Ch. Called Off the Wedding 3 Called Off the Wedding 3

Chapter 3 

She’d listed the villa for sale at a price well below market value–by tens of thousands, in fact–so it wasn’t long before her inbox filled with messages from eager prospective buyers.} 

By the time Cynthia finished replying to all the inquiries, it was already late into the night.- 

Restless and nowhere near sleep, she opened up a new app that had recently become popular among women. 

She’d barely logged in when a trending post caught her attention: 

“My boyfriend’s getting married in two months. Today, I slept with him at the bridal boutique while he was helping his fiancée try on her wedding dress. It was thrilling–dangerous, but amazing.” 

The comments section was a storm of outrage, with people hurling insults at the original poster. Some even hoped that the algorithm would push the post to the fiancée herself. 

Cynthia’s hand trembled as she tapped into the poster’s profile. 

She scrolled quickly, all the way down to the very first post. There was no caption–just a photo. 

Two hands, fingers tightly intertwined. 

She recognized, instantly, the tiny mole on the man’s index finger and the glint of a ring 

a on his fourth finger!! 

The post was dated six months ago–almost exactly a week before Benedict had proposed to her.” 

Cynthia stared blankly at the matching ring on her own finger, a wave of nausea rising in her chest. 

Without hesitation, she yanked the ring off and tossed it into the toilet, flushing it away. 

Something tainted had no business staying with her. 

Moments later, the original poster updated with a new message. This time, there was no smug triumph–just a desperate plea 8 

“Please stop insulting me. We’ve agreed–he’ll go back to his fiancée, whole and untouched, in a month. 

The attached photo showed a man’s back as he lay on a bed. 

That silhouette was so familiar, it made Cynthia’s skin crawl. 

Go back to her, whole and untouched? 

What a joke. 

In that instant, Cynthia understood why people sometimes laugh when there’s nothing left to say. 

Benedict didn’t come home at all that night. In the morning, he called–offering no explanations, only a brief instruction to meet him at the bridal boutique. 

At the bridal boutique. 

Cynthia arrived a few minutes early. 

Her wedding dress hung in the VIP display room on the third floor, pristine and elegant, untouched by anything unclean.8 

“Miss Tremaine, Mr. Shepard is on his way. Would you like us to help you into your dress how? That way, when he arrives, he can see you looking perfect just as he imagined.”” 

The staff member spoke with gentle respect, though Cynthia caught a flicker of sympathy in her eyes.8. 

Cynthia’s expression remained calm and distant. “No, thank you.” 

She felt sick at the very thought. 

As soon as the words left her lips, a large hand wrapped suddenly around her waist, pulling her against a familiar chest. The scent of his cologne–mixed with a hint of fresh soap–filled her senses.X 

“Why not?” Benedict murmured. “Cyndi, do you have any idea how long I’ve waited for this day? Won’t you wear it for me, just once?” Cynthia turned to look at him. He appeared perfectly composed–not at all like a man who’d spent the night working. She couldn’t help. the cold laugh that echoed in her mind 

He hadn’t come alone. A young wornan trailed not far behind him. 

The girl wore simple light–wash jeans and a crisp white blouse, her smile sweet and innocent, radiating an effortless beauty. 

Cynthia’s gaan drifted past Benedict and landed on the girl, her eyes turning icy. 

Was this another one of their games–another thrill for them to share? 

Benedict caught her glance and tightened his hold, though his expression remained coreless. 

“She’s an inter from one of our partner companies. Reminds me a bit of how you were, years ago. I thought you might like her, so I brought her along to meet you.” 

He beckoned, and the girl hurried over, extending her hand to Cynthia & 

“Hello, Cynthia. I’m Giselle Channing. It’s really nice to meet you“. 

Cynthia didn’t take her hand. She averted her eyes, her tone icy and distanti 

“Giselle Channing? Fitting name. I suppose it’s rare for a man to walk away from an enchanting dream entirely unchanged.” 

The girl’s smile faltered, a hint of hurt flickering across her face. 

“Are you saying I’m good at stealing other women’s men, Cynthia?” 

The grip around Cynthia’s waist tightened painfully. She glanced sideways at Benedict, catching the annoyance in his eyes. He relaxed his hold a little and leaned in to murmur near her ear. 

“Take it out on me later, if you want. Scream, hit, whatever you need. But don’t embarrass the gid–she’s sensitive.” 

“Let’s just try on the dress, okay? 

The staff, shaken from their daze, quickly retrieved the gown and motioned for Cynthia to follow them to the fitting room 3