Six Times He Left Her at the Altar. The Seventh, I Stopped Waiting.

I put on a wedding dress six times. Six times, I was left standing at the ceremony. The first time, Leah, the girl Cade always paid extra attention to, threw a tantrum and ran away from home. He abandoned a room full of guests and drove out of the city in the middle of the night to find her. The second time, Leah came down with a fever. He sat by her bed for three days and three nights straight. ... The sixth time, Leah wanted to go on a date with Daniel Carter and insisted Cade come along to vet him. Once again, he left me behind. Before the seventh ceremony, I was diagnosed with cancer. Late stage. When Cade came to see me, I begged him with red eyes. "I'm dying. Just this once, please don't leave me again. Okay?" Before I could finish, Leah's assistant came running in, out of breath. "Mr. Russell, Leah's engagement is today and she's so nervous she can barely function. She wants you to come be with her." Cade didn't hesitate for a second. He turned to me. "Celine, being mad is one thing, but don't go cursing yourself." "Go wait for me at the ceremony. I'll be right back." For the first time, I asked the question I'd been hiding for three years, too afraid to say out loud. "Cade, do you really love Leah that much?" Cade blinked, then shook his head firmly. "Celine, I don't love Leah." "But she saved my life. I made her a promise back then. Until she was truly settled, whatever she needed, I'd be there." "Now that it's out in the open, stop being upset. Once Leah's wedding is finalized, the promise is done. After that, it's just you and me." So Cade did love me after all. He just assumed we had all the time in the world. That I'd be standing there in my wedding dress, same spot, waiting for him to come back. Just like the first six times. But this time, I wasn't going to the ceremony to wait for him. Chapter 1 Cade left without looking back. I curled my fingers tight without thinking. His scent still hung in the air. I couldn't even muster the strength to take one more breath. Nina saw my red eyes and couldn't stand it. "Celine, are you still gonna go wait for Cade at the ceremony?" I shook my head. "No." I used to think we had time too. That's why I was willing to wait. Now I understood. This was God's will. If even God didn't want me dragging him down, who was I to fight it? I went through the things Cade and the Russell family had entrusted to me over the past three years one more time. Ordinary gifts didn't need to go back. But the engagement ring and several pieces of Russell family heirloom jewelry would have to be returned once the engagement was called off. These had been kept in separate vaults, and a couple of pieces had been sent out for maintenance. I went through them one by one and made a list. I handed the list to my parents and Nina. "My body's getting worse by the day. The smallest thing leaves me in pain. Getting these pieces back together is going to have to fall on you." "Once the engagement is canceled, return everything along with the ring. I don't want anything left unclear." "The maintenance costs, the retrieval, the cancellation fees, pay for all of it from my couture studio account." Nina frowned. "Celine, you're really not doing the ceremony?" When I first found out I didn't have long, I couldn't accept it either. Locked myself in my room for days. Didn't eat. Didn't drink. Threw fits and begged my parents to bring in every well-known doctor they could find. They came, one after another. Every single one read my reports, and every single one just shook their head. Slowly, I made my peace with it. Now my heart was perfectly still. Not even a ripple. "I'm not doing it." "I could go any day. Why drag him into it?" "Making him watch his newly married wife die in front of him? That's too cruel." My father turned away, eyes red, his voice tight. "Fine. Whatever you want." "If the ceremony's off, the ring and the Russell heirlooms should go back." "But your mother and I are still here. We're not touching your money. Keep it for yourself." "Whatever needs paying, I'll handle it." My father is the chairman of the Winston Group and the trustee of the family trust. But I knew he barely had any cash left. These past years, hurricanes, wildfires, and floods had hit one after another. My father had donated most of his corporate dividends to disaster relief funds. My mother sold off her best jewelry to support him through charity auctions. I used to resent him for it. Our own family scraping by while he took care of everyone else. Then the specialists started showing up and refusing payment. They'd come through the medical foundation my father had funded. That's when I understood. He was right all along. Goodness does come back to you. So I stopped blaming him. I pressed the studio's ownership transfer papers into his hand and smiled. "Once I'm gone, none of this comes with me. What's the point of keeping it?" "Dad, spend it. Just save enough for the funeral." My father finally broke. Tears streamed down his face. "Celine, I'm useless. I can't even fix what's killing you." "I'm going to tell Cade the truth right now. Even if the ceremony's off, he should at least be there with you until the end." "I won't let him waste the love you gave him!" I panicked so hard I coughed up blood. "Dad, don't." "If he knows, I'll have too much to hold on to. I won't be able to close my eyes when it's time. You want that for me?" "Please. Listen to me this once. A clean break is better than a slow one. Tell him after I'm gone." My whole life, I'd rarely gone against