Chapter 3

I yanked my hand free of Megan's and shoved Mason away.

"If you two don't mind, then why don't you two get married instead?"

Megan and Mason both froze.

"Hailey, this is your wedding with Ethan. What would it even mean for us to stand up there? Don't be so nasty!"

I laughed.

"Nasty? When you told me to go through the motions with the best man, why didn't you call that nasty?"

"Well, it's your own fault you couldn't keep your groom!"

The moment Megan shouted it, she knew she'd said too much and rushed to apologize.

But Dad had heard enough. He pointed at the front door and snapped coldly at Mason and Megan.

"Get out! My Hailey doesn't need friends like you!"

The words had barely left his mouth when Ethan's parents arrived from the hotel, faces full of fury, and came straight at me.

"What on earth is happening here?! All our relatives are sitting at the hotel, and you're making a scene about switching grooms? How is Ethan supposed to show his face?!"

Mom reached out and slapped away the finger Margaret Sullivan was pointing at me.

"Why don't you ask your son what he did first!"

"I already asked!"

Margaret planted her hands on her hips and deliberately raised her voice, making sure everyone could hear.

"He helped a neighbor take two kids to the hospital. What's the big deal? Do you know how hard it is for Chloe, raising two sick kids all by herself?”

“Ethan has a good heart. And you, the one who's supposed to be his wife, won't lift a finger to help. Instead, you're here throwing a fit!"

"Once you're married into our family, there'll be times you need a neighbor's help too. After all, there's a saying a neighbor next door can be more help than family miles away. You really don't understand how the world works!"

Dad's face darkened.

"Today is the wedding. He dumped my daughter to drive somebody else's kids around, and you call that a good heart?!"

Richard Sullivan's face darkened as he fired back at Dad.

"Those two kids don't have a father!"

"What's wrong with lending a hand? Hailey's a grown woman. Getting jealous over two little kids, does that make any sense?"

I looked at Ethan's parents and spoke slowly, one word at a time, "Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan, I'm not competing with any kids. All I wanted was a groom who wouldn't let me down on our wedding day the way he always had before.”

Mom chimed right in.

"A widow always attracts gossip. Ethan doesn't keep his distance, and he runs over to her place every single day! Anyone who didn't know better would think that was his wife and kids!"

Margaret’s face went even colder. She stepped up and grabbed my arm.

"There's no reasoning with people as dirty-minded as you!"

"Anyway, the wedding car is downstairs. Hailey, you need to come down now! The guests can't wait!"

Mom panicked and tried to pry her hand off.

"Let go! If my daughter says she's not going, she means it!"

"Not going?" Margaret whipped around to glare at Mom. "This wedding is happening today whether she likes it or not! Our relatives and friends are all here. You want the Sullivan family humiliated in front of everyone?"

She was so strong, and with Mason and Megan helping, she dragged and hauled me toward the stairs.

Dad tried to stop them, but Richard and some of his people blocked the doorway.

"We're about to be family, Mr. Lawson. Don't make this ugly."

Dad was so angry, his hands shook.

"This is kidnapping! I'm calling the police right now!"

Seeing that, Margaret’s tone suddenly softened.

"Hailey, I'm begging you, can you just settle down? Just let the wedding go as planned, and I'll give you many luxurious gifts afterward!"

She kept saying she was begging me, but her grip never loosened.

Richard even snatched Dad's phone to stop him from calling the police. Before I could resist, I was dragged downstairs and shoved into the back seat of the wedding car.

My parents were forced into the car behind us.

Then Mom suddenly screamed. I turned toward the rearview mirror and saw Dad clutching his chest, his face twisted in pain.

Frantic, I shouted, "Don't touch my dad! Give him his blood pressure medicine, now!"

Mom tried to force her way out of the car, but someone held her back.

Through the car window, Margaret threatened me.

"Hailey, promise me you'll behave and go through with the wedding with Mason. Stop throwing tantrums at Ethan and I'll go up and get your dad's medicine!"