Too Late, Mr. White! I'm Married To Your Rival Now

Aria's POV

I never thought Valentine's Day would be the day my heart would truly break.

Liam had reserved a table at La Perle, the crown jewel of Manhattan dining-crystal chandeliers glowing above us, the air humming with soft jazz and the scent of roses at every table. It should have been the perfect Valentine's date, the kind you tell your kids about one day.

"You look beautiful tonight, Aria," Liam whispered, reaching across the table to take my hand.

I smiled, trying to ignore how distant he'd been lately. Ever since Sophia Clarke came back to New York two months ago, my relationship with Liam had changed. Still, I clung to hope. After all, we were getting married in just five days.

"I'm glad we could spend Valentine's Day together," I said softly.

Liam nodded, but his eyes seemed distracted. "Of course. I wouldn't miss it."

Despite the words, I couldn't help remembering all the dinner dates he'd canceled recently. Always with the same excuse: "Sophia needs me."

Just as our appetizers arrived, I noticed Liam's eyes widen. Following his gaze, my heart sank.

Sophia Clarke stood there, radiant in a white dress that clung to her slender frame, her blonde hair cascading down her shoulders. Her eyes-those large, seemingly innocent blue eyes-scanned the room until they landed on our table. A slow smile spread across her face.

"Well, isn't this adorable?" Sophia's voice rang out as she glided toward us, her white silk dress clinging like it was painted on. "Liam, Aria-what are the odds? Manhattan's massive, yet somehow I keep stumbling into you two." Her smile was sugar-sweet, her eyes anything but.

I bit the inside of my cheek. This was the third "coincidence" this month.

Liam stood up immediately. "Sophia, what a surprise."

The warmth in his voice was unmistakable.

"I'm just meeting some friends," she said, her eyes darting to me briefly before focusing back on Liam. "But they seem to be running late."

"Why don't you join us while you wait?" Liam said-too quickly, too eagerly.

I was momentarily stunned, yet my chest felt like being struck by a blunt object, a dull ache spreading outward.

Our romantic Valentine's dinner had just become a party of three.

As the evening progressed, Sophia dominated the conversation with stories that seemed designed to remind Liam of their shared past. Each time, Liam would nod enthusiastically, lost in memories that didn't include me.

I sat there, invisible, watching as my fiancé and his first love flirted right in front of me.

"Sophia," I finally said, my patience wearing thin, "it's Valentine's Day. Liam and I were having a private dinner."

"Oh, Aria," Sophia's voice dripped with false sympathy. "Don't be so possessive. Liam and I are just old friends catching up. Isn't that right, Li?"

"Aria," Liam's voice was sharp. "Don't be so sensitive. Sophia's just making conversation."

I stared at him, stunned by the rebuke. This was supposed to be our night, and yet he was defending her?

"I should go," I said quietly, placing my napkin on the table. The pain of his betrayal was too much to bear.

Before I could stand, the sound of shattering glass filled the restaurant. A man's voice, loud and frantic, cut through the elegant atmosphere.

"SOPHIA! WHERE IS SHE?"

I saw a disheveled man in his thirties, wild-eyed and unsteady on his feet. What froze my blood wasn't his appearance, but the gun clutched in his trembling hand.

"Ryan," Sophia gasped from our table, her face draining of color.

"If I can't have you, no one will!" Ryan shouted, his voice breaking with emotion.

That was when everything seemed to happen in slow motion.

Ryan's face contorted with rage. He raised his gun, aiming directly at Sophia.

Liam didn't even look at me. His chair screeched back as he bolted to Sophia, wrapping her up like she was the most precious thing in the world. His arms locked around her, his voice frantic, whispering promises I was never meant to hear.

And me? I was shoved out, left wide open to the barrel of the gun.

The gunshot was deafening.

I felt a searing pain across my upper arm as I fell to the floor. Warm blood seeped through my dress, but all I could focus on was the sight before me: Liam, wrapped protectively around Sophia, his body covering hers, his arms cradling her head.

He hadn't even looked at me. At that moment, I became invisible to him. In his eyes, there was only Sophia.

"Miss, are you alright?" A concerned waiter knelt beside me, eyes wide at the sight of blood on my sleeve.

