I remained a flawlessly styled bride from the neck up. From the neck down, I was a circus attraction. I even clipped the red foam nose to my bridal bouquet. When the time came, the venue coordinator knocked on the door.

She took one look at me and audibly gasped, clutching her clipboard to her chest.

“Ma’am?” she stammered. I just smiled, linked arms with my father—who was initially furious but entirely supportive of my spite-driven plan once I explained—and walked toward the sanctuary. The traditional organ music swelled. The heavy wooden doors to the church swung open. A hundred and fifty guests stood up, turning toward the back of the room with expectant smiles.

And then, the collective gasp hit the air. It was a wave of pure, unadulterated shock. Whispers instantly erupted into a low roar. I kept my chin high, my posture perfect, and walked down the aisle to the traditional bridal march in a neon clown suit.

At the altar, Ethan looked confused for exactly two seconds. But Ethan is a smart man, and he knew the hell his mother had been putting me through. As I got closer, the confusion on his face morphed into a look of absolute, terrifying realization.

He looked past me, his eyes locking onto the front pew. I glanced over as I reached the altar. Victoria Montgomery was sitting in the front row, wearing a silver evening gown. Her face, usually a mask of haughty superiority, had drained of all color.

She looked utterly horrified. Her plan relied entirely on me breaking down behind closed doors. She never, in a million years, anticipated that I would march her crime out into the broad daylight in front of the entire town, all of her friends, and her extended family.

Ethan didn’t even say hello to me. He stepped right past me, walked down the three steps from the altar, and stood directly in front of his mother. The church was dead silent. “Where is her dress, Mom?” Ethan’s voice wasn’t yelling, but it was loud enough to carry through the echoing church.

It was laced with a venom I had never heard from him before. Victoria stammered, gripping her designer clutch. “I… I don’t know what you mean, Ethan. She must be having an episode. Look at her, she’s making a mockery of our family!” “You were the only one alone in her suite,” Ethan fired back, stepping closer.