The Wedding He Stole for Her Birthday - Chapter 10: Chapter 10

I wasn't in the mood to waste my breath on him.
The icy indifference in my gaze made his pupils shrink. He couldn't wrap his head around how we'd ended up like this.
At first, he'd assumed that once Madeline came back, I'd fall right back into line—docile, obedient, just like before. So, he'd used her to push my buttons, thinking it would keep me under control.
But in the end, he was too busy to spare much thought for a woman. He'd been so damn sure of my love that the idea of me walking away never even crossed his mind.
Now, explaining himself felt harder than closing a billion-dollar deal.
I waited for him to speak, but my patience wore thin fast. I had too much to do—preparing to study abroad, moving on with my life.
When I started to stand, panic flashed in his eyes. His hand shot out, gripping my wrist like a vise, as if that alone could stop me from vanishing. Only when I winced did he finally loosen his hold, muttering, "I'm sorry."
I smirked, lips curling. "Well, well. The great President Alexander, apologizing to little old me? Should I feel honored? Fall to my knees in gratitude and say, 'It's okay,' just to ease your conscience?"
I raised my hand, showing the faint pink scar. "Sorry to disappoint, but I don't accept it."
"And just so we're clear—I don't want to see you. Stop harassing Tristan. If you have even an ounce of decency left, leave me the hell alone."
I turned on my heel and walked away without a backward glance.
But two steps in, his arms locked around me from behind, pulling me into a crushing embrace.
"Scarlett, I love you. Don't do this."
The man who'd once ruled with an iron grip now buried his face in my neck, his voice trembling like he was on the verge of breaking. The raw desperation caught me off guard—just long enough that I didn't shove him away immediately.
"We had a misunderstanding. Let me explain."
"I messed up. I didn't think about how you felt. I took Madeline's word for everything because… I thought you did those things because you loved me. It made me happy. I never blamed you. You were never a replacement—you were always the one I wanted."
"After what you said last time, I finally saw how wrong I was. I had no idea what they were doing behind my back. Scarlett, please… give me another chance."
"The wedding? Madeline's parents died saving me on her birthday. She begged me to celebrate it with her. The doctors said your mom was stable—if I'd known what would happen, I would've chosen you in a heartbeat."
His words hit like a knife to the chest, stealing my breath.
Before I could stop myself, I flung my iced Americano straight into his face.
As he stared at me, shock and a flicker of fury in his eyes, I let out a bitter laugh.
"Can't take it?"
"Try living it. Thanks to your blind trust in her, I've endured worse a thousand times over."
When we first got together, Alexander had shielded me. I was untouchable.
Then Madeline happened.
I fought like hell to clear my name—bruised, battered, even called the cops. But with one dismissive "Stop making a scene," Alexander sealed my fate.
I became the laughingstock. The villain.
And every time after that? Madeline's schemes were so obvious a child could've seen through them.
Yet Alexander always took her side.
Every sleepless night, every moment of suffocating pain—