my parents. And I'd almost never asked them for anything. This was the first time. No matter how much it hurt them, they agreed. The morning had worn me out completely. This wrecked body had nothing left. I sent the family away and was about to rest when Cade showed up. And for the first time ever, he brought Leah with him. Chapter 2 Nina was worried I'd be mistreated. The second she heard, she came in right behind them. She planted herself in front of my bed. "Cade, the ceremony's already off. And you're still bringing this woman who's been milking a favor for years to my sister's face? What's that supposed to mean?" I struggled to sit up and pulled Nina behind me. "Nina, Leah saved Cade's life. You can't talk about her like that." Nina has a temper. Any other day, she wouldn't have backed down. But the doctors had warned her. With how sick I was, the last thing I needed was stress. No matter how furious she was, she swallowed it. For me. I patted Nina's shoulder, then turned to Cade. "Cade, I woke up with a bit of a fever this morning. Not feeling great." "Let's push the ceremony back a few days." "Leah's wedding just got set. She's probably nervous. Spend the next few days with her." "I've got Dad and Mom and Nina. Don't worry about me." Cade's eyes went red. He turned to Leah, almost proud. "See, Leah? Told you. Celine's the most understanding person you'll ever meet. You didn't believe me. Had to come apologize yourself." Leah fidgeted with her sleeve, looking guilty. "The more understanding Celine is, the worse I feel." "Don't blame me. I was the one who asked Cade not to say anything. I was scared you'd think I was using the favor to control him." "I never thought it would cause problems between you two." "I feel awful about it." "Actually, the reason I asked Cade to bring me today... there's one more thing I wanted to ask. I know it's a lot." I paused. So he wasn't here to do our ceremony. He was here to help Leah ask for something. I'd been reading too much into it. Nina caught on and let out a cold laugh. "If you know you're asking a lot, why all the buildup?" Cade jumped in. "Celine, it's really not a big deal. Leah's hoping the Winston family can show up at her pre-wedding dinner and the ceremony itself. Basically vouch for her with the Carter family." "You know the guy I set her up with, right? Daniel Carter. He's got the name but no inheritance, and the Carters care about nothing more than pedigree and social standing." "Leah's father has never publicly acknowledged her. She's worried that once she's officially in the Carter circle, she'll always be seen as someone who married up." "Think of it as doing me a favor. Just show up as friends at the dinner. That's all." Nina laughed, the angry kind. "Oh, so a girl whose own father won't even claim her publicly wants the Winston family to back her up? And you call that not a big deal?" Leah's father came from an old-money family in another state that had long since faded. But he'd never publicly claimed her. In social circles, everyone was polite to her face. But they all knew. She and her mother had never been written into the family trust. Never formally used that last name. That background had always been Leah's sore spot. Nina dragged it into the light without blinking, and Leah looked like she wanted the ground to swallow her. Cade watched her squirm, his eyes soft with pity. "Nina, you don't have to be so harsh." "Leah's background is complicated, sure. But that's not something she chose. Having the Winstons show up once isn't going to hurt your reputation." Nina was ready to explode. "Cade, if you care about her that much, why don't you have your own family back her up?" "You, the CEO of the Russell Group, personally escorting her to the Carter dinner? That's way more weight than anything we could offer!" Cade smiled awkwardly. "Nina, you know how things are at my house." "I just took over as CEO. The board is watching everything. The family trust trustees are against me publicly backing a woman I've been linked to in the tabloids for years. It would only make things worse." Cade grabbed my ice-cold hand, pleading. "Celine, I'm begging you." "I've spent years keeping my promise to her. I can't have it end with people calling me ungrateful." "Your family just needs to show up as personal friends. I'll cover everything for Leah's ceremony. You won't spend a cent." I gently shook my head. "You don't need to bother with that." "I have a few pieces of formal jewelry that would work perfectly. I can lend them to Leah." "Officially vouching for her would be too far, but I can go to the Carter dinner with her as a longtime friend of the Winston family." Cade relaxed. Then it hit him. "Celine, hold on. That jewelry set is your favorite. You can't just hand it over for someone else's event." "And the engagement ring. If you return that along with everything else, everyone's going to know you're canceling the engagement..." Chapter 3 That was exactly what I wanted. Only if everyone knew the engagement was over would Cade be free to marry someone else without carrying a mess from the past. But I didn't say that. I made up an excuse. "Cade, I'm thinking of you here." "Leah's making her first real entrance into the Carter circle. She can't show up looking like she doesn't belong. Let her borrow the jewelry for now. Once our ceremony's done, you can replace them. Simple." Cade hesitated, then nodded. "You always think of everything." I forced myself upright. "Come on, let me show you the pieces." "You can check which ones came from the Russell family so we know what needs