Chapter 3

I tried to open the door, but suddenly the back of the car dropped.

My elbow and head slammed hard against the door.

Sharp pain made me gasp.

Screams erupted all around. Pure chaos.

"The back wheel fell into the drainage ditch!"

"Someone help! Quick!"

"Mandy! Mandy, are you okay? Are you hurt?"

The two bridesmaids pounded on the windows, checking on me.

I touched my head. Warm liquid trickled from my forehead down my temple.

In the rearview mirror, Ethan was rushing frantically toward the wedding car.

He got closer and closer.

But he didn't stop at my tilted car. Instead, he ran straight to the car across from us.

"Were you not paying attention?! Wendy's shaking like a leaf!"

Ethan pointed his finger right in the other driver's face and yelled.

Friends and family from both sides exchanged glances, smirking and covering their mouths.

Laughing at the overturned car. Laughing at me inside it.

I closed my eyes, praying for that person to come get me quickly.

I didn't want to stay here another second.

The driver tried for ages but couldn't get the stuck rear wheel out.

Everyone discussed lifting the car.

"Maybe the bride should get out first? What if she gets hurt again?"

"Good idea. Better to be safe on such an important day."

Ethan came back after calming Wendy down, his face stern as he objected.

"No. Mandy can only get out at the destination. Getting out midway is bad luck!"

Everyone fell silent and used all their strength to lift the car out of the ditch.

Ethan brushed the dirt off his hands, smiling brightly.

"Mandy, you're not hurt, are you? Today's been all my fault."

"After the wedding's over, I'll take you to the Maldives for our honeymoon, okay?"

He always used this kind of unfair tenderness to soothe my emotions.

But right now, I just wanted to get out of here as fast as possible.

"Once we get to the next turnoff, I'm going back hom—"

"Ethan! Ethan, Wendy twisted her ankle!"

The man dropped me and strode toward the other car.

As if he were the groom in that wedding convoy.

My bridesmaids were shaking with anger.

"If her ankle's twisted, she should rest! Why's she making a scene?"

"And their actual groom—is he useless or what? Something happens and all he does is yell for Ethan!"

"Mandy, if you weren't so dead-set on marrying him, I'd slap him right now and drive you home myself."

I smiled without saying a word.

Soon. The person coming to get me was already on the way.

A moment later, Ethan walked back from Wendy's car, where he'd been crouching to check her injury, his brow furrowed.

He pushed the bridesmaids aside and yanked the car door open.

His voice was urgent, brooking no argument.

"Wendy twisted her ankle. You studied medicine—get out and help her!"

I grabbed the back of the passenger seat, resisting his pull.

The bridesmaids blocked him.

"Ethan, you just said yourself that it's bad luck for the bride to get out midway! Forget already?"

"Exactly! A twisted ankle isn't life-threatening. Just put some ice on it."

"Stop making Mandy sacrifice everything for Wendy, okay?"

Hearing my bridesmaids' words, my eyes welled up with tears.

But Ethan ignored them, pulling me even harder.

"Mandy Foster, this is an emergency! Can you put aside those outdated superstitions for one second?!"

"Ethan, I don't want to."

My tears fell on the back of his hand. He flinched as if burned.

But the next second, his cold voice rang out.

"Please. I'm begging you."

"I'll give you whatever you want, okay?"

"Wendy can't handle pain."

I looked at his anxious, stubborn eyes and laughed bitterly.

"Whatever I want?"

"Yes."

"Let's break up."