Fortunately, I escaped with just a graze wound. When the gunshot rang out, security guards had tackled Ryan, causing his aim to veer off target. The bullet only grazed my arm instead of hitting me directly.

The pain in my arm was nothing compared to the agony in my heart.

Only when paramedics arrived did Liam finally notice me, his eyes widening when he saw the crimson stain spreading across my sleeve.

"Aria!" His face paled when he saw the blood. "Oh God, are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," I whispered, though nothing was fine. Nothing would ever be fine again.

"I'm so sorry," he stammered, helping me to my feet. "Sophia was closer to me, I just reacted. It happened so fast."

I nodded mechanically, accepting his explanation because the alternative was too painful to acknowledge. But the truth pounded in my head with each heartbeat – he didn't choose her because she was closer. He chose her because she was more important.

"We need to get you to a hospital," he insisted, finally showing concern as he examined my wound.

The emergency room was chaotic. As the doctor cleaned and stitched my arm, Liam paced nervously in the small treatment room.

"You scared me," he said, stopping to brush my hair from my face. "When I saw the blood..."

For a moment, I allowed myself to believe he truly cared. That maybe what happened at the restaurant was really just proximity and instinct, not a window into his heart.

Then his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, and the way his face shifted-guilt, urgency, something I'd never seen directed at me-told me everything before he even said her name.

"It's Sophia," he murmured, almost apologetic. Like I should understand. Like it was normal to leave your fiancée bleeding while you ran to your ex.

"She says she's having an anxiety attack... I should take this."

"Go ahead," I said, my voice hollow.

"I'll be right back," he promised, but the door had barely closed behind him before I felt the tears I'd been holding back stream down my face.

By the time the doctor finished bandaging my arm, twenty minutes had passed. Liam hadn't returned.

"The bullet grazed you pretty deeply," the doctor explained. "You're lucky it didn't hit anything vital. I've prescribed some antibiotics and pain medication. You should have someone stay with you tonight."

I nodded silently, wondering who that someone would be, since my fiancé was clearly occupied elsewhere.

"Aria!" Lillian burst through the treatment room door, her eyes wild with worry. "I came as soon as I got your text. Oh my God, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I said automatically, though the lie felt heavy on my tongue.

Lillian looked around the empty room, her expression darkening. "Where's Liam?"

I couldn't meet her eyes. "He had to take a call."

"A call? You got shot and he's taking a call?" Her voice rose with each word. "Please tell me it's not who I think it is."

My silence was answer enough.

"No. I'm not letting this go anymore," she said, crossing her arms. "Twelve years, Aria. Twelve years you've loved him, and this is how he repays you?"

"Lili, please." I was too exhausted, too hurt to have this conversation."Can we just go, please? I don't want to stay at my place tonight. Dad would worry too much if he saw me like this."

By the time we reached her apartment, I could barely keep it together. As soon as I sat down, the lump in my throat could no longer be contained. Tears streamed down, dampening the sleeve of Lillian's shirt.Lillian sat next to me, holding my uninjured hand tightly, her warmth grounding me.

"You can't marry him, Aria," she said gently, brushing a tear off my cheek. "Not after this."

I shook my head, trying to breathe through the sobs. "I can't just walk away, Lili. I've loved him for twelve years."

"We've known each other since we were kids, Lili. He was there when my mom died. He held me through the worst nights of my life. He's been. everything. I can't just throw it all away because of one mistake."

"One mistake?" she echoed, her brows drawing together. "Aria, a man pulled a gun-and Liam ran to protect Sophia. Not you. That wasn't a slip-up, that was instinct. That was his heart reacting before his mouth could make excuses."

I stared down at the cold tile floor of the apartment, my throat tight, my chest aching. I didn't want to admit it. but I couldn't deny what I saw either.

"He told me it was nothing," I whispered hoarsely. "That they're just friends."

Lillian let out a shaky breath, then reached out and squeezed my uninjured hand. "I believe you love him. I do. But love isn't always enough. Especially when it's one-sided. And Aria. I think you're the only one holding on."

Her words were like knives, cutting deep into wounds already raw and bleeding. I felt my head pounding with an intense pain.

I knew Lillian was right.But how could I walk away now? Our families had planned this wedding for months. Everyone was expecting a fairytale ending to our twelve-year romance.

