Beyond Love

ARIANA POV

“Do you, Ariana Greg, accept Cole Bryson as your lawfully wedded husband?” the pastor asked, his voice calm and steady.

“Yes, I do,” I answered happily, my lips stretching into a smile as I looked at Cole standing before me. He looked breathtaking in his tailored suit, his eyes locked on mine, filled with warmth and promise. The kind of look that made you believe forever was real.

“And do you, Cole Bryson, accept Ariana Greg as your lawfully wedded wife?” the pastor continued.

“Yes, I…”

“Ariana! Ariana, wake up! Wake up and see this news!”

I felt someone shake me hard. My eyes flew open as I gasped, my heart pounding violently against my chest. The image of the altar vanished, replaced by the dim light of my bedroom and the frantic face hovering over me.

Oh my God… it was a dream.

I sucked in a sharp breath, pressing a hand to my chest as I tried to calm my racing heart. My pillow was damp with sweat, and my body still felt warm from the illusion of standing beside Cole, waiting for him to say those final words.

I lifted my head and saw Lyra standing by my bed, her phone clutched tightly in her hand, her face pale and tense.

My eyes hardened immediately.

“Lyra, what kind of nonsense is this?” I snapped, my voice rising despite the lingering sleep in it. “Why did you wake me up like this?”

She didn’t answer immediately, just stared at me with a look I couldn’t understand, fear mixed with pity.

“I was dreaming about Cole and me,” I continued angrily, sitting up. “We were getting married. It just remained for him to say yes. I swear, Lyra, I will beat you to death if you keep disturbing my sleep like this.”

I swung my legs off the bed, about to stand, when she suddenly shoved her phone in front of my face.

I froze.

My entire body went stiff as my eyes focused on the screen.

“Lyra… what’s this?” My voice dropped to a whisper. “Is this one of your stupid pranks? Stop it.”

The picture was clear. Too clear. A wedding hall decorated lavishly. Flowers everywhere. Guests seated. And there, standing at the altar, was Cole.

My Cole.

Beside him was another woman, dressed in white.

“I know you probably photoshopped this,” I said quickly, shaking my head. “You always do things like this. It’s not funny.”

“No, I didn’t,” Lyra said softly. “I know your boyfriend is a cheat. This is all over the internet. Everyone is talking about it. It’s hot news right now. People are commenting a lot of shit about it.”

Her words felt distant, like they were coming from underwater.

“You must be joking,” I laughed nervously.

“Cole went to his grandparents’ house. They live out of the city. He must already be on his way back now.” I swallowed. “We talked this morning.”

“Sister,” Lyra said, her voice breaking. “stop deceiving yourself.”

“I’m not deceiving myself,” I snapped, though my hands had started trembling. “I know my Cole would never do this. He will never marry someone other than me.”

She sighed and took the phone back from me, scrolling before shoving it in my face again.

“It was posted on his official Instagram. The wedding. His parents. Everyone from his family is there. Maybe you should look at the picture again.”

I stared harder this time.

The groom’s smile. The familiar tilt of his head. His parents were seated proudly in the front row. The George family’s emblem displayed behind the altar.

No… no, this can’t be happening.

My chest tightened painfully. My throat burned as if something heavy was lodged there. Yes, Cole loves me. He loves me. He wouldn’t do this.

“That’s right,” I said suddenly, forcing a smile. “He loves me. This must be content. Yes, it’s content. Some kind of publicity stunt.” I nodded repeatedly, trying to convince myself.

“I can never doubt Cole. A relationship without trust won’t last. I believe in him. I believe in us.”

Lyra looked at me like she wanted to cry.

“Sis… I think you should call him.”

“Why should I?” I replied sharply. “I trust my man. I love him a lot. I can never doubt him.” I lifted my hand and shoved my engagement ring toward her face. “Look at this. Don’t forget we’re engaged. The whole world knows he proposed to me. They know how much he loves me.”

My voice cracked, but I ignored it.

“He said after he comes back, he would come with his parents to our house to discuss our wedding,” I continued stubbornly. “So I won’t call. I will wait for him to explain everything.”

Without warning, Lyra grabbed my phone from the bedside table and dialed Cole’s number.

“Stop it!” I hissed, my voice shaking now.

Panic crawled up my spine. Even as I protested, part of me desperately wanted to hear his voice, wanted him to laugh and tell me this was all a misunderstanding.

The phone rang. Once. Twice. My heart hammered violently. Then the call connected. Lyra shoved the phone into my trembling hand.

“Hello,” he said.

His pleasant voice poured through the speaker, familiar and warm, and something inside me shattered instantly.

“Cole…” My voice came out small, broken.

“I saw something on the internet just now. About you having a wedding with the George family’s only daughter.” I swallowed hard. “Is it true?”

There was silence. A long, deadly silence that screamed louder than any denial. My mind went blank.

The room started spinning. The walls seemed to close in on me as my grip on the phone loosened. I heard Lyra calling my name, her voice distant and panicked, but I couldn’t respond.

The last thing I felt was my heart breaking into pieces, and then everything went dark.