The Abandoned Bride's Flash Marriage - Chapter 7: Chapter 7

"Zach, eat your food," Victor said, dropping a shrimp onto Gwyneth's plate.
Even with Victor trying to control the meal, dinner still turned into an awkward silence. When they left, Zachary dropped Gwyneth off at the bus stop without a word and peeled away in his car.
Gwyneth was unfazed. She quietly returned to the hotel and didn't reach out to Zachary again. She threw herself into wrapping up her affairs, erasing every trace of her life in Galvocity.
Occasionally, she'd pull up the messages from Bella. The messages laid out every detail of Bella and Zachary's recent activities with crystal-clear clarity.
When heartbreak turned to numbness, even the gravest offenses seemed just amusing. Bella's incessant texts had devolved into a pathetic farce. Gwyneth never replied, only saving screenshots as silent ammunition for the future.
Monday dawned at last.
Gwyneth's flight was scheduled for 11:30 AM, and she rose early to finish packing. Just as she headed downstairs for breakfast, Zachary swiped into her room with a spare keycard. His suit was immaculate, but his expression promised a storm.
She instinctively hid her suitcase behind her, a jolt of panic shooting through her—she had barely ever been apart from Zachary.
Once, after a blazing argument, he'd got drunk and grabbed her hand, saying if she ever tried to leave, he'd drag her back and lock her up at home—never let her set foot outside for the rest of her life.
Back then, her love was so deep that even his cruelest words felt like sweet whispers. Now, they left only a bitter aftertaste of revulsion.
Zachary's glare was scorching. Two days of Gwyneth's radio silence had set his nerves on edge. The sight of her standing there—still, almost compliant—eased the vice around his chest.
"Leave the luggage. Abel will collect it. Let's go get our marriage license," he said.
For years, Gwyneth had fantasized about marrying him. But now, all she felt was a hollow emptiness. She adjusted her backpack and eyed the hand reaching toward her, saying, "Hold up. There's somewhere I need to take you first."
Zachary lifted his wrist to check the time, his voice carrying an unusual hint of patience. "Alright, but don't take too long. I've got a meeting at ten."
'So he's squeezing in a marriage license between his million-dollar meetings? How touching,' Gwyneth thought sarcastically.
The car rolled to a stop in the old part of town, where crumbling cobblestones lined ramshackle cottages. Ever since this area became a tourist trap, Gwyneth and Zachary hadn't set foot here.
"Why here?" Zachary killed the engine and furrowed his strong brows. That hollow, panicky feeling was bubbling up again. He instinctively grabbed Gwyneth's hand and held it tight in his palm—only then did he feel steady.
Gwyneth didn't pull away. Instead, she lifted her other hand and pointed toward a distant park, which used to be a basketball court.
She began, "Back in sophomore year, some guy from the neighboring school was hitting on me. You got so mad you challenged him to a three-on-three basketball game. You won, but ended up breaking your leg. You cried like a baby and told me to take responsibility.
"During freshman year, the night we started dating, you dragged me here at midnight. You set off fireworks and proposed to me. I started school early, so I was only seventeen then. You were so impatient, saying we had to lock it in first."
"Gwennie, is something wrong?" Zachary asked, his voice laced with worry.
Jolted out of her nostalgia, Gwyneth turned to face him. "Our first big fight over Bella happened right here. You left me at this half-demolished court. I'm directionally challenged—it took two hours to walk home, blisters all over my feet."
Since then, she'd never set foot there again.
Zachary felt a vise grip his heart. He pulled her into a hug. "Gwennie, that's ancient history. The only reason I helped Bella was—"
Gwyneth gently extricated herself, withdrew her hand, and strode ahead. "Let's check out the new park. Heard they kept the old food stalls. Haven't eaten there in ages—let's grab something."
Zachary pushed down the feelings welling up inside and followed after her.
The streets were tourist-free at dawn, but breakfast vendors were already steaming—this was the neighborhood's real pulse.
Suddenly, a cook dumped greasy dishwater, creating oily rainbows on the pavement.
Zachary furrowed his brows and pulled Gwyneth closer while stepping aside. "It's our day, Gwennie. Once we get our marriage license, I'll take you out for lobster. Do we have to eat here?"
Gwyneth's thoughts wandered back to the past. Back when Zachary was just the overlooked bastard son of Galvocity's tycoon, he had taken her to every food stall in this place—stuffing muffins in their mouths as they biked, weaving through the sweaty summer crowds.
Now, Everprosper Group's empire had polished him into the Flynn family's golden heir. But he'd forgotten where he came from, and the promises he made to her.
"I want this. Today," Gwyneth insisted.
Her sudden defiance caught Zachary off guard. They'd been together for over a decade—she'd always been spoiled but full of life, orbiting his world without question. But somewhere along the way, things had shifted, and he couldn't pinpoint when.
He recalled the incident at the Flynn manor. The old Gwyneth would've never have embarrassed him in front of the entire family. She knew better than anyone what mattered to him.
Gwyneth settled onto a wobbly stool and ordered a round of muffins and puddings.
Zachary accepted the spoon she offered, his heart feeling emptier by the second. "I'm having Abel transfer Bella today. Soon it'll just be us, like before."
In his world, Gwyneth could always act recklessly, but she could only belong to him—that was non-negotiable.
"Eat up. We need to make the City Hall by ten," he added, his tone carrying an edge of impatience.
'Like before?' Gwyneth's chest constricted.
Just then, a jarring ringtone cut through the moment—the special one Zachary had set for Bella.
There was that time when Bella had an episode and called him in distress, but his phone was on silent and he missed it. Afterward, he'd sat outside Bella's hospital room, clawing at his hair in frustration.
That same night, Gwyneth had watched him hover over Bella's hospital bed, and for the first time, seen something in his eyes that wasn't for her.
"Answer the phone," Gwyneth said, not looking up from her food.
Zachary stared at her perfect face. The constant ringing made him more and more frustrated. Finally, he picked up. "Bella, I'm swamped today. If you need help, call Abel. He can—"
Abel's voice came through the line. "Mr. Flynn, Ms. Emerson worked nonstop in the garden, trying to please Ms. Jenkins. She ignored her asthma attack until she passed out. We took her to the ER. She told me not to call you, but... her condition is critical."
Zachary's face turned serious. "I'm on my way right now."
After hanging up, he looked at Gwyneth with a cold intensity. "I'll restore the garden to its original state. Was it really necessary to give Bella such a hard time over something so small? Let's put off getting the marriage license."
With that, he turned and walked away without another word. Once again, he left Gwyneth alone in the very spot where he'd promised they'd get married that day.
Watching Zachary walk away, Gwyneth felt an odd sense of calm. She used to wonder if he'd treat her the same if she fell ill, too. But now the thought seemed ridiculous. He'd sworn to love her yet broke his promises—he wasn't worth it.
The muffins were still steaming, fogging her vision. She finished them in silence, walked the path she had planned, then packed her bags and headed straight for the airport.