Chapter 12

Time flew by, and soon, it was the eve of the wedding. Victor had been out of sight for days, busy with god knows what, while Amelia bustled about, clearly enjoying the preparations. But as the big day approached, my nerves only grew stronger. Though Gavin and I had been married for two years already, without a formal wedding, the excitement I felt now reminded me of when we first registered our marriage at the town hall. Thankfully, Dawn Hill, my best friend, had finally returned from her business trip. With her around, her jokes and chatter helped ease my anxiety. "You're unbelievable! That Mandy Green has practically walked all over you, and you're just going to let it slide?" she said, her temper flaring. I hadn't expected that sharing the events of the past few days with her would rile her up so much. Rolling up her sleeves, she looked ready to charge into battle. "It's fine now," I reassured her. "Gavin has already cut ties with her. Dawn scoffed, her expression full of disdain. "You're way too naive. If Mandy gives up that easily, I'll eat my hat!" I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Are you saying Mandy is pretending to be innocent?" I had heard Dawn preach plenty about these so-called "types" before, but Mandy didn't quite fit my understanding of a typical green tea bitch. "You don't know the half of it!" Dawn sneered. "She's way more advanced than a typical pick-me bitch. She's the worst kind. You can't see through her, and neither can most men. "And seriously, what were you thinking of falling for Gavin in the first place? Just one look at that guy screams 'walking red flag.' He's nothing but a player. Not even in the same league as Tom!" I couldn't help but chuckle, shaking my head. "If you like Tom so much, why don't you go for him yourself?" "Because he likes you! What would be the point?" "Don't say ridiculous things," I said, exasperated. Dawn rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. You're so blind. Can't you see how he feels about you? Why do you think he suddenly enlisted in the military when you married Gavin?" I sighed in exasperation. "Don't pin everything on me. Tom is a classic role model—born and raised in a military family, destined for a career in the armed forces. It's only natural for him." Dawn waved it off. "Forget it, trying to explain love to you is like speaking another language. Let's just drop it. Anyway, you've got Gavin's baby in you now—just focus on living a good life with him, alright?" She reached out, gently placing a hand on my belly. "After the wedding tomorrow, head straight to the hospital with Gavin. It's better to take precautions than risk any drama from Mandy later." "Yeah, got it." Just as our conversation was getting lively, a knock on the door interrupted us. Moments later, Gavin stepped in, his face lighting up with a smile. Already strikingly handsome, his smile had an almost spring-like warmth to it. "Am I interrupting?" Gavin asked. "Not at all," Dawn quickly responded, waving her hand. "Gavin, you'd better treat Gracie well—don't let anyone bully her!" I couldn't help but laugh at her antics. "Dawn, seriously?" Gavin, familiar with Dawn's personality, merely smiled. Perhaps in a good mood, he even played along. "Don't worry. As long as I'm here, no one will dare." Looking between the two of them, I shook my head, finally addressing Gavin. "Was there something you needed?" "Dinner's ready. Let's go eat." Dawn linked her arm with mine. "It's been ages since I had a meal at your place. I'm in for a treat tonight!" "Then make sure you eat your fill." Chatting and laughing, Dawn and I headed out. Passing Gavin, his phone suddenly buzzed. Both Dawn and I instinctively glanced at him. He frowned slightly before hanging up. "Who was it?" Dawn asked. "Spam call." "Oh." Dawn's drawn-out response came with a knowing smirk. Gavin remained unbothered. "Let's go eat." … With the wedding the next day, there were countless details to finalize. After dinner, Dawn left after a few more rounds of advice. The rest of the afternoon was busy, but something felt off. Gavin seemed distracted, frequently checking his phone. Remembering Dawn's earlier reminder, I finally asked, "Is everything okay? Is something on your mind?" "Just a small issue at work," Gavin reassured me. "Caleb is handling it." It clicked then—I hadn't seen Caleb all day. So, that was why. Just then, Gavin's phone buzzed again. Glazing at the caller ID, I noticed it was Caleb Reed. "Gracie, take a break. I'll grab this call." "Alright," I nodded. "Go ahead." I watched as he stepped out into the garden pavilion, phone to his ear. Even from afar, I could see his brows furrowed in frustration. Despite the distance, his agitation was palpable. Pressing my lips together, I wondered if Mandy was stirring up trouble again. I was debating whether to join him when he hung up and walked briskly back. "All sorted?" I asked. "Yeah. Like I said, just a minor hiccup. Caleb's taken care of it." Relief swept over me—it wasn't Mandy. … Finally, the wedding day arrived. At dawn, an army of makeup artists dragged me from bed. Already drained from wedding prep and further fatigued by pregnancy, I was so drowsy I nearly nodded off while they did my makeup. The ceremony was set in a grand hotel, and the guest list was filled with the most prominent figures in Fuvine. As I sat there getting ready, Dawn fed me some snacks, worried the wedding day's hectic schedule would exhaust me. "By the way, where's the groom? I haven't seen him since I came." Before I could answer, a makeup artist chuckled. "Tradition says the bride and groom shouldn't meet before the ceremony." Dawn wrinkled her nose. "What kind of tradition is that? I've never heard of it." She shot me a mischievous wink. "If the bride can't see him, surely the maid of honor can? I'll go check!" Grabbing her arm, I laughed. "He's probably busy with wedding stuff. Don't bother him." Dawn adopted a teasing tone. "Well, well, the wedding hasn't even happened yet, and you're already rushing to defend your husband!" My cheeks flushed instantly. "Ugh, stop it!" She grinned. "Don't worry, I'll just peek. No interruptions, promise." Before I could stop her, she darted out. Moments later, she returned, her face clouded. "What's wrong?" I asked, confused. Dawn's brows knitted. "Gavin's not there." My smile faltered. "What do you mean he's not there?"