Page 67 of Forever His Favorite
Lucas’s lips parted in shock, but no sound came.
“You didn’t even know I was lactose intolerant,” Emily continued bitterly. “Something that could kill me—and when I told you, your only response was to ask why I hadn’t mentioned it before. I did. Many times. But you never cared enough to listen. Never cared enough to remember.”
She took a shuddering breath, her eyes unflinching. “To you, I was nothing but a nuisance. A woman who took up your time. Someone bothersome. Someone annoying.”
She inhaled shakily, her grip on Sebastian’s hand tightening. “And now you’re here, not because you love me—but because you can’t stand the thought of the woman who once loved you so deeply… marrying another man. I don’t want to be with you again.”
Lucas stared at the ground, his chest heaving, his hands clenched at his sides. His whole body was stiff, rigid, as if he no longer trusted himself to move.
Emily’s voice cut through the silence like glass. “I told you many times—I don’t love you anymore. I love Sebastian. But still, you insist I’m throwing an angry fit, instead of believing me when I say it. Do you know why? Because you only love yourself. Nobody else.”
Lucas lifted his head slowly, pain twisting across his face. He took a hesitant step toward her, his voice cracking as he pleaded. “Emily… teach me how to love you. I’ll do anything you want. I’ll love you the way you want to be loved. I promise.”
His trembling hand reached for hers.
But Emily immediately stepped back, pressing deeper into Sebastian’s hold. Sebastian’s arm tightened around her waist, holding her close.
“Leave,” Emily said coldly. “It’s time for me to get married.”
Without another glance at Lucas, she turned. Sebastian clasped her hand firmly and pulled her toward the stage.
At that moment, the second set of grand doors at the far end of the hall opened, and guests began to pour inside, filling the venue with rustling voices and footsteps.
Emily and Sebastian ascended the steps together, standing tall beneath the glowing lights as the ceremony began.
Lucas remained rooted in place. His chest felt as though it were splitting apart, his world dissolving before his eyes. His gaze stayed locked on Emily—on the woman he thought would be his forever—now standing at another man’s side in a wedding gown.
“Enjoying the wedding, Mr. Cantrell?”
The voice behind him was smooth, almost mocking.
Lucas didn’t move.
Jeremy, dressed sharply in a tailored suit, strolled up beside him. He slid his hands into his pockets, his lips curled in a faint smile, his face carrying no remorse.
Jeremy stopped beside him, eyes locked on the stage.
“Now you know how it feels,” Jeremy said, his tone low and edged with cruelty. “To watch the person you love most choose another man—without a glance back, without even remembering you exist.” He tilted his head, a mocking smiletugging at his lips as his gaze lingered on Lucas’s face. “Are you in pain? Does it hurt?”
Lucas’s jaw clenched, his voice breaking with both hatred and despair. “You went to such lengths… just to take revenge?”
“Obviously,” Jeremy shot back without hesitation, his eyes hard. “But this?” He gestured toward the stage where Emily and Sebastian stood, radiant under the lights. “This isn’t even one percent of the pain you put Emily through. You think you’re hurting now?” Jeremy’s smile vanished, his expression darkening with fury.
“Every time she came to you, every time she tried to talk to you, you broke her. Again and again. She loved you with a heart so pure and naïve, and you crushed it until she literally died. And you dared call that love?”
Lucas’s eyes blurred with tears, his throat closing. His voice was raw when he asked, “Have you had your fun? Are you done?”
Jeremy didn’t answer right away. His gaze remained fixed on the stage as the officiant’s voice rang out: “Now, the groom may kiss the bride.”
Jeremy’s lips twisted. “Look at her, Lucas. That necklace around her neck, those earrings, those bangles, that wedding ring on her finger—it’s all worth over five hundred million dollars. Do you know why Sebastian gave her that? Because Sebastian wanted her to feel like the most cherished woman in the world. Meanwhile you…” Jeremy scoffed, disgust curling his words. “You refused to even give her your mother’s old ring. The one thing she asked for, just for reassurance that you wanted a future with her. But made her fuckingbegfor it for years? You dangled hope in front of her, waiting for the dayyoudecidedshe was worthy.”
His voice dropped, cold as ice. “You never deserved her.”
Lucas’s body sagged. Tears streamed freely down his cheeks, his vision swimming. His chest burned so fiercely it felt like his ribs would cave in. He couldn’t lift his head, couldn’t look at the stage.
Jeremy gave him one last cold look. “Stop pestering Emily. If you ever loved her even for a moment let her be happy now. She doesn’t owe you anything.”
With that, Jeremy turned on his heel and stormed away, leaving Lucas trembling in place.
