The Day I Died at My Husband's Wedding - Chapter 8: Chapter 8

Jaxon staggered, barely catching himself before he hit the ground.
Assuming he hadn't heard correctly, the staff member on the phone repeated the question patiently.
"You're Olivia's husband, Jaxon Rivers, right?"
"Is Olivia dead?" His voice cracked. "That can't be! There's no way she just—just died like that!"
He was already climbing into his car, ready to speed to the crematory to see for himself.
11:40 PM.
But just as Jaxon turned the ignition, Ruby's breathless voice cut through the night.
She sprinted toward him, throwing herself in front of the car, arms outstretched. Her face was flushed from the effort.
"Jaxon, stop! Olivia's playing you!" she gasped. "It's all a setup—the crematory staff? They're actors she hired!"
Jaxon's grip on the steering wheel tightened, his eyes narrowing to slits.
"Explain. Now."
Before he could process it, Ruby shoved her phone in his face, flashing photos of Olivia cozying up to different men.
"She's faking her death to escape you, Jaxon. So she can run off with whoever she wants." Ruby's voice dripped with fake sympathy. "I've seen her with them for months. I just… didn't want to hurt you."
Jaxon's jaw clenched as he stared at the screen, veins pulsing at his temples.
Ruby pressed on, twisting the knife.
"I know it's brutal, but you deserve the truth. If that baby was really yours, why would she pull this stunt?"
Jaxon's resolve wavered. The longer he looked, the hotter his rage burned.
"Olivia… betrayed me?"
Just then, the crematory staff hesitantly broke in.
"Mr. Rivers, would you still like to collect Ms. Stone's belongings?"
Already seething, Jaxon snapped.
"Cut the act! You're all in on this, aren't you? Keep her crap—throw it out for all I care!"
He hung up before they could respond.
A hollow laugh escaped me.
No parents left. No family in this city. The only person who could lay me to rest was Jaxon—and now, even in death, he'd condemned me to rot in some landfill, my soul forever lost.
Meanwhile, Jaxon's fury still simmered.
Ruby seized the moment, rubbing his back in faux comfort.
"Don't waste your anger on someone who never deserved you, Jaxon. Olivia didn't appreciate you, but I do. I love you." Her voice softened to a whisper. "We could be a family—me, you, and the baby. We'd love you right."
Jaxon stayed silent, lips pressed thin, gently pushing her away.
"I need to talk to Olivia first."
Ruby's smile faltered, but she masked it with understanding.
"I get it. You still care. But maybe if you… let her see you moving on with me, she'll come crawling back." She batted her lashes. "And when she does, I'll step aside. You'd do that, wouldn't you?"
Jaxon gave a stiff nod.
The next week, his barren Instagram exploded with posts—Ruby feeding him strawberries, their fingers laced together, her head on his shoulder. Even a ridiculous shot of her peeling him an apple like it was some grand romantic gesture.
He was baiting me. Waiting for me to storm in, demand answers.
Old me would've.
But now? Silence.
Because while Jaxon played house with Ruby, my ashes were dumped in a garbage heap, rotting in the dark.
Days passed. The unease in Jaxon's gut grew. Something wasn't right.
He hired a PI to track me down.
Then, mid-laugh in a photo booth with Ruby, his phone buzzed.
A message from the investigator:
[Update on your request.]
Attached: a video.
Jaxon's pulse spiked. Finally—answers.
He tapped play.
And the moment the footage loaded, his blood ran cold.