I Marry for Real, and Now They Regret It

Chapter 5

A deep, soothing voice drifted into my ears. I turned to see Jerome standing there, dressed in a matching white suit with a flower pinned to his chest.

He steadied me, his hand lightly patting my shoulder. "Why are you all wet? Go change into the other dress. I think yesterday's mermaid-style one looked better on you."

He leaned in closer, his voice a soft whisper in my ear. "Don't worry. I'm here."

I felt the tension in my chest slowly start to fade.

Arnold stood frozen for a moment, clearly caught off guard. Then, he scoffed. "Sara, you really know how to put on a show. You even got Mr. Emmerson to play along in your little act."

Jerome moved in front of me, positioning himself between me and Arnold. "Are you Sara's friends? If you want, feel free to stay and witness our happiness."

I bent down to pick up the marriage certificate that had fallen earlier among the crowd. As I examined it, I noticed a few smudges.

Jerome gently took it from my hand, blowing the dust off, then teasingly said, "Sara, I'll keep this safe for you. Wouldn't want you to lose our marriage certificate."

He carefully tucked it away, his smile almost protective. Arnold glared at us, his eyes narrowing as he scanned us from head to toe. He grit his teeth and demanded, "Mr. Emmerson, how did you and Sara meet?"

There was an edge to his voice that I didn't quite get. I was marrying someone else now. I wasn't chasing him anymore. So why did he still look so angry?

Jerome flashed a knowing smile, gently brushing my hair back. "Actually, it was me who had someone introduce us."

I remembered how a colleague had set us up just days ago, practically pushing me into going on the blind date.

Arnold's expression darkened, his frustration growing. Esther, who had been clinging to him, winced in pain and muttered, "It hurts, Arnold." He finally loosened his grip, his face twisting in discomfort.

Tyler couldn't resist throwing in his two cents. "Mr. Emmerson, you two are getting married now, but not long ago, she was begging Arnold to marry her."

That was it. I couldn't stay quiet anymore. "Yes, I once liked Arnold, but I don't care about him anymore. What's your point? Should I be ridiculed because I liked him? Just because I liked him, does that mean I'm supposed to be stuck with him forever?"

Arnold's face turned pale. The tension in the air thickened.

"Sara, what do you mean by that?" he demanded.

Jerome gave a small, reassuring smile, his hand gently brushing my hair again. "It just means Sara was once loyal. But that was the past. Everyone's had their share of mistakes when they were younger."

Esther forced a smile, her frustration barely hidden. "Sara, this is on you. You should've introduced us to your husband sooner. Maybe then we wouldn't have had to worry about you."

Their faces soured, but Jerome turned to address the guests with a calm, steady voice.

"The wedding was delayed because of some complications, which led to misunderstandings. But I assure you, I love Sara deeply. I'll do everything in my power to make her happy."

Then, we exchanged rings. Jerome pulled out a larger diamond ring from his pocket, sliding it onto my finger with a tenderness that made my heart flutter.

"This ring is called ‘Solar,'" he said softly, his eyes locked on mine. "Sara, you're my April days, bringing warmth and sunshine to my life. Someone couldn't appreciate you, but that's their loss. Because of that, I get to love you."

No one had ever said anything like that to me before. My eyes stung with tears as I looked into Jerome's eyes, full of affection and sincerity. For a moment, I was overwhelmed with emotion, surprised at how deeply I felt.

We'd only known each other for a few days, but somehow, it felt like we'd shared a lifetime. But then again, I reminded myself: This was all part of defending me in front of them. I couldn't take it too seriously.