Breaking Free Before It's Too Late

The next morning, I was rudely awakened by the incessant loud ringing of my phone.

I sleepily opened my eyes and answered the call. At once, Archer's loud roars could be heard through the phone.

"Selene! What's your problem? The wedding is going to start. Are you trying to humiliate me in front of the rest of my family?"

It had already come to this, and yet, Archer was still only thinking about his image and reputation.

Nolan Group had invited press and media to attend the so-called wedding that was held just for the sake of it. So, what did that have to do with me, anyway?

"I remember telling you yesterday that I wanted to call the wedding off."

"What's the point of throwing such a big fuss?" Archer demanded, still not letting it go. "If you're unhappy about the wedding gift, then just tell me about it. There's no point in you threatening me in such a useless and roundabout way.

"If you really don't want to marry me, there are plenty more women in the world who can't wait to get with me. Don't think that you're so important that I can't have anyone else other than you.

"You have exactly one hour to get to the wedding venue. If you don't arrive in time, don't you ever dare show your face before me ever again!"

Archer then hung up after the threat without giving me a chance to explain myself or even get a word in.

I stared at my phone in shock. Then, I recalled him when he was younger—he had held my hand under the bright sun and told me in a gentle voice, "Selene, you'll be the only woman I ever want to marry in my life. There's no one else but you. It can only be you."

I was then immediately brought back to the present. Now, Archer only kept reminding me that I wasn't anyone important in his life.

I figured that I should perhaps make it clearer to him that it was over between us.

I put on some dazzling makeup and managed to make it in time to the hotel where our wedding was being held.

As soon as I alighted from the car, numerous paparazzi rushed toward me and started asking me questions.

"Mrs. Nolan! It's your big day with Mr. Nolan today. How do you feel about it?"

"I heard that you both knew each other since you were kids. Is it true that Mr. Nolan has been treating you as lovingly as he did back then?"

I had no interest in answering any of the loaded questions these people threw at me because I heard someone next to Archer say, "I knew you had a chokehold around your wife. She still came crawling back to you after a simple phone call."

Meanwhile, Archer answered, "Women are easy to handle. As long as you don't spoil her too much, she'll know when to get back in place."

However, when his eyes landed on me, he immediately resumed looking at me coldly and disinterestedly.

"So, you still know how to return to me? Don't think that you can walk over my head just because you got pregnant. Let me tell you, Selene. You're practically nothing without me."

I just stared up at him in silence.

"What are you doing, still standing there like an idiot? Waiting for the others to make a joke out of you?"

Archer gave me an impatient look and shoved me along.

I was caught off balance. With that, under everyone's eyes, I fell heavily to the ground.

My ankle started throbbing painfully. I immediately let out a hiss and moaned in pain.

However, Archer just glared at me and yelled, "Stop pretending and get back up! You're humiliating me!"

I just gave him a wan smile and climbed back onto my feet by myself. However, before I'd even managed to dust my dress off, another person "accidentally" shoved me back onto the ground.