And despite everything, a small, foolish part of me still hoped our story could have a happy ending. That Liam would remember why he asked me to marry him in the first place. That the boy who had once promised to protect me would find his way back to me before it was too late.

"I'll give him one last chance," I whispered, wiping away the salt of my tears. My voice shook, but my words didn't. "Five days. If he can't prove I'm the woman he chooses, then I'm done. No more excuses. No more begging for scraps."

Lillian didn't argue. She just pulled me into her arms and held me like she had a hundred times before-when we were little girls.

Five days.

That's all I would give him.

After that. I'd have to find a way to give myself back to me.

Aria's POV

The morning after the shooting incident, I woke up to find my phone buzzing with notifications. With a pounding headache, I reached for it and was stunned to see what was happening. The incident had gone viral. Social media was ablaze with comments condemning Liam for prioritizing Sophia over me during the shooting.

"Imagine marrying a man who'll dive in front of a bullet-but only if it's for someone else."

"What kind of man abandons his future wife in a life-threatening situation?"

"That poor Jones girl. she deserves someone who actually remembers who he's engaged to."

Reading these comments made my stomach churn.

My phone rang, and my father's name flashed across the screen.

"Aria," his voice was stern, filled with suppressed anger. "I've seen the news. "The engagement is over, Aria. I'll be damned if I stand by and watch my daughter marry a man who lets her bleed while he cuddles another woman."

"Dad, please," I pleaded, my voice breaking. "It wasn't like that. Liam was just... he wasn't thinking clearly. It was a split-second decision in a chaotic situation."

Even as I defended him, a small voice in my head whispered: But shouldn't protecting you have been his instinct?

"A split-second decision that could have cost you your life, Aria! Do you understand that? If that bullet had hit you instead of grazing your arm-"

"But it didn't," I interrupted, not wanting to imagine the alternative. "Dad, I love him. We've been together for twelve years. One mistake doesn't erase all that."

There was a long pause before my father sighed deeply. "You've always been too forgiving for your own good, just like your mother. Fine. But if he ever puts you in danger again-"

"He won't," I assured him, though uncertainty lingered in my heart.

Later that day, Liam arrived with his parents, William and Elizabeth White. While Elizabeth's face was a mask of polite concern, William looked genuinely remorseful.

"Aria, dear," Elizabeth approached first, her designer heels clicking against the floor. "We are so sorry about what happened. It must have been terrifying for you."

Liam stepped forward, his eyes reflecting genuine regret. "Aria, I can't express how sorry I am. I wasn't thinking clearly. The moment I realized what I'd done, I was horrified. Please forgive me."

Looking into his blue eyes, the same eyes I'd fallen for when we were teenagers, I nodded. "I understand, Liam. It was a chaotic situation."

To appease both our families and the public, we released a joint statement explaining the incident as an unfortunate misunderstanding during a moment of panic. The media frenzy began to subside, and life seemingly returned to normal.

In the days that followed, Liam was attentive and loving. He accompanied me to every wedding preparation, from cake tastings to venue inspections. His dedication made me believe that perhaps the incident was truly just a momentary lapse in judgment. With each passing day, my doubts faded, replaced by excitement for our upcoming wedding.

Finally, the day arrived. The Jones-White wedding was the talk of the town, with over a thousand guests filling the grand ballroom that had been transformed into a fairy-tale setting. Crystal chandeliers cast a soft glow over the white roses and lilies that adorned every corner, and a string quartet played softly in the background.

I stood backstage with my father, my heart racing with anticipation. My ivory gown, with its intricate lace and pearl embellishments, had been custom-made, and I felt like a princess in it.

"Nervous, sweetheart?" my father asked, placing a comforting hand on my arm.

I was about to respond when I heard the master of ceremonies announce, "And now, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our handsome groom, Mr. Liam White!"

The crowd erupted in applause, but as seconds ticked by, there was no sign of Liam. The applause gradually died down, replaced by murmurs of confusion. The master of ceremonies tried to maintain his composure, making light of the "small delay," but as the minutes passed, even he began to look concerned.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted backstage. A sharp slap echoed through the air, followed by Elizabeth White's shrill voice, "Liam White, you come back here this instant!"

