"Coming to a bridal shop? Of course—we're also here to try on wedding dresses."
Hearing my voice, Andrew suddenly raised his head. He stood abruptly and walked over.
"Elena?"
A disdainful snort-laugh. "I didn't expect you to have some tricks. Just a few days after the divorce, you already hooked another man."
"But your acting is too clumsy. You want to use this man as cover to stalk me—do you think I can't tell?"
I stayed silent.
After all, this kind of thing had happened before. In the period when Andrew had just started cheating, I was like I'd been possessed—crazily stalking him, crazily wanting to catch evidence, like self-abuse.
But every time, what I got in return was him hurting me even more recklessly.
He went from hiding it at the beginning, cheating in secret, to being brazen and self-righteous—even right in front of me, taking Sophie to a sex hotel to get a room. Or coming to the house, deliberately editing sex videos and sending them to me.
Calling it, in a nice-sounding way, "letting me appreciate them."
But from the moment of the divorce, I had already ended the self-abuse—and drawn a clear line with him.
My expression didn't waver. "You misunderstood. I'm getting married."
"Married?"
Andrew looked like he'd just heard the funniest joke of his life.
"You? Do you dare let this guy see what you look like without makeup?"
He turned to Luke, voice dripping with mockery.
"Fair warning, buddy—you might want to see Elena's real face before you commit to anything. Trust me, once that makeup comes off, you'll think you're staring at a ghost."
"I'm her ex-husband. I stared at that face for five years straight. I know exactly what's under there. Consider yourself warned."
Luke stood off to the side, a half-smile playing on his lips as he glanced at me.
"Ah, Mr. James. What a coincidence."
He pulled out a wedding invitation and extended it toward Andrew.
"I was planning to have this delivered to your place, but since we ran into you—saves me a trip."
"Elena and I are getting married next month. You're welcome to attend."
Andrew's face went white.
He stared at the invitation for a long moment, then let out a cold laugh.
"Elena, I have to hand it to you—your game has seriously leveled up. The acting, the props... you really went all out with a fake wedding invitation. Is there anything you won't do?"
"You might fool other people, but you can't fool me."