Chapter 133 CHAPTER 133
Shattered Vows
Julian’s voice broke through the tension first. “Security!”
Two men in black suits rushed in from the side doors. The congregation parted silently as they made their way toward the altar. Richard, still standing firm at the center aisle, didn’t flinch. His eyes were on Tessa, pleading, wounded, but resolute.
“Sir,” one guard said firmly, “you’ll have to come with us.”
Richard turned his head, a faint, bitter smile curling on his lips. “Throwing me out won’t change the truth.”
Ares’ jaw tightened, but he didn’t respond. His fists were clenched, the veins on his arms twitching beneath the tension.
Julian stepped forward, his voice colder. “Get him out of here before I do something I’ll regret.”
The guards grabbed Richard by the arms. He didn’t resist. He let them drag him backward toward the door, but his words echoed long after he was gone.
“I’ll be back, Tessa. You can’t run from blood.”
The church doors slammed shut behind him.
Silence followed, heavy, unbearable. The guests shifted uncomfortably in their seats, avoiding each other’s eyes. The priest still stood by the altar, his Bible trembling in his hands, his voice swallowed by the storm.
Tessa stood alone in her wedding gown, the hem dusted with tears and humiliation. Her mascara ran down her cheeks like ink on cracked porcelain. The bouquet slipped from her hands and hit the marble floor with a dull thud.
Ares didn’t move. He just stared at her, long, empty, betrayed.
“Ares,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “Please…I didn’t know who he was. It’s not like I cheated on you…it was before I met you. Ares…”
He raised a hand, stopping her mid sentence. “Don’t.”
The word was quiet, but it sliced through her like a blade.
Julian turned to him, trying to mediate. “Ares, this isn’t the time to…”
“It’s exactly the time,” Ares interrupted, his eyes still on Tessa. “This wedding is over.”
The words hit harder than any slap. The murmurs started again, low, hushed tones filling every corner of the church. Tessa’s breath hitched as she stumbled forward. “You don’t mean that.”
“I do,” he said flatly. “I can’t stand here and make vows I’m not sure belong to me.”
“Ares, please!” Her voice cracked. “Don’t let one stranger destroy everything we’ve built!”
He turned away from her. “I didn’t destroy it. We haven’t built anything.”
That silence again, cold, deadly.
Julian’s hand fell to Tessa’s shoulder, but she shook him off, collapsing into Ayisha’s arms as sobs wracked her body.
Lady Bianca’s faint, satisfied sigh echoed from the front pew. She sat with her legs crossed elegantly, her face wearing the faintest ghost of a smile. Beside her, Lila bit her lip, trying and failing to hide her amusement.
“I told you not to worry,” Lady Bianca murmured, her voice laced with smugness. “Didn’t I say it, Lila? I said Chloe would ruin it. I knew she wouldn’t just let them get married and live happily ever after.”
Lila chuckled quietly, eyes gleaming. “You did say that. And I almost doubted you. But look at her now.”
Lady Bianca’s fan fluttered lazily in her hand. “Chloe might be unpredictable, but she’s useful when she’s angry. I knew she’d do something dramatic. That girl has a flair for chaos.”
Lila leaned closer, smirking. “You think Chloe really had something to do with it?”
Lady Bianca’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Of course. I’ve known her long enough to understand her appetite for revenge. You don’t even have to tell her what to do, envy leads her.”
They both laughed softly, the sound sharp and cruel beneath the sound of Tessa’s cries.
Across the hall, the once beautiful wedding decorations seemed to wilt under the weight of the scandal. The flowers that had been symbols of love were now silent witnesses to humiliation. The guests began to rise from their seats, some whispering prayers, others gossiping with wide eyes.
Ayisha tried to calm Tessa, whispering, “Let’s go, Tess. Please, let’s just go.” But Tessa’s legs wouldn’t move. She looked toward Ares again, his back turned, his posture stiff, as if he was fighting not to look at her.
Julian spoke softly, “Come on, sis, let’s get you out of here.”
But Tessa’s voice came out broken, desperate. “He called off the wedding, Julian. He called it off in front of everyone…”
Julian’s jaw tightened. He glared at Lady Bianca and Lila, who were still whispering and smirking.
Lady Bianca caught his stare and smiled like a queen watching a peasant curse the wind. “Clean up your mess, Julian,” she said smoothly. “This spectacle has gone on long enough.”
Julian ignored her, escorting Tessa down the aisle. The guests moved aside, their judgmental gazes like stones. The sound of her heels clicking echoed through the hall, one step, then another, until the heavy church doors closed behind her.
Outside, the sky had turned gray. The wind picked up, scattering rose petals across the steps. The world felt colder.
Inside, Lady Bianca turned back to Lila with a lazy sigh. “It’s poetic, really. He proposed out of guilt, and fate stepped in to correct his foolishness.”
Lila laughed softly, swirling her champagne. “You’re enjoying this too much.”
“I earned the right to,” Bianca replied. “You think I didn’t warn him about women like her? About charity cases pretending to be saints?”
Lila smirked. “And now she’s exposed. You were right again.”
Bianca’s lips curved into a thin smile. “Right is an understatement.”
Lila giggled. “I must say, though, the way everything played out… dramatic perfection.”
Bianca tilted her head. “You sound like Chloe.”
Chloe was sitting in one of Ares’ car, a glass of champagne in her hand, watching the chaos unfold. Her laugh was low and satisfied, the sound of someone who had just set the world on fire and was admiring the flames.
“Oh, Lady Bianca,” she purred under her breath, “you really outdid yourself.”
She took a slow sip, her eyes gleaming.
“I knew you’d do something desperate to protect your precious son. So you hired Richard?”
Her laughter filled the car, smooth and venomous.
She looked out through her windshield toward the distant church where sirens now blared and guests fled in confusion. Her voice softened, almost wistful.
“And now,” she murmured, “I am the only one rightfully left, carrying his real child.”
She chuckled again, starting the engine. The car purred to life.
As she drove off, the camera of fate lingered on the church in the distance, its white walls now shadowed, its bells silent.