"
Why isn't he here yet?" Eren muttered, glancing again toward the entrance of the function hall.
All the other couples had already gathered, whispering excitedly as the staff made final preparations. He alone stood waiting, bouquet in hand, his chest tightening each time the doors opened—only to reveal someone else.
Several staff members approached him one after another.
"Sir, the ceremony is about to begin. Your groom needs to arrive soon, or you won't be able to participate."
Eren forced a smile, answering the same way each time. "He's coming. He'll be here."
But the minutes dragged on. Then the music began, and one by one, the couples walked forward to exchange vows. The hall filled with laughter, promises, and the applause of strangers. Everyone looked radiant, touched by happiness—everyone except Eren.
He stood at the back, bouquet trembling in his hands. His smile faltered, then crumbled altogether as tears slipped silently down his face. James never came.
Was I the only one excited about this marriage?
The bouquet slipped from his grip, petals scattering across the floor. With his shoulders heavy, he walked out of the hall, every step echoing the hollow ache in his chest.
Back in the corridor, he could hardly breathe. All the planning, all the savings, all the hope he'd poured into this cruise—it felt like shards of glass cutting through him. What was meant to be the happiest day of his life had turned into humiliation.
When he finally reached their cabin, his hand shook on the doorknob. Maybe something happened. Maybe there's an explanation.
But when the door swung open, the air left his lungs.
James was there—bare-skinned, tangled in sheets—with another man beneath him. Their voices, soft and intimate, filled the room that was supposed to be Eren's honeymoon suite.
For a moment, Eren stood frozen, as though struck by stone. His eyes darted across the scene: James's shirt tossed carelessly over the chair, the wine glasses on the table, the sheets twisted around unfamiliar legs.
The man noticed him first. He sat up quickly, dragging the blanket over his body. James turned only a moment later, his face paling as his eyes locked with Eren's. He yanked the covers higher over himself, but it was too late.
Eren couldn't move, couldn't speak. The betrayal crashed over him like ice water, numbing and burning all at once. This was the cabin he had paid for, the room he had dreamed would hold their first night as husbands. And yet here it was—defiled, stolen, already belonging to someone else.
"What are you doing here?" James asked, startled, then quickly grabbed a sheet to cover himself. His lips curled into a smirk as he stood. "Oh—don't tell me the wedding's already over?" His sarcasm dripped, cruel and mocking. He strolled casually toward the table, where two wine glasses and a half-empty bottle waited. The food, the setting—it looked exactly like the honeymoon Eren had dreamed of, only James had already shared it with someone else.
Eren's fists clenched at his sides, his voice trembling. "Why are you two here? What does this mean, James?"
James chuckled bitterly and lifted the glass. "You're not blind, Eren. You saw it yourself. Should I really explain it to you?" He took a slow drink, as if savoring the moment.
From the bed, Tyler shifted lazily beneath the blanket, not even bothering to hide his disdain. "You're still so naive. Don't tell me you actually believed you'd marry him?"
James barked out a laugh. "Marry him? Have I lost my mind?" He glanced at Tyler with amusement before turning back to Eren.
Eren's throat tightened. "What are you saying? Isn't that why we're here? To get married? Did you… deceive me?" His voice cracked, anger and heartbreak bleeding together.
"You're the only one who thought of marriage," James sneered. "Why would I ever marry someone like you? Look at yourself."
"What are you saying?" Eren asked, his voice unsteady. "All the kindness you showed me, all the care you expressed—was none of it real?" He braced himself, knowing the answer might break him, but needing to hear it.
James let out a short, cruel laugh. "Are you foolish, or just pretending?" His gaze swept over Eren from head to toe with open disdain. "Look at the difference between us. I come from a family of power and influence. And you…" He gestured vaguely, dismissively. "You're nothing but an office boy. A servant to everyone. Did you really think someone like me would lower myself to marry someone like you?"
He smirked, picking up his glass. "I only approached you out of pity. And you were pathetic enough to believe my words."
Eren's breath hitched. His chest ached as if his ribs were crushing inward. His hands trembled at his sides, curling slowly into fists. He took one step forward, then another, his vision blurring with tears.
Tyler and James watched him, startled by the sudden movement.
Without a word, Eren's hand swung up and struck James hard across the face. The sharp crack echoed through the cabin.
James staggered back from the force of the slap, his smirk faltering for the first time. Tyler shifted uneasily in the bed, watching the storm break between them.
"You're a coward, James. And one day, you'll choke on the lies you've fed everyone—including yourself."
"Leave my cabin," Eren demanded, his voice firm.
James raised an eyebrow. "What did you just say?"
"I said get out of my cabin. I paid for this place," Eren snapped, his voice breaking with anger. But his outburst didn't shake James. Instead, James stepped forward, grabbed Eren by the collar, and dragged him out into the hallway. With one hard shove, Eren hit the floor, the impact rattling his bones.
Not satisfied, James hurled Eren's suitcase after him, the bag bursting open on the ground, scattering clothes across the corridor.
"Counting your expenses on me? Pathetic," James sneered before slamming the cabin door shut.
From inside, Eren could hear the muffled laughter of James and Tyler. It burned worse than the sting in his palms. Fighting back tears, he crouched down and gathered his scattered belongings one by one, his vision blurring.
Where could he possibly go? The cruise was already far out at sea. What was he supposed to do—jump into the ocean and swim back to shore?
Later, he found himself standing alone at the railing on the upper deck. Fireworks exploded above, dazzling colors lighting up the night sky as newlywed couples leaned close, smiling and laughing together. Their joy was a cruel mirror to the hollow ache in his chest.
Eren clenched the railing tightly, fighting the sobs rising in his throat. He had been such a fool. A fool to believe in James's sweet words, in the gentle touches and promises that now rang hollow. Why hadn't he seen it sooner—that none of it was real?
Who would ever want someone like me?
Just an office boy. A servant. Good for errands, good for orders, good for nothing else.
That's all I've ever been, isn't it?
The words echoed like poison, voices from the past whispering in his head.
Worthless Omega. Cursed one.
His parents' judgment came back sharp and merciless, the same way it had cut him as a child. He pressed his hand against the railing, gripping it hard, as though he could crush the voices into silence. But they lingered, cold and heavy.
They were right all along… weren't they?