Chapter 2

My parents stood to the side, their faces already livid.

Mom held back her anger, eyes red-rimmed, and said in a low voice, "Liam, marriage isn't a game. This date was set by both families together. How can it be changed because of one sentence from Lily?"

Liam's tone was flat, even slightly impatient.

"Auntie, I just want to be careful. I don't want our marriage to start off on the wrong foot."

Lily jumped in immediately, her smile sweet and blinding.

"Exactly, Auntie. Emma loves my brother so much—she'll definitely be willing to wait. Right, Emma?"

Everyone's eyes fell on me.

They were waiting for me to compromise. To give in. To do what I'd done for the past five years—swallow every grievance for Liam's sake.

I simply opened my phone and showed them the post I'd just made.

"You can postpone. I won't wait. Someone out there will be willing to register with me today."

Liam's face went dark instantly.

"Emma Blake, are you done? Stop acting like a child and delete that right now."

Lily's smile froze for a moment, a flash of panic darting through her eyes. She quickly put on her wounded expression again.

"Emma, why do this? Over just one year, you'd turn marriage into a joke?"

"You're the ones who turned my marriage into a joke first."

I looked at her coldly, then turned to Liam.

"Why is it that you have to listen to everything Lily says, but you can act like you never heard a word from me?"

"Liam, I'm telling you—postponing one year, I don't agree."

"Today, either we register. Or we're done."

Liam froze for a moment.

He clearly thought I was just throwing a fit.

A patronizing weariness surfaced in his eyes as he reached out to grab me.

"Stop being difficult. Be reasonable. The wedding date's already set, the invitations are out—missing one piece of paperwork won't change anything. What exactly are you insisting on?"

I shook off his hand.

"Don't touch me. Since you won't register with me, you're not my husband. You're just a stranger."

"And I have nothing to say to strangers."

The atmosphere turned to ice.

Both sets of parents exchanged helpless glances, the awkwardness so thick it seemed to freeze the air itself.

Lily bit her lip, feigning concern.

"Emma, do you really want to pressure my brother like this? Making a scene like this—people will only think you're immature and unreasonable."

She paused, her voice soft, but every word barbed.

"Besides, other than my brother, who's really going to treat you well? Don't destroy yourself over one impulsive moment."

She was pretending to advise me, but what she was really doing was elevating Liam while cutting me down.

As if without Liam, I could never find anyone better.

I let out a short laugh.

"My future is none of your concern. Worry about yourself first."

"Enough."

Liam's impatient voice cut through again.

"Emma Blake, I'm saying this one last time. Delete that post and apologize to Lily. Then we can pretend this never happened."

"If you insist on keeping this up, the wedding next month is off."

That was exactly what I wanted to hear.

"Fine."

I looked straight at him, enunciating every word. "You said it, not me. Then it's off."

That single sentence stunned everyone present into silence.

Liam's pupils contracted slightly, his face a mask of disbelief.

He had never imagined that I—docile for five years—would actually hold my ground to the very end.

And he certainly never imagined I would actually say no to the wedding.