush with embarrassment and anger, a deep sadness welled up inside me. I didn't care that these people were my relatives and elders; I fired back at them.

"Auntie, what makes you think I was after his money? When I helped Caleb Lockwood build his company from scratch, he was a nobody!"

"Second Aunt, you want to talk about teaching me a lesson? Why didn't you say anything when Caleb Lockwood gave you that bracelet?"

"He's the one who swapped brides at the last minute! It's because he's fickle and has no integrity! If I'd known sooner, I never would've chosen him as my boyfriend in the first place!"

After I drove off my relatives, I didn't even notice Caleb Lockwood standing right behind me. Nor did I see the look of anguish in his eyes.

On the way home, my parents didn't ask me a single thing.

They just gently told me to take care of myself and not to grieve over someone who wasn't worth it.

A parent's love for their child is unconditional.

After taking my parents home, I went to the house I had shared with Caleb Lockwood for seven years.

The moment I opened the door, a familiar scent washed over me.

I was horribly, unnervingly clear-headed.

And yet, my heart felt like it was being crushed by a stone.

Tears pooled atop that stone, salty and astringent, but I couldn't cry.

There was no outlet for all the bitterness I had swallowed.