Waiting for the Right OneChapter 1
After six years of being in love, just when Jonah and I were discussing marriage, he suddenly told me to wait a little longer. His reason? He had to hold a grand wedding with his first love before he could marry me—because it was his first love's dying mother's final wish.
He couldn't bear to let the elderly woman pass away with regret, so he tearfully made a promise by her hospital bed, swearing that he would give her daughter a home.
But he forgot that my mother had also been longing for my wedding for a long time.
I stood there, stunned, my chest tightening with disbelief. "What about me?"
Jonah exhaled sharply, his brows knitting together in frustration. "Can't you have a little empathy? It's just a two-month delay—are you that desperate to get married?"
His words struck like a slap.
I swallowed hard and tried again, my voice quieter. "Jonah... my mother has a heart condition. She's been waiting for this for years. She—"
Before I could finish, he took out his phone, his fingers moving swiftly. Right in front of me, he booked his marriage registration appointment with Nadia.
I felt the blood drain from my face.
He didn't even hesitate.
"Either way, Nadia will be the bride for this wedding. Your mother has to wait, even if she's on her deathbed, for all I care."
I stared at him, barely recognizing the man in front of me. The same Jonah who had once held my hand and vowed to love me forever was now casting me aside like I was nothing more than a trivial inconvenience.
As he turned on his heel and walked away, I felt something inside me snap. My fingers clenched around my phone as I dialed a familiar number.
"Ronan," I said, my voice steady despite the storm inside me. "I need a new groom for the wedding in ten days. Can you help me find one?"
——
Silence. Then, my brother's incredulous voice. "Arabelle, what the hell is going on? You're replacing the groom? Marriage isn't a joke! Mom will be devastated if she finds out!"
It was precisely because I knew my mother couldn't handle the shock that I turned to my brother for help. For six years, Jonah had refused to meet my parents. So, even though my mother knew I had a boyfriend, she had never seen his face.
"Ronan, I'm serious. I can't marry him."
I had no intention of committing bigamy.