Three hours had passed since the strange shopping trip. Ana stepped out of the bathroom, drying her hair, feeling completely drained. She collapsed onto her bed, staring at the ceiling as her mind replayed the day's bizarre events.
"What was wrong with Shila today?" Ana muttered to herself.
Shila had acted like a different person. She didn't give Ana a single update on "Mr. Arrogant," yet she dragged Ana to the most expensive mall in the city. Even weirder, Shila had spent hours picking out the most exquisite bridal dresses and forced Ana to try them on. Then, she picked out a rare pink diamond wedding ring—the kind of ring that cost a fortune—and made Ana wear it to "check the fit." But after all that, she didn't buy a single thing. She just noted them down and left.
"Is she losing her mind?" Ana wondered. "Why make me do all that if she wasn't going to buy anything?"
Suddenly, her father's voice drifted up from downstairs. "Ana! Come down for a moment, dear. We have a guest."
Ana sighed, threw on a robe, and headed down. Her heart stopped when she reached the living room. Standing there, draped in expensive silk and looking incredibly smug, was Shila's mother.
"Oh, Ana! There you are," Shila's mother said, a fake, sharp smile on her lips. "I came by to drop off the invitation. Shila is getting married tomorrow, and I wanted to make sure you all were there to witness it."
Ana felt like the ground had vanished beneath her feet. "Tomorrow? The wedding is... tomorrow? And Shila didn't even tell me?"
Shila's mother let out a condescending little laugh, clearly enjoying Ana's shock. She had never liked Ana, and seeing her confused was the highlight of her day.
"Well, you know how it is," the woman said, leaning in with a mock-sympathetic look. "My Shila is marrying into the Roy family now. She's going to be a billionaire's wife. I suppose she's just too busy with high-society matters to remember her... middle-class friends. You understand, don't you, Mr. Luke?"
Ana's father stiffened, his face reddening at the blatant insult.
"Anyway, I must go," Shila's mother continued, waving a hand dismissively. "There are so many preparations when you're joining a family as powerful as the Roys. Do try to come!"
As soon as the door closed, Ana's father slammed his hand on the table. "The nerve of that woman! How dare she come into my house and insult my daughter like that?"
"It's okay, Dad," Ana said quietly, though her heart was breaking. "She's always been like that. Don't let it get to you."
But inside, Ana was screaming. She bolted back to her room and grabbed her phone. She dialed Shila's number once, twice, ten times—but it was switched off.
"Pick up, Shila! Please!" Ana whispered, pacing her room in a panic.
Her mind was a whirlwind of terrifying questions. Why is the wedding happening so fast? Did Aryan find out the truth and is now forcing Shila into this? Or did Shila decide to go through with it and cut me out of her life?
Ana looked at the red invitation on her bed. She felt a cold shiver down her spine.
💐💐💐
The sun rose over the city, but for Ana, the light brought no peace. She hadn't slept a wink. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw images of Shila's tearful face, the red Ferrari, and the cold, mocking smirk of Aryan Roy.
She moved like a ghost through her room, her mind heavy with dread. She was certain her father would refuse to go after the way Shila's mother had insulted them yesterday. "I'll probably just stay home and try to reach Shila one last time," she muttered to herself, feeling a hollow ache in her chest.
When she finally walked downstairs for breakfast, she stopped dead in her tracks. Her father was already at the table, but he wasn't in his usual morning clothes. He was dressed in his finest formal ethnic suit, looking sharp and ready for a major event.
"Dad?" Ana asked, her voice trembling. "You're... you're actually going? After everything that woman said to us?"
Her father looked up, his expression serious but calm. "I am going, Ana. But let me be clear—it is not for Shila's mother or her invitation."
Ana frowned, confused. "Then why?"
"Because of Aryan," her father replied.
Ana felt the air leave her lungs. "Aryan? What do you mean?"
"He was here this morning, Ana. At 6:00 AM," her father explained. "He came personally to invite us. He sat right where you are sitting and spoke with such respect. A few minutes after he left, his father and his grandfather called me personally to insist that we attend. You know Mr. Roy and I have been friends for years. They made it clear that the ceremony wouldn't feel complete without our family there."
Ana stood frozen. Aryan was here? At 6:00 AM? The thought sent a shiver down her spine. He was weaving a net around her, and she was walking right into it.
