On the happiest day of his life, Lincoln watches his world shatter. His fiancée’s ex-husband crashes their wedding with a truth no one saw coming. As betrayal, heartbreak, and unanswered questions consume him, Lincoln must decide: can love survive the ultimate betrayal? Or was it all a lie?
I have never believed in perfection.
But standing at the altar, watching Amelia walk toward me, I swore… she was the closest thing to it.
Her father guided her down the aisle, her arm linked through his. Her veil framed her delicate face, her dark eyes locked onto mine, shimmering with something between love and excitement.
And me?
I felt like my heart was about to burst.
A year. That’s all it had been. One year since I met Amelia at work, first as my subordinate, then as the woman who turned my life upside down. She was smart, driven, and effortlessly beautiful. The kind of person who made every dull day feel like something more.
“She finds the magic in everything,” I told my sister, Helen. “It’s a rare quality to find in someone… Everyone is just all about the doom and gloom of the world, you know?”
“I know,” Helen had said. “But just watch out. Mom always said that people who get married too young… have issues. Like they’re trying to overcompensate for something.”
“Mom’s old wives’ tales are ridiculous,” I said, laughing.
But Amelia had been married before. I knew that. Her ex, John, also worked at the same company. Their divorce had been ugly but she never said much about it. And I never pressed.
Because the past didn’t matter. Because all that mattered was us.
And now?
Now, she was about to be my wife.
I wiped my palm against my suit, my hands shaking. The moment Amelia reached me, her father gave me a firm nod before stepping back.
“You okay?” she whispered, taking my hands and squeezing lightly.
“I am,” I said, laughing softly. “I think I forgot how to breathe when I saw you.”
And then the doors slammed open.
A loud bang echoed through the hall. Gasps rippled through the guests as heads turned toward the entrance.
A man stood in the doorway, broad-shouldered, his expression unreadable.
John.
I’d only met him twice. The first time was brief, an awkward introduction at work. The second time, he barely looked at me.
But now… Now, he looked straight into my eyes, his voice clear and sharp.
“I’m really sorry but you’re probably going to call off this wedding in about five minutes.”
Silence.
A thick, suffocating silence blanketed the room.
Amelia’s fingers stiffened in mine. A slow, sickening dread crept up my spine.
“What the hell are you doing?” I growled, stepping forward. “Get out.”
John didn’t move. He exhaled through his nose, shaking his head.
You deserve to know the truth, Lincoln,” he said, his voice eerily calm. “Amelia is pregnant.”
A murmur spread through our guests. My pulse roared in my ears.
Pregnant?
I turned to Amelia. She didn’t react. No denial, no surprise.
Her lips parted slightly, her eyes wide.
“Amelia?” I whispered. “This is true?”
Before I could even process the words, John spoke again. His voice cut through the tension like a knife.
“Not just pregnant, Lincoln. She’s pregnant with my child!”
The air left my lungs and my body shook.
A sharp, crushing weight pressed against my ribs.
No. No, that wasn’t possible.
I turned back to John, my hands curling into fists.
frowning groom | Source: Midjourney
John let out a low, humorless chuckle.
“Am I?” he laughed.
“Lincoln,” Amelia finally spoke, her voice cracking. “Please, let me explain…”
“Explain what, Amelia?” John’s voice turned sharp, mocking. “That you’ve been seeing me for the past six months? That we’ve rekindled our relationship?”
A sharp, collective gasp filled the room.
My entire body locked up.
Six months. Half of our entire relationship.
A cold chill slithered down my spine.
John shook his head.
“Come on, Lincoln, you think Amelia is marrying you because she loves you?” John’s jaw tightened. “She’s marrying you for your money, Lincoln. For security. A comfortable life. But me? I’m the one she really wants.”