Before I could process what was happening, Liam rushed past me, his face pale and determined. He'd ripped off his "groom" boutonnière, and his eyes briefly met mine.

"Aria, I'm sorry," he blurted, panic etched on his face. "Sophia fell-she's hurt. I can't just leave her like that. We'll. we'll reschedule the wedding, alright? Just a few days."

My world shattered in that moment. All the joy, the anticipation, the dreams for our future... gone in an instant. The warning signs had been there all along, from the moment he chose to protect Sophia during the shooting. Deep down, I'd known, but I'd chosen to ignore it.

My father's face darkened with rage. "Liam, you can't just-"

But Liam was already running towards the exit, leaving me standing in my wedding gown, surrounded by confused guests and a shattered dream.

Something inside me snapped. After all we'd been through, after all the preparations, after I'd defended him to everyone... he was still choosing Sophia. I couldn't let him walk away, not without facing me.

"Liam!" I called out, gathering my billowing gown in my hands and chasing after him. The high heels I wore bit into my skin, each step a painful reminder of the lengths I was willing to go for someone who wouldn't do the same for me.

As I reached the hotel lobby, I saw him outside, about to cross the street to a waiting car. I pushed through the doors, my desperation mounting.

"Liam, please!" I cried out, stepping onto the road.

The screeching of tires filled the air, and I turned to see a black car swerving to avoid me. In my haste to avoid it, I lost my balance and fell hard onto the pavement, the pristine white of my gown now stained with dirt and blood from my scraped palms.

Through the blur of my tears, I saw Liam pause. Just for a second. He turned back, his eyes meeting mine across the distance-conflicted, guilty...

But he still got into the car.

He had chosen her.

Again.

And in that moment, something inside me quietly died.

Aria's POV

I lay in the hospital bed, staring at the sterile white ceiling while the pain medication slowly dulled the throbbing in my body. The physical pain, however, paled in comparison to the hollowness that had taken root in my chest.

Mrs. White had been quick to call an ambulance after witnessing my fall. By the time my father arrived, I was crying out in pain, my wedding dress soiled and torn. The sight of me-his only daughter-sprawled on the ground in my ruined wedding gown had nearly destroyed him.

"My baby girl," he'd whispered, carefully gathering me into his arms despite the paramedics' protests. His voice had cracked with emotion. "I'm here now. Everything will be alright."

But everything wasn't alright. Nothing would ever be alright again.

The doctor had assured us my injuries weren't severe-just some scrapes, bruises, and minor sprains that would heal with time. The emotional wound, however, felt fatal.

When the White family tried to visit me, my father unleashed twelve years' worth of suppressed frustration.

"Your son humiliated my daughter in front of a thousand people and left her bleeding on the ground. And now you dare show your faces here?" His roar shook the walls. "Get the hell out before I drag you out myself."

I'd never seen my father so angry. William White tried to speak, but my father wouldn't hear it. He physically pushed them out of the doorway, slamming the door behind them with such force that the walls shook.

My best friend, Lillian, sat beside my bed, her hand tightly clasped around mine. Her normally cheerful face was clouded with anger.

"That bastard," she muttered, scrolling through her phone. "How could he do this to you? Twelve years, Aria. Twelve damn years!"

I couldn't respond. The reality of what had happened was still sinking in. Liam had left me. At our wedding. In front of everyone we knew.

Then my phone buzzed with a notification. Lillian reached for it before I could, but her sharp intake of breath told me it wasn't good news.

"Lill, what is it?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

She hesitated. "Nothing important. Just rest."

"Lillian Moore," I said firmly, extending my hand. "Show me."

With reluctance, she handed me my phone. The screen displayed a news alert: "Breaking: Liam White Seen Entering Sophia Clarke's Apartment Just Hours After Wedding Walkout."

Below the headline was a paparazzi shot taken from across the street-The photos hit me like bullets: Liam at Sophia's brownstone, his hand shamelessly pressed to her waist, her head nestled on his shoulder like she belonged there. Another shot-through the window-captured them tangled in each other's arms, laughing. Laughing, while I lay in a hospital bed with my father collapsing from grief.

My fingers went numb. The phone slipped from my hand, but the image was already burned into my mind.