"I don't particularly want to see that woman again," her father continued, standing up and straightening his jacket. "But out of respect for the Roy family, we must go. Now, go eat your breakfast and get dressed, dear. We cannot be late."
Ana nodded slowly, her mind a whirlwind of confusion. "Oh... I see."
She picked at her food, but she couldn't taste a thing. Every instinct she had was screaming that something was wrong. Why would a billionaire groom take the time to visit his "friend's" house on the morning of his own wedding?
Ana looked at herself in the mirror one last time. She had chosen a simple lavender dress and kept her makeup minimal. But even in her simplicity, she looked ethereal—like a Miss Universe contestant who didn't even have to try. "I just want to get through this day without any more drama," she whispered to herself.
When they arrived at the grand wedding venue, the atmosphere was chaotic. Guests were whispering, and staff were running around with panicked faces. Ana scanned the crowd, her heart unconsciously searching for a certain tall, arrogant figure. She hadn't seen him in two days. She remembered the harsh things she had said at the café and felt a pang of guilt. 'Maybe I was too mean,' she thought. 'He's arrogant, but did I really have to hurt him that much?'
Suddenly, a loud cry broke the murmurs. "The bride has run away!"
The venue erupted. Ana was jolted out of her thoughts. Before she could process the news, Shila's mother came charging toward her like a woman possessed.
"It's you! You did this!" Shila's mother screamed, her face red with rage. "You poisoned my daughter's mind! You made her run away so you could ruin our reputation!"
Ana's father stepped forward, shielding his daughter. "Watch your tongue! My daughter has nothing to do with this!"
Just as the woman raised her hand to strike Ana, a firm hand caught her wrist mid-air. Jimmy stepped in, his face serious as he held up a piece of paper. "Stop it, Auntie. Shila left a letter. She clearly wrote that she is leaving to pursue her career because she told you a thousand times she wasn't ready for marriage, and you didn't listen. Stop blaming Ana for your own mistakes."
Shila's mother, blinded by humiliation, tried to lung past Jimmy to slap Ana. But this time, a much more powerful hand grabbed her arm. The air in the room turned freezing cold.
"Don't. You. Dare."
Aryan Roy stood there, his eyes burning with a dark, protective fury. He flung the woman's hand away as if it were trash.
"My bride may have left," Aryan said, his voice echoing through the silent hall, "but a wedding will happen today. My family's reputation will not be dragged through the mud. You owe me compensation for this mess."
Aryan's mother stepped forward, looking worried. "Aryan, the reporters are outside. We can't tell them the bride fled. Our family name is at stake. There has to be a wedding today!"
Shila's mother began to cry crocodile tears. "But my daughter is gone! Who will he marry? I have no other daughters!"
Aryan's lips curled into a slow, triumphant smirk. He turned his gaze toward the girl standing in the lavender dress. "Why the worry? The bride is standing right in front of us."
The room went silent. "Who? Where?" people whispered.
Aryan pointed a long finger directly at her. "Miss Ana."
Aryan's father and grandfather beamed with joy—this was exactly what they had secretly hoped for. Shila's mother started shouting insults again, but the Roy elders ignored her completely. They turned to Ana's father, pleading with him to save the honor of both families.
"I will not force her," Ana's father said firmly. "I must ask my daughter first."
Ana looked at her father. For the first time in her life, she saw a plea in his eyes. He didn't want to see his old friend's family shamed, and he wanted a secure future for her. Seeing her father ask for something for the first time, Ana couldn't say no. With a heavy heart and trembling hands, she nodded. "Okay, Dad. For you."
An hour later, Ana sat in the bridal suite. As the stylists draped the heavy, exquisite wedding gown over her, Ana froze. The dress... the jewelry... even the rare pink diamond ring... they were the exact items she had chosen 'for fun' at the mall. He knew, she realized, her heart racing. He planned this from the very beginning.
The doors opened. Ana took her father's arm and walked toward the stage. The lavender dress was gone, replaced by a bridal masterpiece that made her look like an angel descending from heaven.
As she reached the altar, Aryan was waiting. He didn't move. He didn't speak. He simply stared at her, his eyes dark with a mixture of triumph and genuine awe. In that moment, the "Mr. Arrogant" facade had a crack in it. To him, she wasn't just a replacement bride; she was the only woman who was ever supposed to stand there.