Semua Bab Snatched at the Altar: I Changed Grooms: Bab 1 - Bab 10

The more intense the bride's beating, the more it showed how reluctant her family was to let her go, and the harder the groom’s side had to fight to take her away.I didn't dodge or fight back. Instead, I let them push me around, haul me off my stool, and land their blows whenever they pleased.At first, it seemed like they were just going through the motions. But soon, the shoving took on a different tone.Someone grabbed my arm and slammed me into the wall, while another drove punch after punch into my lower back. The blows were hard and solid, nothing like the customary tussle.This was on purpose.It hurt terribly, but I made no sound. I understood now what Patty meant when she said that I'd been tough since I was a child.Just when I thought it would go on, someone stepped in front of me and shouted, "Enough!"It was an unfamiliar voice, full of anger.He stood before me, using his arms to ward off those still trying to rush forward."Knock it off! You're hitting too hard

Brad simply grunted in reply.Nicholas walked a couple of steps closer, the torchlight drawing nearer.I could feel his gaze land on my back and linger there for a moment. That glance stretched a little too long, so much so that I almost thought he was going to recognize me."I'm going now," Brad suddenly said, stepping forward."Wait!" Nicholas frowned slightly, as if he wanted to say something more.Just then, Tricia said in a soft, frail voice, "Nicholas, my leg hurts."Nicholas immediately turned around. "What's wrong? Did you bump it just now?""I don't know. It just hurts." Tricia's voice grew quieter and quieter. "Let's hurry. We need to get to your place before daybreak."Unable to focus on anything else, Nicholas just nodded at Brad and said, "Gotta go. I'll buy you a drink next time you're back in the city."Their footsteps gradually faded into the distance.Only then did Brad say quietly, "He really didn't recognize you."Still draped over his back, I didn't say a

A tightness seized Nicholas' throat, stealing his voice for a moment.A memory struck him, and his brain went white with noise.When Nicholas had passed Brad at the bend, the latter had been carrying me on his back, claiming I was a bride from the neighboring village.My silhouette had felt so familiar to Nicholas."Charlene, she—" His throat seized up, as if something had lodged there. "Why didn't she kick up a fuss?""Kick up a fuss? What for?" Aunt Jenny laughed. "Oh, sweetheart, it's not like a bride heist is a bad thing, so why would she kick up a fuss? Charlene simply went along with it, quiet as ever."We all thought it was strange, too. After all, with her temper, shouldn't she have beaten that guy to a pulp? But no, she just let him carry her away like it was nothing."Nicholas' hand, still gripping the phone, began to tremble.Quiet as anything? Let him carry me away like it was nothing? I didn't shout, curse, or struggle? No—that couldn't be me! The me that he knew w

Tricia added, "As for Charlene, she's simply not good enough for you. All she does is guard that little patch of land Joseph left behind. She never once thought about how to help you manage your household affairs or how to fit into your social circles."What can she even give you? But I'm different. I know what you want, and I also know how to make Mrs. Tanner happy. I can give you far more than Charlene ever could."Nicholas looked into her eyes, which were nothing like mine.My eyes were bright, like stars over the mountains. They couldn't hide a thing—joy or sorrow, it was all written in them.Tricia's eyes, though, were so soft that they could draw him right in.A question suddenly popped into Nicholas' mind. All those times he'd gone to the village to bring stuff for me—hadn't he been slipping things to Tricia on the side?Later on, Tricia claimed that I'd inherited the family business, leaving her with no choice but to find a job. Hadn't he worried about her frail health an

I genuinely hadn't recognized Nicholas.In the three years since, he'd grown gaunt and weathered, a shadow of the rakish elegance he'd once possessed.Just then, Brad looked up and glanced at him.Without uttering a single word, he edged closer to my side. It was an instinctive movement, one that showed his protectiveness."You two…" Nicholas looked at us, his throat parched. "Are you two really together now?"I glanced sideways at Brad. The look was soft, trusting, and utterly natural.Brad smiled when our eyes met, and then he slipped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me close.After that, he looked at Nicholas and said calmly, "Mr. Tanner, allow me to introduce you to my wife, Charlene. We actually crossed paths back during the bride heist, didn't we?"Wife? The word crashed through Nicholas' mind like a thunderclap."How could you take that seriously?" His voice came out rough and dry. "It was a sham, a mix-up. It was dark, and I couldn't see clearly. That's why I carr