Roy adjusted his suit for the third time that morning, but this time it wasn't out of discomfort.
It was anticipation.
Today was not just another event. Today was the day everything aligned perfectly—status, ambition, reputation, and love, at least the version of love that made sense in his world.
Zara stood beside him in the mirror reflection, already dressed like she belonged in the center of every room she entered. Her gown was elegant, her smile controlled but proud. She looked like someone who had finally won something she had been waiting for.
Roy smiled back at her.
Not forced.Not forced.
Not empty.
Real.
"You're quiet," Zara said softly, touching his sleeve.
"I'm just thinking," Roy replied.
"About what?"
He paused, then shook his head slightly. "About how everything finally makes sense."
Zara's smile widened.
"That's what I like to hear."
The hall was full long before the ceremony began.
Guests filled every corner, dressed in wealth and expectation. Music flowed through the space like a carefully arranged illusion. Everything was perfect—too perfect.
Roy stood at the entrance with Zara, greeting people as they arrived. Cameras flashed. Compliments poured in.
But somewhere in the back of his mind, a name still lingered.
Nola.
It wasn't loud anymore. It wasn't painful.
Just… there.
Like an old memory that refused to fully disappear.
He dismissed it easily.
Today wasn't about the past.Today was about Zara.
And the future.
"Sir," one of his friends leaned in close, speaking low. "They said Nola is here."
Roy didn't even blink.
For a second, the name floated in the air between them.
Then he exhaled a short laugh.
"So?"
His friend hesitated. "She's sitting in the hall."
Roy finally looked up.
Not surprised.Not angry.
Just mildly amused.
"Let her watch," he said simply.
And then he turned away like the subject had no weight at all.
The ceremony began.
Zara walked down the aisle first, graceful and confident, her steps measured like she had rehearsed them in her mind a thousand times. Roy watched her with something close to admiration.
This was right.
This was his life.But then, as he stood at the altar waiting, his eyes drifted.
And there she was.
Nola.
Sitting quietly.
Still.
Watching.
For a moment, something flickered in Roy's expression.
Recognition.
History.
Then it was gone.The vows began.
Zara spoke first, her voice warm and certain.
"I choose you, Roy. Today, tomorrow, and always. I see our future clearly. I see our children, our home, our life together…"
A soft murmur of approval spread through the crowd.
Roy smiled at her words.
Children.
Yes.
That sounded right.
Then it was his turn.
He stepped closer, took Zara's hand, and spoke without hesitation.choose you too. Not because it's expected, but because I want to."
Zara's eyes softened immediately.
The crowd reacted with quiet admiration.
But Roy's gaze shifted—just slightly—to the side of the hall again.
To Nola.
And this time, instead of looking away, he held it there.
A deliberate choice.
A message without words.
Then he leaned forward and kissed Zara.
Not gently.
Not briefly.But with intention.
The kind of kiss meant to be seen.
The hall reacted instantly—soft gasps, excited whispers, camera flashes catching the moment from every angle.
Roy didn't break the kiss quickly.
He let it linger.
Let it become a statement.
And when he finally pulled away, his eyes still didn't leave the direction where Nola sat.
Zara smiled proudly, unaware—or pretending not to notice—where his attention had gone.
Then she turned slightly, still glowing from the ceremony.
"Oh," she said casually, her voice carrying just enough to reach nearby ears. "Nola is here too."
Roy didn't respond.
Zara followed his gaze anyway.
And then, with a smile that was almost too sweet, she stepped slightly forward.
"Nola," she called gently.
Nola looked up.
Zara's tone stayed light, but her words carried weight.
"Are you going to come for our child naming ceremony?"
A pause.ripple moved through the nearby guests.
Zara placed a hand on her stomach, even though there was no child yet—only expectation, only imagination.
"We're going to have beautiful children, Roy and I," she continued, still smiling. "You should be part of it. After all… you were once close to us."
The words were soft.
But sharp underneath.
Roy finally turned his head toward Zara, smiling.
Not correcting her.
Not stopping her.Just approving.
That was worse.
Nola felt it immediately.
Not jealousy.
Not heartbreak.
Something clearer.
Replacement.
Erasure dressed as celebration.
Roy stepped away from the altar before anyone could stop him.
The ceremony was technically still ongoing, but he no longer seemed interested in standing still.He moved toward his friends seated near the side, loosening his tie slightly as laughter greeted him.
"Man of the hour!" one of them joked.
Roy smirked.
"Barely started," he replied.
They clapped him on the back, pulling him into their circle. Drinks were already being passed around like the ceremony was just another background event.
Zara remained near the altar, still smiling for guests, still playing the role of bride perfectly.
And Nola remained seated.
Still.
Quiet.
Watching everything fall into place in a that didn't include her anymore.
Then she stood.
Slowly.
Not dramatically.
But firmly enough that the people around her noticed.
Her voice cut through the soft noise of celebration.
"Are you really happy doing this?"
The laughter nearby faded slightly.Roy paused mid-conversation with his friends.
But he didn't turn immediately.Nola took a step forward.
Her voice didn't shake.Now he turned.
Slowly.
