The Wrong Groom's Vegas Vow

I tossed and turned all night.

Every time I closed my eyes, I thought of the endless love Shane and I had shared over the past ten years.

I was his one and only, the one he favored above all else. No matter who said I wasn't good enough for him, he would stand firmly by my side.

That’s why, when my grandmother was still alive, she patted his hand and said she was entrusting me to him.

His eyes burned with sincerity as he nodded firmly.

“Grandma, don’t you worry. I love Quinn more than I love myself. I will never let her suffer any grievance.”

“I promise you, we will get married in your courtyard, so you can watch Quinn get married with your own eyes!”

His oath back then felt as solid as a rock, as if it would never fade.

But I forgot that time erodes all promises and vows of eternal love.

The day before the wedding, I saw a long purple dress in the living room, its train trailing on the floor.

On its chest was a large, gaudy red flower.

Tara greeted me enthusiastically.

“Quinn, look! This is the wedding dress I designed for you myself.”

“Shane said you like a rustic style, so I spent a long time designing it according to the style of your small town!”

Even though I had already decided to let go, I still frowned when I saw this so-called “wedding dress.”

“In our town’s weddings, the bride wears a white wedding dress.”

Tara froze for a moment, then slowly backed away.

“I’m sorry, Quinn. My presumption made you uncomfortable.”

“I just thought you would like it… I’ll take it apart right now!”

She picked up a pair of scissors and aimed them at the dress, but Shane, coming out of the study, snatched them away.

“How many times have I told you not to use scissors? What if you hurt yourself?”

Tara’s eyes filled with tears, her voice trembling.

“Shane, did I do something wrong? Quinn got so angry…”

Before I could explain, Shane glared at me with a dark expression.

“Tara spent four months on your wedding dress. How many nights did she stay up to communicate with the dressmaker, and this is how you repay her?”

“If it weren’t for Tara, you wouldn’t even have a wedding dress to wear.”

“Apologize!”

I met his disgusted gaze, and the situation felt even more ridiculous.

When I had tried to discuss the wedding dress with him before, he had told me not to bother him while he was taking Tara to Bali to cheer her up.

Yes, Tara was so important.

When Tara said she was sad about her breakup, he stayed up all night talking with her.

On my birthday, he booked a private screening of a romance movie for Tara.

When I was running a high fever from overworking myself, he told me to drink more water, then turned around and took Tara to a private hospital to bandage a tiny scratch.

This was my wedding, and I had done everything I was supposed to do.

But because of Tara’s involvement, it had all become “everything she did for me.”

The Rossi family relatives also thought I was a hands-off bride and all looked down on me because of it.

Even now, my real wedding dress and his suit were hanging in my closet in the guest room. He hadn't even glanced at them, yet he was demanding I apologize to Tara.

The more I thought about it, the more disappointed I became, and my expression darkened.

Shane sneered.

“Not going to apologize, are you? Then let’s not get married. We’ll have the wedding when you apologize to Tara!”

Suddenly, my clenched fists relaxed. I looked at him seriously.

“Fine.”

With that, I went back to my room to pack my things.

Vincent said the bougainvillea at my grandmother’s house was in bloom. I wanted to go back and see it as soon as possible.

My grandmother and I had planted it together before my parents brought me to New York City.

In the living room, Shane was comforting Tara, but he felt a nagging irritation.

He glanced at the guest room and, avoiding Tara’s eyes, sent a message to his assistant, Tony.

A reply came back quickly:

“Mr. Rossi, Miss Quinn does have a record of a flight change, but my access is limited. You’ll have to check yourself to see the latest flight information.”

The tension in his face eased. He replied with a simple, “No need.”

After I finished packing, a message from Shane came through:

“If you’re going to marry me, you need to fix that temper of yours sooner or later. Tara was doing this for you, how could you hurt her feelings?”

“Alright, there’s a family dinner this afternoon. I’ll take Tara over first and have the driver pick you up.”

“Apologize to Tara when you get there, and we’ll let this go. We’re getting married tomorrow, let’s not ruin everyone’s mood.”

It was a Rossi family dinner, but he was escorting Tara.

The driver knocked on the door. I took one last look at my luggage.

So be it.

Shane had proposed to me in public. Now I would call off the wedding in public. At least there would be a proper start and a proper end.