to go back later." Cade frowned. "Celine, aside from the ring and the family heirlooms, everything else is yours now. Do whatever you want with it. Nothing to replace." The words slipped out before I could stop them. "Everything that should go back, will. One piece short is one piece owed. I don't want things getting messy later." Cade stopped dead. "Celine, we're about to get married. Why are you keeping score?" I caught my mistake. "Of course I'm keeping score. That way you owe me more. Once we're married, you'll have to pay me back double." Cade finally relaxed, taking it as a joke. "Deal. Whatever you say." "Double? No. Ten times." Cade went with Leah to look at the jewelry. Leah was beaming, clinging to his arm, chattering nonstop. They looked more like a couple than Cade and I ever did. Nina was grinding her teeth. "Sis, this is insane. Why did you say yes?" My voice was calm. "I don't want to owe him." From the moment Cade and I met at a charity gala five years ago, he'd given me everything he had. Back then I hadn't been diagnosed yet. I was just always a little unwell. Cade, who'd never done anything but race cars and hit up nightclubs, started going to hospitals with me, studying my test results, even learning basic care. He looked after me like it was his entire purpose. My father thought he was reckless, unreliable. Refused to let me see him. So Cade worked himself half to death. Took over the Russell Group. Won over the board and secured the trust. Became one of the youngest CEOs in the industry. Then he showed up at our door, proper and formal, and asked my father for his blessing. Two years ago, my father was framed by a business rival. Accused of embezzling disaster relief funds. Nearly destroyed. The entire Winston Group almost went down with him. It was Cade who ran himself ragged, found the evidence, cleared my father's name, and saved our family's reputation. He'd done more than enough for me and my family. When you're about to die, you don't want to leave with debts still hanging. Leah's shriek pulled me out of my thoughts. She was standing in front of my wedding dress, eyes shining. "Celine, your dress is gorgeous!" "Cade, I want one exactly like this." Cade nodded gently. "Sure. I'll have one made for you." Nina scoffed. "Cade, my sister sewed that dress by hand. Stitch by stitch." "Her craftsmanship? You couldn't find a second person in this entire city who could pull it off." "Maybe tell Leah to pick something else." The light in Leah's eyes went out. She laughed at herself, quiet and sad. "Forget it, Cade. Custom work like that was never meant for someone like me." Cade's heart visibly ached. He rubbed her head, then turned to me. "Celine, Leah's wedding is next week. Is there time to make her a dress?" Nina shot to her feet. "Cade, my sister started sewing that dress the day you came to our door with the proposal. It took her a full year!" "One week? Are you out of your mind?" "We're already letting her use the Winston name. That's more than generous. And now you want my sister to make her a wedding dress? Who does she think she is?" Leah's voice went small. "Cade, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. This kind of thing was never in the cards for me." Nina didn't leave her an inch. "Leah, you're apologizing to the wrong person. The one you're putting out is my sister." "And your bad luck is your parents' problem, not ours. What's with the sad face? We don't owe you a thing." I saw the way Cade was looking at Leah. I stopped Nina, took the dress off its hanger, and held it out. "Making one from scratch? No time." "But since Cade asked, I'll give you this one." Leah and I had similar builds. A few alterations from a tailor and it would fit her perfectly. Chapter 4 I'd already made up my mind not to hold the ceremony. The dress was just going to hang there. Might as well use it to do one last thing for Cade. But my generosity didn't sit well with him. "Celine, quit being petty." "If you give the dress away, what are you wearing in three days?" His voice went cold for the first time as he turned to Leah. "And you, stop with the kicked-puppy act. You're putting Celine in a tough spot." "I'll get the best designer to make you a new one. End of story." Cade pushed the dress back toward me. I didn't take it. I played it light. "It's fine. We go back years. I trust you." "Even without a dress, you wouldn't drop me. Right?" Cade nodded without a beat of hesitation. "Of course not." "Celine, in this lifetime, you're the only wife I'll ever have." Then he handed the dress to Leah. "Since Celine said it's okay, take it." "But don't take advantage of her kindness. Stay here tonight, and don't cause her any more trouble." Leah nodded sweetly. I thought that was the end of it. I underestimated how far people would go. That night, crashing and banging came from Leah's guest room. I rushed over. Before I could ask a word, she shoved a torn strip of fabric into my hands. Right on cue, Cade arrived. Leah threw herself into his arms, shaking. "Cade, Celine lied to us. She never stopped being angry." "The second you left, she smashed the engagement gifts the Russell family sent, dragged the wedding dress across the floor and stomped on it. She said she'd never let me have what I wanted." "Cade, I don't need the Winston name anymore. Just take me away from here." I hadn't even opened my mouth when Cade snapped. "Celine, I never thought you'd turn this petty!" "Agreeing to my face and sabotaging behind my back? How small can you be?" "I already explained everything. You put up with it for years. You can't