Finally.
Their eyes met across the decorated hall.
For a second, everything else blurred—the guests, the music, the ceremony, Zara standing in white.
Only the two of them remained in focus.
Roy studied her expression.
Not sadness.
Not begging.
Just truth.
And something in his smile softened—but only slightly.Not enough to change anything.
Not enough to matter.
He looked at her for a long moment.
Then he glanced back at his friends, who were waiting for him.
Then back at Zara, still glowing under the lights.
And finally, back at Nola.
"I'm happy," he said simply.
It wasn't an answer.
It was an ending.
And then he turned away again.
Like she had already stopped existing in his world long before she stood up to speak.Nola stood frozen for a second after Roy's words landed in the air.
"I'm happy."
Simple. Clean. Final.
Like there had never been anything between them worth questioning.
Like she was just another guest who had spoken out of turn.
Her fingers tightened slightly at her sides, but she didn't sit back down. Not yet. She needed to understand if this was really him… or just the version of him he was choosing to show today.
"Roy…" she said again, softer this time. "You're really okay with this? With everything?"
A few guests had started watching now. The music from the hall felt quieter, like even the celebration was curious.
Roy sighed, as if the moment was already tiring him.
"I don't know what answer you want from me, Nola."
"I want the truth."
That word made something flicker in his eyes—but it was gone almost immediately.
Before he could respond, Zara moved.Elegantly.
Like she had been waiting for this exact moment.
She left her place near the altar and walked down the aisle with calm, steady steps. Her heels made soft clicks against the marble floor, each one louder in Nola's chest than in the room.
Roy noticed her approaching and relaxed instantly, like her presence reset the entire atmosphere for him.
Zara stopped right beside Nola.
Smiling.
Too calmly.Too perfectly.
"Is there a problem?" Zara asked sweetly, tilting her head.
Nola didn't answer immediately. Her eyes stayed on Roy.
That alone made Zara's smile sharpen slightly.
Zara leaned in closer to Nola, as if she were about to offer comfort or advice.
But her voice changed the moment she got close.
It dropped low.
Cold.
Precise.
"Know your place."Nola blinked slowly.
For a moment, she didn't react—not because she didn't hear it, but because she was processing the fact that it came from someone smiling so beautifully while saying something so ugly.
Zara pulled back immediately, returning to her soft public expression like nothing had happened.
"Let's not make things uncomfortable," she added aloud, loud enough for nearby guests to hear. "Today is supposed to be a celebration."
Roy watched this exchange without stepping in.
Not once.
That silence said more than words evecould.
Nola finally looked at him properly.
Really looked.
Not at the version she remembered.
But at the man standing here now—calm, detached, protected by people and privilege and choices she was no longer part of.So this is it," Nola said quietly.
Roy didn't respond.
Zara gently touched Roy's arm, anchoring him back to her side like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"She's just emotional," Zara said lightly. "It's understandable."
That word—emotional—landed like a dismissal.
Like Nola was something unstable.
Something temporary.
Something less.
Nola let out a slow breath.
"I wasn't emotional when I stood by you when you had nothing," she said, her voice firmer wasn't emotional when you needed someone to believe in you."
Roy's jaw tightened slightly.
But still—he said nothing.
Zara noticed that small reaction and stepped even closer to him, subtly reclaiming him in front of everyone watching.
"She's talking about the past," Zara said, smiling at the guests now. "We all have one."
Then, turning slightly to Nola again, still smiling:
"But we don't live there anymore."Roy finally looked at Nola again.
This time, his gaze was colder.
Not angry.
Just done.
"Why are you doing this?" he asked flatly. "Right now?"
Nola almost laughed, but it didn't come out.
"Doing what? Reminding you I existed?"
A murmur moved through the guests again. People were fully watching now.
Roy stepped slightly forward, lowering his voice.
"You're embarrassing yourself."
That sentence landed harder than than anything else.
Not because it was loud.
But because it was effortless for him to say.
Like it meant nothing.
Like she meant nothing.
Nola nodded slowly, absorbing it.
For a second, she looked down, as if grounding herself.
Then she looked back up.
"I see," she said quietly.
Zara tightened her hold on Roy's arm again, sensing the moment shifting.
And then she spoke, louder this timtime, for everyone.
"I think it's best you leave now, Nola."
A few guests nodded in agreement. Some avoided eye contact. Others watched like it was entertainment.
Roy still didn't stop her.
Didn't correct her.
Didn't defend Nola.
That was the final answer.
Nola took a small step back.
Then another.
Her eyes stayed on Roy the entire time, searching for even a crack in his expression—something that said this was wrongBut there was nothing.
Just calm acceptance.
Just forward motion.
Just a man already living in a different life.
Zara smiled again, satisfied now, and turned slightly toward the guests.
"Let's continue," she said brightly. "It's a beautiful day."
The music slowly rose again, awkwardly trying to reclaim the mood.
Roy finally turned away from Nola.
Not quickly.
Not dramatically.
Just naturally.Nola stood there a moment longer.
Watching him return to a life where she didn't exist.
Then, without another word, she turned.
And walked out of the hall.