The Wedding Bet: You Changed The Venue I Changed The Groom Chapter 02
The Breaking Point
Julian frowns, staring at me quietly as if he wants to say something.
The next second, the sound of the front door unlocking echoes from the entryway.
“Aria, I brought your favorite matcha cake!”
Serena walks in barefoot, moving around as if she owns the place.
She winks at me playfully, then gives Julian a light punch on the arm.
“Give me your slippers!”
Julian sighs and helps her put on his slippers.
“What is wrong with you? We have guest slippers. Why do you always have to wear mine?”
Although he is complaining, the way he slips them onto her feet is so natural, like he’s done it a hundred times before.
I watch quietly, not saying a word.
Julian is a germaphobe. He won’t even let me wear his slippers.
But Serena has always been the exception.
I questioned him about it once, clearly upset.
He just said they grew up together and have always been like this.
But actually, it wasn’t always like this.
When Julian and I first got together, Serena, as my best friend, smiled even brighter than I did.
She constantly reminded Julian to keep his distance from other girls, including herself.
But later on, Serena’s family went bankrupt.
Everything changed.
“Aria, you don’t mind me wearing this diamond ring, do you?”
The question snaps me out of my thoughts.
Serena can’t hide her smile.
I smirk.
“It’s just a ring. Why would I mind?”
“We’re best friends. If you want him so badly, you can have him.”
Serena’s smile falters, and guilt flashes across her face.
Seeing this, Julian quickly pulls her behind him.
“Aria, you’re crossing the line. Apologize!”
I tell the truth, and he demands an apology.
Yet they have trampled all over my boundaries again and again, and neither of them has ever apologized.
I ignore him and walk straight to my suitcase to start packing.
Julian freezes in place, his eyebrows drawing together.
“What do you mean by this?”
I don’t look back.
“I mean you can have the wedding without me. We’re breaking up.”
Julian’s breath hitches. He stares at me intently, about to say something.
Then Serena walks over.
“Aria, stop using the breakup card to manipulate Julian. I’ll just give the ring back to you, okay?”
“No need.”
“Aria, you’re thirty years old. Aren’t you too childish to pull something like this?”
“Besides, don’t you want your mom to see you get married?”
My mother’s biggest wish is to see me get married.
When Julian found out, he knelt by my mother’s bed and promised:
“I promise to give Aria the wedding of her dreams.”
That promise feels like yesterday.
But the man who made that promise is long gone.
He takes a step forward and strokes my hair.
“Come on. Stop throwing a tantrum.”
“I told you where the wedding is, so you still have plenty of time to change your flight.”
“We have the bachelor party tonight, so we’re heading over first.”
With that, he takes the teary-eyed Serena by the hand and walks out.
I grab my suitcase and walk out the door too.