handle a few more days?" "Forget it. I'm taking Leah. No more trouble for you." I suddenly didn't feel like explaining. My whole life, I'd lived honestly. Nobody had ever had a bad word to say about me. And the person who knew me best just called me petty. The irony was real. The hurt was real. And the refusal to defend myself was real too. I waved my hand, exhausted. "Think whatever you want." Watching them leave, Nina was seething. "Sis, what is wrong with that girl?" "You already let her use the Winston name. You gave her the dress. She could walk into that ceremony with her head held high. What's the point of this stunt?" I shook my head. "I don't know. But I've never done anything to her. She wouldn't frame me for no reason. She's after something else." Sure enough, the next morning, Cade came to find me. He still reeked of alcohol. His eyes were full of guilt he couldn't explain. He stammered for a long time before he finally got the words out. "Celine, I did something terrible." "After I took Leah from your place last night, I brought her back to the hotel where she'd been staying for the engagement. I was only going to have a few drinks with her, calm her down." "But then..." I understood instantly. I finished the sentence for him. "You slept with her. Right?" Cade turned red to his ears. "Celine, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." "We were both drunk. But it happened. I can't pretend it didn't." "The Carters already know. They're calling off the engagement. Leah's the talk of the town now. I need to deal with this first. Can the ceremony... wait one more time?" That sentence hurt more than every time he'd left me at the altar. But it also set me free. Cade did love me. But I wasn't irreplaceable. And now there was someone willing to go this far to be with him. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing. If Leah could scheme this hard to stay by his side, she probably did care about him. In her own way. She'd take care of him. She'd stay. That was enough for me. So I stopped hiding. My voice was calm. "Cade, you've already slept with Leah. She lost her engagement with the Carters because of it. If all you do is smooth things over with them and leave her hanging, that's not enough." "If you've decided to take care of her, then be with her." "I'm willing to step aside." Chapter 5 "Celine, what did you just say?!" Cade's eyes were wide with shock. He thought he'd misheard. He asked again. I repeated it patiently. Not a ripple in my voice. "I said I'm stepping aside. If you've decided to take care of Leah, then be with her." Cade looked like he'd lost his mind. He grabbed my shoulders, eyes red and terrifying. "Celine, I know I messed up. But I already apologized. Do you really have to say something this hurtful?" I kept my voice even. "Cade, I'm not trying to hurt you." "I just think seven missed ceremonies is God telling us we aren't meant to be." "If that's how it is, maybe we should stop fighting it." Cade kept shaking his head. "No. We haven't missed anything. And there's no such thing as not meant to be." He let go of me suddenly, turned, and practically fled out the door. All he left behind was one sentence. "Celine, I don't believe in God." "And I'm not leaving it up to fate." "Three days from now, I'm coming back. The ceremony happens. You're my wife. No one else." "I hope by then you've come to your senses and stopped fighting me on this." Watching Cade stumble away, Nina let out a heavy sigh. "He's scared, sis." "He doesn't even have the guts to stay. He's terrified you'll say no again." "What do we do? Should I go after him and tell him the truth?" I opened my mouth to answer, then coughed up blood. The strength drained out of me like someone had pulled a plug. I collapsed to the floor. I managed a faint smile. "Don't, Nina. Stay with me." "I don't think I'm going to make it three more days." "When the time comes, he'll understand on his own. No need to waste the words." Nina held me tight, sobbing. "Okay. Whatever you say, sis." "If there's anything you still want, anything at all, just tell me." Anything I still wanted? There was so much. Dad said I was too slow with the company books. He promised to teach me himself. I never learned. Mom brought back two baby chicks from a farm in the country. Said she'd raise them and make me the best soup in the world. They haven't even grown yet. I promised Nina I'd help her vet her future husband. Screen him for her. Now I'd never get the chance. And Cade. He said after the ceremony, he'd take me to see the city where he'd started his business. I never got to see his vineyard and winery. How could I be dying? But I buried it all, so my family wouldn't hurt more than they already did. A thousand thoughts compressed into one sentence. "Nina, take me to the house in the country." Dad was getting old. Mom wasn't well. I didn't want to die at home and ruin the place for them. But I knew if I said that, they'd never let me go. So I lied. "I don't want Cade showing up and making a scene the next few days." "He's gonna kill me with stress before the cancer does." Nina didn't question it. She nodded hard. "Okay, sis. I'll go with you." As we pulled away, it started to snow. The first snow of winter. Probably the last snow I'd ever see. I rolled down the window and reached out. A single snowflake landed in my palm. This city's snow carried love and resentment, memories and hope. But soon it wouldn't belong to me anymore. The moment the snowflake melted, a familiar voice rang out from outside the car. "Nina, where are you headed?" "Who's in the car?"