He Invited Me to His Wedding Novel Chapter 1 – My boyfriend had always been against marriage.
We’d been together ten years, and I’d long since accepted we might stay this way, together, just not
married”’
Then one day, he handed me a wedding invitation.
On it were his name and another woman’ s.
“Grace’s been diagnosed with stomach cancer,” Ethan said softly. “All she wants before she goes is to walk
down the aisle in a wedding dress.”
“Don’t worry,” he added quickly, seeing my shock. “It’s just a symbolic ceremony to fulfill her dream. I’ m
not actually marrying her – we won’t be getting a license. After the wedding, everything will go back to how it was.”
When I didn’t respond, Ethan’ s tone hardened.
“You’ll be at the head table, sitting with my parents. What more could you possibly want?”
That was the moment I truly saw him for who he was.
–
Fine then if he could hold a wedding with someone else, I could damn well get my own marriage license with someone else.
It wasn’t like Lily Bennett couldn’t get married.
But on the day of his pretend wedding…
He disappeared.
Today was supposed to be our tenth anniversary.
I’d ordered a cake from Bluebell Bakery, bought a bouquet of his favorite white roses, and planned a quiet celebration at home.
Ethan came back later than usual, his face unreadable. As soon as he stepped through the door, he handed me an envelope tied with a neat satin bow.
My heart lifted
–
maybe he’d actually prepared a surprise this time.
“Whose wedding invitation is this?” I asked with a smile. “One of your buddies finally tying the knot?”
But when I saw the names
–
Ethan Cole and Grace Miller – the smile froze on my face.
“What the hell is this supposed to mean?”
“Grace and I are having a wedding next week,” he said matter-of-factly.
“You’ll sit with the groom’s side. I’ll have you at the head table”.”
They say laughter can come from pure disbelief- turns out, that’s true.
“Ethan,” I asked quietly, “what am I to you?”
“You’ re my girlfriend, of course!”
“Then why am I the last person to find out you’ re getting married?”
–
No wonder his friends had been teasing him at that dinner last week congratulating him, trading knowing looks when I asked what for.
He’d already decided.
So So his so-called rule about never getting married only applied to me.
Ethan placed his hands on my shoulders.
“Lily, calm down. It’s not what you think.”
He took a breath.
“Grace’s been diagnosed with stomach cancer. Her one wish is to wear a wedding dress and have the
wedding she never got to have.”
“I’m just helping her fulfill that dream. I’m not signing any papers with her. After the wedding, we’ll go
back to normal.”
I stepped back, a brittle laugh escaping me.
“Stomach cancer? That’s just her excuse to trap you into marrying her.”
“She’s perfectly healthy
she just had an endoscopy at Riverton Medical Center last week. My best friend,
Dr. Emma Collins, did the procedure herself. Grace doesn’t have cancer.
Ethan’s face darkened.
“Lily, I know you never liked Grace, but no one would joke about something like this.”
“I’m telling the truth-”
“Enough!” he snapped. “I won’t let your jealousy make you lash out at her.”
I drew in a deep breath, forcing myself to stay composed.
“Ethan,” I said quietly, “do you even remember what day it is today?”