Chapter 9 Wedding's Off

The room seemed to shrink around Katy as Dario's smug grin anchored her in a storm of chaos. The murmurs in the congregation swelled into waves of disbelief and whispers, punctuated by gasps. Eyes darted between Katy, Dario, and Tom, the tension unbearable.

"Surprised to see me, Katy?" Dario's voice carried an almost taunting nonchalance as he walked toward the altar, hands in his pockets as if he belonged there.

Katy couldn't speak. She swallowed hard, her gaze darting toward Tom, whose face was a mix of confusion and rising anger.

"Katy," Tom began, his voice taut, "who is this man? And why is he saying these things?"

She glanced away, unwilling to meet his eyes. Her gaze landed on Sonia, seated with an infuriating smirk tugging at her lips. Of course. Sonia.

Sonia always loved chaos, especially if it meant Katy's life was the center of it. But Dario... he was a different kind of disaster. He wasn't supposed to be here. He wasn't supposed to be out of prison. The sheer impossibility of his presence made her head spin.

The priest cleared his throat, his tone both gentle and firm. "Sir, you have interrupted a sacred ceremony. If you have a valid objection, please state it now."

Dario's eyes locked on Katy, his smirk widening into something sinister. "Katy is engaged to me. Has been for years. She still has my ring, and she never broke it off."

He turned his attention to Tom with a slight shrug, as if to apologize for the inconvenience. "Some... circumstances kept me away for a while, but I'm back now. I can't let another man marry my fiancée."

Gasps rippled through the hall as all eyes turned to Katy.

"Miss Katy," the priest addressed her gravely, "is there any truth to this claim? Have you been engaged to this man?"

Katy's heart pounded. She looked to her parents, her friends, Tom-each face wore a mix of confusion and judgment. Finally, her voice broke through the oppressive silence.

"Yes," she whispered. "I was engaged to him."

The noise in the room erupted like a tidal wave. Tom's hand dropped from hers as he stepped back, his expression a storm of betrayal. Without a word, he turned and walked out of the cathedral.

The priest, visibly shaken, adjusted his glasses and declared, "I'm afraid this ceremony cannot proceed. The marriage is hereby cancelled."

With that, he exited the altar, leaving the congregation to slowly dissipate.

~~~

Katy barely heard her bridesmaids' concerned voices as she pushed past them, desperate to escape. The sight of her father pacing furiously in the lobby stopped her in her tracks.

"Katy," James hissed, catching her arm. His face was red with anger. "How dare you? You never told us Dario was out of prison. You agreed to marry Tom without ending this? You've disgraced this family!"

"Dad, I didn't mean-"

"You didn't think, Katy! That's always your excuse!"

"James," Lucy interjected, placing a hand on his arm. "Calm down. Can't you see she's upset?"

Just then, Dario appeared, his arrogant swagger igniting fresh rage in James.

"You've done enough damage for one day!" James barked.

Dario raised his hands mockingly. "Hey, I just spoke the truth. Katy is-was-my fiancée. I couldn't let her walk down the aisle with someone else."

"And you're here because of me." Sonia's voice cut through the argument. All eyes turned to her as she stepped forward with a casual shrug. "You're welcome, Katy. At least someone had the guts to stop you from making a mistake."

"You bitch!" Katy lunged toward Sonia, but her father held her back. "Why would you do this? What did I ever do to you?"

Sonia rolled her eyes. "You always get everything, Katy. I just thought it was time for a little reality check."

Katy's voice broke as tears streamed down her face. She turned on Dario. "And you! Don't you dare come near me again. I'm breaking the engagement right now. It's over!"

She stormed out, leaving the chaos behind as she searched desperately for Tom.

~~~

The second-floor balcony overlooked the church gardens, but Tom wasn't admiring the view. His jacket lay crumpled on the floor, and he held his tie like it was suffocating him.

Katy found him pacing. "Tom..." she called softly.

He froze, scooped up his jacket, and turned to leave.

"Wait!" she cried, grabbing his arm. "Please, let me explain!"

Tom yanked his arm free, his eyes filled with hurt. "Explain? Explain? How do you explain lying to me, Katy? You kept something like this from me! You had an Italian ex-fiancé in prison, and you never said a word?"

"I didn't tell you because I didn't think it mattered anymore!" Katy's voice broke. "He was in my past, and I didn't know he'd show up today!"

Tom shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "Secrets don't just disappear, Katy. This was huge. And you didn't trust me enough to tell me?"

"I was scared, Tom! I thought I could leave all of it behind. I love you!"

Tom's expression softened for a moment, but he quickly hardened again. "Love isn't enough, Katy. Not when there's no trust."

"Please..." Katy whispered, tears streaming down her face.

Tom sighed, his voice heavy with finality. "I can't do this anymore. It's over."

He walked away, leaving Katy shattered.

~~~

Katy barely made it to the church bathroom before breaking down. She locked the door and let out a scream that reverberated against the tiles.

Her reflection in the mirror was unrecognizable-makeup streaked, eyes red, hair falling loose from its perfect updo.

"Why?" she whispered to herself. "Why does everyone want to ruin my life?"

Her gaze fell on a glass of whiskey sitting on the sink. She grabbed it without thinking and downed it in one gulp, letting the burn distract her from her pain.

Then, the dizziness hit.

"What...?" she murmured, gripping the counter as her vision blurred. Her legs gave out, and she crumpled to the floor, the glass shattering beside her.

The world went black.