"He never loved me," I whispered, more to myself than to Lillian. "All these years, I was just... convenient. A placeholder until he could be with her."

"Don't say that," Lillian said fiercely. "You're worth ten of her, a hundred of her!"

But the evidence was irrefutable. From the shooting to the wedding, every action proved that when it came down to it, Sophia would always be Liam's first choice. I had been living in a fantasy, believing that our history, our shared memories, would be enough.

Silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating, until it was broken by a sound from the hallway.

A voice. Weak. Strained.

My father's voice.

Then-a thud.

"Dad?" I called out, panic rising in my throat.

Lillian rushed to the door and flung it open. "Oh my God! Mr. Jones!"

I pushed myself out of bed, ignoring the pain that shot through my body. My father lay on the floor, unconscious, his face alarmingly pale.

"Someone help!" I screamed, dropping to my knees beside him. "Please, someone help my father!"

The next few minutes were a blur of medical staff rushing in, voices overlapping as they called out instructions. My father was quickly placed on a gurney and wheeled away, leaving me standing in the hallway, trembling with fear.

"He'll be okay," Lillian reassured me, though her voice lacked conviction. "It's probably just stress from everything that happened today."

As we waited for news about my father, the elevator doors opened, revealing two men. One was tall and imposing, with sharp features and a commanding presence that immediately drew attention. The other, slightly shorter but equally well-dressed, followed a step behind.

Aiden Carter-the name instantly registered in my mind. The heir to Carter Group and Liam's biggest business rival. I'd never met him personally, but his reputation preceded him. At just thirty-two, he'd taken over as CEO of Carter Group five years ago and had transformed it into one of the leading conglomerates globally. Cold, calculated, and ruthless in business-these were the words most commonly associated with him.

What was he doing here?

The two men approached, and I realized with a start that Aiden was heading directly toward me.

"Miss Jones?" he asked, his voice deep and authoritative.

I nodded weakly, too emotionally drained to question how he knew who I was.

"I'm Aiden Carter," he confirmed. "And this is my associate, Mr. Grant."

"I know who you are," I replied cautiously. "What do you want?"

He gestured toward my hospital room. "May we speak privately?"

Under normal circumstances, I would have refused. But today had been anything but normal, and my capacity for rational thought was severely compromised by grief, pain, and worry for my father.

Once inside the room, Aiden Carter got straight to the point.

"I was the one driving the car that almost hit you," he stated matter-of-factly. "I swerved to avoid you, which caused you to fall."

I stared at him, processing his words. "You... you were the driver?"

He nodded once, his expression unreadable. "I'd like to offer compensation for your injuries. Name your price."

His directness was almost refreshing after the day I'd had. No false sympathy, no platitudes-just straightforward business.

"It was an accident," I said, shaking my head. "I ran into the road without looking. If anything, I should be apologizing to you for damaging your car."

A flicker of surprise crossed his face, so brief I almost missed it.

Before he could respond, my phone buzzed. This time, it was a text from an unknown number.

[Hi Aria, it's Sophia. I just wanted to say how sorry I am for today. Liam never meant to hurt you, but you know he's been in love with me for years. He only stayed because he felt. obligated. I hope one day you'll understand, and maybe even be happy for us. :) ]

The audacity of her message sent a surge of anger through me. Not only had she stolen the man I loved, but now she was reaching out to me for absolution? As if her conscience would be clear if I just gave them my blessing?

In that moment, something inside me snapped. I'd spent twelve years living in Liam's shadow, always the understanding girlfriend, always putting his needs first. And where had it gotten me? Alone in a hospital room, my wedding dress torn, my father collapsed from stress, and the media painting me as some desperate, clingy ex.

I looked up at Aiden Carter, taking in his powerful presence. The business world feared him; Liam despised him. There was a strange symmetry to it all-how the man Liam hated most had accidentally crossed paths with me on the very day Liam had broken my heart.

As I looked at Aiden Carter's stern face, suddenly, a wild idea took shape in my mind - perhaps I could seek revenge on Liam in a different way.

"Actually," I said, my voice surprisingly steady, "there is something you could do for me."

Aiden raised an eyebrow, waiting.

"Marry me."

Let's give Liam a betrayal he'll never recover from.