I Marry for Real, and Now They Regret It

Chapter 6

My father's whole demeanor had shifted. He was holding Jerome's hand, laughing like they were best friends. Jerome, though, remained as calm as ever, pulling away and guiding me toward my grandmother.

Grandma smiled, her eyes shining as she took both of our hands in hers. "Sara, I just want you to be happy."

Jerome didn't hesitate for a second. He knelt in front of her, listening patiently as she rambled, not a single trace of impatience on his face. It made the moment feel warmer, more sincere.

The guests all began chiming in with their well-wishes.

"The bride and groom really are a perfect match! They're so suited to each other."

"Who was it who was so sure they were going to set the bride up with someone? What a joke! Her husband's already here."

Arnold, Peter, Tyler, and the others stood off to the side, their faces dark and angry, and it was downright terrifying.

After the ceremony, Jerome and I exchanged smiles as we waved the guests off. But then, Arnold grabbed my arm and yanked me into the hallway.

"Enough, Sara. How long are you going to keep this act up? You just wanted me to get jealous, didn't you? You wanted me to care, right?" His voice was sharp with frustration. "Is this what you wanted? Are you finally happy?"

I jerked my arm away from him and took a step back, keeping my voice steady. "Arnold, don't flatter yourself. I've said it a million times. I'm married today. And whether you believe it or not, that has nothing to do with me."

Arnold laughed bitterly. "Don't even try to act like you weren't planning to marry me!"

He stormed over to the welcome poster, his eyes scanning it. When he saw it, his face went ashen. It clearly said: [Groom: Jerome Emmerson].

"Jerome…" he whispered.

"Yeah. It's Jerome. He's the one I was always meant to marry. What's your problem with that?"

Arnold's face twisted, his eyes narrowing in disbelief. He reached for the wedding invitation, which clearly had Jerome's name on it and cartoon drawings of us both.

He'd been so convinced I couldn't live without him, he hadn't even noticed the obvious details right in front of him.

He grabbed my shoulder roughly, his grip hard. "This can't be! You were planning to marry me! When I called you that day, you were practically glowing with happiness!"

I thought back to that call. When Arnold reached out to me, I really had been happy. I thought he was finally getting it, finally seeing me.

But looking back now, I could see the truth. I had believed in Arnold—truly believed he would marry me. But each lie, each disappointment chipped away at that belief.

Take my birthday, for instance. He showed up with Tyler and Peter, a huge bouquet of flowers in his hands, setting up heart-shaped candles outside my building. I thought it was finally happening—this was the confession I'd been waiting for.

But then, in front of everyone, he pushed me aside. "Esther loves attention. I only called you to surprise her. Did you really think I was going to confess to you?"

And just like that, I became the joke. All my hopes, dashed.

So when it came time to take control of my life, I wasn't about to back down. I wouldn't change the wedding date for anyone. The very next day, I went on a blind date. And Jerome, a man I'd met only once, agreed to marry me. He even worried I'd back out, so we went to get our marriage certificate that same day and went wedding dress shopping.

"What made me happy wasn't marrying you, Arnold. It was finally getting married—to someone who truly cared about me."