Claudia was the most affected, having nearly reached the altar when Anthony deserted her.

Anthony's decision to run away from the wedding undoubtedly placed Claudia in the most humiliating and embarrassing situation.

It was on the second morning when Claudia finally regained consciousness. Upon opening her eyes, she saw Aurora resting beside her bed. Struggling to move, she discovered her whole body swathed in bandages.

Her movements limited to her hands.

Bearing the pain, Claudia reached for her phone and switched on the screen, disappointed to find no new messages.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated. The news headline read, “Anthony of the Nixon family deserts his own wedding to the Marshalls and flees to Northmarble overnight for his beloved..."

Claudia's hand wavered and the phone slipped, making a Loud clatter as it dropped to the floor.

When Aurora came to, her gaze immediately found Claudia. Noticing that Claudia was awake, Aurora's emotions were a mix of elation and sympathy. “Cece, you're finally awake!"

“Aurora, I..." Claudia murmured, her voice shaky.

Both of them had just awoken, Aurora from sleep and Claudia from surgery. Aurora dismissed her confusion over the noise she'd heard and remembered something had hit the ground.

She glanced down and spotted Claudia's phone under the bed.

When Aurora picked up the phone, she was shocked by the image on the screen. It was a picture of Anthony holding Delilah.

Anger surged through her, causing her body to tremble. She was unsure if Claudia had seen the news and was terrified of worsening Claudia's condition. Struggling to keep her emotions in check, Aurora reassured Claudia, "I'm just so relieved you're awake, Cece. I'll summon the doctor.

Claudia caught a glimpse of Aurora as she placed the phone on the bedside table. Closing her eyes, Claudia replied softly, "Sure."

Aurora was still wearing the bridesmaid dress from the day before. It was evident she'd spent the night in the hospital ward.

Claudia didn’t want to burden her friend any further, and she knew it was time for her to face reality.

Twelve years of knowing Anthony meant nothing to him. In Delilah's presence, she always felt like the runner-up.

She used to convince herself that this didn't matter, that Anthony truly loved her.

But the physical pain she was experiencing now was a stark reminder that she'd been deceiving herself, and it did matter.

If Anthony truly loved her, would he abandon her so easily time and again?

Enough was enough!

Claudia clutched the sheets, her teeth gritting with the intensifying pain.