The Discarded Bride's Comeback

a grand, historic hotel, the

e settle in as Ethan's mother, Eleanor, made a thinly veiled comment a

eanor had murmured to a cousi

ess, a designer piece Et

and the wedding wa

r, a college student who always looked like a

" she whispered, ey

her side, abandone

, usually cool and distant with Ava, was laced

oring the gasps of the guests, an

oast she was about to

ed, her father already fro

y. Ethan's parents offered stiff, insi

hone buzzed.

aid, no preamble, no a

blood drain f

t of weakness, after her ex broke up with her. She was distra

nearby chair,

a minor inconvenience. "You'll need to postpone the wedding for a year. Call the

for the marriage pact she'd made with Liam, her childhood best friend, years ago. If she

erself say, her voi

note of satisfaction i

her phone ran

han apologetic. "Chloe is fragile, you know? She's an orphan. My parents would d

you just claimed the baby as ours after we get married

an," she said, her voice steady

ter all the announcements, the gifts? Don't be so dramatic and selfish, A

re, Ethan," Ava said, e

ll come crawling

center of the room, where Etha

arge diamond engagement ring. She placed i

m fell

her, Arthur Miller, thundered, his face pu

ays said her family's background was uns

adable. "Ethan canceled the wedding," s

ur guests? How utterly common," Elean

n't loo

dark casual suit, looking a little tired but with that famili

ome drama," Liam s

he events of the last hou

y family's chapel upstate. Or," he leaned in conspiratorially, "I'm moving in with your parents and

e before she could fo

up from Ava's chest. Their