Simon snorted, blowing out a cloud of smoke like I wasn’t even worth his time. “You saw what happened in the garage, right?” he said, his voice annoyingly casual. “I know you’re obsessed with me, but I’ve told you before—this wedding is yours, but the marriage certificate belongs to Audrey. She’s the one who’s being slighted here.”
He leaned in a little closer, his arrogance growing. “It’s perfectly normal for us to do what we just did. She’s my legal wife-to-be, after all. Oh, and our marital home? She’ll probably stop by once in a while for a night or two. You’ll have to get used to it eventually. It’s for your own good.”
I couldn’t believe the audacity of this man.
Even though I’d already decided I wouldn’t marry him, I hadn’t expected him to be so shameless—so blatant in flaunting his infidelity right in front of me.
I turned to walk away, but, of course, he grabbed my arm again.
“Listen,” he said, his voice lowering, “My uncle will be at the dinner tonight. He’s important to the family, so this is a big deal. I’m giving you a lot of face by letting you come.”
I barely suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. “One more thing—if my grandfather and dad ask about the marriage license, just tell them we’ve already registered, alright? And about Audrey’s little injury this afternoon—you’ll need to apologize to her after dinner. Don’t forget. Until the wedding is official, I can still change my mind.”
With that, he strode into the Hughes family estate like he hadn’t just made a complete fool of himself.
I let out a long breath, gripping the gift bag in my hand.
'Fine,' I told myself. 'He’ll find out soon enough who I’m really marrying.'
Most of the Hughes family patriarchs were seated inside the dining hall. Daniel hadn’t arrived yet, so I quietly slipped into a seat far from Simon, deliberately leaving an open spot next to me for him.
Simon noticed immediately and frowned, a look of irritation crossing his face. Annoyed, he got up and moved to sit right next to me.
“You’re getting more dramatic these days,” he muttered, eyeing the empty seat beside me. “There’s already a seat saved for you over there. Why are you trying to make a scene?”
I ignored him just as I was about to tell him that the seat wasn’t for him when a tall, commanding figure appeared at the entrance.